MDGx
WinDOwS Tricks - Part 3

Go to ALL WinDOwS ©Tricks + Secrets Contents

• 5-22-96 Win9x/ME Original ©Trick in MYTIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


FIRST LOGO


Do you remember the logo that showed up on your screen when you booted into your freshly installed Windows 9x/ME OS for the first time? Well, Microsoft Setup routine wiped it out from your hard disk afterwards, so you can't see it anymore. :(
But you can still have it displayed any time as your bootup logo. :)
Just extract the SULOGO.SYS (or LOGO_02.SYS) file from your Win95/98/ME Setup CD-ROM by using EXTRACT.EXE, the Microsoft DOS mode CAB extracting tool, located by default in C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND.
See "EXTRACT FROM CAB", also in MYTIPS95.TXT [part of W95-11D.EXE], for more details.
Start by running these commands from any DOS prompt:

C:
IF NOT EXIST \EXTRACT\NUL MD \EXTRACT
CD\EXTRACT

and then run this one (using D as your CD/DVD drive letter, change if necessary):

Make sure your Win9x/ME Setup CD is already present in the drive before doing this. :)
Better, use the DOS style batch file ECD.BAT [also part of W95-11D.EXE] to automate this task.
If you own the floppy version of Win95 Setup you need to use EF.BAT instead [also part of W95-11D.EXE].
Run this command line from any DOS prompt (example):

ECD SULOGO.SYS

ECD.BAT will create the \EXTRACT folder on your C drive/partition and extract SULOGO.SYS there. Now you need to move SULOGO.SYS (or LOGO_02.SYS) to your boot drive/partition root directory (usually C:\) and then rename it to LOGO.SYS. To do this copy & paste lines below into Notepad and save the file as ROOTLOGO.BAT (example). Then run ROOTLOGO from any DOS prompt:

-----Begin cut & paste here-----
@ECHO OFF
IF EXIST C:\LOGO.SYS ATTRIB +A -H -R -S C:\LOGO.SYS
IF EXIST C:\LOGO.SYS REN C:\LOGO.SYS LOGO.ORI
IF EXIST C:\EXTRACT\SULOGO.SYS MOVE/Y C:\EXTRACT\SULOGO.SYS C:\
IF EXIST C:\EXTRACT\LOGO_02.SYS MOVE/Y C:\EXTRACT\LOGO_02.SYS C:\
IF EXIST C:\SULOGO.SYS REN C:\SUOGO.SYS LOGO.SYS
IF EXIST C:\LOGO_02.SYS REN C:\OGO_02.SYS LOGO.SYS
CLS
EXIT
------End cut & paste here------

Note that ROOTLOGO also backs up your original LOGO.SYS (if any) by renaming it to LOGO.ORI.
You can also delete the now empty \EXTRACT folder created by ECD.BAT.
Next time you'll boot into Windows you'll see the new logo displayed as your startup screen.

FYI: The Win98/ME bootup logo is embedded into C:\IO.SYS (Hidden, Read-only, System file), and a separate C:\LOGO.SYS file may not exist if you haven't put one in C:\ root.

A MUST: To have a logo displayed while Windows 9x/ME starts up you need to add/modify a line under the [Options] section of your MSDOS.SYS (Hidden, Read-only, System file) found in the root directory of your boot drive/partition (usually C:\) to read:

Logo=1

To edit MSDOS.SYS run SYS95.BAT [also part of W95-11D.EXE] from any DOS prompt.
You can also use my custom LOGO.SYS [part of W95-11D.EXE] or one of these fun(k)y logos [1 MB, freeware] as your Windows bootup logo. Just rename the .BMP file you like to LOGO.SYS, then place it in C:\ root (after backing up yours) and reboot.

HINTS:

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• 5-25-98 Win95 ©Trick in MYTIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


ENABLE TELEPHONY APPLET


Windows 95 has a built-in Telephony tool, useful for troubleshooting TAPI (Telephony Application Programming Interface), TCP/IP or Dial-Up Networking (DUN) problems or bugs, located in Control Panel (TELEPHON.CPL).
But Win95 Setup does NOT install it by default. :(
To bring it back, just rename the TELEPHON.CP$ file found in your C:\Windows\System folder to TELEPHON.CPL.
Now restart Control Panel and (double)-click on the Telephony icon, from which you can: see a list of TAPI Drivers (providers), add/remove items to/from the list and/or configure Dialup Properties.

