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BY : copyright (c) 1999 Antony R Foote
Keep out of the CMOS Make a system disk! Never shut Windows 95 down mid-operation. Never shut Windows 95 down with the switch. Shut it down properly with :start" then "shut down" etc. Children should be supervised while using a computer! They are taught no technical info at schools although you are led to believe they know what they are doing! They are extremely limited in their knowledge! Ignore supposed computer expert friends, they often make things worse. Their free advice will usually end up costing you. Check with the experts! Do not run older DOS applications (disk utilities) with Windows 95. Buy new hardware, not used. There is a guarantee and the appropriate software! Buy a system which provides 256 colour or better only. If your system suddenly becomes erratic or unstable, check for viruses Be wary of disks from other computers. They may contain viruses which spread unbelievably quickly! IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, KEEP OUT OF THE "FILE MANAGER (WIN 3.1X)", "EXPLORER (WIN95)", "SYSEDIT", "REGEDIT", "EDIT" OR DIRECTORIES. IF YOU DON'T YOUR PC MAY CRASH!!!!! DON'T TOUCH FILES WITH THESE EXTENSIONS: NB: "Extension" means the type of file. This is used by the program to determine the purpose of the file. For example, AUTOEXEC.BAT . AUTOEXEC is the name of the file, .BAT is the "Extension" .DLL .INI .SYS .DRV .EXE .COM .BAT .CAB .VXD .INF and any other file in the in the "Windows System" or "ROOT" Directory (files which are on the hard disk but not in any folder (directory)). KEEP OUT OF THE WINDOWS SYSTEM DIRECTORY....! IF YOU DON'T YOUR PC MAY CRASH AND BURN!!! Avoid running Older DOS based utilities on your PC when Windows 95 is installed. Running such programs can cause alterations to long file names which Windows 95 uses but DOS does not. If alterations in file and directory names occur, your Windows will have difficulty locating programs and files. To avoid file errors, keep out of the file manager(Windows 3.1) and Explorer (Windows 95) as both of these utilities will allow you to alter files and directories. You may not even realise that you have done it.
386 Vs 486 & Pentium Type Computers: There are several things to consider when purchasing a computer, whether it be new or used. 1/ What do you want the PC to do? Many people want nothing more than a machine capable of word processing. Others require multi media, sound and graphic ability. Some want all of the above plus the Internet, EMAIL, photo realism and full graphics (i.e. C.A.D). 2/ Speed.. Most users who require only word processing do not require much speed. Therefore the cost of their machine will be significantly lower than a user who has "all the bits", or simply wishes to have the best or fastest computer available. 3/ Price.. You get what you pay for. Make sure you have decided exactly what you NEED as a minimum requirement, then find the best priced machine. If you don't get it right first time, you'll soon find yourself sucked into the "accessory trap". 4/ New or Used? There is no reason to assume an older used machine is any less capable of meeting your needs as the newest and most expensive. Unless you are a business, or your work requires the fastest PC on Earth, used could be the way to go. The price is right, usually negotiable and there is a huge choice of good quality used computer equipment out there. 5/ Why not build my own? Well, there are plenty of cheap used machines. Buying one then upgrading it can be far more expensive than buying a complete machine which suits your requirements. This is only a sensible option when you have access to very cheap parts. However, there are several companies who offer a line of Kitset computers. These range in price from around $1100 NZ. If you know what you're doing, this would definitely be the way to go. WHAT CAN THEY DO* Avoid 286 or XT computers. They are very old, very slow and extremely limited. They will run Windows 3.0 but no modern applications which require Windows to be run in ENHANCED mode. 386 DX40 with 4mb ram and 100mb+ hard disk will run..... Windows 3.1x (smooth and reliable.. reasonably quick) Windows 95 (not recommended very ...slow, even with 8+ Mb Ram) Scanner FM Radio Television card with video capture Comprehensive word processing Graphics based Programs CD ROM Full Audio SVGA 256 colour photo quality graphics (will slow down the machine badly) Modem, Telecommunications, Answerphone & Fax Internet (slow but usable) Most basic DOS Games (except those requiring large memory capacities) Add 4mb ram to run those games requiring extra. 486 X 33mhz or faster with 8mb ram will run the following, but slightly faster than a 386 DX40mhz. Windows 95 (slow but will work) Windows 3.1x (works well, quicker and smoother.. trouble free) Scanner FM Radio Television card with video capture Comprehensive word processing (not major applications i.e. Microsoft Office) Small graphics based Programs CD ROM Full Audio SVGA 256 colour photo quality graphics Modem, Telecommunications, Answerphone & Fax Internet All games 486 DX2 or 4 X 66mhz or 100mhz will run considerably faster. PENTIUM TYPE PC (I recommend this spec as minimum) with 100mhz+ CPU and 16mb (32mb min recommended) RAM will run all of the following faster than any 386, or 486 with a smaller CPU than 100mhz. Windows 95 Windows 3.1x Scanner FM Radio Television card with video capture Comprehensive word processing Graphics based Programs CD ROM Full Audio SVGA 256 colour photo quality graphics Modem, Telecommunications, Answerphone & Fax Internet Most games (no 3D) As you can see the only thing which changes is the speed of the machine. Adding more RAM (Random Access Memory) and/or a faster CPU will enhance the speed and performance of any PC. It is suggested that any PC running Windows 95 be fitted with at least 16mb RAM and 100mhz+ CPU. 4mb RAM and a 33mhz CPU will work but the speed will be very low and highly frustrating. 200mhz PLUS COMPUTERS.. Recommended for those with the funds to be selective. Beware though, the new computer you buy will almost certainly be obsolete the moment you get it! Computer technology develops constantly so there will always be something better, faster and newer no matter how hard you try to keep up. RECOMMENDATION: Kids Computer: 486 X 66 with 8mb Ram 250mb Hard disk 6 speed IDE CD ROM 16 bit sound card speakers mouse keyboard VGA or SVGA colour monitor SVGA video card with 1mb+ memory Windows 3.1x Desired Software Word Processing & General Use: 486 DX 80+ or Pentium 100mhz 16mb minimum Ram 500mb minimum hard disk 8+ speed IDE CD ROM 16 bit sound card Amplified speakers with external power supply 33 BPS modem Voice/Fax software Internet software microphone mouse keyboard VGA or SVGA colour monitor SVGA video card with 1mb+ memory Windows 95 Windows Word Processing software Package (i.e. Works) Other desired software Advanced Photo Graphic Use: Pentium 166mhz+ 32mb minimum Ram 2.5gb minimum hard disk 16+ speed IDE CD ROM 16+ bit sound card Amplified speakers with external power supply 4800 DPI flatbed scanner 33+ BPS modem Voice/Fax software Internet software mouse keyboard 15"+ SVGA colour monitor SVGA video card with 2mb memory and Graphics acceleration Windows 95 Windows Word Processing software Photographic software Other desired software
There are at least 40,000 known viruses in existence right now! Around 3 new viruses are said to be created daily! Install A Memory Resident Anti-Virus Program And Keep It Updated Often ! Run An Anti-Virus Program Over Your PC From A Floppy In DOS: Backup all files on floppy disk when you first start using your PC. If your PC crashes you will be able to re-install the programs then reload your data from floppy disk. Viruses cause all kinds of havoc on a PC. They can delete the boot sector on your hard disk making it impossible to start your PC. Viruses attach themselves to and can delete certain types of files from anywhere on your hard disk or floppy drive. They can attach themselves to EXE, COM etc files and stop programs from running. They are designed by people who have nothing better to do than deliberately destroy the computers of unsuspecting users. If your computer runs erratically or shows unexpected errors, run an anti - virus program. See your local computer dealer for advice as to the best one to buy.
How will you know if your PC has a virus? 1/ Your PC will become unstable and odd things will happen. You may get an "Out Of Memory" error, even though you have a large quantity of memory installed. 2/ The virus will write directories and fill them with junk on your hard disk. 3/ The computer will "Freeze " and nothing you do will make anything happen on the screen. 4/ Files will "Fall off" your computer for no apparent reason. 5/ A message will tell you "Cannot write to drive". 6/ The computer will slow down to a crawl. How Do Viruses Get Into Your PC* Viruses can infect your PC in several ways. 1/ Swapping floppy disks (games are a common offender !) 2/ Unprotected Internet Use (downloading infected files) 3/ CD ROM's (rare) 4/ Transmitted via terminal data transfer 5/ Email attachments (files sent to you with email) To avoid transferring Viruses to your PC, run an anti virus program from DOS over any floppy disk you receive, no matter how innocent or professional they look. Keep all floppy disk set in the LOCK position to avoid transferring virus to them from your PC. Install A Memory Resident Anti - Virus Program This runs automatically in either DOS or Windows and should protect your PC to a high degree. No virus protection is IRRESPONSIBLE ! In Internet you have the option of opening downloaded files or saving them to your hard disk. SAVE THEM so that you can run an anti virus program over them. Many viruses are undetectable in a compressed form. If you open the downloaded files without checking for viruses and they are infected, you will activate the virus. Many of them do not activate immediately and you can be lulled into a false sense of security. Suddenly, your computer will crash and burn. This could be weeks, months or years later. You will have lost your valuable data forever! Install A Memory Resident Anti - Virus Program!!!! Do not open attached files in Email unless you know the person who sent it! Even then, be highly suspicious of anything attached to email. Most viruses can be "cleaned" reasonably easily. When you buy your computer, you should make sure there is an anti-virus program with it. If there wasn't one, buy one! There are some very good ones on the internet which you can download free. Most anti-virus programs will run memory resident, that is, they start when the computer starts and work constantly to detect viruses. Whether the anti-virus program runs memory resident, or you start it manually from within your operating system, you will get to choose the program options. Select the following. Clean automatically (select) On some older machines it can delete important .COM and .EXE files causing the computer to not start. If this happens, place your operating system startup disk in the floppy drive, type A: and press Enter. Then type sys c: and press Enter. This will place the system file COMMAND.COM back on your drive, enabling a restart. Re-run your operating system setup. (see setup windows section) Also search macros (select) Scan all files If you find a virus which is particularly hard to kill and keeps recurring, make sure you have a system disk in the floppy drive. From the prompt C:\> type fdisk mbr and press Enter. Type a:, press Enter. Type sys c: press enter. Restart computer. Re-install operating system if necessary (see installing Windows (page 50))
SPYWARE viruses. These are Trojan Horses (so named because they are like the wooden horse of Troy, sent into the city by the Trojans, full of soldiers to mount a surprise attack)written to activate any application on your computer and send whatever is in the application to another computer user anywhere in the world. Your passwords, email, noters, pictures, whatever is on your machine are easy pickings for a user running this software. They infiltrate your computer usually by an email attachment. Once opened, Trojan Horses will attach themselves to your PC system in such a way that they are extremely difficult to detect. They are then free to auto email your address to their creator or anything else they’ve been designed to do. They can and do email themselves to everyone in your address book. You don’t even know they’ve done it. How to halt them. According to Datafellows, manufacturer of the excellent anti-virus software F-PROT (c) , they can be stopped by typing the following at the DOS prompt. DEL C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\EXE~1 The other way is to install software on your computer which blocks access to the internet by any application you specify. Your email can’t execute if you don’t allow it to. See www.zonelabs.com for a free application to do this.
