Windows 98 Tips & Tricks

(Note: Although most of these tips & tricks also work in Windows 95 - not all do)

Move to the Desktop Without Shutting Down All Applications

 Right click on the Taskbar and choose "Minimize All" from the Context menu to close all open windows on the desktop. 

 Right-click on the Taskbar again, choose "Undo Minimize All" and all the application windows that were open will be restored. 

Add an Item to the Start Menu

 Drag and drop an item straight onto the Start button to add it to the Start menu.
For instance, dragging a shortcut from the Desktop right onto the Start button makes it appear in the Start menu. 

Start Menu Sub-folder

 Create a sub-folder inside the Start Menu Folder to create a new cascading menu. 

 Open the Start menu folder by either going to the Windows/Start menu folder from the Explorer or right-clicking the Start button and choosing "Open"

 Create a folder inside the Start menu folder. Now place files into this sub-folder. 

 This technique will actually add new cascade menus to the Start menu. On my machine I have a folder called Favorite Places, which I created in my Start menu folder. It cascades out and has shortcuts to all the different network shares that I ever use, so I can always get those folders really easily without even going to the Explorer first. 

Drag and Drop to Change Windows

 To move some text or other data from one maximized application window into another, just grab the item, drag and hover over a button on the Taskbar representing the target window until it activates, and then drop it there. You can drag and drop between Word and Excel, between Excel and Word, between Word and a folder etc. 

Shortcut to a Specific Point in a Document

 Let's say you have a huge Excel 5.0 spreadsheet with a "Total" cell down at Cell G100. You can select that cell, right drag from the cell border to the Desktop, and choose Create Shortcut from the Context menu. Now, you have a shortcut into the spreadsheet, that actually points to cell G100. You could take that shortcut and send it in email. When the recipient double clicks it, it'll open the spreadsheet, scroll to that cell, and select it. S

 Similarly, If you have a 100-page document, you can go to page 85, select a paragraph, choose Copy, go out to the Desktop and right-click to select Paste Shortcut, and you will have created a shortcut to that paragraph. You can either do it through Drag and Drop or the Copy/Paste shortcut. The Copy/Paste shortcut is more reliable because more applications support it. 

 Close all Folder Windows

 SHIFT + CLOSE in a folder window closes all the folder windows between that folder and the root. 

True Delete

 Hold down SHIFT while you choose Delete, and the deleted file won't go to the Recycle Bin. 

Bypassing the Recycle Bin can be set as a default in the Recycle Bin Properties dialog. Right click on the Recycle Bin and select Properties to display this option. 

Change Recycle Bin Size

 The Recycle Bin will empty when it takes up 10% of hard disk space and it will delete the oldest items first. Right-click on the Recycle Bin, select Properties and adjust the Maximum-size slider control. 

New Document from Desktop

 Right-click on the Desktop background and choose New. From the cascaded menu, you can create a new document, spreadsheet, presentation, or other document file without having to start up the application first. This technique actually creates a real file on the Desktop (or in the target folder)-it's a great way to stay document-centric in your work, because you can just keep folder windows open on projects you are working on. 

Keyboard Shortcuts

CONTROL+ESCAPE invokes the Start menu. 
F5 refreshes the active window or the Desktop
 SHIFT+F10 is a context menu for the selection and that works across the system and other Windows 9x compliant applications. If you have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard The Windows key invokes the Start menu and the Applications key brings up the Context menu.
 Windows+R" is for Run
 Windows+E brings up the Explorer. You can define your own hot keys for any shortcut inside the Start menu and it will work no matter what window has the focus. 

Q: Is there a keyboard shortcut to add a Web page to my Favorites? 

A: Yes. Press CTRL+D and your wish is a Windows command. Later, you can go back and simply click and drag the Favorite to the exact folder and location where you want it to appear in your list. Change the Font or Size of Text Using Keyboard Shortcuts 

You can use keyboard shortcuts to access the Font box and the Font Size box on the Formatting toolbar and then quickly change the font or size of selected text.  Here's how you do it: 
  1. Select the text you want to change. 
  2. Press CTRL+SHIFT+F to access the Font box or CTRL+SHIFT+P to access the Font Size box. 
 
3. Press UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW to select the font name or size you want. 
      Press ENTER to accept the font name or size. 
Editor's Note: This tip works in the following Office 2000 programs: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft FrontPage, PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, and Word. 