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• 5-25-98 Win9x ©Trick in MYTIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


REPAIR TELEPHON.INI


The TELEPHON.INI file MUST be present in your Win95 folder, to enable the proper operation of ALL TAPI (Telephony Application Programming Interface) programs: HyperTerminal, Dial-Up Networking (DUN), TCP/IP connections, Fax etc, handled by your modem/fax card.
If TELEPHON.INI is corrupted or missing, your TAPI applications might not work properly or freeze, because most TAPI settings are stored in this file.
But there is a way to repair/rebuild it: just run TAPIINI.EXE, the Telephony initialization program located in your C:\Windows\System folder.
Done.

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• 1-5-98 Win9x ©Trick in TIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


CORRUPTED WIN.COM


Microsoft reported several error messages you may encounter when trying to start Windows 9x:

"The following file is missing or corrupted: WIN.COM"

or:

"The following file is missing or corrupted: WIN.COM Program too big to fit in memory"

or:

"Cannot find WIN.COM, unable to continue loading Windows",

and you are returned to the MS-DOS prompt, unable to start Windows. :(
This is attributed to a missing or corrupt WIN.COM, the Windows 9x executable, found in your Windows folder (C:\Windows by default).
First, check for correct file size:

From the same DOS prompt screen replace the existing WIN.COM with a fresh copy, by running one of these commands from your:

  1. Win95, 95a OSR1 or 95 B/C OSR 2.x Setup cd-rom:

    EXTRACT D:\WIN95\WIN95_03.CAB WIN.CNF

  2. Win95 Setup floppy:

    EXTRACT A:\WIN95_03.CAB WIN.CNF

  3. Win98 or 98 SE Setup cd-rom:

    EXTRACT D:\WIN98\WIN98_25.CAB WIN.CNF

Substitute the cd-rom/floppy drive letters with yours if different.
Now run this command from the folder where WIN.CNF resides:

COPY /Y WIN.CNF C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM

Substitute the Windows 9x folder name with yours if different.
And now you're [finally :)] ready to start Windows by running:

WIN

NOTE: For more info read the Creating a New WIN.COM File When You Cannot Start Windows MSKB article.

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• 12-25-97 Win9x ©Trick in MYTIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


ALTERNATE DNS


If your web browser (when connected to your ISP) is unable to reach certain web sites consistently and keeps bugging you with messages such as "Could not locate remote server," then you might have Domain Name Service (DNS) problems. Each web address you type (example: www.microsoft.com) is translated to an Internet address (example: 207.68.156.58) through a domain name server. If the server you are using is running slowly or has shut down for any reasons, you're in trouble!
BUT luckily there are a couple of ways to work around this:

1. One is to add a secondary DNS. Contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and ask for the name and IP (Internet Protocol) number of a backup server. Once you have the new IP address of a reliable backup server, click Start, Settings, Control Panel. Double click the Network icon and then click the Configuration tab. In the box labeled "The following network components are installed:" select "TCP/IP Dial-Up Adapter" and click the Properties button. Then click the DNS Configuration tab. Under the title "DNS Server Search Order," enter the new IP address(es) you have obtained from your ISP.
IMPORTANT: If you are connected to a local network, do NOT change the DNS settings without first checking with the network administrator! Otherwise you may not be able to reconnect to the network!
Also, write down the existing settings before making ANY changes!