Physical memory (RAM) is needed to run programs. Most PC's like to have 16 megabytes (Mb) available to them at all times to perform normal operations. Known as RAM (random access memory), the PC loads programs into RAM and runs them from there. If there is plenty of ram to run a program without using Virtual Memory, the program will run quickly and smooth. Read Only Memory (ROM) If for some reason the following message appears " NO ROM BASIC SYSTEM HALTED" you will need to enter "CMOS" and set make all settings "setup defaults", "failsafe" or "power on defaults". This message usually appears when the CMOS settings have been corrupted by an inexperienced user. (See CMOS section) Sizes of RAM Chips The most common sizes and types are: 256k 30 pin Simm (XT, 286, some 386) Obsolete! 1mb 30 pin Simm (as above plus 486 with 30 pin slots) Obsolete! 4mb 30 pin Simm (386, 486 with 30 pin slots) Obsolete! 4mb 72 pin Simm Fast page (486 DX plus) 8mb 72 pin Simm Fast Page(486 DX plus) 16mb 72 pin Simm Fast Page(486 DX plus) 8mb 72 pin Simm EDO (Pentiums) 16mb 72 pin Sim EDO (Pentiums) 32mb 72 pin Simm EDO (Pentiums) 64mb SDRAM (Newer Pentiums) 128mb SDRAM (Newer Pentiums)
Memmaker (see Memmaker (page 43)) This device is provided with the DOS setup for Windows 3.1+ It requires DOS to be correctly installed and a 386 or better processor (CPU)see also memmaker. Note! If you find it necessary to use Memmaker on Windows (3.1, 95/98), Install more memory (see Memory (page 11)) if using 8mb or less, or check for viruses (see Viruses (page 9))
There are several ways of setting up new programs on your computer. Each program must be setup in its own directory. DO NOT COPY PROGRAMS TO THE ROOT DIRECTORY. Each program must have it's own directory. 1/ Using the setup program provided on the disk. From your windows 3.1x program manager click on "file". Click on "run". In the pop up menu select "browse". If you are installing from "A" drive (3.5" floppy) select A in the "drives" box at the bottom right of the pop up menu. Click "OK". The setup program will appear as "setup", "install" or "winsetup" in the left of the pop up menu. Click on the command "setup", "install", or "winsetup". Click "OK". Follow screen instructions carefully. When the program is installed, it's icon will appear in the "program manager" If you are installing from a CD ROM, select the drives letter in the "drives" box in your pop up menu. Generally the CD ROM will be drive "D" or "E". It will appear as a drive with a CD in it. NOTE: Sometimes the setup program will appear as a derivative of the programs name i.e. "frsetup", "epsetup", "ginstall" etc. Other programs may use the command "go.exe" or "launch.bat", or "launch.exe" , some may even use "wiz.exe" In any of these cases, a launch, install or setup command will be absent from the directory. 2/ Using setup built into your operating system. If you are using the Windows 95 operating system, the same apply's as above. The main exception here though is the option to use the systems inbuilt install program. You will find this by clicking "start", then "settings", then "control". When the control panel appears you will see several options. Click on "add new programs". This should be near the top left of the control panel. Place your CD or floppy in it's drive. Click "install/uninstall". Follow onscreen instructions. As above, the programs icon will automatically be placed in the program menu. 3/ Copying and installing files from self contained DOS based programs into their own directory. Some DOS applications require placement of all files in the same directory without actually installing them. This applies to DOS based systems and old XT computers. Others require installation similar to that in Windows operating systems. To install programs in DOS, insert the disk containing the program to be installed in it's drive. If the disk is a 3.5" floppy, install in drive "A". Type a:\ and press "enter". The screen will show A:\> . This is called the "command prompt". Next type DIR and press "enter". The contents of the disk will be displayed on the screen as a list of files. If the list of files is longer than the screen, type DIR/p . This will allow you to see the files, one screen at a time. Press any key to scroll to the next screen. You will be looking for a file called "Install.bat", "install.com", "install.exe", "setup.bat", "setup.com" or "setup.exe". There may be derivatives of the "setup" or "install" programs, i.e. "setupd.exe", "ginstal.com" etc. When you have found the required file, type it's name beside the command prompt. i.e., if the name of the file is "install.bat", type "install" The screen should now look like this. A:\install or A:>install Do not include the "bat", "com" or "exe", the computer will know what it's supposed to do. Press "enter" and follow onscreen instructions. If there is no "setup" or "install" in the program to be placed on your hard disk then do the following. 1/ Make a directory for the program. i.e. for a program called "TOWER", make certain you are in c:\ drive (or whatever is the letter pertaining to your hard disk) type md/tower ( m/d = make directory) then press "enter" 2/ Type cd\tower This will place you in the directory you just created. You should see c:\Tower> 3/ Place the program disk in a: drive (3.5"). Type copy a:\*.* This will copy all the files on a: drive to the directory "TOWER" 4/ When all files have been copied. Run the program by typing the name of its executable file ( EXE ) Many Windows programs will tell you the computer must be restarted before they will run. When prompted whether or not you wish to do this, only click yes if there are no other programs running or you may lose valuable data. If you are running other programs, To run a program from DOS, first find it's directory. Here's how you do it. From the command prompt C:\> type either of these commands. DIR this will show the directory of your current drive. DIR/P will show the directory a page at a time. Directories appear as NAME <DIR> GAMES <DIR> To get to the desired directory type CD This means "change directory" Press "enter". Your screen will look like this ... C:\>GAMES\ Now type DIR and press "enter" All files in the selected directory will be displayed. Remember to type DIR/P if the list is too long for the page. Typing the command DIR/W will display files across the page. DIR/W/O/P will display them one page at a time across the page. Look for a file which has either the name or the initials of the program you wish to run. i.e. the program First Choice is the file FIRST.COM To start the program you simply type FIRST then press "enter", and follow onscreen instructions. Remember there is no need to apply the .bat, .com or .exe after the file name when you are only running a program. It doesn't matter whether you use capital or lower case letters. Remember the file types for a program are BAT, COM or EXE. Starting programs from the Windows 3.1x "program manager" is quick and efficient. Simply double click on the desired folder icon, i.e. "MAIN". When it opens it will reveal programs. Just double click on the desired program to set it in motion. To close the program, double click in the small square with a little line in it at the top left of your screen. Or, click once in that square which will make a sub menu appear. Click "close" . To keep the program running but out of the way while you run another, click the arrow pointing down at the top right of your screen. The arrow pointing up and down changes the window size if you want more than one window on the screen at a time. If you have two programs running at the same time, pressing "ALT" and "TAB" simultaneously allows you to switch quickly from one to the other. Also, if you use the menu instead of double clicking, you don't have to click the icon, then the command. Try clicking the icon while holding your finger on the mouse button, the release it on the desired command. Windows 95 runs from the "start" icon which is located at the bottom left of your screen. Click once on the "start" icon. You will see a sub menu. Move the cursor to "programs" and click once. Another sub menu will open. You will see a range of programs. The ones which have an arrow pointing right or left will open further to reveal more sub programs. As you move the cursor over them they will automatically pop up their sub menu. Simply click once on the desired program and it will automatically start. When you have finished with the program, you can close it by clicking the X at the top right of the window. Beside the X you will find a small box icon, this will minimise the window to an icon in the status bar at the bottom of your screen. Simply click on the icon in the status bar to bring it back to full screen. It does the same job as pressing "ALT" and "TAB" in windows 3.1x. The icon between this and the X at the top right of your screen shows two boxes. Clicking this allows two screens or "windows" to run at the same time. Some older programs (those written for Windows 3.X) will, when you run them, tell you that they were written for an earlier version of Windows, and prompt "do you wish to run this program?" Running them should be OK, but it would be advisable to obtain a version written for your operating system They will probably run fine though. If a problem occurs when running the older program after setup, shut down the computer then restart. When Windows starts, uninstall the program without re-running it.
Without going into major details, there are only a few things you need to know about how to write something, then print it on your word processor. When you have started your word processor, click on "file". This is usually the first menu item at the top left of the screen. It will appear as a word, "File". If you wish to "open" a file already on the computer, click "open" . A submenu will appear. From it, select the file, drive and directory the file is in. This will place the file on the screen to use or edit. If you wish to create a new file, click on "new". When the new file page appears, click on "File". Click on "Save". A sub menu will appear. In the top left corner of the menu you will see a highlighted file name. Simply type the name of your file and press enter. The word processor will return to the main page. Begin typing. Every three minutes or so, save the file. To do this click on "File" then click on "save". Begin typing again, repeating the save command. Remember " save...save...save". If you do not save this way and you make a screw up, you will lose valuable time having to re-type your work. To move about on the page, simply place the cursor where you wish to make a correction or alteration. To get to the end of the page press "page down". To get to the end of the line press "End". These are keys on your keyboard. They are labeled. Spell checking is usually found in the "tools" menu. Click on "tools" at the top of the page. Click on "spell", or "spelling" etc. Follow onscreen instructions. Changing fonts is easy. Simply highlight text to be changed by placing the cursor at the left of the block of text. Press and hold the left mouse button then drag the cursor to the end of the desired block. Release the mouse button. The text should now be highlighted. It will appear as white text on a coloured background. Click on "format" or other menu item containing "font", when the sub menu appears, select the style and size of font by clicking on it. The font of the highlighted text will change to the new format. Use the icons on the ruler bar if available. If you want to change all text, click "edit" in the page top menu, click "select all" then follow font procedures as outlined above. Edit can also be used to move or remove text. Highlight selected area. Click "edit", click "cut". The text will be taken from the page and placed in the "clipboard". If you wish the text to be deleted, don't paste it back in. If you wish it to be moved, move your cursor to the place you wish the text to go, click "edit", then click "paste". The cut text will appear at the cursor. Printing commands are found in the "File" menu. It is important to ensure you have set up your printer as the "default printer". Click on "file". Click "printer setup". A sub menu will appear. Look at the sub menu to see what the default printer is. If you are using an Epson FX 80 printer or printer driver, the following should appear highlighted. EPSON FX80 ON LPT1 . If it is correct click "OK", if not, click on the correct printer. If you are using a voice/fax/data modem, your modem may be set as the default printer. If so, simply click on the correct printer then click "OK". When all is correct, click on 'file", then "print", select requirements from the sub menu the click "OK". A box will appear telling you your document is being printed. You may have to wait a few seconds for the printer to activate depending on the length of the file. The "F" keys perform other functions. When you open a menu from the top of the page, the "F" command will appear next to the function. If you don't wish to use the mouse, you may use the "F" keys as required. These are purely the basics to get you on your way. Most word processors look similar on screen and their controls are usually in the same place. The controls though are universal. It would be unlikely to find a different meaning for a common command i.e. "cut", "edit" etc. Experiment with commands carefully. Remember there is a help file at the top of every page just a click away.
