The FAQ for those of
us
who haven't a clue what an FAQ is.
| 1 | I unpacked everything, plugged all the cables in, turned it on, and NOTHING happened? Ahhhhh! |
| Hmmm, you say nothing happened. Let's start by defining nothing.
Did the monitor turn on? Did the computer make any noise? Honestly, there could be many
things wrong. First, do the obvious ... calm down! Then, check all the connections again.
If you plugged it all into a surge protector make sure it's turned on. Finally, be
prepared for a long hold on the phone with customer service. The good news is that they
are there and they truly are helpful. |
|
| 2 | How do I know if Windows 98 was preloaded on my computer? |
| When you start your computer the words Windows 98 is Starting
will flash on your screen. In addition, once started there will be a button called,
"Start" in the bottom left hand corner. Oh, and by the way, FAQ stands for
Frequently Asked Questions. :) |
|
| 3 | What's Microsoft Plus!? Do I have it? Do I need it? |
| Windows 98 and Windows ME users have desktop theme
capability without needing to purchase an additional program. Microsoft Plus! is a program
sold by Microsoft which among
other things allows the use of desktop themes for those still using Windows 95. A
desktop theme controls all aspects of how your
desktop looks, including wallpaper, icons, cursors, sound events, etc. You know that you
have Plus! if there is an icon called Desktop Themes in your Control Panel folder. To
check this, press Start, Settings, Control Panel. There is also a
freeware program that allows
the use of desktop themes without Microsoft Plus!
|
|
| 4 | What's a shortcut? |
| A shortcut is the equivalent of a map showing Windows 98 how to
get to whatever file or program you point it to. To create a shortcut open Windows
Explorer and select whatever file you want quick access to. Right click on it and select
create shortcut. The new shortcut called by default "shortcut to [name of file]"
will appear in the same folder as the original file. Hold the left mouse button and drag
it to your desktop. Now to get to that file and its associated program instantly just
click on the shortcut. You can make a shortcut to a folder in the same manner. Documents
dragged into the shortcut folder on your desktop will be automatically placed by Windows
98 into the original folder, maintaining your document filing system intact. |
|
| 5 | How do I add programs to my Start Menu? |
| Press Start, Settings, Taskbar, Start Menu Programs. Click on
Add and Browse. You will need to know the executionable file of the program you want to
add. This will have an "exe" or "com" extension. Once you've found it
click on Next. Now you must decide where among your Program folders to store it. Keep in
mind, you are not really moving the file, just designating a place for it's shortcut in
your Start Menu. Select Next again and give your new shortcut a name, preferably the name
of the program. Click finish and you are done. |
|
| 6 | At work Yahoo is my browser. How come it's not the same at home? |
| Yahoo is a
search engine, not a browser. Other examples of search engines include Alta Vista, Excite and Lycos. In order to use a search engine
you need a browser. Two browsers control the market presently -- Microsoft Internet Explorer
and Netscape Navigator. A browser
is software that allows you to navigate the Internet, and more specifically, the World
Wide Web, with a graphical interface. |
|
| 7 | Do I really need a virus checker? |
| Yes! You really need a virus checker if you share floppies with anyone or surf the Web or
download anything from the Web. Computer viruses can cause serious damage and virus
protection is readily available. Better safe than sorry. |
|
| 8 | Do I really need to back up my hard drive? |
| YES!!! If you don't have a
CD burner or zip
drive, then buy a whole bunch of floppies and run a backup program. At the very least
always back up any document you care about. |
|
| 9 | What do ISP and DUN mean? |
| An ISP is an Internet Service Provider. Examples include Earthlink, America On Line and
MSN along with hundred of smaller
providers. DUN stands for Dial Up Networking. This is the way that Windows 98 connects to
an ISP. Whichever ISP you join will be able to help you to configure your DUN correctly
for that service. Many offer wizards that basically do it for you. |
|
| 10 | What's the difference between My Computer and Windows Explorer? |
| The Explorer window is split into two offering a tree structure
of all your folders on the left and the contents of any individual folder on the right. My
Computer opens a single window at a time, showing the contents of the selected folder. |
Free Desktop Themez
Theme Making
101
Questions? Write to sandymg61@hotmail.com.