Show Shortcut Keys in ScreenTips

 You can teach yourself keyboard shortcuts for the most commonly used commands in Microsoft Word by turning on shortcut keys in ScreenTips. When you choose to show toolbar ScreenTips, you can specify that Word also display a shortcut key combination for the toolbar button. 

To display shortcut keys in ScreenTips: 
  1. On the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Options tab. 
  2. If it's not already selected, select the Show ScreenTips on toolbars check box. 
  3. Select the Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips check box. 
Editor's Note: When you select the Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips check box, the setting affects all Office programs except Microsoft Excel. 

Useful Shortcut Keys in Word 2000 

Do you find that using the keyboard is sometimes quicker than using your mouse? Shortcut keys can help you bypass menus and carry out commands directly. You can use shortcut keys in many ways with Word, from accessing commands and toolbar buttons to repeating your last action. Shortcut keys are sometimes listed next to the command name on Word menus. For example, on the Edit menu, the Find command lists the shortcut CTRL+F. 

 For a comprehensive list of shortcuts, ask the Office Assistant for help. In Word 2000 or any of the other Office 2000 applications, press F1 to display the Assistant, and then type shortcut keys in the text box. 

Here are some of the most useful Word shortcut keys

Activity Shortcut Keys 
  Repeat your last action F4 or CTRL+Y 
  Find and replace CTRL+F 
  Go to page, section, line, etc.  CTRL+G 
  Delete a word CTRL+BACKSPACE
  Change case SHIFT+F3 
  Bold CTRL+B 
  Italicize CTRL+I 
  Go to the beginning of the document CTRL+HOME
  Go to the end of the document CTRL+END 
  Select to the beginning of the document CTRL+SHIFT+HOME
  Select to the end of the document CTRL+SHIFT+END
  Open the thesaurus SHIFT+F7 
   Insert a hyperlink CTRL+K
   Select all CTRL+A 
   Copy CTRL+C 
   Paste CTRL+V 
   Undo CTRL+Z 
   Save CTRL+S 
   Print CTRL+P 
   Open CTRL+O 

Additional Resources
  For more information, download A List of Useful Office 2000 Shortcut Keys at 
   http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/2000/downloadDetails/O2kkeys.htm. 

Explorer Shortcut Keys

 Rename (selected folder or file) F2
 Find 
    F3 Displays the Combo Box 
    F4 Refresh the Display 
 F5 Switch the highlight bar between panes 
 F6 Activates the Menu bar 
 F10 Equivalent to right-click
 Shift+F10 Show Properties 
 Alt+Enter Selects all files in a folder 
 Ctrl+A Copy selection or item 
 Ctrl+C Go to a specific directory 
 Ctrl+G Paste selection or item 
 Ctrl+V Undo last action 
 Ctrl+Z Go to the parent folder 
 Backspace Expands everything under selection 
 NumLock (and) * Collapses selection 
 NumLock (and) - (or Left arrow) Expands selection 
 NumLock (and) + (or Right arrow) 

 Customize Right-Click Menu

 Two different things are really happening when you right click on an object in the shell to get commands: first, you're seeing commands that the object itself exposes, and these can be customized. Second, you're seeing some commands that the container of the object exposes. 

 So, to customize the object commands, just go to the File Types tab of the View/Options dialog in the Explorer, and click on the Edit button for the object-type you wish to customize. You can add whatever commands you want; you can add "Edit with " or other custom commands to any type of files. If you have shareware utilities that operate on files, you can put commands for these utilities into file types so that they'll be accessible through the Context menu and also the File menu. 

Steps: 

  In the Explorer, choose View/Options. 
  Click the File Types Tab. 
  Click the Edit button. 

 Another example is to make the "Explore" action the default command for folders, so that double-clicking a folder will open into the Explorer. From the Explorer View/Options File Type dialog, choose the folder type, and click the Set Default button to change the default command to "Explore". Then whenever you double-click a folder, you'll launch the Explorer. 

 Here's one more example: let's say you want to be able to either open text documents in Notepad, or in Wordpad. Find the Text Document type in the File Types dialog, choose Edit to edit that type, and you'll see that the Actions list includes "open" and "print." You'll want a new action so you choose New, call the action "Edit in WordPad", and click the Browse button to choose WordPad from program file folder as the application that needs to perform the action. Now when you find a text document and right-click on it, it edits in WordPad. 