Loading Errors And System Crashes* FIRST RUN AN ANTI VIRUS PROGRAM ON YOU SYSTEM! From time to time, loading errors cause your computer to stumble and halt. This is usually caused by missing system files. Unless you are an experience user, it will not be possible to recover from a problem such as this manually. If loading errors cause your operating system to stop loading, reinstall your version using the setup disks provided with your PC. This is the quickest way to recover. If your operating system requires a CD ROM to perform the setup and the CD ROM will not read the disk, you must reinstall the CD ROM. Place it's driver disk in the appropriate drive, change to that drive (instructions in earlier section) and enter the setup or install command on the disk. Follow on screen instructions and remember to turn off your PC when the driver is loaded, wait three seconds then turn it back on. This will load the driver and you can use the CD ROM to reinstall your operating system. Install the CD into it's drive, change to that drive and type "setup", "install" or whatever command is required. You should have documentation with the setup program for your operating system. Use it. When your operating system is reinstalled, your PC should work correctly. There will be no problems with existing programs on your hard disk because the setup program will retain their settings if their files are intact. If after reinstallation there are programs which refuse to operate or cause errors, reinstall the affected programs. Reinstallation is almost always successful. If it does not correct your problem, consult a qualified expert. Do not trust friends who tell you they know all about computers. This often compounds the problem resulting in serious malfunction of your PC and loss of valuable data. (see Troubleshooting section(page 50))
First run an Anti-Virus program on your system: Should you see the error message "file not found", the file may have been deleted. Write the name of the file on a piece of paper. To check, in Win95 click on "recycle bin" on the desktop. If the file has been deleted through "Explorer" it will appear in the listings. Simply click on the file, click on restore. The file will be replaced. If you delete a file in Win95 using "winfile", the file is not recoverable and will be lost. In Win 3.1x, the "undelete program is in the "applications" icon in the "program manager". Double click the "applications" icon, double click the "undelete" program icon. Select "drive & directories" and the program will tell you if there are any recoverable files and their condition. If the missing file is there, click on it to highlight it. Click "undelete" and the file should be recovered. Undelete does not usually work 32 bit file access is in use. To disable 32 bit file access, in the "program manager" double click on the "main" icon. Double click "control panel" the "enhanced". Click "virtual memory: then "change". In the menu box click in the small square marked "32 bit file access" to clear it. Click "OK", the "OK" again. The computer will ask if you want to restart the computer. Click "restart the computer". When it restarts you will be using 16 bit access. When the file is recovered, repeat the above steps, but this time click in the 32 bit file access box again. This will restart the computer in 32 bit mode. It is faster than 16 bit. Other Problems: You may get the odd message from Windows 95, telling you it cannot find a file linked to missing export (whatever). Generally you should re-install Windows. If the problem persists, it may be time for a new hard disk. It has become common for hard disks to become unusable without showing bad sectors when Scandisk is run. When this happens, I replace the hard disk. Nothing short of replacement seems to work. (see Troubleshooting section(page 50))
Keep Out unless experienced! Do Not set a Password if you are inexperienced in the use of CMOS. If you do, and can't get back into your system you will need to consult a professional unless you know the manufacturers KEYWORD for your particular CMOS: The CMOS settings configure the base computer system. To get to these settings, press "delete" when you switch on the computer as soon as the BIOS information appears at the top of the screen. You should not enter this domain unless you posses advanced computer skills. Any poking around in there is liable to stop the PC functioning, necessitating professional assistance to reconfigure the system. If for some reason you have opened the CMOS settings, changed settings and a disaster has occurred, there are only limited options available to get the PC running. 1/ Switch off the machine. 2/ Wait three seconds then switch it back on. 3/ When the BIOS info appears (within a couple of seconds) quickly press "delete (Del)". A menu box will appear. 4/ Move cursor to "advanced Cmos " and press "enter". 5/ At the bottom of the screen you will see "setup defaults" and "power on defaults". Select "setup defaults" (Usually F7 or F6) from the menu at the bottom of the screen and press "ESC (escape)", this will return you to the menu. 6/ Select "advanced chipset". Select "setup defaults" from the menu at the bottom of the page. Press "escape (ESC)" to return to the main menu. 7/ Select "Standard CMOS" from the main menu. The information should show the following: a/ Hard disk size. b/ Time and date. c/ Floppy drive information, 1.44 Mb 3.5" or 1.2 Mb 5.25". Some machines are fitted with 360k or 720k drives. d/ Monitor type. This is usually set to "VGA/EGA/PGA". If you are using a "HERC" monitor, select "NOT INSTALLED". If this information is not correct then change it doing the following. Using the arrow keys, select the item you wish to change. With the "page up" or "page down" keys, select the required settings. This applies to all menu's in the CMOS section. CONSULT YOUR HANDBOOK FOR THE MACHINE FIRST! IF ALL THIS SEEMS TOO DIFFICULT, SELECT THE DEFAULT SETTINGS ON THE MAIN MENU, SELECT "QUIT AND SAVE TO CMOS" FOR MACHINES WITH A NEWER CMOS SETUP, SELECT "FAILSAFE" OR "SETUP DEFAULT" ( NOT OPTIMUM) SETTINGS THEN EXIT AND SAVE TO CMOS. When this has been done, you can repeat the process, making one change at a time to obtain the best performance although it is highly recommended you seek professional assistance. There is not much to setting up new hardware items (sound card, modem, CD ROM etc) on your PC. There are one or two things to remember though before you even buy the hardware. 1/ Make sure it will work on your computer. Some hardware is specifically designed to be used on Windows 95 plug and play bus. Such items can be erratic or difficult to install on other operating systems. 2/ See that it will fit into your machine. There are VESA, ISA and PCI slots on the motherboard of your computer. It is into these slots you will be installing the hardware. Find out which one's are on you machine. The most common on newer machines (486-DX4, Pentium etc) are PCI. These slots are usually white, about 100mm long and are offset about 30mm from the back of the motherboard (rear of the PC). Standard ISA slots are around 130mm long, usually black and start almost at the edge of the board. VESA slots are in two parts. The first part is similar to or the same as an ISA. A smaller, usually brown (about 70mm long) continues from the end. 3/ All hardware requires drivers (software on a disk or CD ROM) in order to operate. If you are buying second hand hardware, MAKE SURE YOU GET THE SOFTWARE. The hardware will be useless without them.
See Installing software for hardware section (page 44)
COMMON TYPES: 720kb 3.5" will run on 1.44mb drive 1.44 Mb 3.5" will not run on 720k drive 360kb 5.25" will run on 1.2mb drive 1.2mb 5.25" will not run on 360k drive 720kb 3.5" will format on 1.44mb drive 1.44mb 3.5" will not format on 720k drive 360kb 5.25" will format on 1.2mb drive 1.2mb 5.25" will not format on 360k drive To format floppy disk, place in drive. If in Windows, exit to DOS. From command prompt type: format a: to format floppy in a: drive (3.5") format b: to format floppy in b: drive (5.25") format c: to format your hard disk......DON'T DO IT!!!! Formatting can also be executed from the file manager by clicking in the "Disk" menu item at the top of the page and selecting "format disk". From the pop up menu box, select the appropriate disk size for the disk to be formatted. Follow on screen instructions. WINDOWS 95... From the desktop select "My Computer". Select "format " option from the "file" menu at the top of the page and follow on screen instructions.
To replace a floppy drive in an existing PC, first turn off the mains power supply. Remove the top of the machine, remove the screws holding the floppy drive, unplug the power and interface leads from the floppy and lift it out through the front. Simply reverse the procedure to install the new one. Make sure the interface cable is installed correctly. The red or blue line on the cable MUST be at the end of the plug on the floppy drive where you see the number 1 If the drive size is different from the existing one, change the size in the CMOS settings. (see CMOS section (page 21)) (see Hard Disks section (page 39))
There are three main types of CD ROM drive. 1/ IDE (most common) 2/ SCSI ( usually external ) 3/ Proprietary (mainly older 1 and 2 speed ) Installing....
CD ROM's will assume the next available drive letter when installed. If c: drive is your last drive, the CD ROM will be d: drive. You will need a sound cable to plug the CD ROM into your sound card if you wish to hear music CD's played through your sound card. IDE CD ROM drive. This type of drive will connect to either a newer type 16 bit sound card on the plug provided (preferable) , or a secondary IDE port on the IDE card or board. Simply fit the CD ROM into a vacant position in the PC facia (remove a facia plate to facilitate this). Connect a spare power lead from the PC to the CD ROM, ensuring it fits correctly into the power slot which you will find is shaped to suit the plug. Connect the IDE interface cable to the CD ROM with the red or blue line on the cable next to the number 1 on the CD ROM circuit board. Connect the other end of the cable to either your sound card, if one is installed, or the IDE secondary port on either the motherboard or IDE cable from the IDE card. Remember to ensure the red or blue line on the cable is in the number 1 position on either port. When the CD ROM has been installed, turn on the machine and install the driver from the disk provided with it. see "installing hardware" section. RE Boot the PC. NOTE.. Installing software under Windows 95 is often unnecessary since Windows 95 has its own drivers for many CD ROM's. These can be installed simply by turning on the computer and loading Windows 95. A box will appear telling you that Windows 95 has detected new hardware. It will either install the required software for it, or give you the option to install your own from the disk provided. Just follow on screen instructions. If you wish to install your software manually, this can be done from the control panel in Windows 95. To get there, click "start" then "settings" then "control panel". Select the new hardware wizard and follow on screen instructions. Windows 3.1x installation is done by selecting "run" from the program manager and entering the command from the disk provided. SCSI. Turn off the power to your PC. Remove the cover of your PC. Install the SCSI card for your CD ROM into a vacant slot. Replace the cover. If your particular CD ROM requires external power, plug it in using the adapter provided. When the CD ROM has been installed, turn on the machine and install the driver from the disk provided with it in DOS. see "installing hardware" section. Proprietary CD ROM. Turn off all power. Remove the PC cover. At this point there are two options. a/ If you have a sound card which supports a particular brand of CD ROM ( i.e. older single and double speed ), make sure it is installed before you begin and that your CD ROM is suitable for that particular card (suggest ring computer store or read "readme" file on disk provided). The usual types of proprietary CD ROM are Sony and Panasonic (mke driver for older Creative Labs CD ROM's). Follow above instructions for IDE CD ROM's, but apply the interface cable to the sound card only, ensuring the red or blue line goes to the number 1 end of the plug on your sound card. Do not plug the interface cable into any IDE port. Replace cover, turn on PC and install software from disks provided. RE Boot the PC. If installing for use under Windows 95, it's preferable to use the disks provided. If you decide to use the setup hardware option in Windows 95 control panel, be sure to turn the PC right off before you re boot after installing the CD ROM. (see setting up programs section)
b/ Using a proprietary card. These are largely obsolete and can cause severe incompatibility issues with your PC. Install CD ROM as above. Ensure you select the correct plug on the card for your type of CD ROM ( call computer store or read "readme" file provided on disk) and that any jumper switch settings do not conflict with anything else on your PC. DO NOT USE ANY IDE PORT. If you are using an incompatible sound card, the CD ROM may not work. It's best to avoid a non soundcard proprietary driver. When installed, turn on power and install software in DOS. RE Boot the PC.
16 BIT SOUND CARDS WITH AN IDE INTERFACE FOR IDE CD ROM's ARE RECOMMENDED: Turn off the power. Remove top cover of PC. Fit sound card to a suitable vacant slot and affix with screw. Replace cover. Plug speakers and/or microphone into their allotted plug holes in the back of the sound card and turn on the computer. Run software from disk provided. Installing software under Windows 95 is often unnecessary since Windows 95 has its own drivers for many sound cards. These can be installed simply by turning on the computer and loading Windows 95. A box will appear telling you that Windows 95 has detected new hardware. It will either install the required software for it, or give you the option to install your own from the disk provided. Just follow on screen instructions. If you wish to install your software manually, this can be done from the control panel in Windows 95. To get there, click "start" then "settings" then "control panel". Select the new hardware wizard and follow on screen instructions. Windows 3.1x installation is done by selecting "run" from the program manager and entering the command from the disk provided. (see setting up programs section (page 13)) NOTE: Many sound cards come built into the motherboard. (see Troubleshooting section (page 54)) You will need the motherboard setup disk to do this. You will have been provided with instructions for setting up sound, video etc in the handbook accompanying this disk.
