Fixing Remaining Minor and Major Issues in Windows 98SE
– Although subsequent generations of Microsoft operating systems have more attractive interfaces and stable performance, the most important factor is that they consume increasingly more system resources. Therefore, we cannot use these operating systems on low-configured computers based on Pentium II and III processors, which are very common in public Internet cafes. Besides requiring only average hardware specifications, Windows 98 serves as a particularly compatible environment for most current gaming applications. This explains why many people, especially in public Internet cafes, are still using Microsoft’s Windows 98SE.
– As we know, Microsoft has long ceased support for Windows 98SE. Consequently, serious system conflicts leading to freezes continue to pose challenges for users of this operating system. However, with the help of author Alper Coskun, many developers worldwide have collaborated to identify and fix the remaining issues in this operating system. These patches have been integrated into a product called UNOFFICIAL Windows98 Second Edition Service Pack 2.01 Final, which is provided completely free of charge at the website: http://exuberant.ms11.net/98sesp.html
– With the latest version 2.0.1, major issues have been resolved, including:
+ Addressing the issue of using RAM larger than 512 MB
+ Integrating the multifunctional MetalPad component to replace the simple and sluggish Notepad
+ Optimizing “swap file usage” for better performance
+ Enhancing multimedia and USB communication support
+ Adding Adaptec ASPI driver version 4.60.1021
+ Upgrading Dial-Up Networking to version 1.4
+ Supporting Microsoft Installer version 2.0
+ Including Visual Basic 5.0 SP2 runtime, Visual Basic 6.0 SP6 runtime, Visual C++ 6.0 SP6 runtime library files
+ Supporting 98Lite version 4.7 to streamline unused default installation components in Windows 98
+ Adding Windows 2000/ME operating system icons
+ Over 100 minor bugs updated and fixed, along with several handy tweaks.
Securing Important Data Without Specialized Software
– To secure important information on your hard drive, most of us often use various tools available online, from free to paid options. However, with this trick, you won’t need any third-party software at all.
– As we know, any file in the operating system consists of two basic components: The first part is called the filename, which has no limit on character content. The last part is called the file format, consisting of three unique characters that define the software that created that format. These two parts are separated by a dot. For example, a file with the content: data.doc indicates that this data was created by Microsoft Word. Based on this feature, you can make the data you want to protect invisible by changing the three characters of the format. Only you will know the original format of the data and can open it with the correct program to view it.
– Advantages and disadvantages: You don’t need to rely on third-party software, which saves you a lot of costs. It is easy to operate and adjust content. The security level is relatively high. However, this method requires you to remember the corresponding software for each format you have changed.
– First, open Windows Explorer by right-clicking on the Start menu and selecting Explorer. Next, go to the Tools menu and click on Folder Options. Move to the View tab and scroll down to the line Hide extensions for known file types. Click the checkbox to uncheck this option. This action will make Windows Explorer fully display the contents of the data, allowing you to easily change the extension for security purposes.
– When you want to view the content of the data with the changed extension, double-click on it. Then select the line Select the Program from a list and click OK. The Open With dialog will appear. Scroll down to the corresponding application that supports the data format you changed and click OK. The data will immediately be displayed.
Activating the Offline Message Saving Feature in Yahoo Messenger
– In the Yahoo Messenger instant messaging application, users can leave messages when their chat is offline. All messages will appear in the Offline Messages dialog at your next online session. However, they only show up once and will disappear if you close that dialog. While this is convenient for users, sometimes it’s impossible to revisit previous messages. To resolve this issue, you can follow these steps.
– After logging into your account via Yahoo Messenger, click on the Messenger menu and select Preferences. Then, scroll down to the Archive section and check the Enable Archiving option. Next, select the number of days in the Automatically Delete Files Older than… days section to allow the program to automatically delete old messages after the specified time. Finally, click OK for the changes to take effect. From now on, all offline messages will be stored on your computer.
– To view the content of offline messages, select the Contacts menu and then choose Message Archive. A new dialog will appear showing all the content along with the nickname of the sender.
What to Do When Some Keys on Your Keyboard Stop Working?
– One day, you might find that some keys on your keyboard have stopped functioning. The only solution seems to be purchasing a new keyboard, but unfortunately, you need to complete a report as soon as possible for approval. In this situation, you should use the “virtual keyboard with real functionality” that Microsoft has integrated into Windows XP called the On-Screen Keyboard.
In essence, this is a small software that simulates a computer keyboard. Just like when you press any character on a real keyboard, binary signals are sent to the processor and a signal is returned to display the corresponding character on the computer screen. The On-Screen Keyboard operates similarly, but you must click with your mouse instead.
To use this feature, first click the Start icon at the bottom left of the screen and select All Programs. Navigate to Accessories, select Accessibility, and then choose On-Screen Keyboard. A virtual keyboard will appear, and you just need to click on the corresponding character on the keyboard.
To Achieve More Accurate Print Results in Word
– By default, Microsoft Word uses the Letter paper size for document presentation, measuring 8.5×11 inches, but when printing, we often use A4 paper size, measuring 8.27×11.69 inches, which can lead to differences in content presentation. To solve this problem, we could adjust the paper size, but this would require us to readjust all the content of the data. This may be manageable with a small number of pages, but with a thesis of several hundred pages, it could become quite complicated. Fortunately, Microsoft Word has an option that can completely address this issue.
– It’s very simple; first, open the file you need to print. Then click on the File menu and look for the Zoom option. Click on Scale to paper size and select A4. This feature allows the printing process to scale down to a certain ratio without changing the overall presentation of the data according to the selected paper size. This way, the results will be excellent.
