Easier way to remove control panel programs.
At list of the CPL files can be found in this section at Control Panel CPL Files
This does save a significant amount of memory but more importantly, it will reduce the number of threads running in the background.
This concerns the "Network Server" option ... You already know about the screw up in Win95 release prior to OSR2 but, did you know you can also customize the settings in the registry?
While this doesn't save a lot of memory, at least your name caches aren't using more than they need.
If you have 24 Megs or more of RAM, you can increase your performance.
If you do not see a performance increase, occasionally the NameCache and PathCache
values
are written to the registry incorrectly for the Network Server.
To fix the problem:
Ever wonder why Windows 3.1 was noticeably faster than Windows 3.11? It has to do with something called Synchonous Buffer Commits, this tells Windows whether or not to lie to an application and tell the application that it's writing data to the drive when Windows is actually caching the data in memory. With Windows '95 they give you the option to disable this, thus increasing disk intensive application performance but there are some caveats to consider. If you lose power the data in cache will NOT be written to disk this will be BAD so I'd only recommend using this on a machine with an UPS. Well, Here how you do it.
Expect about a 10% speed increase in disk intensive applications.
To clear the contents of your Documents Folder
To open a file with a different program:
Right click a folder while holding down the SHIFT key
This will open the dialog box that includes "Open with" to change what program will open the file
Over time, real-mode drivers which are added to VMM32, might not be releasing memory .
To see if this is a problem on your system, run MEM /C /P and check the size
allocated to VMM32.
It should not be much more that 2K or at least not growing over time.
If it is:
To remove one document file on START - DOCUMENTS
This is helpful when you get an error message that tells you something can't be run because the file can't be found. You can find the file that is calling the "non-existent" thing.
Note from Mihir: This can be extremely useful if you want to include support personnel and their phone numbers
Note from Mihir: You need to have the OEMINFO.INI file in place noted above.
The details of all printers shown by the add printer dialog when installing a new printer reside in two files, MSPRINT.INF and MSPRINT2.INF.
These files can be edited so that additional printers are listed. It is rather more complicated than editing CONTROL.INF as with Windows 3.1 but by using the OEM95.INF file provided with new printer drivers as a guide a little experimenting should get you there. Of course any new or updated files must be copied to the correct locations.
If you want to apply these changes to a NetSetup Windows 95 distribution point you must specify that the MSPRINT files are precopied using CUSTOM.INF, otherwise standard CAB extracted versions will be used and the additions will not be available. Using this method also allows the added printers to be auto installed from MSBATCH.INF.
REMOVABLEIDE=TRUE
Evidently, if you use a removable drive, Windows 95 does not recognize it as being
removable, so you have to tell it that it is.
Once inside the "Find|File" dialog box, in order to display the last several
searches you tried:
Hit F4
(a drop down box will display showing the last several searches you conducted.)
It's easy in Explorer to create a file type for a give extension.
But what if you want several extensions to identify the same file type?
Example- I want BMP, GIF, JPG, JPEG to all be passed to the same program when I
double-click them.
You can make a file type for each all using the same program, but then you install some
other editing program (for one effect) or worse! a new browser, and it rudely associates
each type with itself.
The trick is to make one file type (Image File) which you configure to set your preferred
graphics viewer.
Then to associate multiple file extensions with that type, run WINFILE.EXE, the old Win
3.1 File manager.
Use File Associate, and you can quickly associate each extension with that file type.
Fast open of Explorer view of the Start Menu:
To start Win95 without loading anything in the startup group, just hold down the shift
key (either one) when Win95 is loading.
Keep holding it down until the desktop is complete with a pointer.
If any application is still loading, it's because it's in registry under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.
Run the Windows Explorer and go to the Windows/System directory. Find the appropriate CPL file (file with the extension CPL) and delete it.
Note from Mihir: If you want them still available but not showing up in
the Control Panel itself, you can also move them to another directory.
To invoke them, type CONTROL \path\cpl_file where path is the full path where
they are located and cpl_file is the name of the CPL file.
For example, if you don't want users to see the Network icon in the control panel
but still want to be able to make changes, you could move the NETCPL.CPL
file to another directory. Then type CONTROL \path\NETCPL.CPL.
A listing of all the CPL files can be found later in this section at: Control Panel CPL Files
When you use Find from the desktop (F3), you can normally only search on one drive.
To search across multiple drives and directories, separate your searches with a semicolon
(;)
For example, to search from the root of C: and the root of D:, you would enter
C:\;D:\ as your look in location
To search from different directories, you can enter them as well
If when you start your computer you get a RUNDLL error message in a dialog box here is
what you do.
