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More Windows Tweaks Pt 1

Are you as enamored of Windows as I am. Like I hate it, but love it all the same. And now find I can't really do without it. I bet there are lots of readers in the same boat. But have you every wondered. Or considered that the sum of your windows experience is turn on, work, twiddle, perhaps regret and turn off. But can you really claim to leverage on the power of Windows. I don't. I'm always learning. By the time I fully master every single thing in Windows, the OS itself will be obsolete! I've assembled this collection of tips, most of which work with all versions. Over the next few week's we'll serialise this collection.

This week let's look at the GUI (Graphical User Interface). Or simply, the look and feel of Windows.

Iconic
You know what My Computer or Network Neighborhood mean. You are also so familiar with their look 'n feel that they can be boring. The time is right for a change. Right-click any icon on the desktop (or in an Explorer or folder window) and choose Rename or select the icon and press F2. Be as creative as you want, but don't overdo it--after all, you're going to have to remember what these folders are for. You can't re-christen the Recycle Bin unless you use a utility like Flexy or Tweak UI.

To replace the system icon used for My Computer, My Documents or the Recycle Bin right-click the desktop, select Properties, and then click the Effects tab (labeled Plus in Windows NT). Select an icon and click Change Icon. Choose Browse and look for other icons on your system. Windows 95 users require the Microsoft Plus pack.

Right-click inside a folder or on the desktop and then select New, and you'll get a menu listing the document types you're (theoretically) likeliest to want. Unfortunately, the only practical choices are Folder and Shortcut. This tip requires Tweak UI (on the Windows 98 system disk).

Select Start, Settings, Control Panel and choose Tweak UI. Click the New tab and uncheck any item you don't want to see in that pop-up menu. If you decide to restore a document type you removed from the New menu, go back into Tweak UI and reselect it. To remove a choice from the list of document types, highlight the item and click the Remove button.

Carpalic
Many users prefer keyboard shortcuts to mouse clicks (and drags), but few people know that they can use the keyboard to move as quickly around the screen or within a document as they do with a mouse. The Accessibility Options applet in Control Panel can take some of the strain off your poor, aching hands and wrists. Select Start, Settings, Control Panel, choose Accessibility Options, click the Mouse tab, and select Use MouseKeys. Write down the hot-key combination for activating the feature. From now on, you can use your numeric keypad to control the pointer movement on your screen. Hold down the Ctrl key while you move to speed up the pace, or hold down the Shift key to slow things down.

Taskbarred
Launch applications in Windows from the Start menu, from icons on the desktop, from the application's folder, or from the Quick Launch toolbar on the taskbar. This last method is the least-commonly used, yet it is the most efficient way to work. Just add shortcuts to that bar, and voila: You have easy, one-click access to your favorite applications.

Before you start, it's best to remove any icons you don't need (Windows or its applications automatically installed most of these). To remove an icon, right-click it and then select Delete. Note: The Desktop icon--which looks like an ink blotter with pencil and paper on top of it--is very useful, so don't delete it.

To add an icon to the taskbar, drag a shortcut from the desktop or any folder or Explorer window and drop it into an empty space in the Quick Launch area. Of course, the taskbar will quickly become too crowded to be useful if you're not careful. To increase the space available, first place your pointer at the top edge of the bar. Then, after the pointer turns into a double arrow, click and drag the edge upward until you're happy with the results.

You're not limited to adding icons to the Quick Launch toolbar, however--you can construct your own toolbar, too. To manage this, right-click the empty space on the taskbar and select Toolbars. If you select Links, you'll get the Links bar from Internet Explorer, and clicking Address generates a field that you can use to enter an Internet address or a local path (for example, 'C:\Windows'). If you select Desktop, all the icons will move from your desktop to the taskbar. Select the New Toolbar option to create a toolbar view of any folder. If you decide later that you'd like to make a change to the layout of any toolbar, click the vertical handle at the left of the bar you want to move, and then drag it right, left, up, or down. Alternatively, you can double-click it for quick maximum, minimum, and to-fit sizing. If you need to clear more room on your desktop, all you need to do is right-click an open space next to any toolbar and uncheck Show Title and/or Show Text.

If you want to relocate the taskbar to the top, left, or right edge of the screen, first click an empty spot on the taskbar, and then drag the taskbar to its new location. In Windows Me, you may have to alter the taskbar's settings: Right-click the taskbar, select Properties, choose the Advanced tab, and check Enable moving and resizing at the end of the 'Start menu and Taskbar' properties list.

Extracted by G Menon
[email protected]

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