Explore more from the desktop with Explorer Bar window panes

 When you use Web View for your Explorer windows (for example, Windows Explorer, My Computer, and My Documents) in Windows 98, you can add Microsoft Internet Explorer capabilities. For example, you can use your favorite search engine, view your Internet History, or search your Favorites. From the View menu in an open window, point to Explorer Bars, and click to select Search, Favorites, History, or Channels. To return the window to its former state, click View, point to Explorer Bars, and click All Folders or None. 

Folder Backgrounds In Windows 98

 You can give nearly any folder a different background using the Customize This Folder wizard. When you open the window, your icons will be set against a picture or graphic background of your choice. To add a special folder background, such as a corporate logo or personal picture: 
   1. Open the folder you want to customize. 
   2. From the View menu, click Customize this Folder. 
   3. Select Choose a background picture and click Next. 
   4. Select one of the backgrounds available in the list, or click Browse to find one of
        your own pictures, and click Next. 
   5. Click Finish. 

Note Keep in mind that if the background is too fancy or dark, you may have trouble viewing your icons! 

Windows Update

 Windows Update in Windows 98 allows you to keep your computer up to date with the latest service releases, drivers, system files, and more. 

 Click Start, point to Settings, and click Windows Update. When you reach Microsoft's Update Web site, click Product Updates to get started. 

Note You need to register your copy of Windows 98 before you can take advantage of Windows Update. 

How do I turn off desktop animation effects?

  To turn off selected desktop effects for a lean and clean desktop:
     1. Right-click your desktop, select Active desktop and click Customize My
            Desktop. 
     2. Click the Effects tab. Clear the Animate windows, menus, and lists and Show
            window contents while dragging options. 

What's the fastest way to my Favorites? 

Favorites have been added to the Start menu in Windows 98. Simply click Start, point to Favorites, and click the Favorite you want. Windows 98 will open your browser if the chosen Favorite is a Web site, or the required application if it's a file on your hard disk. 

How do I speed up my programs in Windows 98? 

 The improved Disk Defragmenter in Windows 98 gathers the program files that you use most office and moves them to faster parts of the hard disk. 

To run Disk Defragmenter: 
   1. From the Start menu, point to Programs, Accessories, and System Tools, and
        click Disk Defragmenter. 
   2. Click Settings, and make sure that the option to Rearrange program files so my
           programs start faster is selected and click OK. 
   3. Click OK to start the process. You can schedule Disk Defragmenter as part of
          your regularly scheduled tasks in Windows Maintenance Wizard. 

E-mail from your Windows 98 desktop with e-mail shortcuts

 If you frequently send electronic mail to the same person, you can create a shortcut on the desktop that will instantly open a preaddressed message in your e-mail client (for example, Microsoft Outlook Express). 

To create an e-mail shortcut:
    1. Right-click a blank area on the desktop. 
    2. Point to New and click Shortcut. 
    3. Type mailto: and insert the e-mail address after the colon, leaving no space.
    4. Click Next. 
    5. Select a name for the shortcut and click Finish

  Add shortcuts to your SendTo folder for quick e-mail attachments. Once you've completed the above tip and added e-mail shortcuts to your desktop, copy them into your Windows SendTo folder. If you're using Outlook, this allows you to attach a file to an e-mail message and send it simply by right-clicking the item to attach, pointing to Send To, and choosing the shortcut from the pop-up menu. 

 To copy the icon to the SendTo folder: 
   1. Right-click the new shortcut and click Copy. 
   2. Open Windows Explorer. 
   3. Go to "/Windows/SendTo". 
   4. From the File menu, click Paste. 

Windows 98 Resource Kit Sampler

 The Windows 98 CD comes with some free tools and utilities in a sampler called the Resource Kit. These allow you to do such things as compare files and folders, check and delete obsolete shortcuts, read text and hypertext markup language (HTML) code in the Text File Viewer, and more. These tools don't load automatically when you do a standard installation, but they're easy to install:
   1. Insert your Windows 98 CD into your CD-ROM drive. 
   2. Click Browse This CD. 
   3. From the Tools\Reskit directory, run Setup.exe. Once installed, you can access
      these tools from the Start menu. Click Programs, point to Windows 98
          Resource Kit, and click Tools Management Console. 