33k+ BPS MODEM'S ARE RECOMMENDED IF USING THE INTERNET Turn off the power. Remove top cover of PC. Using the jumpers on the modem, select the desired port settings. If uncertain what they are, select the port which does not contain your mouse. If the mouse is on com 2, select com 1 or com 3. If the mouse is on com 1, select com 2 or com 4. If the modem is to be installed on a Windows 95 plug n play bus, make sure the jumpers are set to "pnp". If still unsure, consult the modem's manual. It will tell you how to adjust settings. Fit modem to a suitable vacant slot and affix with screw. Replace cover. Plug speakers and/or microphone into their allotted plug holes in the back of the modem and turn on the computer. Install software from disk provided. This can be done in DOS if the machine is not running Windows, or using a Windows setup program. Installing software under Windows 95 is often unnecessary since Windows 95 has its own drivers for many modems. These can be installed simply by turning on the computer and loading Windows 95. A box will appear telling you that Windows 95 has detected new hardware. It will either install the required software for it, or give you the option to install your own from the disk provided. Just follow on screen instructions. If you wish to install your software manually, this can be done from the control panel in Windows 95. To get there, click "start" then "settings" then "control panel". Select the new hardware wizard and follow on screen instructions. Windows 3.1x installation is done by selecting "run" from the program manager and entering the command from the disk provided. (see setting up programs section) Q/ I have installed a new modem (56k/V90 Winmoden type) but Windows won't detect it. A/ If the message "Windows has found serial communication device" appears when you turn on the computer, place the modem manufactures disk in the correct drive and direct setup to search there. Tips & Tricks: Some modems are loaded as a communication port. In this instance (if the above method fails) go into the Windows 95/98 control panel and double click "Add New Hardware". Manually select the hardware to install and select "ports". Place the modem manufacturers disk in the correct drive and instruct setup to look for it there. Many newer modems must be installed this way. Most PCI modems do not auto-detect whereas an ISA type modem will. If modem is detected using the auto detect wizard in "Add New Hardware", if you have no driver for it, and you know it's com port address, manually select it as required. Q/ How do I install a modem? A/ Generally, you turn off the computer. Remove the cover securing screws from the back, place the modem in an appropriate slot and screw it up, replace the screws and turn the computer back on. If Windows detects the modem at start up and asks for the drivers, place the manufacturers disk in the correct drive and direct setup to look for it there. Follow on-screen instructions. Another method is as above, but if windows setup doesn't detect the modem, go to the control panel (start…settings…control panel…modems) and click add. You can try and let setup detect your modem by clicking "Next", and if that doesn't work, click "don't detect my modem, I will select from a list", then click next. When the next window appears, click "Have Disk". Place the manufacturers disk in the correct drive and direct setup to look for it there. Follow on-screen instructions.
MOUSE STOPS WORKING: There is a conflict between your mouse and modem (see conflicts between hardware) When the modem is activated and the system "hangs", you must change the irq settings on the modem. i.e. if it's set on com 1, change it to com 2 or com 4 etc.(see conflicts between hardware) Read all literature provided with the modem. This will show you what you have to do to set up the modem to run correctly. (see also Troubleshooting section (page 52))
If you wish to apply a mouse for use with Windows, it should be a MS or PS2 although most will work. Other options include Infra Red and Cordless. The choice is yours. Installation....... Simply turn off PC. Plug mouse into com port on the back of your IDE card or motherboard if using a Pentium type computer. Turn on the PC. NB/ If you will be using DOS based programs or games which require a mouse, you must install a mouse manually in dos. Installing software under Windows 95 is often unnecessary since Windows 95 has its own drivers for mice. These can be installed simply by turning on the computer and loading Windows 95. A box will appear telling you that Windows 95 has detected new hardware. It will either install the required software for it, or give you the option to install your own from the disk provided. Just follow on screen instructions. If you wish to install your software manually, this can be done from DOS. (see setting up programs section) Windows 3.1x mouse software can be installed using the "windows setup" program found in the "main" window of the "program manager". (see setting up programs section) Mouse Fails* If the mouse stops working in DOS but still works in Windows and the cursor is still visible on the screen, Reinstall from the vendors disk provided with the mouse. If the mouse does not work in Windows but does in DOS, check to see if there is a switch under the mouse. If there is, make sure it's switched to the correct position. If it is, and the mouse still won't go, try reinstalling it from the "windows setup" program (Windows 3.1 and 3.11) in DOS. i.e. type c:\windows\setup and press "enter" In windows 95, use the control panel to reinstall. Should the mouse fail in both DOS and Windows, it probably needs replacing. MOUSE WON'T GO: 1/ Make sure you have installed a driver. 2/ Check Plugs. 3/ Clean ball and rollers in mouse. 4/ Check switch on bottom is correctly set (if you have one) 5/ If all else fails, install new mouse.
1/ First, clean the ball of the mouse. Remove it by taking off the plate from under the mouse. Remove the ball and clean in warm soapy water. Also clean the three rollers inside the mouse by scraping off the buildup of grime.
2/ There is a conflict between your mouse and modem (see conflicts between hardware) When the modem is activated and the system "hangs", you must change the irq settings on the modem. i.e. if it's set on com 1, change it to com 2 or com 4 etc. (see conflicts between hardware) Read all literature provided with the modem. This will show you what you have to do to set up the modem to run correctly.
MOUSE MOVES ERRATICALLY: 1/ There may be a hair or some other foreign body on the ball of your mouse. 2/ The switch on the bottom of your mouse (if there is one) may be incorrectly set. MOUSE WON'T GO: Should the mouse fail in both DOS and Windows, it probably needs replacing. 1/ Make sure you have installed a driver (from windows setup in control panel, or DOS). 2/ Check Plugs. 3/ Clean ball and rollers in mouse. 4/ Check switch on bottom is correctly set (if you have one) 5/ If all else fails, install new mouse. With computer turned off, plug the keyboard into the back of the PC. There is a round plug hole which will allow the plug to be inserted in only one position. Turn the computer on. There is usually no need to install any keyboard drivers. Windows 95 will determine the type of keyboard and should install it's own software if the keyboard is non-standard. If there is a compatibility problem with Windows 3.1x, run the setup program. Do this by going to DOS, selecting the windows directory and typing SETUP. Windows 3.1x will determine the type of keyboard and will install software for it. You may be prompted for the Windows Setup disks. Follow on screen instructions. When buying a new keyboard consider the type best suited to you. It should be comfortable, perhaps ergonomic (sort of gentle s shaped). Most keyboards are the plain square type. I personally prefer an ergonomic type. They are a bit difficult to get used to, but after a wee while, you'd never revert to a normal type. Check the plug end to see if it matches your computer. There are three main types. The 12mm, PS2 type (same shape plug but much smaller) and Universal Serial Bus (small rectangular plug). If you find a PS2 type ergonomic keyboard at a great price but your computer takes the common type fitting. Check the keyboard package for an adapter. Many have them. If it doesn't have one, ask the retailer for one. It's well worth it.
TYPES AND USES: 9 PIN DOT MATRIX: 24 PIN DOT MATRIX: BLACK & WHITE LASER: COLOUR LASER: BLACK & WHITE BUBBLEJET: COLOUR BUBBLEJET: 9 PIN DOT MATRIX printers are limited in their use. They will print text, both standard and graphic to a reasonable degree. They are slow. Some print Black & White and others print basic colour. Neither print photo quality. Affordable. Usually easily available used. 24 PIN DOT MATRIX print as above but with a higher degree of print quality than 9 pin. Colour models are more expensive. BLACK & WHITE LASER printers do a high quality print of anything. They are capable of good quality photo images in black & white and high definition graphics and text. They are faster than most dot matrix printers in "near letter quality (NLQ)" mode and often more expensive. COLOUR LASER Excellent quality printing of photo images, text in colour and graphics. Very expensive and usually only used by those with a particular need for photographic quality reproduction. BLACK & WHITE BUBBLEJET High quality graphics & text. Good quality black & white photographic reproduction. Reasonably fast depending on DPI settings. Commonly available and affordable depending on manufacturer. :Refilled ink cartridges tend to produce inferior results to the genuine item. COLOUR BUBBLEJET provide similar print quality as black & white bubblejet, similar speed and with the option of colour print reasonable quality photographic reproduction. Marginally more expensive than black & white models, they are affordable depending on the manufacturer. :Refilled ink cartridges tend to produce inferior results to the genuine item.
INSTALLATION... Turn off the computer. Connect the printer to the interface port on the IDE card ( Video card in the case of a Hercules Monochrome Monitor only). Plug printer into the power and turn both the PC and printer on. If there has been no printer driver installed, you must do so for the printer to work. If you use DOS only, you can install most printers from DOS using the software provided for this purpose. This is usually done by inserting the driver disk provided into drive a:\ and typing "install" or "setup" and following instructions. WINDOWS 3.1x .... Install from the "printers" icon in the control panel. Click "add" then select either from the list provided, "disk from manufacturer" or "updated or unlisted ". In the pop up box type the path of the "oemsetup.inf" file, or click browse to find it yourself on the disk provided. Follow on screen instructions and be sure to select the appropriate printer driver for your printers make and model. WINDOWS 95... Click on "start", click "settings", click "printers", click on "add printer" icon. When the pop up box appears choose one of the following, 1/ Select your printer type from the menu provided in the pop up box if you are using your Windows 95 disks or CD ROM. Make sure the Windows 95 disks or CD ROM are in the appropriate drive. Click "next" and follow on screen instructions. 2/ Click "have disk" if you wish to install the printer from the disk provided with the printer. Insert the disk in drive a:\ . Click "next". In the pop up box you will be asked to specify the path of the "oemsetup.inf" file. In most cases it will be found automatically by Windows 95. However, if it isn't found, click the browse button and look through all directories on the disk. It may be found in the "windows" directory on the disk or "setup", or "drivers". Either way, select the next directory and click "next" or "ok". Windows will tell you if it has found the file by placing a list of printer drivers on the screen. Select the driver for your printer then click "next". Follow on screen instructions. Printer Problems: see Troubleshooting section (page 55)
Most common sizes: 14", 15", 17" (preferred) A VGA monitor can be used with an SVGA video card to produce 256, 16 or 24 bit colour 640 X 480 SVGA mode. This is required to run photo quality imaging. Without it, photos scanned or copied into the PC will be in 16 colour only and photographic software will be useless for anything other than Greyscale images (black and white photo's) INSTALLING..... With power off, Plug in monitor. Turn on computer. Make sure the "display" type in your CMOS is set correctly i.e. ega/vga (see CMOS section ) Installing software under Windows 95 is often unnecessary since Windows 95 has its own drivers for many monitors. These can be installed simply by turning on the computer and loading Windows 95. A box will appear telling you that Windows 95 has detected new hardware. It will either install the required software for it, or give you the option to install your own from the disk provided. Just follow on screen instructions. If you wish to install your software manually, this can be done from the control panel in Windows 95. To get there, click "start" then "settings" then "control panel". Select the new hardware wizard and follow on screen instructions. If you are changing your monitor type in Windows 3.1x, you may need to run the windows setup program. Do so by going to DOS, change the directory to c:>windows and type SETUP. When windows setup selects your new monitor type, and you are sure it's correct, follow on screen instructions. If you are not sure, select VGA if you have a vga or svga monitor. You can change the type later in the same way by using the setup program in the "main" windows in the "program manager". Having said that, if you pick the wrong monitor in windows setup, and the monitor won't display correctly. Go to DOS, change directory to c:>windows and change the monitor type using the windows setup program. See also Video Adapters section (page 36)
Types Of Scanner. 1/ Flatbed. 2/ Hand Scanner 3/ Page Reader 1/ Flatbed scanners come in two main sizes for domestic use. These are A4 and A5. Both come in 24 bit true colour and Greyscale, or Greyscale only. Flatbed scanners usually provide resolutions of 4800 Dots Per Inch (D.P.I) in 24 bit true colour mode, enabling them to provide high quality photographic images. They will be able to perform text recognition (OCR) using a resolution of 200-300 DPI and set in "Line Art" or "text" mode. Flatbed scanners are the most popular and have the highest degree of convenience. 2/ Hand Scanners will provide high quality photographic images and text recognition. They are available in 24 bit colour and Greyscale, and Greyscale only. They are not as convenient as Flatbed scanners and are often replaced with a Flatbed not long after their purchase. The usual DPI maximum is 800 D.P.I 3/ Page Readers are practically the same as Hand scanners and perform the same tasks. Portable models are available which run on batteries. By clicking the scan button and dragging down a page, they create an image on paper immediately. Good for those who may require their use secretly. The other type of Page Reader is similar in appearance to a fax machine. It is capable of high quality operations in colour and grayscale but can only scan separate pages.
