Tech News: "Tools to Fix Broken Windows" Bob/rudedog or anyone, please comment.
TIA ;-). di
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washingtonpost.com
>>>By John Breeden II
Special to The Washington Post
Friday , June 16, 2000 ; E01
Microsoft may or may not be split in two by the courts, but you don't have to wait around for the government or Microsoft 2--or MS East or whatever the operating-system half of a divested Microsoft might be called--for help with the Windows problems described at the company's antitrust trial.
Whether you're irritated by Internet Explorer, confused by desktop clutter, feeling cramped by too many bundled Windows components or just bored with the looks of your interface, there are ways to regain control of your desktop. Some of these solutions are part of Windows itself--although they're not always obvious or easy to use. Others require you to download free programs to patch and upgrade Windows so it's more to your liking. Either way, you can give yourself a flavor of Windows that suits your tastes better than before--with no legal help required.
What follows are some of our favorite tips and "freeware" utilities--a Windows repair kit, if you will.
Q. How do I delete Internet Explorer from my desktop?
A. You can always turn off the "Web view" of the desktop that Windows 98 includes, by right-clicking anywhere inside a folder or directory window (i.e., one with folder icons) and selecting "View as Web page" to remove the check mark next to that phrase.
But quite a few people have turned to a program called 98lite (http://www.98lite.net) to uproot this integration instead of just turning one aspect of it off. A programmer named Shane Brooks wrote this free utility to remove Internet Explorer from your system and replace Windows 98's Web-view file browser with with the less-bloated equivalent from Windows 95. In our tests, a post-98lite system never crashed as a result; Web surfing download times improved, though by only a few seconds on average. (On an older, slower machine you may see more of an improvement.)
Q. I just want to try out Netscape, but Explorer is my default browser. Where can I get Netscape?
A. It may be installed on your system right now, just hidden. Select the "Find Files or Folders" item from the Start menu and type "netscape" in that window. When you find it, right-click on it and choose "Make shortcut" to set up a desktop icon for future use. If it's not there, or if you want the most current version (4.73), head to the company's site (http://www.netscape.com) to get the most recent version as a free download.
The easiest way to change the default browser (and e-mail program) is by going to the Control Panel and double-clicking the Internet Options icon. Click its Programs tab to change the default program for various tasks, then uncheck the little check box near the bottom that reads "Explorer should check to see if it is the default browser." Click the Apply button, and Explorer won't try to muscle its way the next time you load it.
The first time Netscape runs, it will ask if it should make itself the default browser. Tell it yes. Want to go back to Explorer? Just recheck the box under Internet Options and run the program. It will be happy to reassert its dominance for you.
Q. I have a lot of stuff on top of my desktop that came bundled with my operating system that I don't want. Can I take out this trash? How about just deleting these icons?
A. Some of this is Microsoft's fault and some of it may be the computer manufacturer's fault, but either way a lot of the stuff bundled on a desktop computer is a waste of disk space.
Unfortunately, deleting the icon off your desktop will only make things look less cluttered; it won't actually get rid of the program file itself. Instead, go to the Start menu, click on Settings, then select Control Panel. In the Control Panel window, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. Select the program or program group you want to remove and click Remove; if the desktop icon remains, feel free to delete it manually.
If you're running Windows 98, you should also be able to toss most of the desktop icons, including the ones that Microsoft puts in every copy of Windows--for instance, the Briefcase icon. If you're on Win 95, the solution is more complicated, involving either tinkering with Windows' system-wide Registry database of settings or downloading a free but "unsupported" Microsoft utility called PowerToys. See the Annoyances.org site (http://www.annoyances.org) for more detailed help with these issues.
Q. My version of Windows came loaded with entire components that I don't need anymore or have never used at all. Can I get rid of them?
A. Yes, you can. Again, click on the Add/Remove program icon in the Control Panel, but this time click on the Windows Components tab. All the components that are checked are currently installed on your system. Simply uncheck them to have them removed. You can double-click on a program group, such as Accessibility, to look at all the programs installed in that category. You may have to insert your Windows CD-ROM during this process, though--we hope you can remember where you parked it.
Q. Do I have any choice of graphics for when my computer is booting or shutting down? Those Windows clouds are getting a bit tired.
A. Microsoft would probably prefer if you just stuck with its logo, but you don't have to. Head over to the Logo Schemes site (http://www.crosswinds.net/ dgasaway/ls_fs.html) and download the program of the same name, which lets you pick and choose which shots you want to see when booting and shutting down. The program itself comes with a few photos to use, and you can find many others out on the Web.
Q. Another decorating question: I'm bored with the manufacturer's logo that sprawls across the desktop--and the picture I found to replace it. Can I have the computer regularly change this picture for me?
A. Try the free WebShots Desktop program (http://www.webshots.com), which taps into a database of photos that can be used as wallpaper. You can set the program to find and automatically change your wallpaper whenever you are online. Or you can use the program to manually change the wallpaper whenever you want.
The Webshots site includes a lot of amazing pictures, including themes on flowers, military hardware, castles, people, famous places, World War II, ocean scenes, wildlife, puppies, skiing and works of art. Now your computer can have different wallpaper that actually interests you every day.
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