Discover the difference between folder contents with WinDiff

 The Resource Kit contains a utility called WinDiff that allows you to quickly compare the contents of two folders. After you've installed the Resource Kit (see the above tip), to use WinDiff: 
   1. From the Start menu, point to Programs and Windows 98 Resource Kit, and
          click Tools Management Console. 
   2. Go to the \Tools A to Z\U to Z directory and double-click WinDiff
   3. From the File menu, click Compare Directories and type the path of the folders
       you want to compare. 
  4. Click OK and WinDiff will give you a line-by-line list of the differences between
          the contents of the folders. 

Speed-read text and HTML files with Text File Viewer

 Another tool in the Resource Kit is a utility called Text File Viewer that opens a special two-pane Explorer window to quickly show you the contents of any file with a .txt or .htm extension. This can be useful, for example, if you need to read several Readme.txt files for programs you're installing, or if you create and edit Web pages frequently. You double-click the file in the left pane, and the contents will be displayed in text format on the right. For HTML files, the Text File Viewer displays the original source code, rather than how the page appears in a Web browser. 
  After you've installed the Resource Kit (see above tip), to use the Text File Viewer:
    1. From the Start menu, point to Programs and Windows 98 Resource Kit, and
           double-click Text File Viewer.
    2. From the File menu, click Compare Directories and type the path of the folders
           for which you want a comparison 

How do I get rid of shortcuts that don't point to anything anymore?

Drag and drop desktop, taskbar, and folder shortcuts to Recycle Bin and dump 'em. For Start menu shortcuts, use the new Taskbar & Start Menu command under Settings on the Start menu. For hidden shortcuts that remain after you've uninstalled programs, use the Checklinks tool from the Resource Kit Sampler that finds and eliminates dead links and shortcuts (see above tip for installing the Resource Kit Sampler).

How do I turn on file extensions? 

By default, Windows 98 hides file extension for all known file types, which is fine if you're in Details view. But you may want to see extensions in other views-and some e-mail programs may even have difficulty recognizing attachments without them. 
  To turn on extensions: 
     1. Open My Computer. 
     2. From the View menu, click Folder Options. 
     3. Click the View tab. 
     4. Clear the Hide file extensions for known file types option. 
Note You can set or remove this option for individual folders by opening the folder, and following steps 2-4 above. 

How do I show hidden program or system files?

Showing hidden files comes in handy, for example, when you've tried to delete everything from a floppy disk and Properties still indicates 100K in files. In any folder window (including My Computer), to show all files: 
   1. From the View menu, click Folder Options. 
   2. Click the View tab. 
   3. Check Show all files. 
Warning Don't be tempted to delete system files that Windows needs-when in doubt, leave it! 

Single-click desktop icons

 In Windows 98, you can change your desktop to operate in single-click mode, which allows you to open applications, windows, and folders the same way you do in your Web browser. 

 To change from double-click mode to single-click mode:
     1. Double-click (for the last time!) My Computer . 
     2. On the View menu, click Folder Options. 
     3. Click the General tab and click Custom, based on settings you choose. 

Click Settings and click Single-click to open an item. 

Make a Web page (or a single graphic on a Web page) your desktop wallpaper

 You can use any hypertext markup language (HTML) document, or Web page, as your desktop wallpaper. 

To make a Web page your wallpaper:
   1. Right-click the desktop and click Properties. 
   2. Click the Background tab. 
   3. Click Browse, and locate and click the Web page you want. 
   4. Click Apply. Bonus Tip You also can right-click any graphic on a Web page, and
          click Set As Wallpaper. 

Clean off your desk-remove all desktop icons from your desktop

 The Windows 98 Active Desktop allows you to view Web sites, updated subscription channels, pictures (including animated pictures), and more. If you want to see all this content without desktop icons getting in the way: 

  1. Right-click anywhere on the Active Desktop. 
  2. Highlight Active Desktop and click Customize my desktop. 
  3. Click the Effects tab. 
  4. Check Hide icons when the desktop is viewed as a Web page. Don't worry-you
         still have access to your desktop icons. In Windows 98, you can add them to
         your taskbar: 
             1. Right-click a blank area on the taskbar. 
             2. Highlight Toolbars and click Desktop. The Desktop toolbar will appear on
                    the taskbar. 

Undo file operations

 Have you ever accidentally deleted, renamed, moved, or copied a file you didn't intend to? Windows 98 has added an Undo command-that works like the Undo command in Microsoft Office 97 applications-to every user interface window. Click Undo on the toolbar (if you are viewing a window in Web View), or click Undo on the Edit menu. 

I can't find my desktop themes. Where are they?