First use RegEdit and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / MICROSOFT / WINDOWS / CURRENT
VERSION / RUN
and delete the string that appears in the dialog box this will remove the string and
everything will be groovy!!
To automatically delete files sent to the recycle bin, do the following:
Forget about "restart in ms-dos mode"
Use DOS=SINGLE
In your CONFIG.SYS put:
[menu]
menuitem WIN95, Windows 95
menuitem NORMAL, DOS - Normal
menudefault WIN95, 3
[WIN95]
[NORMAL]
DOS=SINGLE
[common]
If you are using telephony based modems (unimodem) you can
enable the telephony controls in control panel by renaming
TELEPHON.CP$ to TELEPHON.CPL in the SYSTEM directory.
This will allow you to do diagnostics as well as configure your modem.
If you want to disable Windows95's ability to automatically start CD's when they are inserted:
The following are the files that display icons in the Control Panel.
The reside in the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory
They can be run individually by typing Control followed by the CPL file.
If you are missing any icons in the Control Panel, you want to make sure the CPL file is
in the SYSTEM directory.
Access.cpl - Accessibility properties
Appwiz.cpl - Add/Remove Programs properties
Desk.cpl - Display properties
FindFast.cpl - FindFast (included with Microsoft Office for Windows 95)
Inetcpl.cpl - Internet properties
Intl.cpl - Regional Settings properties
Joy.cpl - Joystick properties
Main.cpl - Mouse properties
Mlcfg32.cpl - Microsoft Exchange Service properties
Mmsys.cpl - Multimedia properties
Modem.cpl - Modem properties
Netcpl.cpl - Network properties
Odbccp32.cpl - Data Sources (32-bit ODBC)
Password.cpl - Password properties
Sysdm.cpl - System properties
Themes.cpl - Desktop Themes (available with Microsoft Plus!)
TimeDate.cpl - Date/Time properties
If you want to make sure Windows95 doesn't assign certain resources (IRQ, I/O etc.) to you Plug and Play Devices
To view what resources are currently being used by your system.
Open up the Device Manager
Double click on Computer
You can now see what IRQ, I/O, Memory and DMA addresses are in use.
By default, when you double click on an INF file, Windows95 opens it with Notepad.
To change that so it will install the INF file:
An economical way to use the Recycle Bin is to use it as normal but insert the lines:
CD\Recycled
Echo Y | Del *.*
CD\
in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
This way every time you restart your computer your recycling bin is cleaned.
With the advent of long directory names, it can be difficult to open up a DOS box and
CD to the directory you want
particularly if it is several layers of long names deep.
An easy way is to:
If you want to boost your sound card's bass or treble:
ATI cards use I/O address 02e0 -02ef & 03b0-03bf.
This is in conflict with the default for COM4.
CONFIG.POL, when copied to winnt35\system32\repl\import\scripts, is
then offered in the share netlogon. This files is the only file
needed to establish policies for users in an NT user accounts data
base or SAM. Set up a default user and default computer plus any
more restrictive setting for specific users, groups or computers and
Microsoft 95 system policies will be in place. In addition, if you
force a logon by the client and disable a DOS session, this will be
a very tight security scheme.
Do you miss Program Manager?
If so, edit the SYSTEM.INI file in the \WINDOWS directory.
Under [Boot] change:
shell=c:\windows\explorer.exe
to
shell=c:\windows\progman.exe
To speed up opening files, if you know the file contains text, but it
it has an extension that isn't recognized, here's what you do:
Now you'll have an easy way to open documents!
Another helpful thing to do is to do the same thing with the recycle bin.
If you don't use your CD player that often, your system might be assigning
memory for it's cache which you could reclaim.
Hate deleting files out of the Recycle Bin in Windows 95.
Hold the shift key down then drop the file on the icon then its gone.
They do have a beta driver out now for 95 but it will not work with a CD-ROM on the
secondary port.
The work around is:
They also have a web site at http://www.datatechnology.com
If you attempt to print a document that contains complex graphical images to a
non-PostScript Hewlett-Packard Laser Jet 4 or Laser Jet 5 printer,
the document may not be printed due to lack of memory installed in your printer.
According to Microsoft, this problem is known to occur with the
Hewlett Packard Laser Jet 4, 4M, 4 Plus, 4M Plus, 4L, 4ML, 4P, 4MP, 4Si, 4Si MX, 4V, 4MV,
5P, 5MP. The work-around:
The readme file points out that this is typically on Compaq Prolinea or Deskpro models
If you want to specify the drive letter for your CD ROM, Zip Drive, Bernouli, or Syquest drive:
When upgrading from Win 3.1, remove or rename all .386 and .drv's related to the sound
card BEFORE installing Win 95.