2. The other way is to locate your current Dial-Up Connection, by double clicking your Dial-Up Networking folder in Explorer or in My Computer. Now select your current DUN icon, that usually has your ISP's name, and drag and drop it on your Desktop.
This will create a .DUN file with your ISP connection name (mine is called Worldnet.dun).
Open the new DUN file in Notepad and modify the DNS lines (under the [TCP/IP] section) to match the ones you obtained by running TRACERT with your known ISP IP number, till you find one fast enough to use most of the time when connecting to the Internet.
NOTE: TRACERT is a small DOS mode tool, located in your Windows folder.
To use TRACERT, start a DOS box (window), and run:

TRACERT 204.127.129.1

Substitute the IP number above with your own (this one belongs to my ISP, so it is of no use to you, if you're not a WorldNet user).
When Tracert is done "poking" your ISP address, you'll see something like this on your DOS box screen:

Tracing route to ns1.worldnet.att.net [204.127.129.1]

over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 197 ms 195 ms 199 ms 192.168.255.253

2 203 ms 200 ms 204 ms 165.238.193.193

3 248 ms 240 ms 234 ms 199.37.159.45

4 236 ms 260 ms 240 ms 205.174.69.24

5 241 ms 242 ms 241 ms ns1.worldnet.att.net [204.127.129.1]

Trace complete.

Now call your ISP support voice phone number (usually a toll free call), and ask the permission to use an alternate DNS address, eventually one on the TRACERT list (explaining that you repeatedly encounter the same problems trying to connect to certain web servers most/all the time).
If you're lucky and they approve of this, they might also have their own DNS numbers that might work better/faster in your neck of the woods.
Now you're ready to edit the Dial-Up Networking file.
In Explorer (or File Manager), open your .DUN file (in the \Windows\Desktop folder, where you "dropped" it if you followed the above guidelines) with Notepad. Scroll down to the [TCP/IP] section and change the numbers on your "DNS_address" and/or "DNS_Alt_address" lines with the ones you obtained from your ISP.
Example (the lines below refer ONLY to WorldNet Service DNS numbers):

[TCP/IP]
DNS_address=204.127.129.1
DNS_Alt_address=204.127.160.1

Save the file, and close Notepad. Now you're ready to start your new DUN connection from the Desktop.

WARNING: You can't log on to alternate DNS addresses without permission from your ISP, or if you use the ones returned by TRACERT, you might experience slowdowns or network errors!

You can duplicate your DUN files as much as you like, but make sure to choose a different name every time (if you plan on keeping them into the same folder, i.e. on the Desktop, for faster access).
When you're done, double-click on your new DUN desktop icon to connect.
Happy surfing!

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• 12-25-97 Win95/OSR2 ©Trick in REGISTRY.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


ACTIVE CORNERS


There is a Registry trick that might allow you to activate/deactivate your screen saver by placing your mouse in different Desktop screen corners ("hot spots").

WARNING: This feature is disabled IF you installed MS Internet Explorer 4/5/6 with Active Desktop (View As Web Page) enabled, or IF using Windows 95C OSR 2.5/98/2000/ME/XP [which install MS IE 4/5/6 = no choice there :(]!

Run Regedit and go to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Screen Savers

Under Screen Savers, add a new string value and name it Mouse Corners. Edit this new value to show "-Y-N" (no quotes).
Close Regedit and restart Windows.
From now on whenever you position your mouse cursor in the upper right corner of your screen, the screen saver will immediately activate. Likewise, if you position the mouse in the lower left corner of your screen, the screen saver will not activate, even if it has been inactive for longer than the time specified when you selected it.
The principle behind this is based on activating/deactivating the 4 screen corners, in this specific order (in the Registry key above):

  1. lower right corner;
  2. upper right corner;
  3. upper left corner;
  4. lower left corner.

Therefore a value of "NY--" would result in having the screen saver active by placing your mouse cursor in the upper right corner, and respectively inactive by placing your rodent pointer into the lower right corner.
Just take your pick, depending on which corners are easier for you to use.
This trick is useful to keep your screen saver from being turned on right in the middle of a task that cannot be interrupted, like defragmenting/scanning your hard disk(s).

NOTES:

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• 12-25-97 Win95 ©Trick in TIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


FRESH REGISTRY


If you are having problems starting Windows 95 on your machine, or believe that your Registry files are corrupt, you can create a new Win95 Registry without a total reinstall. Easy, just run this command at the real MS-DOS mode command line:

SETUP /Pf

from your Win95 install cd-rom D:\WIN95 folder (change the cd-rom drive letter if different on your machine).
This will create a new Registry from scratch (replacing SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT in your Win95 folder with the new ones).
I suggest you BACKUP your old Registry files before doing this!