Scanners are easy to install. With the power and PC cover off, install the card into a vacant slot if the scanner uses a card (SCSI or older 486 compatible scanners). After fixing with a screw, replace the cover, plug the scanner into the card and install the software. You will need to use the disks provided to run the scanner. When you run the setup disks, there is usually a choice given as to the required interrupt settings etc. Select IRQ 10 and DMA 100 if possible. This will usually ensure nothing else is going to conflict with the scanner. Read and follow all on screen instructions carefully. Some scanners connect to the LPT (printer) port. This type requires no internal installation. Simply plug into the computers printer port, plug the printer into the extended printer port on the back of your scanner and install the software. Newer scanners use a USB (Universal Serial Bus). You must have the USB support installed on your PC, and have it enabled in the CMOS. Plug the scanner into it’s port (looks like a small telephone socket, usuall two of them side by side. Either one will do). There is no need to power off the computer when installing USB devices. Just plug them in and install the software. There is usually a blue button on the front of the scanner. This will automatically scan a picture when pressed after the software is installed. See also Troubleshooting section (page 55) and Installing software (page 44) Simple Tips: When your scanner is installed and you wish to scan an image, start the photo graphics program which you should have installed, as well as the Twain drivers. From the FILE menu select "select source". Select the name of your scanner from the list and click "OK". From the FILE menu select "acquire". This will activate the scanner image selection part of the program. Follow all on screen instructions. 16 colour VGA allows only grayscale images of a high standard. 256 colour VGA or SVGA allows near photo quality colour images. 24 bit true colour will give splendid results in colour. OCR character recognition requires 300 dpi in the "line art" setting.
Installing software under Windows 95 is often unnecessary since Windows 95 has its own drivers for many video adapters. These can be installed simply by turning on the computer and loading Windows 95. A box will appear telling you that Windows 95 has detected new hardware. It will either install the required software for it, or give you the option to install your own from the disk provided. Just follow on screen instructions. If you wish to install your software manually, this can be done from the control panel in Windows 95. To get there, click "start" then "settings" then "control panel". Select the new hardware wizard and follow on screen instructions. Windows 3.1x There is no need to alter settings for video adapters if you are using VGA or SVGA monitors. Windows has standard VGA & SVGA drivers. The only configuration necessary is the type of monitor. Your needs will determine which you use. If you use an EGA or Hercules monitor, you will need the video drivers from windows 3.0 or 3.1. 3.11 does not support either of these, neither do many Graphics based programs. Windows 3.11 will run on a Hercules or EGA monitor, provided Windows 3.0 has already been installed to use the Hercules or EGA drivers. HERCULES.. Mono, black & white, amber, green etc. Will run Windows with ver 3.0 but hard on the eyes. Set CMOS to None Installed in the display section. Must have Hercules card. EGA... Does not run Graphics based programs i.e. Microsoft Works. Clear and clean colour. Obsolete as few games will run on EGA. Needs EGA/VGA card (two slots at back of card, one EGA the other VGA) VGA... 16 colours for all applications except photo quality. Will run all windows programs and all games. If SVGA mode 256 colour not available on the card, your monitor will not function if 256 colours selected in Windows. SVGA. 256 + colours for photo and graphic work. Your machine may slow down when using this option. 16 colour can be selected for speed. Most will run at 16 million colours if selected for true colour (24 bit). A SVGA adapter will run a VGA standard monitor at 256 colour if required. SOME video adapters do have their own software and although Windows settings may well be adequate, adapters such as some S3 type have programs built into their software which allow the user to select graphics acceleration options. Their own software may work better than that installed automatically by Windows.
The basic requirements for speakers change from user to user. In some cases high performance speakers are required, in others, low performance. Here is a guide line. CD ROM music: 50 watt plus, amplified speakers with ext power supply. Normal Applications: small non amplified speakers (for system sounds) Modems: small amplified speakers FM Radio & TV: 50 watt plus, amplified speakers with ext power supply. Since most sound cards have mixers built in, volume can be altered on any set of speakers. If the volume level is too low, select the mixer for the sound card form it's Windows menu and turn it up. Windows 95 mixer control appears as a small loudspeaker in the bottom right of your screen in the status bar. If it's turned off, you will find it by clicking :start" then "accessories" then "multimedia" Windows 3.1x has all files for the sound programs in their own icon in the "program manager" NEVER BASH OR JOLT YOUR HARD DISK! Avoid moving your PC around. It may cause damage to your hard disk! WARNING! Older 486 and lower computers often have problems with drives larger than 540mb. To avoid any problems, use 540mb drives or use a dynamic drive overlay. Using a dynamic drive overlay may cause erratic behaviour and loading. This may lead you to believe there may be a virus present. New Hard Disks When you buy a new hard disk, chances are it's not pre-formatted. When you try to install an operating system on it, the hard disk is not recognised. Formatting Hard Disk (see also low level format section) The ideal size for a hard disk is at least 500 megabytes. To install, with the power turned off, fit the hard disk as with a floppy drive. Apply the power cable into the plug hole provided and plug the interface cable onto the back of the hard disk. Be sure the red or blue line is at the end of the plug next to the number 1. Plug the other end of the cable onto the IDE primary port on your IDE card. Be sure the red or blue line is at the end of the plug next to the number 1 pin on the card. You must enter CMOS to adjust to the hard disk size. (see CMOS section) Select "auto detect hard disk" or enter the specifications if you have them ( user manual ) into the CMOS. Select "save and exit". DISK WON'T BOOT* If you have just formatted your hard disk, you have removed the system files. Your hard disk should never be formatted unless there is a need. If the hard disk is not new and empty, there is a probability that you have removed the COMMAND.COM This file is the mainstay of your system. Without it, nothing will work and you will need to boot your hard disk from a "System Disk" Ensure you have entered the correct settings into the CMOS and ensure the a: drive is the startup drive in the "advanced" section. It should read A,C Insert boot disk or DOS setup disk 1 into your 3.5" (a: drive) floppy drive. Turn the PC off, wait three seconds then turn on again. If your CMOS settings were correct, c: drive will be available. RUN AN ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAM: If you are using the DOS setup disks, Setup will place DOS onto c: drive making it the startup drive. Do Not install a new command.com if your hard disk is already loaded with programs. There may be other problems with it. If it is a new hard disk and you are using it for the first time as a sole disk, you will need to install a command.com onto it. If you have a system disk with the file SYS.COM on it, place the disk in a: drive and type sys c: Press Enter. This will transfer the system files to your hard disk and make it the startup drive. Using DOS setup disks is the preferable option. If after booting a hard disk with programs on it, the system is unavailable i.e. Windows will not load, The probable cause is the AUTOEXEC.BAT file is missing. This file sets all program options and tells the computer where to look for various programs. Without it, you will only get the command prompt c:> To rectify this, with the system booted and the command prompt on the screen, type cd\dos When c:\dos> appears on your screen type the following. edit c:\autoexec.bak The DOS edit program will appear provided DOS has been setup properly on your computer and the file will be displayed. Press the ALT key and move the cursor down (arrow keys) to "save as" Press "enter" In the pop up menu where the name of the file appears, change the name from "autoexec.bak" to "autoexec.bat" A message will appear asking if you want to overwrite the existing file. Select "OK" This will rename the autoexec backup file to autoexec.bat Remove all disks from their drives. Turn off the machine, wait three seconds then turn it back on. The system should now re-boot and load the program information from the restored autoexec.bat file.
Low Level Format* (not Recommended) FORMATTING your hard disk will remove all files and the PC will not boot. Although it is an excellent method of removing viruses on a severely infected hard disk, it is not recommended. After Low Level Formatting the disk will not accept a standard format because there is no boot sector. There is no possibility of unformatting the hard disk. If you have low level formatted your hard disk, you will have removed not only all data, but the boot sector as well. All data and your boot sector have been permanently erased. In CMOS, ensure the a: drive is the startup drive in the "advanced" section. It should read A,C Place DOS setup disk 1 into the a: drive. Turn off the computer, wait three seconds then turn it on again. Setup will start automatically. Run the complete DOS setup, selecting "yes" when asked if you wish to format the hard disk. This will reformat your hard disk and place the system files onto it. Although there are other programs which can do this (FDISK on the DOS setup disk 1), I have found this to be the easiest and least complicated method. See also Windows 95/98 Setup section (page 56) See also Formatting Disks section (page 24)
(found in DOS directory) Scandisk is located in the c:\dos directory. It's job is to conduct a multiple scan of your hard disk, determining whether or not there are any damaged sectors. From the c:\dos directory type Scandisk c: SCANDISK will then start. You will receive options i.e. surface scan. Allow SCANDISK to do a complete surface scan. If it discovers damaged, dubious or deleted data area's it will ask you what you wish to do with them. it's best to select "fix" , then choose whether to save, delete or backup the area's before SCANDISK fixes them. I usually select "fix" (move data from them if possible then blank the damaged sectors to prevent their use ) then "don't save". You choose your own requirements. It's recommended to run SCANDISK regularly to "keep your hard disk in top shape". In Windows 95, SCANDISK should be found by clicking "start" then "programs" then "accessories" then "system tools". Click on SCANDISK and follow on screen instructions. SCANDISK will not run from Windows 3.1x. Scandisk should be run every month or so to keep your hard disk in good condition. Any data from damaged areas will be saved to c: drive with a .CHK extension. I.e. FILE0000.CHK
(found in DOS directory) Defrag is used to defragment hard disks so they may run more efficiently. It's purpose is to defragment all directories and their files, placing them in a more satisfactory position to enable more efficient reading, and to consolidate disk space. DEFRAG should be run when the fragmentation is 3% or more. It is best to run DEFRAG after you have removed or altered significant amounts of disk space by adding or removing programs, or run it at least once per month. Files which have been deleted will be lost after DEFRAG has run. In Windows 95, DEFRAG should be found by clicking "start" then "programs" then "accessories" then "system tools". Click on Disk Defragmenter and follow on screen instructions. Windows 3.1x will not run DEFRAG. Exit Windows and return to DOS. Change to the c:>dos directory. Type defrag. Follow on screen instructions. Remember c: drive is usually your hard disk.
