If you installed a Win95 program and deleted it in Explorer,
the Add/Remove listing in Control Panel
is still there. To remove it, do this:
Start/Run/Regedit.
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall.
Delete the program. This will delete it from the list.
It won't delete the actual program.
To disable CD autoplay:
Start/Settings/Control Panel/System/Device Manager, select your CDrom,
choose properties and uncheck "Auto Insert Notification".
If you don't use User Profiles and don't want the Windows
Logon screen to appear at startup:
When the logon screen comes up, enter your user name
but don't enter a password. The next box will ask to reaffirm,
tell it okay. If you already have a password entered, go to
Start/Settings/Control Panel/Passwords/Change Windows Password.
Put your password in the old box and leave the others blank.
If you DO use User Profiles but don't want the last user
listed in the Windows logon screen:
Start/Run/Regedit.
Go to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.
In the right pane you should see "DontDisplayLastUserName".
A value of "0" means last user will NOT be cleared.
Change the "0" to "1" to clear last user at logon.
If your files open with the wrong programs:
In Explorer, highlight the file. Hold down the Shift key
and right click the file.
Choose "Open With" from the menu. Make sure you check the save box.
To change Windows Explorer's font and icon size:
Right click the desktop. Choose Properties/Appearance.
In the Item box select Icon. Make your changes.
To make a copy of a floppy:
Right click the floppy icon in My Computer. Select "Copy Disk".
Follow on screen instructions.
To bypass the Recycle bin when deleting files:
Hold the Shift key down while dragging to the recycle
bin or deleting from a menu.
CAUTION, once you do this, that file's gone forever.
If Defrag won't Run:
Delete everything in Internet Explorer's "Temporary Internet Files" folder
and Netscape's cache folder. Empty the Recycle bin, too.
I also delete the contents of my temp folder. (Usually C:\Windows\Temp).
If the computer locks up when you disconnect from the Internet:
Start/Settings/Control Panel/Network. Double click TCP/IP, WINS Configuration
tab and make sure "Disable WINS Resolution" is marked. If that doesn't work, go to
C:\Windows\System folder and rename "Vnbt.386". Restart the computer.
The Dial Up Networking(DUN) 1.2 upgrade, available on Microsoft's site, supposedly
fixes this problem.
To decipher those cryptic error messages:
Visit the
Microsoft Knowledge Base
Type in part of the error message and search.
When a program freezes your computer:
Hit the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys at the same time.
This brings up a box listing all your currently running programs.
The offending program should be listed as "not responding".
Click "End Task" to close it. Sometimes this won't work and
there's nothing you can do but reset.
To see all details in Windows Explorer:
Left click the rightside panel, hit Ctrl and the (+)
sign on the number pad on the right side of the keyboard.
If your floppy drive hunts a nonexistent disk when Windows opens:
Start/Run/Regedit. Do a Find for "a:". Delete the value.
Continue the search with the F3 key, deleting as you go.
I seem to have this problem whenever I run an executable from the floppy.
If your Help files quit working:
Get "wow32.dll" from the Windows install disk and
reinstall it in C:/Windows/System.
When you're in the mood for some new icons:
Before you surf the net, check out these libraries on your hard drive. Moricons.dll,
Pifmgr.dll, Progman.exe, Shell32.dll and (if you have Plus!) Cool.dll.
If Windows setup can't find your install files:
Start/Run/Regedit.
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup.
Change the path.
If your Taskbar ends up in some screwy spot on the desktop:
Drag it where you want with the left mouse button.
It looks like it won't move, but it will.
To restart Windows without rebooting (faster)
Hold down the Shift key while clicking yes on the restart dialog.
Or, if you use User Profiles, just click "Log on as another user".
Here are the places Windows uses to load Startup programs:
load= and run= in "Win.ini";
[386Enh] section of "System.ini";
C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp;
Registry keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
or RunServices.
To open Windows Explorer to My Computer (no folders expanded)
Right click your desktop or Start Menu Windows Explorer shortcut,
choose Properties, click the Shortcut tab.