NOTE: Read "95/98/ME SETUP SWITCHES", also in TIPS95.TXT [part of W95-11D.EXE], for more undocumented SETUP parameters.

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• 12-25-97 Updated Win9x/ME ©Trick in TIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


MAKE COMPATIBLE


There is a program automatically installed by Win9x/ME you can use to make old Windows/WfWG 3.xx (16-bit) applications/games more compatible, called MKCOMPAT.EXE, located in %windir%\SYSTEM (default is C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM).
Run MKCOMPAT and select File -> Open. Open the executable (.EXE) file you are having problems with. Highlight the choices that seem likely to make a difference. Select File -> Advanced for more control options. Select File -> Save to save the new configuration.
There is no online help, so some trial and error is in order until you find the optimal settings to make your "rebel" program "behave" under Windows 9x/ME.
Examples of frequently used MKCOMPAT settings that work with most Win31 16-bit apps/games:

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• 12-17-97 Win9x/ME Original ©Trick in MYTIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


SWAP FILE - Part 2


I found a better method to reduce hard drive thrashing while using Windows 95/98/ME.
By default Windows places its swap file in your main Windows folder located by default on the boot drive (usually C:\Windows).
But if you are using one or more physical hard drive(s) larger than 2 GB (and many of us do nowadays), you have probably partitioned it into multiple logical drives (like I did), to comply with a well-known MS-DOS 7.00, bundled with Windows 95 retail (and below) limitation: MS-DOS FAT16 does NOT recognize partitions larger than 2 GB!
Win95 B/C OSR2.x, Win98/98 SE and Millennium Edition (ME) come with FAT32, part of the improved MS-DOS version 7.10/8.00, which recognizes logical partitions up to 2 TB (TerraBytes), and also drastically reduces the file assigned cluster size, making more storage space available to your files, with one (minor) disadvantage: FAT32 slows down a bit drive access speed, depending on drive/partition size: larger means slower.
See "FAT16 -> FAT32", also in SECRETS.TXT [part of W95-11D.EXE], for details.
FAT32 is (usually) not enabled by default, and to convert/(re)partition your disk(s) you need to run a DOS based partitioning utility in native/real/true/pure MS-DOS mode, OUTSIDE the Windows GUI!
See "DISK PARTITIONING, FORMATTING, BACKUP + RECOVERY TOOLS", also in SECRETS.TXT [part of W95-11D.EXE], for a review of the best non-destructive disk partitioning tools (most are freeware).
So if you do have more than one hard drive letter showing in Explorer or in File Manager, you probably have a physical drive larger than 2 GB. If this is your case, the drives have different sizes. To view each drive's size, right-click on a hard drive icon in Explorer, click Properties, and look for its respective "Capacity" under the General tab.
The principle is to choose the fastest/smallest drive/partition to place your Windows swap file on, preferably a different physical drive than the one your Windows OS resides on.
Use a partitioning utility to resize your smallest partition to 400-500 MB (but NOT BEFORE BACKING UP ALL YOUR DRIVES), and DO NOT use this new drive to store ANY files (placing your temporary directory there is OK), EXCEPT the Windows swap file.
Then I STRONGLY RECOMMEND to ScanDisk (run Scandskw.exe) for errors ALL your hard drives FIRST, and then fully Defragment them (run Defrag.exe).
When you're done, right-click the "My Computer" icon (or whatever you renamed it to), and click Properties. Click the Performance tab, then select "Virtual Memory", and change the location of your swap file to your new drive/partition. Check the "Let me specify my own virtual memory settings" box. Browse to your desired drive letter and select it. Now click Apply/OK to save your changes. You will be prompted to reboot. Do so, and when Windows interface shows up again, you'll be running [hopefully :)] a little faster than before.

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• 12-17-97 Win9x ©Trick in MYTIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


DUN MONITOR - Part 2


You can also use System Monitor (Sysmon.exe, described in the "DUN MONITOR - Part 1" topic) to measure your modem's average file transfer speeds, no matter what kind of Internet connection you are using (TCP/IP protocol or Online Service client software).
To do this you HAVE to enable the modem report logging. Open the Control Panel and double-click the Modems applet. Select your installed modem, and click Properties. On your modem's Connection tab, click the Advanced button. Place a check mark in the "Record a log file" box. Now you're ready to measure your modem's performance.

