The update manager and the Windows Update Web site keep a log of each update and automatically detect which ones you haven’t yet installed. If you want to see (or uninstall) your installed options:

1. From the Windows Update home page, click Product Updates.
2. Click Show All. You’ll see Already Installed to the right of installed options and, for those options that have it, an Uninstall button.
3. Click Download History to see the log of downloads for your computer.

A: In Windows Explorer, the default View menu gives you four options: Large Icons, Small Icons, List, or Details. There is a fifth view called Thumbnails, which shows miniature images of graphics files (such as Microsoft PowerPoint® presentations, Web documents, and other file types) in an Explorer window. To enable thumbnails for a folder:

1. Right-click the folder and click Properties.
2. Select Enable thumbnail view.
3. When you open the folder in Windows Explorer, from the View menu, click Thumbnail View.

A: Yes. In any open folder window:

1. Set View options the way you want them to be for all folders (for example, Details and Arrange Icons By Date).
2. From the View menu, click Folder Options.
3. Click the View tab.
4. Click Like Current Folder, click Yes to confirm, and click OK.
   

Many newer computers support power schemes, which allow you to turn off your monitor and hard disk, and put your computer on standby. For laptops, power schemes allow you to select different settings for when you’re plugged in and when you’re running on batteries. To set power schemes:

1. From the Start menu, point to Settings and click Control Panel.
2. Open Power Management.
3. Click the Power Schemes tab.
4. Select a power scheme and make adjustments to the preset options.
5. Click Apply and then OK.

To give you freedom of choice, Windows 98 installs a desktop shortcut and files for you to set up several popular national online services. But once you’ve chosen and installed the one (or more) that you want, free up disk space by removing the rest (every little bit of extra disk space helps). To remove online services, first drag the Online Services desktop shortcut to the Recycle Bin and then:

1. From the Control Panel, open Add/Remove Programs.
2. Click the Windows Setup tab.
3. Select Online Services and click Details.
4. Clear the services you don’t want and click OK.
5. Click Apply and then OK.
   

TweakUI (short for "tweak user interface") is a utility that allows you to change desktop settings beyond the basic. It gives you control over animation, desktop icons that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to modify (such as the Recycle Bin and Network Neighborhood), the mouse, Explorer windows, and other desktop features. It is available on the Windows 98 CD, but not automatically installed. To install TweakUI:

1. Open the Windows 98 CD in My Computer and locate the Tools/Reskit/Powertoy folder.
2. Right-click tweakui.inf and click Install.

Once installed, to use the program, open TweakUI from the Control Panel.

If Windows 98 isn’t operating the way you think it should, there’s a handy utility called System File Checker that sifts through vital system files and informs you of the ones not installed correctly or corrupted. System File Checker restores files with a backup for what it replaces. Best of all, you can customize System File Checker to monitor your important files. To start System File Checker:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, Accessories, and System Tools, and click System Information.
2. From the Tools menu, click System File Checker.
3. Select Scan for altered files and click Start.

If you have trouble seeing small icons, text, and windows on your screen, new Windows Accessibility Wizard can be of great benefit. You can set your menus, windows, and icons to default to a larger size. Also, the Microsoft Magnifier can show you a magnified view of the area where your cursor is scrolling at the top of the screen. Click Start, point to Programs, Accessories, and Accessibility, and click Accessibility Wizard. Then follow the instructions in the wizard.

NOTE: If you don’t see Accessibility Wizard, it’s not installed. To install the wizard, insert your Windows 98 CD and follow these steps:

1. From the Control Panel, open Add/Remove Programs.
2. Click the Windows Setup tab.
3. Select Accessibility and click Details.
4. Select Accessibility Tools, and click Apply and OK.
5. Restart your computer to make the change take effect.

A: When you first install Windows 98, you should get a prompt to set up the maintenance wizard for the first time, setting the schedule for when you want your PC to automatically perform ScanDisk, Disk Defragmenter, and Disk Cleanup. If not, or if you want to run it another time:

1. Click Start, point to Programs, Accessories, and System Tools, and click Maintenance Wizard.
2. Select Perform Maintenance Now and click OK.

Windows 98 comes with a system tool called Net Watcher. You can keep track of who is using files on your computer and which files they have open and for how long. You can view sharing permissions for your computer’s drives and folders, monitor usage on a different computer, or disconnect users from your computer. To use Net Watcher, click Start, point to Settings, Programs, Accessories, and System Tools, and click Net Watcher.

NOTE: If Net Watcher is not installed, open Add/Remove Programs from the Control Panel, click the Windows Setup tab, and select System Tools to install.

A: Most likely, the Microsoft Network Client is not installed. To install it, have your Windows 98 CD handy and:

1. From the Control Panel, open Network.
2. On the Configuration tab, click Add and then Client.
3. Click Add again.
4. Select Microsoft in the vendor list on the left and Client for Microsoft Networks on the right, and click OK to install.
5. After installation, choose Client for Microsoft Networks as your Primary Network Logon and click OK.

A: If your computer is part of a network, logging off and back on for different users helps keep network security tight. If your computer is a stand-alone home PC, you can get rid of the Log Off option:

1. Install TweakUI (see tip above).
2. From the Control Panel, open TweakUI.
3. Click the IE4 tab.
4. Clear Allow logoff, click OK, and restart to make the change take effect.

The Menu bar, Links bar, and Address bar added to your toolbar in Microsoft Internet Explorer can take up too much screen real estate. For more space, close any bar (right-click any free space in the bar and clear the one you want to remove). If you want to use a bar but not have it take up so much space, move it to the toolbar line:

1. Point to the vertical line on the left side of the bar you want to move.
2. When the cursor changes to a double-headed arrow, click and drag the toolbar up to the top line.

When you want to use one of the bars, double-click the same vertical line and that bar will expand. Double-click it again to collapse it.

A: Yes, there’s a single keystroke — the F11 function key.

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

In Windows 98, you can give nearly any folder a different background using the Customize This Folder wizard. When you open the window, your icons will be set against a picture or graphic background of your choice. To add a special folder background, such as a corporate logo or personal picture:

1. Open the folder you want to customize.
2. From the View menu, click Customize this Folder.
3. Select Choose a background picture and click Next.
4. Select one of the backgrounds available in the list, or click Browse to find one of your own pictures, and click Next.
5. Click Finish.

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

Windows Update in Windows 98 allows you to keep your computer up to date with the latest service releases, drivers, system files, and more. Click Start, point to Settings, and click Windows Update. When you reach Microsoft’s Update Web site, click Product Updates to get started.

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

A: To turn off selected desktop effects for a lean and clean desktop:

1. Right-click your desktop, select Active Desktop™ and click Customize My Desktop.
2. Click the Effects tab.
3. Clear the Animate windows, menus, and lists and Show window contents while dragging options.
   

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