April 1999 Volume 80 Number 4 "serving the protectors"
IT Bits
By Mike Horsfall mich@picknowl.com.au

Enhancing Windows Performance

If you’re not using the Send-To command, then you’re missing out on one of Windows 98’s (and 95’s) handiest tools. When you access the Send-To command, you’ll discover an alternative way to quickly and easily move files.

The Send-To command is in several places in Windows 98, but since it’s hidden away, it’s easy to overlook. You’ll find it on the File menu in My Computer and in Windows Explorer when a file is selected. (If you haven’t selected a file, the Send-To command won’t appear on the File menu.)

The most useful place the command appears is in your My Documents folder - right-click a document and you’ll see the Send-To command. When you select the command, its submenu will appear and you’ll see the default destinations for the Send-To command.

Windows 98 automatically placed five destinations on the Send-To command’s menu. The first destination on the Send-To command’s menu is 3 1/2 Floppy (A), which makes copying files to your floppy disks a breeze. If you want to move a file to the 3 1/2 Floppy (A) or My Briefcase destination rather than copy it, simply hold down the [Shift] key as you click the destination.

The second destination, Desktop As Shortcut, allows you to instantly create a shortcut on the desktop to a file or folder. The third destination, Mail Recipient, allows you to easily attach a file to an Outlook Express mail message.

Other destinations will send files to My Briefcase, and the Web Publishing Wizard. You can also add to the Send-To commands.

Updating

Even though you may have purchased a Windows 98 Upgrade, you can still “clean” install the operating system on a newly formatted hard disk without reinstalling Windows 95 first.

If you’re an experienced user and willing to reinstall all your applications, you can save disk space, reduce device configuration issues, and get even more speed from Windows 98 by performing a “clean install”. You can use the Windows 98 Upgrade CD, even if you’re installing it onto a blank formatted hard disk with the minimum MS-DOS files required to boot to a C: prompt. You’ll need a system disk to ensure your CD-ROM will operate without Windows, or alternatively, copy the Windows 98 files to a second hard disk (if you have one).

Once you’ve inserted the Windows 98 CD and begun the install, you’ll be prompted to insert the Windows 95 CD or floppy disk for compliance checking to prove you’re upgrading. It will be a good idea to backup all your data first and have all the original software to reinstall your applications.