SysMon

Log on to the Internet or your Online Service as usual. Once connected, open SysMon, located as a shortcut in the Start\Programs\Accessories\System Tools folder, click Edit and select "Add Item". Choose your modem from the list (your modem will NOT show up unless you're already connected!). Select: "Bytes received/sec" and "Bytes sent/sec" from the list. System Monitor will display a real-time gauge from now on, showing your modem's download and upload speeds.
Happy surfing!

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• 12-9-97 Win95 ©Trick in TIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


EXPLORE FOLDERS


How would you like to open the folder you're working in as a full blown Explorer window (or maximized) instead of just viewing it in Win95's default window?
Left-click View and select Options from any folder within Explorer. Now click the File Types tab and double-click the Folder item, located in the Registered File Types list. Select Explore from the Actions list, and click the Set Default button.
From now on, double-clicking on any folder will bring up the Explorer view of that folder.

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• 11-29-97 Updated Win9x/ME ©Trick in TIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


LOCK IT UP!


*REQUIRED READING* if using UNDELETE.EXE: "GOOD OL' UNDELETE", also in MYTIPS95.TXT [part of W95-11D.EXE]!

There is a way to recover deleted files under Windows 9x/ME OS, which works ONLY in native/real/true/pure MS-DOS mode!

NOTES:

For this you need to have kept your old MS-DOS 6.xx install floppy disks, or the old MS-DOS (any version from 6.00 up to 6.22) files on your hard disk.
If you didn't, just download Microsoft Old MS-DOS 6.22 Utilities (include UNDELETE.EXE) for Windows 9x/ME [836 KB, free].
I recommend placing UNDELETE.EXE into your C:\Windows\Command folder for easy access, because this directory is already listed on the default PATH.
If you still have the ol' C:\DOS (or C:\MSDOS) directory (for those who upgraded from a previous MS-DOS version to Windows 9x/ME), look for the UNDELETE.EXE file, also found on your Win95 retail Setup CD ONLY [NOT Win95B/95C OSR 2.x or Win98/ME!], in the \Other\Oldmsdos folder.
Before properly using it to recover your lost files, there is one more thing you need to do. In DOS mode [of course :)], run this command line (after you have exited Windows 9x/ME to native MS-DOS, or rebooted to MS-DOS mode, the equivalent of the "Command prompt only" option from the Windows 95/98 Startup Menu:

LOCK C:

This internal command built into MS-DOS 7.xx/8.00 secures the hard drive of your choice (in this case drive C:), to make it useable by UNDELETE!
You can use multiple drive parameters to enable the LOCK command on all your drives/partitions (example):

LOCK C: D: E:

Add/change drive letter(s) if necessary.
Now you're ready to get your files back by "UNDELETE-ing" them.
After recovering your files, run this command to return Windows 9x/ME OS to its normal operation mode, but DO NOT TRY TO RESTART the Windows interface with the LOCK switch ON:

UNLOCK C:

This is opposite to the LOCK command, disabling direct access to a drive/partition for all programs.
Of course, you also need to be familiar with UNDELETE's command line parameters, and you also need to know which directories (folders) your lost files were located into before the "accident".
Run:

HELP UNDELETE

to learn more about this native DOS mode ONLY tool, or:

UNDELETE /?

from any DOS prompt, to display its available switches:

"UNDELETE - A delete protection facility
Copyright (C) 1987-1993 Central Point Software, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Restores files previously deleted with the DEL command.
UNDELETE [[drive:][path]filename] [/DT | /DS | /DOS]
UNDELETE [/LIST | /ALL | /PURGE[DRIVE] | /STATUS | /LOAD | /UNLOAD
          /UNLOAD | /S[DRIVE] | /T[DRIVE]-entrys ]]
/LIST                Lists the deleted files available to be recovered.
/ALL                 Recovers files without prompting for confirmation.
/DOS                 Recovers files listed as deleted by MS-DOS.
/DT                  Recovers files protected by Delete Tracker.
/DS                  Recovers files protected by Delete Sentry.
/LOAD                Loads Undelete into memory for delete protection.
/UNLOAD              Unloads Undelete from memory.
/PURGE[drive]        Purges all files in the Delete Sentry directory.
/STATUS              Display the  protection method in effect for each drive.
/S[drive]            Enables Delete Sentry method of protection.
/T[drive][-entrys]   Enables Delete Tracking method of protection.
UNDELETE, and UNFORMAT Copyright (C) 1987-1993 Central Point Software."