Leaving the drivers in place will prevent he new drivers from running properly.
The drivers are:
To bypass starting Win95 at startup without pressing F8,
modify the line in the hidden C:\MSDOS.SYS file:
The next time the computer is started, You will return to the DOS prompt after the
CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files load.
It's useful when you hate waiting for your slow computer to start
Windows 95 every time you turn on your computer.
Note: BootGUI needs to be set to 1
if you have the menu running, otherwise even if you select 1 (Normal), it will not go to
the GUI.
P.S. Supposedly Drvspace=0 nd Dblspace=0 under the Options section saves on RAM, but I haven't been able to confirm this.
When Win95 doesn't recognize your modem
Don't use "Standard 14400 bps modem" or "Standard 28800 bps modem"
Why %3F because this doesn't enable hardware data compression and correction.
(In other words, your modem doesn't work at full speed)
Solution : choose any other modem in the list that's compatible
with you modem and has about the same specifications (speed, V32, V34, ...).
Hayes is very likely to be compatible, as it is used as a standard
If You often print *.PRN files, you can associate it with batch file like this:
@copy %1 LPT1
If you had any SCSI devices that were powered off during the booting of Win95
they will not show as available, even after turning them on.
For example, I often forget to turn on my Zip drive before starting Win95.
In order to use them, without restarting Win95:
The SCSI device(s) should now be available for use.
When using the DTC 2278E I/O controller card, beware of how it sets up your drives.
When you install the Win 95 drivers, Win95 will set up all of your drives in a SCSI
format.
This may disable your ability to play music on your IDE CD-ROM drive if you are using it
off the secondary port.
I had multiple problems with my Mitsumi 4X until i discovered this.
Go to System in the Control Panel, click on your drive type, click on the drive itself
and disable the SCSI options in the
drive settings section.
This I/O card will not allow me to use my Iomega Zip drive (parallel port interface)
with the CD-ROM as well.
I haven't figured out how to fix this problem yet.
If you remove an installed program and its files by deleting the files,
it may still show up in the Add/Remove programs list through the control panel.
In order to remove it from the list (so you don't need to re-install in order to just
remove it again).
This will only delete them from the list, not delete the actual programs.
Only programs designed for Windows95 will show up here in the first place.
If you are using Drivespace, check if Windows is wasting 109K of conventional memory.
In graphical windows, type 'mem/c/p' in a Dos box
if you see 'drvspace.bin' or dblspace.bin' you are wasting memory.
That is the *real mode* driver and it is supposed to be unloaded when the GUI starts.
See MS Knowledge base article #Q134364 for how to fix it.
Even if you fix the driver unloading in the GUI, if you boot to Dos, it will happen again if you start windows by typing 'WIN'.
I have a phone controlled switch I use to turn on my computer and have it boot a DOS
version of qmodem in host mode.
The switch shuts the computer off 5 mins after I hang up.
When I moved into Win95 I need a way to do this without going into Windows.
Answer, The MSDOS.SYS in Win95 is a text file.
Change the BootGUI=0 to BootGUI=1 and you boot into DOS.
You can always type WIN to start Win95 from there.
By default, Win95 has the Numlock key turned ON
To have it be OFF, simply add the line:
numlock=off
to the CONFIG.SYS file.
In addition to the tip regarding the ability to avoid a warm boot while restarting
windows by shift-clicking the yes button,
the same method can be used to avoid a warm boot when restart in MS-DOS mode is selected.
The result is an exit to DOS much like win 3.11. However, regardless of click or shift
click. The result is still a DOS Shell, not true DOS.
If you are using a S3 video accelerator card, I believe the Windows 95 documentation
says
DO NOT INSTALL YOUR MODEM ON COM PORT 4.
The modem will appear to work fine in DOS mode but will not respond in Windows.
The only two solutions are to change the COM port and IRQ for the modem or get a new video
card.
If you re having problems getting some of your winsock applications
to work under Win95, make sure you delete any old 16-bit winsock.dll's.
If this file is in the directory were the application resides, it could
cause problems. Programs that could have problems like this are:
We found that if the software listed above is in the same directory as the
Trumpet Winsock.dll file, then they will NOT work under the MS-TCP/IP stack.
You can copy graphics from a DOS box as well as you can text. For example, while running a graphics game, you can press
I tried it on Heretic. My friend tried in on DOOM2. Everything worked fine
There is a file TIPS.TXT in the directory where Win95 is installed. There are a lot if little hints and shortcuts there.
If you have any additions or comments, please