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volume 2 number 5 1997 TipSheet

Welcome to the May issue of MicroMetric's TipSheet. This monthly newsletter is targeted at addressing the needs of our customers.

This month we'll begin a series of tips for the Windows 95 Microsoft Power Toys.

Tip 82   PowerToys Overview and Contents Category:   PowerToys

The Microsoft Power Toys is a collection of utilities that includes the following:

Tweak is a powerful array of dialogs to change system settings. It's control panel includes the following dialogs:
We will be covering each of these items in extensive detail in subsequent tips.

Tip 83   PowerToys - Definition and loading instructions Category:   PowerToys

Power Toys.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/common/aa2729.htm
Do you have a modem, Internet access, and a few seconds to read this tip? Then you're only minutes away from having all of the Windows 95 PowerToys on your system. The Windows 95 PowerToys were designed by the Microsoft Windows Shell Development Team because 'there can never be enough shortcuts for getting stuff done.' Microsoft presents these tools as freeware on their web site. Just point your web browser to the Microsoft site and follow the Download Instructions. Step 4 of the instructions deserves a little explanation. When you right-mouse click each INF file and choose Install, a few of them will present you with a dialog box saying you need to restart your system. Click No. (You'll do it when you're done.) And a few of the INF files will present you with informational dialog boxes when you install them. Read what's there (if you have an hour), but then close them; the installation won't proceed until you do. When you've finished all 14, restart Windows 95. You've officially installed the PowerToys. If you'd like to take a shortcut method of getting the PowerToys installed, along with some training in their use, see the monthly special and give us a call.

Tip 84   PowerToys - DeskMenu features Category:   PowerToys

DeskTop Menu Icon. Now let's look at some of these toys in action. After installing PowerToys, you'll notice three new icons in the tray of your Taskbar, one of which is DeskMenu (the desk icon--the one with the lamp). If you don't want this icon to appear whenever you start Windows 95, you'll need to remove its icon from your StartUp folder. DeskMenu is a pop up menu of your desktop items. No matter how many windows you have open, you can access anything on your desktop without minimizing windows. Just click the DeskMenu icon and select the item you need. And if, for some reason, you need to get to the actual desktop, DeskMenu can help you get there faster. Click the icon, choose Minimize All Windows, and every open window shrinks to the Taskbar. To restore them all, click the DeskMenu icon and choose Undo Minimize All. To close DeskMenu, click its icon and choose Exit DeskMenu. To get it back, double-click its icon in the Power folder you placed on your desktop (or wherever you've moved it to), or wait until you start Windows 95 again.

Tip 85   PowerToys - QuickRes features Category:   PowerToys

QuickRes Icon. One of the icons you'll notice in the tray of your Taskbar is Quick Res (the one that looks like a computer screen). If you don't want this icon to appear whenever you start Windows 95, you'll need to remove its icon from your StartUp folder. If you thought you could change your desktop resolution on the fly using the Display Properties dialog box, wait'll you see QuickRes. Click its icon, select one of the resolutions in the popup list, and the change happens right before your eyes. Notice the popup list shows which resolutions your system will allow based on your color palette setting. Assuming you don't want to change your color palette, select any resolution that lists the current palette next to it. To change both the resolution and the color palette, select the right combination in the list. However, when you do, only the resolution will change right then; the color change won't appear until you restart Windows.


Copyright 1997, MicroMetric, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Permission to copy in total, with this statement and copyright, is hereby granted.

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