Put this line in your shortcut target window:
C:\WINDOWS\EXPLORER.EXE ,/n,/e,/select,C:\
To change drive letters for your removable drives (CD, Zip, etc.) do this:
Right click "My Computer", choose Properties, click the "Device Manager" tab,
click on the + by "Disk Drives", double click the drive you
want to change, click Settings, type in the Start and End letter
you want to use for this drive. (They're usually the same)
To edit Win95's registration name or number
Start/Run/Regedit,
go to:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion.
Look for "ProductId", this is the registration number, or "Registered Owner".
To turn off the modem sounds (when the slider bar doesn't work):
Right click "My Computer", choose Properties/Device Manager,
click the (+) sign by Modems, highlight your modem,
select Properties/Connection/Advanced. Type "M0" (that's a ZERO) in
the extra settings box.
Reinstall with Windows 95 Companion CD:
(1) copy all CD files onto your harddrive
(2) copy dossetup.bin, oemsetup.bin, oemsetup.exe, setup.exe,
setup.txt, suhelper.bin, and winsetup.bin to the same directory (#1
above), from any version of Windows95.
(3) run setup from the directory you chose in #1, above.
FYI: setup.exe was intentionally omitted from the CD to prevent users
from installing OSR2 on another system. The CD should only be used
for adding and/or removing OS components.
To free up memory in DOS:
(1) Add these lines to "config.sys":
DEVICE=C:\windows\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\windows\EMM386.EXE NOEMS
Then when adding a device to config, use "DEVICEHIGH=". When adding to autoexec.bat, use
"LOADHIGH=". This should give you 600k or so if you're not using drivespace.
(2) In the [386Enh] section of 'System.ini', add 'LocalLoadHigh=1'
(3) If you are not using DoubleSpace or DriveSpace, delete 'drvspace.bin' and
'dblspace.bin' from the C:\ and C:\Windows directories.
This will free additional DOS memory and speed system startup.
Go here for a list of Win95 install setup switches:
Microsoft Knowledge Base
To change the Win95 startup logo:Open your picture in a graphics program. (Paint or whatever)
Resize or crop it to 640x480 in 256 colors and save it as a bitmap.
Then squeeze it to 320x400. (I know it looks funny, but it'll work)
Rename it "logo.sys" and copy it to your root directory.
To change the default search engine in IE4:
Changing the default search engine was easy in IE3. It's a hassle in IE4 but you can do it.
Start\Run\Regedit, work your way down to HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main.
Right click "Search Bar", choose "Modify" and change the address. Do the same with "Search Page".
To make a shortcut to Device Manager:
If you constantly find yourself right clicking My Computer to get to Device Manager,
(I'm always screwing something up)
right click the desktop, choose New/Shortcut, put this line in the dialogue box and leave
it on your desktop or add it to the start menu:
CONTROL SYSDM.CPL,,1
If your CDROM is running in "compatibility mode":
Windows probably put a NOIDE entry into this registry key,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\SERVICES\VDX\IOS
and you must remove it. This entry is put there any time Win95 can't load 32-bit
drivers, and after it's in there you can't load Windows drivers on
boot-up until it's gone. Search the Registry for NOIDE. When found,
delete it and reboot. Windows should now rediscover your CDROM and let you install drivers.
| NOTE:
If you use a Windows 3.1 display driver in Windows 95,
you cannot use new Graphics Device Interface (GDI) features such as:
|
- Animated cursors. For information about using animated cursors, please
see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q123334
TITLE : Requirements for Animated Cursors
Requirements for Animated Cursors
- Dynamic resolution changes. In many circumstances, you can change the
video resolution in Windows 95 without restarting Windows 95. If you
change the color depth or the video driver you are using, you must
restart Windows 95.
- VGA fallback mode. If Windows 95 detects a problem with the video card
or video driver, it restarts with the VGA driver.
- The Windows 95 virtual flat frame buffer device (Vflatd.vxd).
Vflatd.vxd provides a frame buffer that can be up to 1 MB in size.
Windows 3.1 video drivers are limited to a 64K frame buffer that
affects your available system resources.
Useful Links for Windows 95....
Windows 95 Annoyances.
Microsoft Windows 95 Page.
The space for this page was provided courtesy of the fine folks at
GeoCities ()
We support the work of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Help find a missing child"
Call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) if you've seen this child
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
JCPB's WINDOWS 95 
Go to the 