1 LAST WORD: [or maybe 2 ;-)] Stay safe => BACKUP FIRST!

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• 11-27-97 Win9x ©Trick in MYTIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


THE RENAMING GAME


This message was sent by T.J.:

"I want to thank you for your tips files. I am a blind computer user, and this information is very, very helpful.
I have configured my system to use the dual boot feature of win95.
I am confused about the files that win95 renames during boot up. The bak9x.bat file fails to detect WINBOOT.SYS, when is WINBOOT.SYS to be in the root directory? It is always in my root directory. Are the *.W40 files to be hidden or visible?
Would you be able to explain the boot sequence of win95, what files are renamed and when? If win95 is chosen, which files are renamed and active, if dos 62 is chosen, which files are renamed and active?"

As a consequence, I decided to list here all Win9x/DOS 6.xx root directory boot files, and the Win9x renaming routine, when you dual-boot on a machine containing both Windows 9x (MS-DOS 7.xx) and MS-DOS 6.xx Operating Systems.
Here is my answer to TJ:

"I am deeply moved by your kind appreciation regarding my tips files.
About the Win95 file renaming issue:
WINBOOT.SYS is only found when you boot into MS-DOS 6, and it's actually the Win95 (MS-DOS 7) version of IO.SYS.
On a dual boot system (using Win95, a.k.a. MS-DOS 7, and MS-DOS 6), you'll find the following renamed files (all located in the root directory of the boot drive):

  1. When you boot into DOS 6:
    • DOS 7 AUTOEXEC.BAT is renamed to AUTOEXEC.W40.
    • DOS 7 CONFIG.SYS is renamed to CONFIG.W40.
    • DOS 7 COMMAND.COM is renamed to COMMAND.W40.
    • DOS 7 MSDOS.SYS is renamed to MSDOS.W40 (hidden, read only, system file).
    • DOS 7 IO.SYS is renamed to WINBOOT.SYS (hidden, read only, system file).
  2. When you boot into Win95 (DOS 7):
    • DOS 6 AUTOEXEC.BAT is renamed to AUTOEXEC.DOS.
    • DOS 6 CONFIG.SYS is renamed to CONFIG.DOS.
    • DOS 6 COMMAND.COM is renamed to COMMAND.DOS.
    • DOS 6 MSDOS.SYS is renamed to MSDOS.DOS (hidden, read only, system file).
    • DOS 6 IO.SYS is renamed to IO.DOS (hidden, read only, system file).
So the purpose of my batch file is to properly execute the specific OS backup/restore, depending on the existence of DOS 7 IO.SYS, renamed to WINBOOT.SYS in DOS 6.
The file (WINBOOT.SYS) has the hidden, read-only and system attributes, but that doesn't matter, it is recognized by the batch routine. Example:

IF EXIST C:\WINBOOT.SYS GOTO DOS6
IF NOT EXIST C:\WINBOOT.SYS GOTO DOS7

Why it can't be found on your system, the way I see it, there is only one explanation: you need to modify the batch file to include the full path to the file (as shown in the above example), which is always located in the root directory of the boot drive, C:\ by default."

FYI: Windows 98/ME's IO.SYS is renamed to JO.SYS (Windows 95 renames its IO.SYS to WINBOOT.SYS), if you are booting to an older MS-DOS version (6.xx), in a dual-boot environment, provided by Win95/98's Startup Menu, option 8 (on networked or TCP/IP systems): "Previous version of MS-DOS".
Read "DUAL BOOT" in MYTIPS95.TXT and "DUAL-BOOT IN OSR2/WIN98", also in OSR2TIPS.TXT [both part of W95-11D.EXE], to learn how to properly dual-boot with your version of Windows 98 or OSR2.

