Jim Eidelman's Windows 95 Setup Tips

NOTE: In 1988, after I had given an all-day, everything-you-need-to-know-about-computers presentation for ICLE, someone said after seeing my course materials, "You ought to publish this stuff!" I began to put together The Law Office Computer Survival Guide, which I intended to sell and keep up to date as a loose-leaf reference service. It never was published, as I set it aside to get "Corporate Update" out the door. This is the beginning of my efforts, in a different format, to do a "brain dump" of information and opinions, and to keep this up to date. The good news is that you won't have to file the pocket parts, and I won't have to ship it to you. The bad news is that I haven't figured out how to charge for it. Stay tuned, and feel free to ask questions, answer questions, or make suggestions. -- Jim Eidelman

Windows 95 Setup:

To Avoid Memory Leaks if using TCP/IP:

Remember memory leaks under Windows 3.1 that caused the system to bog down and eventually give error messages? It's back! It occurs under Windows 95 if you use WinSock, and haven't loaded the fix to Kernel32. You can get it free from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/common/aa2719.htm .

For consultants and IS Staff setting up a network:

• Ghost (free with Newsletter subscription) is helpful for setting up dozens of users. You can download a time-limited demo from www.ghostsoft.com.

Although we use CD ROMs most of the time to install Windows 95 in ad hoc situations, we keep a set of floppies around, as well, for use in loading drivers, etc. when there is not a CD attached to a machine. (We use DiskDupe, as needed, to create duplicate sets from the master set.)

For computer users:

• We use Microsoft PowerToys, a free set of utilities that allows you to tweak the user interface of Windows 95. Our favorite utilities allow you to reset the monitor resolution on the fly, add "Send to:..." options on the right mouse click context menus, etc.

Tweaking the User Interface:

• Favorite pointer: Large arrow called LCDArrow.CUR.
• Favorite hour-glass replacement while waiting: animated horse.
• Favorite busy cursor -- Appstart.ani animated cursor. (Arrow with animiated hour glass next to it.)

Customizing Explorer and file open/save dialogs:

The first thing I do when I sit down at a new computer is go to Explorer, and on the View|Options menu, change the settings for file types to show file path on title bar and turn on display of file extentions, like this:

• I wish I could get the drive and path to display somewhere in the common file open and file save dialogs, but haven't figured out any way to do that yet.

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