1. Find your mail-folder files via Windows Explorer. For Netscape 3.x and 4.x, they are within the browser folder; for Internet Explorer 3.x and 4.x, they are in stand-alone folders because the mail program is separate from the browser.

2. Mail files come in pairs: 2 for the Inbox, 2 for the Outbox, 2 for Deleted/Trash, etc. These files may or may not have file extensions; the smaller file of the pair usually has mail header information and the larger file has the actual e-mail.

3. Use a program such as Quick View to open the larger file. [You can generally determine which files have mail just by their byte size; when empty, they may range from 0 to 2.5K bytes depending on your mail program.]
   If Quick View doesn't work, use a Word Processor such as Wordpad or MSWorks. Text editors, such as Notepad, usually cannot render the contents.

4. If the missing mail is in text format and you want to save it, then copy/paste each letter from Quick View or a Word Processor into a new text file.

5. If the missing mail is in HTML format, to save it or at least make it more readable, it can be copy/pasted into a new text file then renamed to an htm extension.

6. If you just want to read missing email without saving, then copy/paste the entire mail file into the same directory. Rename the pasted file by changing the extension to htm. Open the new file with your browser. There will probably be some formatting oddities many of which can be corrected if you know a little HTML.

7. If you experience missing or garbled email often, get in the habit of saving it to portable disk as you receive/send it if you want to read it later or save it permanently.

143. LAZY BUTTON: Working in Windows often requires a lot of repetitive functions such as selecting OK/Cancel or Yes/No in a Dialogue Box. There are a few freeware/shareware programs that allow you to pre-select the button to be pushed thereby saving repetitive functions. These are nifty little time savers, but depending on what items you have pre-selected, unexpected results may occur. Where this becomes a problem is when you are trying to select a specific file from a list of files and the "Button" program activates. As a result either no file or the wrong file is selected. No need to get rid of the "Button" program - just disable it temporarily.

144. FRAMED BY AOL: If you are using AOL3.0 for Windows95, the built in browser is Internet Explorer. There are two noticeable problems with using this browser within the AOL framework:

1. Certain features found on web-pages which Internet Explorer can handle are disabled by AOL.

2. AOL's Tool Bar cannot be hidden. With the small size screen of a laptop, this tool bar materially limits the exposed view of a web-page.

3. Solution: After signing on to AOL, when you want to browse the web, open your browser [either Internet Explorer or Netscape] as a stand-alone program. You'll increase viewing space and enable the full functionality of your browser. For fast access to your browser, put a shortcut to it on the Start Menu; press Ctrl + Esc when you are ready to open it.

137. NO TOUCH TONE: Hate those long phone waits for tech help or customer service? You call and get a list of options for which button to push and then you wait and wait at the end of a long line of calls. Often, there's a way to jump to the head of the line. At the end of the list of options is the No Touch Tone Phone. Of course, you probably have a touch-tone phone; rotaries are down right rare. But somebody on the other end has to answer that option to route calls. So select the "rotary" option; you may get through a lot faster. [This even works with the IRS.]

138. BACK-UP PROGRAMS: Typical advice from many computer souces: BACK-UP regularly and often. Disaster will strike. Fair enough advice, but many back-up programs are a long way from reliable, and they can take a long time to execute successfully. Try an easier way: Use the "copy/paste" or "send to" function to transfer key folders [such as Windows and Program Files] to a portable disk. It's a fairly fast, simple and reliable back-up procedure; you can also check the accuracy of the operation by comparing the byte size of the original folder to its copy.

139. ILLEGAL OPERATIONS: "Illegal Operations" and just plain freeze-ups often leave files behind in their wake. Usually they will be in the Windows/Temp folder; crashed web-pages land here quite frequently which you can open or delete.

140. GET IT TOGETHER: Often when you download a program from the WWW, there is a web-page which contains special instructions on how to install the program, what to do with prior installations of similar programs or other important information about the downloaded program. Save the informative web-page in the same location as the downloaded program or save the downloaded program in your Cache folder where the information page is cached.

133. FLOPPY ON BOARD: Avoid that pile up of incoming E-mail which gobbles up hard-drive space. Keep a disk in the floppy drive as you receive and read your e-mail. Save to floppy what you want to keep, make any Bookmarks/Favourite Places for later browsing, and then delete the e-mail. Next, compact your mail folders if your mail program has that function.