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• 3-11-98 Updated Win9x/ME Original ©Trick in MYTIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


SHRINK THE REGISTRY!
[UPDATED 3-11-98]


This is a tremendous time saver. Windows 95/98/ME Registry database made by these 2 Hidden/Read-only/System files: SYSTEM.DAT + USER.DAT [+ CLASSES.DAT in WinME], all located in your Windows folder, grows in size every time you install a new program/game or make changes to your machine (install/upgrade hardware peripherals) to "Gargantuelian" proportions. This only slows down the overall performance of your system.

To do this in Windows ME, FIRST you need to:

  1. Regain access to MS-DOS mode by installing the Unofficial DOS Patch, which modifies COMMAND.COM + IO.SYS (from C:\Windows\Command\EBD) + REGENV32.EXE (from C:\Windows\System) to allow Windows ME to boot to native MS-DOS and use DOS mode startup files (AUTOEXEC.BAT + CONFIG.SYS), Windows 95/98 style.
  2. Disable System Restore: open Control Panel -> System -> Performance Tab -> File System -> Troubleshooting area -> disable System Restore.
  3. See "2 DOS OR NOT 2 DOS", "MS-DOS PROMPT" + "DOS NOW!", all also in MYTIPS95.TXT [part of W95-11D.EXE]], to learn how to boot to native/real/true/pure MS-DOS.
  4. Read on...

To do this in Windows NT (NOT 2000, XP or 2003!), see these guides:

But because you sometimes also uninstall programs, the Registry contains "holes" that do not reduce its size, but clutter the .DAT files and therefore slow down Windows GUI operation. You'd be surprised how many times Win9x accesses the Registry files only by executing a routine task, like simply clicking something with your mouse. :(
Happily I found a solution to this problem. All you need to do is use the Registry editor (%windir%\REGEDIT.EXE, found in your Windows directory), but ONLY IN native/real/true/pure MS-DOS MODE OUTSIDE WINDOWS!
Use REGEDIT's command line switches to recreate the Registry from a .REG file.

FYI:

  1. "The fastest way to 'shrink' the Registry in Win98/ME is to run SCANREG with the /OPT switch, in native MS-DOS mode outside Windows. It's much faster than running REGEDIT with the /E and then the /C switch. This works ONLY with single user systems, because user profiles are NOT enabled!
    WinME users can use either method, since both SCANREG and REGEDIT can compress USER.DAT files for multiple users (CLASSES.DAT, SYSTEM.DAT + USER.DAT).
  2. The fixed REGEDIT.EXE also prevents accidental merging of REG files in Win95/OSR2. When double-clicking on a *.REG file, it will prompt whether to add the info into the Registry or not, just like the Win98/ME versions of Regedit."

[Thank you ERPMan!]

MANDATORY:

  1. Download the FIXed REGEDIT.EXE [53 KB, free] for ALL Win95/98 releases (NOT WinME!) and replace the executable in your main Windows folder (default is C:\Windows) with this one.
    A backup is NOT necessary, because ALL original REGEDIT.EXE files from ALL Win95/OSR2/98/98 SE Setup CD-ROMs are BUGgy!
  2. Exit to the native MS-DOS mode C:\ prompt OUTSIDE Windows and run:

REGEDIT

You will be presented with this screen:

"Imports and exports registry files to and from the registry.

REGEDIT [/L:system] [/R:user] filename1
REGEDIT [/L:system] [/R:user] /C filename2
REGEDIT [/L:system] [/R:user] /E filename3 [regpath1]
REGEDIT [/L:system] [/R:user] /D regpath2

/L:system     Specifies the location of the SYSTEM.DAT file.
/R:user       Specifies the location of the USER.DAT file.
filename1     Specifies the file(s) to import into the registry.
/C filename2  Specifies the file to create the registry from.
/E filename3  Specifies the file to export the registry to.
regpath1      Specifies the starting registry key to export from.
              (Defaults to exporting the entire registry).
/D regpath2   Specifies the registry key to delete." Win98/ME ONLY!

Use REGSHORT.BAT (a batch file I created) to do all these operations in 1 swift move. REGSHORT.BAT is included with W95-11D.EXE.
To view/edit REGSHORT.BAT lines, open it in Notepad.