To customize the personality of your desktop with special icons, wallpaper, screen savers, and sounds all organized around a common theme (for example, Underwater): 

   1. Click Start, highlight Settings, and click Control Panel. 
   2. Click Desktop Themes. 
   3. Select a theme from the Theme drop-down list. 
   4. Click Apply and click OK. 

Note If you don't see the Desktop Themes icon in Control Panel, you will need to install it. Click Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. 

Add your most frequently used programs to the taskbar

 You can create custom toolbar buttons on the new Windows 98 taskbar simply by dragging a program file, folder, or Web site window onto the taskbar. Windows 98 will automatically create a toolbar button for that application, folder, or Web site. 

Search the Web directly from your Windows 98 taskbar

 To search the Web from your taskbar, first open the Address toolbar: 
     1. Right-click a blank area on the taskbar. 
     2. Highlight Toolbars and click Address. The Address toolbar will appear on the
              taskbar. 

To search the Web, begin typing a Web address in the text box, and AutoComplete will suggest URLs based on sites you've visited. Or type Go, Find, or ? followed by a word or a phrase. 

Create your own toolbar on the taskbar

 You can turn any folder into a toolbar, complete with single-click icons accessible from the taskbar. To create your own toolbar:
    1. Right-click any empty space on the taskbar. 
    2. Highlight Toolbars, and click New Toolbar. 
    3. Click the folder you want to become a toolbar, and click OK. 

After you've created your toolbar, you can click and drag it to any location on your desktop-for example, you can anchor it at the top-, right-, or left-hand side of the screen. 

My taskbar is too cluttered with both the Desktop and Address toolbars turned on. Any solutions?

You can take any toolbar on your taskbar and turn it into a floating toolbar on your desktop. Simply click a blank area of the toolbar you want to move, and drag it onto a convenient area of your desktop. Windows 98 will create a floating toolbar. 

Reorganize your Start menu

 In Windows 98, it is much easier to move programs, shortcuts, and Favorites around. Simply click Start and then highlight Programs, Favorites, or Documents. Click and drag the item you want to move to its new location. You can even move items up from submenu locations to higher levels for faster access 

Discover new hard-disk space with Disk Cleanup

Temporary files, Internet file caches, empty folders, and defunct shortcuts can quickly add up to a large amount of hard-disk space that's useless and wasted. But it can be scary to start deleting files willy-nilly. So, Windows 98 has made it easy for you. The Disk Cleanup system tool will help you locate and delete all unnecessary files. To use the Disk Cleanup tool, click Start, highlight Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, and click Disk Cleanup. Note: You can use Maintenance Wizard to schedule this function to happen automatically on a regular schedule when you are not using your computer. 

System Snapshot File 

 Dr. Watson is a system tool that will give you a comprehensive picture of your software environment so that, when a problem occurs, you can use this information in conjunction with Technical Support to identify the source of the error. 

  To generate a system snapshot with Dr. Watson:
     1. Click Start, highlight Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, and click
             System Information. 
     2. Click Tools and click Dr. Watson. 
     3. Type a brief description of the steps you took that produced the error.
     4. From the File menu, click Save As, type a name for the error log, and click
            Save. 

Find people on the Internet

 1. Click Start, highlight Find, and click People.
 2. In the Look in list, select the directory service that you want to use to find
        someone.
 3. Type as much information as you know about the person you are looking for, and
         click Find Now. 

Note Click Web Site to go to a specific directory service's Web site for more details. 

How do I clear the contents of my Documents menu in Windows 98? 

To clear the contents of your Documents menu: 
  1. Click Start, highlight Settings, and click Taskbar & Start Menu. 
  2. Click the Start Menu Programs tab. 
  3. In Documents, click Clear. 

Bonus Tip To open the Taskbar Properties dialog box, right-click a blank area on the taskbar and click Properties. 

Copy and Paste up to 12 Pieces of Information at Once

 If you're constantly copying text and data between different Office programs, here's a way to save time by copying multiple items at once. For example, you can copy a chart in Microsoft Excel, switch to Microsoft PowerPoint and copy a bulleted list, switch to Microsoft Internet Explorer and copy a page of text, and then switch to Microsoft Word and paste the collection of copied items into your document. 