(found in DOS directory) Memmaker is found in the c:>dos directory. It will not run in Windows 3.1x is not needed for Windows 95. The purpose of MEMMAKER is just that, to make more memory available for DOS or Windows 3.1x programs which need it. Programs which hang or will not run correctly, or run very slowly may need MEMMAKER. From the command prompt ( c:> ) type "memmaker" and press enter. Follow on screen instructions then select "no" when asked if there are programs which require extended memory. This should free up more conventional memory for games, Windows etc. Follow on screen instructions. Note! If you find it necessary to use Memmaker on Windows (3.1, 95/98), Install more memory (see Memory (page 11)) if using 8mb or less, or check for viruses (see Viruses (page 9))
Installing Software To Run Hardware* After ensuring the required hardware will fit into a vacant slot, make sure the machine is turned off at the main. NEVER INSTALL HARDWARE WHILE THE PC IS RUNNING. Install the card by pressing it firmly but not forcing it into the slot. The card will not fit into a slot it should not be placed in. Fix the card into position with a small screw, replace the PC cover and turn on the machine. When your operating system has booted, you must load the software in the following manner. Windows 95: During "bootup" Windows 95 should inform you it has "found new software". You should get the choice as to whether you want to install your own software (drivers on the disks or CD ROM) or have Windows 95 install its own drivers. If you want to install your own drivers, Windows 95 will ask you to place the disks or CD ROM in it's drive. It will then search out the software and begin installing it. When it's complete, the bootup will continue normally. If you wish to have Windows 95 install it's drivers for the hardware, select that option. If the drivers can not be found, you will be asked for the Windows 95 setup disks or CD ROM. If the drivers for the hardware can't be found, select "install driver from a disk" and continue as above. Windows "plug and play" hardware is recommended for use with Windows 95. Installing drivers in Windows 3.1 or 3.11: When the machine has booted. Place the driver disk into it's drive and select "Run" from the "file" menu in the front window. Select run then type in the command required to run the installation program. You will see the command on the jacket the software comes in, or on the software label. Unlike Windows 95, Windows 3.1 and 3.11 install drivers as a though they are a program. See the "Setting Up Programs" section for complete help. The layout of directories on a drive in which you will find the various drivers as below: Audio=Soundcard drivers. Video=Video Card and/or Monitor drivers. Modem=Modem drivers. Software=Software to use with device i.e. scanner. Double click any of the directories when your setup disk is in the correct drive to locate the drivers during setup. NOTE! Some newer devices i.e. video adapters require you to run SETUP.EXE from My Computer, then the driver disk. If you can't see the driver, click BROWSE. Conflicts between hardware occur when there are two or more items using the same settings. i.e. a modem using com 1 and a mouse using com 1 or com 3. If this occurs, change the jumpers on your modem to com 2 or com 4. You must then reconfigure the program which uses the modem, to use the new settings. In Windows 95 you would use MODEMS in the "control panel". In Windows 3.1x, use the "setup" option of the program which uses the modem. Use "auto detect" if available. Interrupt request IRQ settings may conflict. If your mouse uses IRQ 4, make sure the modem uses IRQ 3 or other. Scanners also cause conflict problems. They can be rectified in the same way as above. Check the jumper settings on all of your hardware. If the setting numbers on any two items of hardware (their cards in the PC) match, one must be changed. Jumpers are the small (usually black) plastic blocks on the card. They jump one brass pin to another and complete a circuit, hence the name "jumpers". see also Modems section (page 28)
a: select a: (3.5") drive b: select b: (5.25") drive c: select c: drive cd change directory i.e. cd\windows will change c: to c:\windows> md make directory i.e. md\tree will make a directory called tree del delete files i.e. del c:\file.wri del *.* deletes all files in current directory. del *.hlp deletes all files with .hlp extensions from current directory ren rename files i.e. ren c:\file.wri file.txt dir shows the current directory and files in it. dir *.hlp lists all files with .hlp extension in current directory. format formats specified disk i.e. format c: formats the hard disk. unformat unformats specified disk. Most files will be restored. sys transfers the system files to specified drive. i.e. sys c: copy copies files from one directory to another i.e. copy c:\file.wri c:\tree copy c:\autoexec.bat a: copies autoexec.bat file to a: drive copy c:\config.sys a: copies config.sys file to a: drive SEE MAKING SYSTEM DISK SECTION FOR DETAILS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE TWO COMMANDS These are only the basic commands. Read your DOS manual if more are required. Either lower case or capital characters can be used. i.e. C: and c: will have the same effect.
A system disk is used to start the computer when there are no system files on your hard disk. They may either have been removed, or not yet installed. Without them on your hard disk, the PC will not go! A system disk should made in case this happens. If you don't have one, you can bet you'll need it ! 1/ Place a new, formatted disk in your floppy drive. (see formatting floppies section) 2/ change to c:\dos> directory. Make sure the file sys.com is present in DOS dir. 3/ Type sys a: 4/ Press "enter" When the system files have been copied the command line will read c:\dos>SYSTEM TRANSFERRED To safeguard your operating system (windows etc), copy the config.sys and autoexec.bat files to the new system disk. You will find them in the directory c:\> (see sample DOS commands section) These two files will automatically run the existing configurations stored on them. Your system should run from a: drive unless there are other damaged or missing files. System disks can be made in Windows 3.1x "file manager" using the "disk" menu item at the top of the screen. Click on "make system disk". Follow on screen instructions. Windows 95 has the same option. You will find it in "my computer" on the front menu. Open "my computer". Click once on the a: drive icon. Click on "file" then format. Follow on screen instructions. Alternately, the best option is to use the control panel. Select "add/remove programs" icon. Select "startup disk" Follow on screen instructions. With the Windows 3.1x option, you will still need to add autoexec.bat and config.sys files. Startup (system) Disk contents: Dos 6.22, setup disk 1 for Windows 3.1. SYSTEM, FDISK, FORMAT Windows 95, SYSTEM, FDISK, FORMAT for Windows 95 Windows 98, SYSTEM, FDISK, FORMAT and automatic Atapi type CDROM support for Windows 98 setup (most if not all standard CD-ROM's 8 speed or higher).
USING AN EXAMPLE FILE OF "DRAW.ZIP" Zip files are files which have been compressed (zipped) to conserve space on the hard disk. Any file which has been zipped will not run. A program which is zipped may contain many files. These will be unzipped into a directory and will then run. First it must be unzipped. To do this, the file must have a directory of it's own on your hard disk. (READ THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS) HOW TO COPY A FILE TO A NEW DIRECTORY* From within windows Program Manager (win 3.1) or Explorer (win 95) create a new directory. You may call it whatever you wish. Copy the zipped file into that directory. In windows 3.1 simply click on the drive and directory containing the file, click the left mouse button on the file and hold it. Drag the file to the new directory with the mouse and let it go in the new directory. In windows 95, click on the drive and directory containing the file, click on the file. From the "Edit" menu item at the top of the page select "copy". Move the mouse to the new directory and click on it. Click the "Edit" item again. Click "paste". The file will be copied into the new directory. If using DOS, make a directory i.e. type MD\DRAW from the command prompt in the desired drive. i.e. c:\> is using drive c as the desired drive Type md\draw to make a directory called "draw" on c:\> drive. Type cd\draw to change to the directory called "draw". Copy the zipped file to that directory. If the file is on a:\> drive (3.5" floppy) type copy a:\draw.zip and press "enter" the file will be copied to c:\draw Windows 95 or 3.1 with Winzip or similar installed. 1/ Open the Zip software from "programs" in the "start" menu (Win 95)or "program manager" in Windows 3.1. 2/ Click the "open" icon at the top of the page then select the .zip file to be extracted. (c:\draw\draw.zip in this case) 3/ Click "extract", then "all files" from the pop up menu. 4/ Type in the directory to which you want the file/programs installed then click "ok". The files/programs will be installed to that directory. If you are unable to find a suitable directory, type c:\zipfile, or d:\zipfile etc. The software will usually create the directory for you. Windows 3.1 with pkunzip.exe in any directory. 1/ Move pkunzip.exe to directory containing the .zip file (c:\draw in this case) 2/ With your mouse, drag the .zip file onto pkunzip.exe and release it. (c:\draw\draw.zip in this case) 3/ Pkunzip.exe will extract the zipped files/programs to the same directory then return to Windows. From DOS. 1/ Place Pkunzip.exe into the directory of the .zip file. (c:\draw in this case) 2/ Type the following syntax pkunzip c:\directory name\filename.zip (c:\draw\draw.zip in this case) then press "enter". 3/ If you want the files/programs placed in another directory, type the following syntax. pkunzip c:\directory name\filename.zip c:\directory name
Troubleshooting
Startup Problems
Q/ I formatted my hard disk, now the computer won't start. A/ Many users find themselves in trouble when attempting to setup Windows, or indeed any operating system up on a hard disk they have just formatted. The first thing to remember is that when you format a drive, you remove all files, including the operating system and all command files. This makes the drive unstartable. If you have done this, place your DOS or Windows startup disk into the correct drive (i.e. A:\>). Change to that drive by typing A: and press the Enter key on the keyboard. The A:\> prompt will now be displayed. Type sys c: and press the Enter key. When the system has been transferred to your hard disk, a message will appear saying the System has been Transferred. Remove the disk from your floppy drive. Re-Boot the computer. The computer should now start on the hard disk.
Q/ My computer won't start but lights are on and I can hear the hard disk running. A/ If there is nothing on the screen, check the motherboard for faults. If you can hear several beeps from the speaker, check that memory is correctly fitted, or of the correct type if you've just installed it. Check fitting of all motherboard cables etc.
Q/ My computer starts, goes for a couple of minutes then jams up. A/ Clean out power supply cooling slots. It’s probably overheating due to lack of ventilation. Q/ My computer won't start, the lights are not showing, the hard disk does not run. A/ Make sure unit is plugged in. Check for dead power supply. Check for loose power leads on motherboard.
Q/ My computer won't start, everything looks normal. I receive a message felling me "Invalid system disk. Insert boot disk and press any key to continue." A/ Check you haven’t left a floppy in the drive. Try booting from a boot floppy. If it works, there is a hard disk error. Check Cmos and do the following. What to do. 1 Go into cmos by pressing Esc key at startup 2 Go to Standard CMOS settings on the main menu 3 Press Enter 4 Look for Pri Master 5 Make sure it reads type 46 or 47 and disk size is 540mb 6 Do nothing else in this menu 7 Press Escape 8 Find menu item "Auto Detect Hard Disk" and press enter 9 If disk is detected (look for its specs on the top of the window), press Y 10 If disk not detected, call me 388-1480 11 After detecting 2nd disk (will read 0 . 0 . 0 etc) press Escape 12 Find menu item Save Changes And Exit and press Enter 13 Press Y when asked to save changes and exit 14 Computer should now start.
Q/ My computer starts then switches to "safe mode" although I have shut it down correctly, then tells me a file is missing. A/ The last program may have shut down incorrectly and you may not be aware of it. Try turning on the "Memory Hole" in CMOS and restarting the pc. If no luck, reinstall Windows.
Q/ My computer won't start, everything is normal but hard disk won't boot. A/ Check Cmos hard disk settings, re-detect hard disk. Try booting from floppy. If it works, there is a hard disk error. Boot on floppy, re-install system (DOS) i.e. sys c: from command prompt. If none of the above works, try a new hard disk. Q/ My computer won't start, cursor flicks on screen. A/ Check CMOS settings. Set to "default" Check motherboard components are correctly fitted. If a new motherboard, check voltage settings against manual. Try a new motherboard.