134. E-MAIL LINKS: If you use a stand-alone E-mail program such as OUTLOOK EXPRESS, the links in the e-mail you receive may appear alive. But when you click on them nothing happens. Certain Internet Access Providers, such as AOL, do not open your Browser when you sign on. In order to use the links in the E-Mail, open your Browser [minimized], then click on the e-mail link.
[Note: To save time, set your Browser preference to open on a Blank page rather than a web-site.]

135. DEFRAGMENT-DO IT MORE: The Defragment program is a useful utility but sometimes the message that Windows sends can be deceptive. Often when you access the Defragment program you get the following message:

130. HOMEPAGE MULTIPLIED: Several companies offer free web-space. If you already have a home-page somewhere else, you can still sign-up and upload your page to other sites. However if you have a relatively large homepage with many pages and lots of graphics and/or you are constantly updating your home-page, there is an easier way to maintain multiple copies of the same home-page. Create a small web-page with the pertinent information about your home-page with absolute references to your original web-site; upload your small page to your new "satellite" sites. You will now be able to maintain multiple copies of your home-page with little or no maintenance required for the satellite sites.

131. PRINTING PIXS: Printing a graphic file, such as a "bmp", can result in multipage output even though you want the picture all on one page. This often happens with scanned documents that are saved as graphic files. Re-sizing the bmp before printing is feasible but may degrade the output to the point where it is unreadable.

1. To avoid resizing or to minimize its effects, first open the graphic file (in Windows Paint for example). Trim any "white-space", i.e., the four margins of the file (in Paint use Image/Attributes). Decrease the Width and Height attributes; flip the document to access the top and left margins.

2. Second, before printing the graphic, access Print Setup to decrease the four margin values to the minimum allowable.

3. Third, access Print Preview to determine whether the graphic now fits all on one page. If it still doesn't quite fit either horizontally or vertically, use Image/Stretch to squash the document one increment at a time (i.e. use 99%). After each resize, open Print Preview until the graphic fits all on one page.

1. Viruses do not lurk in every nook and cranny on the Internet. Most software providers on the WWW take extra efforts to protect against spreading viruses by scanning programs before offering them for download. Their reputation depends on providing safe applications to their users. However, scanning any download or new program for a virus is a prudent practice.

2. Just reading web-sites or e-mail doesn't infect the user. For a virus to do its damage, you must install the file/program into your system.

3. Portable computer users who use virus programs can run them from portable drives as long as certain accommodations are made:
   1. Before moving a new download/program to a portable disk, scan it for viruses first.

   2. Move the download to the portable disk which contains the anti-virus program for scanning.

   3. Some anti-virus programs require that your portable drive be configured as "non-removable" in order to scan the disks therein. If this configuration is not to your liking, find another anti-virus program or move the files to be scanned to your hard disk temporarily.

126. UNINSTALLERS: When a new program is installed on your system, an "uninstaller" program is often included. Many uninstallers share the same folder with its active program; other uninstallers reside in the Windows folder. To save space and weed-out unused files, these uninstallers can be removed from the hard-disk. But don't delete them; move them. Since these programs will only be needed if and when its application is uninstalled, move the uninstallers to a portable disk with a note about their original location. For users of Internet Explorer 4.x, the uninstaller and related information files [usually found in the folder named "Uninstall Information"], can result in a 3+MB space savings if moved to a portable disk. Additionally the file named "IE4bak.dat" [usually found in C:\Windows], if moved to a portable disk, can save an additional 3 to 4 megabytes in hard-disk space.

127. GET A TRACKER: When you move files and programs to different locations, it is a good idea to document what was moved and when. This usually involves making a small file such as a text file to record what was done and when. These little files take minimal disk space, but they take an entire cluster. To avoid this waste, a program such as "What is This?" is an ideal vehicle for recording information about the moved file/program, where it went and where it came from. For example, the "What is This?" program adds an entry to the right click context menu. From that selection, the history of the file/program can be added in text form which will follow the file/program to any location and which can be updated when necessary.

128. MAKE A MIRROR: If you are in the habit of removing unneeded files from your hard-drive, but you don't want to delete the files permanently, make a "mirror" of the removed files on a portable/floppy disk. A "mirror" is the exact folder and file structure on a portable disk that was orginally found on the hard-disk. For instance, removals from various C:\Windows folders would "mirror" as follows on a portable disk:

        -Removable Drive [D:]
        |
        -Windows
         |
         -Cursors
         |
         -Fonts
         |
         +System
         |
         -Web

1. If you think you are going to need the Help file before you use the application, extract it and its related "cnt" file, if applicable, from the zip file into the Windows/Help folder.