 Here's how: 
    1. In any Office 2000 program, on the View menu, point to Toolbars and click
           Clipboard to display the Office Clipboard.
    2. Select an item you want to copy.
    3. Copy the item into the Office Clipboard by clicking Copy on the Edit menu or
           clicking the Copy button on the Clipboard toolbar.
    4. Repeat steps two through four until you have copied all the items (up to 12)
           you want. If the item you want to copy is in another program, switch to that
           program first.
    5. In an Office program, click where you want to paste the items. 
    6. To paste all the items at once, click Paste All on the Clipboard toolbar. 
           Or to paste the items one at a time, click the icon for the item you want to
           paste. 

Editor's Note: You can copy items while using any program that provides copy and cut functionality, but you can paste items only into Microsoft Access, Excel, Microsoft Outlook, PowerPoint, or Word. 

Print Screen with Windows 98

 When you press the Print Screen button on your keyboard while you're in Windows 98, your screen is copied to the clipboard. Now start the Paint program (click Start > Programs > Accessories > Paint) and from the Edit menu select Paste. Now you can print your screen. If you only want to print an open window, and not the whole screen, hit Alt+Print Screen. 

Fast Forward and Backward! 

Right-click the toolbar's Back and Forward buttons, (or click on the drop-down indicator) and you will get a list of recently visited pages. Just select a page to browse back- or forwards. You don't have to click multiple times to get back to where you have already been. 

Use the Windows Taskbar to Close Multiple Documents at Once 

If you are running Windows 98 (or if you have installed the Internet Explorer 4.0 Windows Desktop Update for Windows 95), you can close multiple windows at once, such as open Word 97/2000 documents, right from your Windows taskbar. Just hold down the CTRL key while you click each taskbar window that you want to close. Next, right-click any of the windows you just selected, and then click Close. You might be prompted to save any changes to your documents. 

Change the size of the Icons on the Desktop

To change the size of the Icons on the Desktop: Right-click on the Desktop Choose Properties from the context menu. On the Appearance tab look in the Item list box. Once you find Icon you can choose the size from the Size box To hit the Apply button, once you are satisfied hit OK 

Clear the (Recent) Documents Menu

To clear the (Recent) Documents Menu requires some clicking. Here's a quick and dirty way to be able to clear them with a double-click: Create a batch file with the line: (To make it more easy for you to copy/paste, we've put the text in a text box) To create a batch file, just create a .txt file using NotePad and rename the .txt extension to .bat. Save the batch file into a convenient directory Create a shortcut to the batch file on the desktop Right-click the shortcut and choose Properties > Program tab Under Run, choose Minimized Check the Close on Exit box Click OK Now just double click on the shortcut's icon to clear the document menu. To clear the Documents menu every time you start Windows 98: Install TweakUI, you can find it on your CD-ROM in the \tools\reskit\powertoy folder. 

 Windows Explorer Shortcut Keys (Not Internet Explorer)

 Rename (selected folder or file) F2
 Find 
   F3 Displays the Combo Box
   F4 Refresh the Display 
 F5 Switch the highlight bar between panes
 F6 Activates the Menu bar 
 F10 Equivalent to right-click 
 Shift+F10 Show Properties
 Alt+Enter Selects all files in a folder 
 Ctrl+A Copy selection or item 
 Ctrl+C Go to a specific directory 
 Ctrl+G Paste selection or item 
 Ctrl+V Undo last action 
 Ctrl+Z Go to the parent folder Backspace Expands everything under selection
 NumLock (and) * Collapses selection 
 NumLock (and) - (or Left arrow) Expands selection 
 NumLock (and) + (or Right arrow) 

Choose to view various Folders as Web Pages

You can choose to view various Folders as Web Pages: Explorer, My Computer, Control Panel, Printers will all give you additional information when viewed as Web Page. 

To Select Web Page View: 
  From within the respective Folder, select View from the menu bar, and select as
  Web Page Or Start Explorer and select View > Folder Options from the menu
  Check Web Style on the General Tab 

Quick Restart of Windows 98

 Click on Start > Shut Down Select Restart Click OK while holding down the Shift key Windows will now restart without executing a complete warm boot. 

Show All Files in Windows Explorer

  By default, Windows 98 does not show hidden or system files. Also file types which are registered with the system (i.e. there is a program associated with the file type), are shown without extension when you view your files in Windows Explorer. To see all files: Open Windows Explorer, and select Folder Options from the View Menu Click on the View tab, go to the Hidden Files header and choose Show all files, and press Apply 

Moving and Re-sizing the Taskbar

 You can move the Taskbar by pointing on a corner panel and dragging it in the place where you want it. You can also re-size it by moving the mouse to the edge and dragging it higher or lower.