Q/ My computer starts but tells me there is an I/O file or directory corrupt, or system is low on memory. I have just installed a new hard disk bigger than 540mb on an older type 486 computer. I have installed a dynamic drive overlay. A/ First, check for viruses. Reinstall Windows. You may need to fdisk the hard disk. Some older 486- tend not to recognise drives larger than 540mb. If you do fdisk, you may find the drive reverts to 540mb no matter what size it is.Also try turning the "Memory Hole " in the CMOS on. Q/ What does "NO ROM BASIC SYSTEM HALTED" mean? A/ CMOS configuration error. Try resetting CMOS to defaults. Q/ My computer starts but tells me some files are missing. (VXD) A/ Check for viruses. Run Scandisk on hard disk. If no viruses, re-install Windows. If problem persists, hard disk possibly needs replacing. Q/ My computer starts then tells me my registry must be restarted from a known- good backup copy. A/ Check for viruses. If a program has just been remove, a vital file may have been destroyed. Reinstall Windows. Run Scandisk on hard disk. If problem persists, hard disk possibly needs replacing. Q/ My computer starts but flashes a blue screen telling me of an access violation at a particular address. A/ There may be a problem with your computers memory. If you have just installed more, try removing it and re-starting your computer. This problem can occur when mixing EDO with Fast Page memory. Check for viruses. Q/ Why does my computer start, run for a bit then freeze up? A/ Clean vents in power supply. It may be overheating. Check for viruses. Check hard disk for errors. Even if there are no errors on your hard disk, it may be damaged. Check for conflicts between hardware (mouse, sound card, modem, scanner) Q/ My computer starts, I start the Internet connection and my machine freezes up. A/ Probably a sharing or conflict issue between mouse and modem. Make sure irq and DMA settings are different for all devices in Windows 95/98 …start…control-panel…system…device manager. Mouse should be set on com1, modem on com2 or com4. Plug and Play modems (Winmodem)should have no problems sharing a port with mouse. Check for viruses. Check hard disk for errors. Q/ My computer starts normally the shuts down. A/ Re-install operating system. Check hard disk for errors. Q/ My computer starts then says "error loading Progman.exe (Explorer.exe) You must re-install Windows. A/ From DOS command prompt (C:\>) type edit c:\windows\system.ini and press enter. Make sure the line Shell=Explorer.exe exists in the first 12 lines or so. If not, manually type it in somewhere (in those first 12 lines or so) Making sure you use a capital E in Explorer, save the file then exit and restart. Q/ My computer starts normally then I get a message saying "{Program Name} has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down" A/ Try re-installing your operating system
MOUSE: See section on MOUSE.
Modems Q/ I have installed a new modem (56k/V90 Winmoden type) but Windows won't detect it. A/ If the message "Windows has found serial communication device" appears when you turn on the computer, place the modem manufactures disk in the correct drive and direct setup to search there. Tips & Tricks: Some modems are loaded as a communication port. In this instance (if the above method fails) go into the Windows 95/98 control panel and double click "Add New Hardware". Manually select the hardware to install and select "ports". Place the modem manufacturers disk in the correct drive and instruct setup to look for it there. Many newer modems must be installed this way. Most PCI modems do not auto-detect whereas an ISA type modem will. If modem is detected using the auto detect wizard in "Add New Hardware", if you have no driver for it, and you know it's com port address, manually select it as required. Q/ How do I install a modem? A/ Generally, you turn off the computer. Remove the cover securing screws from the back, place the modem in an appropriate slot and screw it up, replace the screws and turn the computer back on. If Windows detects the modem at start up and asks for the drivers, place the manufacturers disk in the correct drive and direct setup to look for it there. Follow on-screen instructions. Another method is as above, but if windows setup doesn't detect the modem, go to the control panel (start…settings…control panel…modems) and click add. You can try and let setup detect your modem by clicking "Next", and if that doesn't work, click "don't detect my modem, I will select from a list", then click next. When the next window appears, click "Have Disk". Place the manufacturers disk in the correct drive and direct setup to look for it there. Follow on-screen instructions. Q/ How do I set up my Internet connection for the first time? A/ Obtain your username, password, email and news server information from the Internet service provider of your choice. Have your windows 95/98 disk ready. You will probably need it. Next, set up your modem as above. When you have done that successfully, Click Start…Programs…Accessories…Internet Tools. Click "Get on the Internet" Select the MANUAL method. Type your information in the boxes provided. Do Not type in a DNS number, even when prompted to do so. When prompted for an email address, type in your Internet account user name, and service. i.e. johnsmith@service.co.nz If your username on your account is johnsmith, and your service provider is service.co.nz, your email address will usually be johnsmith@service.co.nz When prompted for your password, use the one you gave your service provider. Make sure you have the capital and small letters in the correct places. This is important! When prompted for your mail server, use pop. (then your service) i.e. pop.service.co.nz When/if prompted for your smtp, use smtp. (then your service) i.e. smtp.service.co.nz When prompted for a news server, type news. (then your service) i.e. news.service.co.nz Follow on screen instructions. When finished, simply start your Internet browser and it should bring up the connect dialog.
Q/ How do I set up a new Internet dial-up connection (if already been connected). A/ From "My Computer…Dial-Up Networking" double click "Make New Connection". Fill in the calling details.
Sound Cards Q/ How do I install a sound card? A/ Turn off the computer. Remove the cover securing screws from the back, place the sound card in an appropriate slot and screw it up, replace the screws and turn the computer back on. If Windows detects the sound card at start up and asks for the drivers, place the manufacturers disk in the correct drive and direct setup to look for it there. Follow on-screen instructions. On occasion the sound card will detect, but setup may be unable to find the drivers, or you may not know what you're doing (if you haven't read the instructions). In this instance, click Start…Settings…Control Panel…System…Device manager. Double click "Other Devices". You should see the name and type of sound card there. Delete these items and restart the computer. When asked for the device drivers, place the manufacturers disk in the correct drive and direct setup to look for it there. If setup tells you there are no drivers at that location, click "Browse" and search for a folder matching the device name you saw in the "Other Devices" folder. Tip: If you want to install a sound card effortlessly, buy a "Soundblaster" or compatible card. Windows will automatically set it up for you.
Scanners Q/ How do I install my new EPP scanner? A/ Plug one end of the cord supplied with scanner into the printer port of the computer. Plug the other into your scanner where you read the word "Computer" above the port. Plug the printer into the port on the scanner marked "Printer". Plug in the scanner power supply (if it has one) and turn it on. With the computer running, insert the supplied driver and software disk into the correct drive. Usually, the setup will start automatically. If not, look for setup.exe in the drives directory box in "My Computer". When the drivers and software are loaded, restart the computer. Printers: Common Problems P/ Error message: can't find or communicate with printer A/ Remove printer driver and restart computer. Re-install printer driver. A/ If using 3-in-1 fax/printer/scanner with modem, uncheck modem activation in setup. P/ Can't find printer or printer port. A/ Check cables and plugs correctly fitted to motherboard or try new I/O card if older machine. P/ Printer prints characters not what you want it to. A/ Check printer driver.( click START-SETTINGS-PRINTERS) It must match the actual printer (most older dot matrix use Epson FX80 driver) P/ Printer makes "crunching " sound. A/ Probably damaged ribbon cable (electrical ribbon not ink) P/ Printer crunches when turned on or re-set. A/ Turn on, when you hear the first sound, turn off. Wait one second then turn back on.
Installing Windows 95/98 on a new or formatted drive* You must have a Windows startup disk or DOS system disk containing the files SYS.COM, MSCDEX.EXE and FDISK.EXE. You will also need a CDROM setup disk! Many users find themselves in trouble when attempting to set Windows, or indeed any operating system up on either a new hard disk, or one they have just formatted (see Tips & Tricks section). The first thing to remember is that when you format a drive, you remove all files, including the operating system and all command files. This makes the drive unstartable.
To Restart A Formatted Drive: If you have done this, place your DOS system or Windows startup disk into the correct drive (i.e. A:\>). Change to that drive by typing A: and press the Enter key on the keyboard. The A:\> prompt will now be displayed. Type sys c: and press the Enter key. When the system has been transferred to your hard disk, a message will appear saying the System has been Transferred. Remove the disk from your floppy drive. Re-Boot the computer. The computer should now start on the hard disk. To Prepare A New Hard Disk: When you buy a new hard disk there is a high probability it has not been partitioned. Partitions contain the various information in pre-defined sectors as read from the Master Boot Record (MBR, kind of an index to the rest of the drive which the computer understands). You cannot format a non partitioned drive. Instead, it must be partitioned using either a Dynamic Drive Overlay (not usually required with new computers), or the FDISK command which you will find:
Your Windows 95 startup disk you created during a previous installation of Windows, or the startup disk provided with your Windows 95 CDROM. ) (go to the next section) Your startup disk provided with Windows 98 (includes startup for CDROM ) (go to the next section)
The Drive Preparation: If you are using a Dynamic Drive Overlay disk (Maxblast, Disk Wizard etc.), usually provided by the hard disk vendor, you will not need to FDISK the hard disk. Place the provided disk in your floppy drive and restart the computer. Follow its' on-screen instructions. REMEMBER: Windows 95a (old version or upgrade to Windows 3.1) is 16 bit and does not support 32FAT. You will need to partition drives larger then 540mb according to the Dynamic Drive Overlays' instructions. This usually means your hard disk will be split into 2 separate drives. Disk 1 Vol. 1 and Disk 1 Vol. 2. (Go to next section). For other drives, you must use the FDISK command on your startup floppy disk. Windows95 Insert startup disk into drive and restart the computer When computer re-boots, you will see the Windows logo appear, then the DOS prompt A:\> Type fdisk and press Enter If asked whether or not you wish to use the Large Disk Support option: If using upgrade to windows 3.1, or Windows 95 version A, choose NO (Go to 11) If using Windows 95 version B or Windows 98(Microsoft Internet Explorer version), choose YES At main menu choose 1 and press enter (Create DOS partition or logical DOS drive ) At next menu choose 1 and press enter (Create primary DOS partition) FDISK will check the drive size and ask if you wish to select the maximum size and make it active. Choose YES. After a few moments, you will be prompted to restart your computer. Do so. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- If using upgrade to windows 3.1, or Windows 95 version A, choose NO large disk support. At main menu choose 1 and press enter (Create DOS partition or logical DOS drive ) At next menu choose 1 and press enter (Create primary DOS partition) FDISK will check the drive size and ask if you wish to select the maximum size and make it active. Choose YES. After a few moments, you will be prompted to restart your computer. Do so. NOTE! If your drive is larger than 2mb, you should create an extended DOS partition. Do this in the same way as a primary DOS partition, but choose Primary Dos Partition in the second menu. After Partitions Are Created: Your computer should have restarted in DOS on your startup disk and the command prompt (A:\>) should be flashing. Type format c: /s and press Enter. This will format your drive and place the DOS system on so it will start up. When prompted that all data on drive will be erased, do you want to continue,
type y and press Enter. The hard disk will be formatted. Make sure it shows the correct size (minus about 5%)
When the disk formatting is complete, you will be prompted to label the disk. Type in a name for your hard disk and press Enter. If no label is required (you don't really need one) just press Enter.
Remove the floppy disk and restart the computer.
You should now see the command prompt C:\>
Next, you need to set up the CDROM. Windows 95 Place CDROM setup disk in floppy drive and type setup then press enter. If invalid command message appears, type install and press Enter. If invalid command message appears, type setupd and press Enter i.e. A:\>setup OR A:\>install OR A:\>setupd One of these should work. If not, from the A:\> prompt type dir and press Enter. Look for any EXE file, type it at the A:\> prompt and press Enter. IMPORTANT! If your CDROM setup can't find the MSCDEX.EXE file, copy it from your DOS 6.22 disk 1 (if you have one), or obtain a clean copy from a friend or computer hardware dealer. Most will oblige. Follow on-screen instructions. When driver is loaded, you will be prompted to re-boot the computer. Take the disk from your floppy drive and re-boot the computer. When the computer has started, you should see the prompt C:\> Do the following. Place your Windows CDROM in the CD drive At the prompt type D: (or E: if you have 2 partitions on the hard disk) The prompt should now be D:\> (or E:\> if you have more than 2 partitions on your hard disk) Type setup and press Enter. Follow on-screen instructions to set up Windows 95. Windows 98 Place your Windows 98 startup disk in floppy drive and restart the computer When prompted, Choose start computer with CDROM support and press Enter The computer will restart with the CDROM driver installed. Place your Windows CDROM in the CD drive At the prompt type D: (or E: if you have 2 partitions on the hard disk) The prompt should now be D:\> (or E:\> if you have more than 2 partitions on your hard disk) Type setup and press Enter. Follow on-screen instructions to set up Windows 98.
