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Dealing with a locked system
When using your computer, you may be confronted by
different problems, including lock-ups and Windows error messages (i.e.
General Protection Error, Page Faults, etc). While these errors are not
something that is desirable, they are a part of everyday computer usage
and should not be viewed with any fear. Simply follow the instructions of
Windows, or in the case of a locked system, use the button on your case
labeled Reset. Then, when Windows reboots and comes up with the “Scandisk”
screen, follow the instructions there.
Shutting down
your system
Shut your computer down at night by using the START - SHUT DOWN - SHUT DOWN sequence. This ensures that Windows will save all data, and save you from any errors the next time you turn on your computer. Once the ''It is now safe to shut off your computer'' screen appears, you may either press the power button on your case, or use your power bar and shut it off. Some computers automatically turn off. This is normal, and is a part of the Advanced Power Management combined with an ATX case.
Online Help
in Windows 98
Windows 98 comes with an online Help System. It is a valuable tool, and
can be used to your advantage. To access it, simply click START – Help.
To explore the system, use your left mouse button to click on the
different links to information.
Long
filenames
In Windows 98 file names are different than in Windows 3.1 or DOS. They
can be up to 256 characters long, and can be anything you want (within set
limits). Thus, you can use descriptive names for files such as “November
budget.doc” rather than (as the old way required) “novebudg.doc”.
Finding files
Once you have saved your file (in any program), you may have troubles
finding the file later. Windows 98 has a handy feature which allows you to
search through your computer for a file you may have displaced. To access
it, click on START – FIND – Files or Folders. Type in a part of the
name you want to search for, and click SEARCH. This will search through
your entire computer, or just a specific drive if you wish (change it by
clicking on the “Look In” section and choosing which you wish – i.e.
C:\ for hard drive, A:\ for disk drive, etc.)
Your mouse
and Windows 98
The mouse which your computer (being an IBM-compatible AT or ATX
system) uses has a minimum of two buttons. In Windows 98, the right mouse
button is used mainly for activating drop-down menus, which in itself is a
very handy tool. These drop-down menus can be cleared from the screen by
clicking with the LEFT mouse button on any area of the screen which is not
in use (i.e. any part of the desktop, a menu bar, etc). To activate one of
the drop-down menu options, select it (by highlighting it with the mouse)
and then click with the LEFT mouse button. This may sound confusing, but
to practice it on something that will not break for you, try out Microsoft’s
Mouse Tutorial, a free utility that comes included with Windows 98. To
access it, click on START – RUN and type in “C:\windows\options\cabs\Wintutor.exe”
exactly as written.
Icons
Definition: an icon is a small image which is a link to a program or file
contained on your hard drive. To activate an icon, click twice in quick
succession upon the image while holding the mouse steady.
Viewing your
drive content
To view the contents of any of your drives, double click on the “My
Computer” and then click on the drive you are interested in (i.e. A:\ is
your disk drive, C:\ is your hard drive).
Windows 98
and the Recycle Bin
The Recycle Bin on your desktop is like the trash can in your home.
When you delete a file, of any sort, it is not actually deleted but is
moved into your Recycle Bin. This is to help out those who delete
something, and two days later discover they need it once again. To restore
your file, open the Recycle Bin, select the file you wish with a single
LEFT-CLICK and then use the FILE – RESTORE command. The file will be
returned to where it was before it was deleted by you. To empty the
Recycle Bin, use the FILE – EMPTY command.
Changing
Display Properties
By RIGHT-CLICKING on the desktop and choosing the PROPERTIES command, you
can change the background colour and graphic, as well as colour depth (how
many colours the computer displays information in – I.e. 256, 16
million, etc.). To exit from the Properties, click OK on the bottom left
of the window that is opened.
Multi-Tasking
in Windows 98
Windows 98 allows you to run more than one program at once, and to
exchange information between them. For example, if you open up Notepad and
another word processor at the same time, you can copy some of the text
from Notepad and put it into a new document in the word processor. To do
this, select the text you want to copy, then using the menu EDIT, COPY the
information. Go to your word processor, make sure a document is open,
select the place where you would like the text to appear, and click EDIT
– PASTE. A very handy tool, and a quick way to exchange information
between different programs.
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