2. A faster method would be to just open the zip file then minimize it. If you find a need for the help file, just restore the zip file. Extracting the help file isn't always necessary; it can be read directly from the zip archive. Because a Help file [hlp extension] is often accompanied with a Table of Contents file [cnt extension], open both the hlp and cnt file simultaneously from the zip file unless you just want to access the Index feature of the help file.

3. Internet Explorer [V4.x] Help files generally carry the "chm" extension wherein both the Help and Table of Content file has been combined. It is only necessary to open the "chm" file in the zip archive for a functional help file.

4. When you are through using the application, don't forget to delete any extracted files, close the zip file, and delete any "gid" files that were created which may reside in the Windows\Help or Windows\Temp folders.

121. BROWSER MAIL PROGRAMS: E-mail applications with Internet Explorer and Netscape such as Outlook Express and Messenger may require special management in order to contain their size. The various mail folders such as Inbox, Sent, Trash and Deleted Items will continually increase in size unless you manage them:

1. The normal management method of saving space is to compress all folders.

2. After reading incoming and sending outgoing mail, save the letters you want and delete the remainder.

3. If you don't have the time or inclination to make separate saves of incoming/outgoing mail but don't want to delete it, make descriptive folders to hold the mail which you can periodically remove. For instance, when running the mail program create new folders named: "Sent-Feb 98" and "Received-Feb 98". At the end of the month create new folders for the next month. From Windows Explorer, open the mail folder and cut/paste all the Feb 98 mail files to a portable disk.

122. CLICK OF DEATH: If you are using a portable drive, particulary a Zip Drive [Parent corporation: IOMEGA], there have been numerous reports of drive and disk failures indicated by what has been termed the "Click of Death". For a comprehensive discussion of these failures including reports from Zip Drive users, see the web-site: Click of Death Home Page. A "click of death" is indicated when the drive starts repeatedly clicking when accessed. Also a disk[s] may not mount and the data will not be recoverable. Currently causes and cures are not available. If you experience this problem, contact the manufacturer for replacement of a damaged drive (if still under the one year warranty) and disks (lifetime warranty). This problem has serious side effects:

1. Placing a good disk in a bad drive can ruin the good disk.

2. Placing a bad disk in a good drive can ruin the good drive.

3. Data recovery from a bad disk is impossible or very expensive.

4. Users with bad drives are forced to replace them with the same type of drive in order to use their existing disks.

123. E-MAIL ATTACHMENT: Some e-mail programs will not support file attachments. If your correspondent has such a program, and you want to send them a text file it is easy enough to copy the file's text into the body of your e-mail. If you want to send a Web-page, just open the "html" in Notepad, then copy/paste it into the body of your e-mail. On the other end, your correspondent can save the e-mail as HTML and [possibly with a few HTML adjustments], read the web-page. If your correspondent doesn't have a browser, before sending the web-page, use an HTML "stripper" program which will convert the web-page to a text file. Also some word processing files and spreadsheets can be copy/pasted as text files but some re-formatting may be necessary in order to send a readable file.

1. Open the "Temporary Internet Files" folder. [Making a shortcut to this folder and pasting it on your desktop will give you fast access to the Cached files.]

2. Find the "submit.html" file or whatever is the name of the file where the fill-in form resides. Open the file in the usual manner; this will result in an error notice that the file can't be located. Just click "Enter" on the keyboard.

3. When the Navigation Cancelled screen appears, select "Work Offline" and then "Close" from "File" on the "Menu Bar".

4. Re-open "submit.html" and fill-in the form completely. DO NOT PRESS THE SUBMIT BUTTON.

5. Select "Work On-line" from "File" on the Menu Bar. Then "Minimize" the filled-in form page from the Title Bar icon.

6. Go back Online, Maximize the "submit.html" file and press the SUBMIT button for your completed form to be proceessed.

113. FORMS FOR SALE: Sometimes when filling out web forms, questions go beyond the usual request for your screen-name even though you may be only subscribing to an online newsletter or asking for a link or listing of your web-site on another site. For the sake of privacy, security you may not want to give out this information. Besides your name, address and telephone number are often sold to advertisers who may target you with unwanted solicitations. Just giving out your screen-name can result in lots of unwanted e-mail, but you can unsubscribe or just delete the missives from your inbox.
To avoid other types of unsolicited materials, either don't fill out the form or "invent" an identity with a fictitious name, address and phone number. {Be clever enough to at least agree the zip and area codes.}

114. MAIL A FONT: If you want to send a font to an e-mail correspondent as an "attachment", when you try to attach the font directly from the font folder [usually C:\Windows\Fonts], it won't work. First, copy the font [from "edit" on the menu bar], then paste it into any other folder. Now the font is "hardened" and will attach to outgoing e-mail. While you are in the font folder, look around at what you have. If you have some fonts you rarely or never use, weed them out - it's a waste of resources. Just copy [the cut function doesn't work in the "Fonts" folder] and paste them onto a portable disk in an "idlefont" folder; zip them up to save more space. Then go back to the Fonts folder to delete the fonts that were sent to a portable disk. If you need a stored font later, it can always be pasted back into the C:\Windows\Fonts folder.