Version covered: Redhat Linux 6.0
What you need to know. Linux runs on a different type of drive configuration to DOS. It will not run on DOS, nor will it run any Windows based programs or files without the aid of an interface i.e. Wine. Linux requires you to create two new non DOS partitions on your hard disk. This can be done without losing any of your Windows information. Details later. Before you commit to installing Linux on your computer, you should know it's an operating system which is continually in a state of development. Working it out is an extremely steep learning curve. If you have no prior experience of computing, particularly DOS or setting up your own Windows operating system, Redhat Linux 6.0 will throw you completely. It's not for the faint hearted. From the authors perspective, Linux runs very quickly, smoothly and appears trouble and crash free. Having said that, The interfaces provided which run on Linux i.e. Gnome, KDE and Afterstep are more cluttered and slightly less user friendly than Windows, OS2 or any other. This is because there are a bewildering yet fabulous array of goodies included in the Redhat Linux 6.0 distribution. The first thing you'll notice is the complete customisability of the interfaces. The most user friendly, KDE, can be dressed up beautifully and is not that dissimilar to Windows 95/98. The whole system runs as smooth as silk and feels real nice. Installation Instructions.
What you need: The official Red Hat Linux 6.0 Manual (not needed for setup) A copy of Partition Magic or similar program which will partition your hard disk from Windows95. Such a program should allow the re-allocation of space on your existing hard disk, without destroying any part of your existing operating system. A copy of Boot Magic or some similar program which enables multiple operating systems to be selected at startup. (provided with Caldera) If you have neither of these, they are included in the Caldera distribution. Both run from Windows 95/98. If you are using Hedhat Linux 6.0, neither are included. Either find them on the net, or fdisk your hard disk, removing all partitions. (See next section first!)
RED Hat Linux 6.0 Installation: (empty drive) Fdisk your hard disk, removing all partitions. Create a primary partition, allowing at least 1.5Gb empty space). Make the primary partition active. Install Windows or other operating system. Set your CMOS to make the computer boot from CD ROM. Insert your Red Hat Linux CD into the drive and reboot the computer. Welcome To Red Hat windows appears. Tab to OK, Press Enter Next, using arrow keys, select desired language. Tab to OK, Press Enter Select keyboard type, Tab to OK, Press Enter Select CD-ROM drive (if installing from there), Tab to OK, Press Enter With CD-ROM in drive, Tab to OK, Press Enter CD-ROM will initialise. Tab to Install, Press Enter Tab to Custom, Press Enter Tab to OK, Press Enter SCSI selection dialog box. Tab to No (unless you have SCSI (scuzzy) devices), Press Enter Select FDISK, Press Enter Press Enter again on /dev/hda - model etc. Type m, Press Enter Type p, Press Enter You should see /tmp/hda1 and details. Do Not set Linux up on hda1 or your installed operating system will be lost! Take a note of the size of hda1. Subtract it's size from the total known size of the drive and, then subtract 10%. Write the answer on a piece of paper. This will give the total size usable for Linux partitions. You must now create 2 Linux partitions; Linux Native and Linux Swap. Create The Partitions: Press m, Enter Press n, Enter Press p, Enter Type 2 (the Linux partition number), Press Enter. You'll be prompted for a size value i.e. from 256-549. Type the smaller number, Press Enter You'll now be prompted for a maximum size for this partition. This is where you look at your piece of paper with the maximum drive space you wrote earlier. DO NOT select the maximum number (i.e. 549) because you will need space to create a Linux Swap drive. The maximum size should be about 150Mb less than the total free space available. i.e. If there is 1.4 GB available, type +1250M and Press Enter. Make sure you use the + sign and finish with M This will create a Linux Native drive of 1.25Gb, leaving 150Mb free for a Linux Swap drive. Next, Press n, Enter Press p, Enter Type 3 (the Linux partition number), Press Enter. You'll be prompted for a size value i.e. from 336-749. Type the smaller number (i.e. 336), Press Enter Type the larger number (i.e. 749), Press Enter This will create the second Native drive, but it must be converted to Linux Swap. Type t, Press Enter (this tells FDISK to convert drive type) Type 82, Press Enter (this tells FDISK drive type, 82 = Linux Swap) Type 3, Press Enter (this tells FDISK to convert hda3 Linux Native to Linux Swap). Type w, Press Enter (this tells FDISK to write the changes to the partition information) When asked if you want to write the new hard disk settings and exit, choose YES Tab to DONE, Press Enter You should now see the following partitions. /dev/hda1 Windows /dev/hda2 Linux native /dev/hda3 Linux Swap Using arrow keys, move to /dev/hda2 (Linux Native) and Press Enter You'll see a box with a flashing cursor beside the words "Mount Point". Type a forward slash (/) and Press Enter Tab to OK, Press Enter A dialog box will appear asking what Swap Space to use. Make sure the asterisk (*) is next to /dev/hda3 (Linux Swap) Tab to OK, Press Enter A dialog box appears saying "Scanning Packages" A dialog box asking for "Partitions TO Format" appears. Place an asterisk (*) next to /dev/hda2 You can do this by moving to the correct place with arrow keys, then pressing space bar once. Tab to OK, Press Enter Components To Install box appears. Select the required packages with arrow keys, placing an asterisk next to them by pressing the space bar SELECT AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING
Printer Support KDE Mail/WWW/News Tools File Managers Graphics Manipulation Console Games Console Multimedia This selection is the barest recommended size (approx. 292Mb) and will allow sound, printers, games, the KDE interface, Paint, word processing, multimedia and printers. You can install more packages later. The "Everything" option will install approx. 1.24Gb before any other packages are installed, with not much more advantage. Tab to OK, Press Enter An Install Log message appears Tab to OK, Press Enter Setup will now format the chosen partitions (Not Windows). If you've done everything correctly, Windows will not be touched. Packages will now install Wait about 15+ minutes for the packages to install The next message will tell you the setup is Probing For Mouse Type If a mouse is detected, Tab to OK, Press Enter If mouse is not detected, a dialog box will tell you "Probing Failed". Tab to OK, Press Enter Use arrow keys to select mouse type (usually generic serial mouse), tab to OK, Press Enter Select mouse port (usually ttys0 or com1 in DOS) Tab to OK, Press Enter The Network Configuration box will appear Tab to No (unless configuring a network (not the internet)), Press Enter The Hardware Clock box appears Set hardware clock to G>M>T using arrow keys and space bar i.e. Pacific-Auckland for New Zealand. Tab to OK, Press Enter Services box appears If unsure, select all of the options with the arrow keys and space bar. They can be altered later Tab to OK, Press Enter Configure Printer? option appears If you don't wish to do so, Tab to No, Press Enter If you wish to set up a printer, Tab to Yes, Press Enter Select Local (usual) or Network if you will be on a network (not the internet) Tab to OK, Press Enter Select name of Queue, usually lp (l (L)not I(i)) Ignore spool directory (shown) for now Tab to Ok, Press Enter Setup will look for a printer port. Dialog box should show /dev/lp0 in the detected ports section of dialog box Tab to OK, Press Enter Use arrow keys to move to your make and model printer Tab to OK, Press Enter Use arrow keys to select paper size (A4 usually), Tab to Resolution (300 usually), Tab to OK, Press Enter Select your desired printing option. I use Normal Colour Printing With Colour Cartridge on my HP 560c Tab to OK, Press Enter Verify printer configuration (tell setup it has the right settings for your printer) by Tab to OK, Press Enter Password box appears N/B you must enter a password. Without it you will not be able to start your KDE interface. You will not get into your operating system! Write it down! Type in your choice of password. It must contain at least 6 characters, Tab to bottom box Type it again in the bottom box Tab to OK, Press Enter Authentication Information box appears. Make NO changes, Tab to OK, Press Enter Create A Bootdisk Dialog appears Insert blank 1.44Mb 3.5" floppy disk into your floppy drive Tab to Yes, Press Enter The LILO (Boot Loader) dialog box appears. This dialog sets up your computer to boot either Linux or your other operating system at boot up from the prompt LiLo: Select /dev/hda then Tab to OK, Press Enter Ignore next LILO installation box, Tab to OK, Press Enter Bootable partitions box appears Select /dev/hda1 , Tab to Ok, Press Enter PCI Probe occurs now Tab to OK, Press Enter Setup loads Video support Monitor Setup dialog box appears Use arrow keys to select your monitor model. Select Custom if you don't know Tab to Ok, Press Enter Probing To Begin box appears Tab to OK, Press Enter Your monitor should flash on and off a few times now Probing Finished box appears If probing was successful, your screen depth and resolution will be displayed. It's recommended that you use 800X600. If a higher resolution is shown (i.e. 1280X1024), Tab to "Let Me Choose", Press Enter If you selected "Let Me Choose", Tab to desired colour depth i.e. 8 bit, 16 bit or 24 bit then use the arrow keys and space bar to make your resolution selection Avoid 8 bit, also avoid 640X480, it's just too big! When selection is made, Tab to Ok, Press Enter Starting X dialog appears Tab to Ok, Press Enter Small dialog box appears, click YES with your mouse if you want to use the settings X Configuration dialog box appears Click YES with mouse to have X configuration start at bootup (Do click this) Done dialog box appears Tab to OK, Press Enter. Computer will now reboot IMPORTANT! As system closes to reboot, Take the CD ROM (and floppy disk if it's still there) out of the drive or setup will re-run! As the computer reboots, LILO: appears at the bottom of your screen. Do Nothing! Linux will start by default if you have done everything correctly. The next time you start the computer, you can type DOS or at the LILO: prompt to start your computer with Windows. Typing nothing will start Linux by default When Linux has started, you will see a dialog box. This appears every time you start Linux In the top line type root In the bottom line type your password (hope you wrote it down!). Click options Click KDE (Gnome should not be used as root) Click GO The KDE interface will start. Click the big K icon at bottom left to start Have fun… Sound cards and printer settings: If for some reason your sound card did not detect (not PCI type), do the following Click the big K Click Utilities Click Konsole Type Setup and Press Enter Use arrow keys an Tab to move to sound card, Press Enter Make any need changes (usual settings are 220 5 1) Printers: Same as above to the Konsole, but type printtool , Press Enter and follow on screen instructions CD ROM To setup CD ROM, right click on desktop Click New Click File System Device Name link i.e. CD Rom.kdelnk Click OK When box appears, Click Permissions Tab Click Exec and Read Click Device Tab In top line type /dev/cdrom In next line (mount) type /cdrom OK Floppy To setup Floppy, right click on desktop Click New Click File System Device Name link i.e. Floppy.kdelnk Click OK When box appears, Click Permissions Tab Click Exec, Read and Write Click Device Tab In top line type /dev/fd0 In next line (mount) type /floppy OK Icons will be placed on the desktop for these two devices. Before clicking on them, make sure there is media (disks) in them!
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