No need to backup your Registry, because REGSHORT also copies your original Registry files: SYSTEM.DAT + USER.DAT [+ CLASSES.DAT if using WinME] to the newly created C:\REGBAK folder.
With a little luck, this trick may "shrink" your Registry anywhere from 500 KB to 1 MB! Wow! Talk about saving time and disk space!
And from now on you'll notice a slight speed increase while happily working in Windows. :) Have fun!

IMPORTANT:

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• 11-26-97 Win9x ©Trick in TIPS95.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


CD-ROM CODE - Part 2


The trick below appears courtesy of The Captain.
It refers to common Windows 95 (OSR1 and OSR2) and Windows applications install problems, especially useful in case you lost (misplaced) the cd-rom code (key).

"Most Microsoft CD-ROM keys are very simple. The first three digits before the hyphen can be absolutely anything you like. The sum of the remaining seven digits must be a factor of 7. So you can use: 111-1111111, 222-2222222 etc."

UPDATES:

  1. "Windows 95, MS Plus! and MS Office 95 (and others that accept 3.7 keys) will accept 111-1111111, and MS Office 97 accepts 1112-1111111.
    Also, it seems that SUPPORT is available for such numbers. I managed to install Office 97 Service Release 1 after entering such a code. :-)"
    This update courtesy of Yuri.

  2. "This is the generic OEM key for Win95 (works on all versions I believe):
    21995-OEM-0003121-88888
    If there needs to be another digit in the 0003121 part, add a zero after the 3."
    This update courtesy of LikwidQewL.

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• 10-10-95 Win9x/ME Registry ©Trick in REGISTRY.TXT, part of W95-11D.EXE:


NUMLOCK ON/OFF


Even if your motherboard BIOS Setup doesn't support/include an option to turn off the annoying NumLock key upon (re)boot, you can still do this by hacking your Windows 95/98/ME Registry.
To have your NumLock key turned ON or OFF upon Windows GUI startup, open Regedit and go to (valid only for the current user):

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Microsoft Input Devices

or to (valid for all users):

HKEY_USERS\.Default\Control Panel\Microsoft Input Devices

Double-click on "Microsoft Input Devices" -> click New -> select Key -> name this new key "Keyboard" (don't type the quotes) -> highlight "Keyboard" -> right-click on it -> click New -> select String Value -> type in NumLock -> click OK -> right-click on NumLock -> click Modify -> type ON to turn the NumLock key on or OFF to turn it off (case insensitive) -> click OK.
Note that this Registry tweak works mostly with PS/2 and USB keyboards built by Microsoft (with MS IntelliType software installed), but may or may not work with other (3rd party) keyboards. :(
You can turn on/off the Caps Lock and/or Scroll Lock keys in a similar manner.
Just add 2 new String Values under the same Registry subkey above and name them "CapsLock" and "ScrollLock" respectively (no quotes). Then double-click on each of them and type either ON or OFF.
Now close Regedit and then press F5, after left-clicking your mouse once into an empty Desktop area, so the changes can take effect without restarting Windows.

If you are using a CONFIG.SYS file (located in C:\ root) to boot up, you can also turn your NumLock key OFF by adding this line to your CONFIG.SYS (edit it with Notepad/Sysedit in Windows or EDIT.COM in DOS):

NUMLOCK=OFF

This CONFIG.SYS line turns NumLock back ON:

NUMLOCK=ON

Save your file and reboot.
Both these commands work with ANY keyboard and are case insensitive.

FYI: Open CONFIG.TXT (located in your Windows 9x/ME folder) using Notepad to read the details about all available CONFIG.SYS commands.

TIP: To learn how to turn ON/OFF NumLock in Windows NT4/2000/XP/2003, see "TURN OFF NUMLOCK", also in REGISTRY.TXT [part of W95-11D.EXE].

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©1996-2008 AXCEL216 / MDGx: Everything here is FREEware. I have created [August 1996], maintain and update these web pages entirely by hand using Programmer's File Editor [replaced Notepad]. I do not promote, speak in the behalf of, advertise or work for any computing, news or internet profit business. All ®registered ©copyrights and ™trademarks referred herein retain the property of their respective owners.

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