115. HOLD THE PHONE: Calls to Tech Support often entail a long wait period on hold while your call works its way up the que. Get a speaker phone or for fewer bucks buy a stand-alone telephone amplifier. You can free your hands and just listen to the music until your turn finally comes. If the Tech Help employee wants you to access your computer, your hands will be free to work the keyboard and mouse as well as write down information.

116. DRAG IT OUT: When your cache is filled to bursting[such as when the little flashlight icon comes out looking for the contents when you open the cache folder], it may be time to empty the folder. But if you have a few files in there you want to read later because you don't have the time now, then pull out those "read later" files:

1. Create a new folder on your hard-drive named "ToRead".

2. Make a shortcut to the "ToRead" folder, then cut and paste the shortcut on your desktop.

3. Open your Cache folder to "window size" and drag the "read later" files into the "ToRead" shortcut.

4. Now it's safe to empty the overgrown Cache folder.

117. LOST FILES: If you just saved/downloaded a file and can't find where it went and maybe don't even know its name, do an all file search:

1. Select Tools/Find/Files or Folders from the Menu Bar in Windows Explorer.

2. From the Name and Location tab, enter "*.*" [without quotes] in the Named box.

3. From the same tab, in the Location box, select "My Computer" from the down arrow. This will cover the hard-drive as well as floppy and portable disks which are currently active.

4. From the Date Modified tab, enter todays date in the from and to boxes.

5. Select the Find Now option to get a list of files by name, location and date/time modified.

NOTE: You can also use this Find procedure when looking for a file that PKZIPFIX.EXE created when you have "fixed" a zip file. [The resulting fixed zip is often named "Pkfixed.zip".]

118. MINI-MULTITASK: When you are working on a project often several applications are needed as a file is created. With a laptop's small screen, some apps are real screen hogs even in "Windows" size. Look for programs which are "Laptop Friendly" - when running they take up a small amount of screen real estate similar to Window's own Character Map. There are icon converter and extractors, reminder notes, multi-clipboards, program and color selectors, and other kinds of software [freely available on the WWW] that are ideal for the small screen.

119. TILING: With a small screen, the Windows feature of tiling is often a disappointment when working with 2 or more open files. But there are a few tweaks to get the most out of tiling:

1. Hide all the Bars and Boxes that the application permits.

2. Turn on "Word Wrap", if applicable.

3. Select a small font size to get more text on the screen.

4. When working with two files, "Vertical tiling" is usually the easier method of working back and forth between files.

5. When working with three or more files, "Horizontal tiling" is usually preferred because screen width noticeably exceeds screen height.

108. SOFTWARE JUNKIE: For those who download a lot of software and save the original "zip" or "exe" downloads as well as those "patches" and updates that are issued, one's disks are soon overloaded with files that have strange names.
It's time to categorize all these downloads by type such as graphics, icon extractors, text editors, browsers, etc. Make folders for each type of download and in each folder create a "txt" file with the file name, description of each file including the version number and other pertinent data.

109. FIND A FILE: Often you get a new program that requires certain system files or programs. Or you are looking for a specific type of program or file but don't know its name. Try the FTP directories of those sources that keep large libraries of files. For instance, Microsoft has a library of files at FTP.Microsoft.com; their FTP directory includes a complete listing of the contents in a file named "index.txt" that lists files by name, date and description.

110. GET PUBLISHED: Anyone who has available web-space and can make a web-page, can publish their own pages. But that can really limit your potential audience. If you have some "valuable" ideas/programs/files of your own making, submit them to those organizations that will accept uploads and offer them to others as free downloads such as Simtel.net or Winsite.com. Now, if you have a bold streak, run through several FTP directories and look for a folder named "Upload". Be sure that your files are all zipped up in a package [add a file named readme.txt with all the particulars about your files including instructions for installation, system requirements and your email address along with the URL to your own web-site]. Now try uploading your "zip" [as a binary file]; sometimes you'll be successful.