Welcome to the Microsoft Windows 95 Video Guide. This unique program will help teach you how to use many of the most important features of the new Windows 95 operating system. Our guide is separated into three sections. In section one, you'll get more than a few laughs as we present the world's first cyber sitcom starring two of television's hottest comedy personalities, Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry. They'll be taking you on an adventure in computing that takes place in the office of Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. Along the way, they meet a wacky bunch of propeller heads and are introduced to the top 25 features of Windows 95. The pace is fast and funny, but don't worry if you miss anything. In section two, we'll take you on a step-by-step review of all the Windows 95 components demonstrated in section one. In just about 15 minutes, you'll get a close-up view of how to work in the new Windows 95 environment and will become familiar with the speed, power, ease, and compatibility of Windows 95. Finally, in our third section, Microsoft answers the 20 most asked questions about Windows 95. So get ready for a few laughs and some great information. Next up, the world's first cyber sitcom. So I told her, I'm not made of money. You pay for the band. Your son's getting my daughter for pretty cheap too, I might add. Ah, Microsoft's fifth floor. Ladies, modems, children's shareware, and our bridal peripheral salon. Wow. Taskbar's an email and shortcuts, oh my. Taskbar's an email and shortcuts, oh my. Taskbar's an email and shortcuts, oh my. Taskbar's an email and shortcuts, oh my. Ah, the Wicked Witch of Windows 95. Okay, Myra, I'll get back to you, darling. All right, bye-bye. I heard that and you are? This is Jennifer Anderson. I'm Matthew Perry. We're here to see Mr. Bill Gates about a possible starring role in the video guide to Microsoft Windows 95. He's out right now, honey, but you can wait in his office. Out? Out? Out. But in his absence, he asked me, his loyal assistant, Bernice Keppelman, to act as host and give you a peek under the hood at Windows 95. I was very involved in the project, you know. You? Well, I kept asking the boss to clean up his windows, you know, update, redecorate, clean reviews. He took my advice. Of course, I was talking about the windows in his office and he was talking about the other windows. You know, the operating system with tens of millions of users. Oh, stop with the clapping. Oh, we thought it was customary maybe to clap when entering Mr. Gates' office. He was just turning the lights on. So, this is where the magic happens, huh? The ground zero personal computing. The nerve center of the world's biggest software company. I mean, the atmosphere resonates with anticipation of mythical achievement. A mythical achievement right now would be an unshoe number two pencil. Honey, we'll nosh soon, but if you want the job, spend some time looking at Windows 95. What do you know about the system? Uh, well, I dabble with the old windows a little bit. And you? Oh, I'm still mastering pong. Sweetie, why don't you sit in at Bill's terminal? Okay, so this is Bill Gates' computer. I mean, that is like using Wayne Gretzky's hockey stick, you know? Oddly enough, none of it seems to rub off. Look, I meant for her to sit at the keyboard for a reason, Windows 95 is goof proof. We might have to mount a legal challenge, you know? Naturally, Bill's already installed Windows 95 and has booted up. Just hit any key and you'll see it right behind the screen saver. Any key? So I could basically fall on this thing and it would get started? Yeah, but don't, okay? All right. Oh, pretty. Oh, and no messy DOS buildup. What is this, a paper towel commercial? There are four things you ought to know about Windows 95. It's easier, it's faster, it's more powerful, and it's got great compatibility. Now point the mouse at the start button bottom left and click. Oh, look, Maddie, I'm computing. Hmm. Okay, now what's that button? Don't touch that. Whatever you do, stay away from that button. Or you'll go blind? Worse, way worse. Now, getting back to the menu, it's the best I've seen since they closed Lindy's in New York. From the top, you've got programs, which with a little drag on the mouse, cascades into a submenu that allows you to quickly launch many of your programs. This replaces program manager in the old Windows. It's way better. Well, what happens when you like had the old Windows and then installed Windows 95? That's a good question, honey. Okay, and where's the button that instantly kills anybody that calls me honey? When you upgrade from Windows 3.1, old program manager groups are transferred automatically to this menu. Oh, well, that's easier than changing dry cleaners. I mean, you know, you always leave something behind. Now below that is your documents menu, which contains your recently used documents. So that means you can get back to work on a file faster. Precisely. Now, settings gets you to the new improved control panel, your printers folder, and allows you to customize the taskbar. The fine feature is all new on Windows 95. It's a fast way to find files or folders. Help is right there at your fingertips and run allows you to start up any program with a command. Finally, shutdown provides easy and safe shutdown and restart. Okay, now let's load up the taskbar. I'll show you what it does. Taskbar? Is that anything like a Snickers bar? Does that have nougat? What is nougat? Does anybody know that? I saw that Mr. G had his personal five year projection in Excel, our top selling spreadsheet software in the document menu. The Microsoft game plan. No, his golf game genius. He's trying to break 80 by the end of the decade. Now, Jen, open that Excel plan right off the documents menu. Okay. Now let's use the new max and min feature in the upper right side of the window to minimize this document. Yeah, and there's also an X. Well, the X will allow you to close any program or document, but we want to keep the plan file on the taskbar so we just minimize. Okay, click on the little notch. The taskbar keeps as many active windows at your fingertips as you want. I'll show you. Now, let's get into my computer. Your computer? No, Bill's my computer. I thought Bill was your boss. Okay, before this becomes a classic and hideous va-ville routine, let's move on. Okay. The my computer feature, new to Windows 95, allows you to manage stuff on your computer like files and folders. Let's open it up. Now click on the hard drive. Now open the folder called Bill's Poetry Workshop. Oh, let's open the word file called Ode to Christmas. Very good. Oh, hey, there's only one line. Well, why don't we write something to the boss? Let's make a copy we can work on. Touch and close it. Go back to the edit menu and drag it down to copy, then paste. Oh, this is so trippy. Yes, I think that's the word Bill would use to describe the result of several hundred thousand man hours of R&D. All right, so how do we finish this poem? I got an idea. Come on, let me, let me, let me, let me, let me. Something I'm kind of, you know, fooling around with. Was the night before Christmas and all through the warehouse, not a single piece of Microsoft merchandise was stirring, not even a mouse. Oh, please. I know. It gets me too. Okay, short fellow, let's close that file. Now click on the icon, then click on the name. This allows you to rename the file. Let's rename it We Wish You A Merry Christmas. I like it. I don't. There's something you will like. You know what it is? I know. Round noser. That name is longer than 8.3 characters. You know, for a lot of people, this feature alone is worth the price of admission to Windows 95. No more personal codes. Just name your files and folders any way you like. You know, I remember losing entire essays in college because I couldn't remember their file names. You know, I just zoned out. I've lost entire relationships that same way. Really? Oh, you don't want to go there. Ah. With Windows 95, you can use file names of up to 250 characters. Now, do we really want to leave that poem for Bill? I think we'll just delete it. Okay, go ahead. For my art, my vision. It's my vision. You're destroying it. Did I mention that it's my vision? Oh. Oh, relax, Jen. Check out the recycle bin over there on the desktop. See? It's there in the recycle bin. You can delete it, leave it there for future considerations, or you can immediately get it back by doing undo delete. Okay, so the recycle bin is like an enabler for the indecisive. And undo is the way we were of computing? And she brushes his bangs at the end. Oh. Okay, excuse me. Man in the room, no strizan. We talked about that. Oh, okay. Meanwhile, check out all the stuff we've loaded onto the taskbar. Bill's golf plan in Excel. Recycle bin. My computer. Now, just click on any of these buttons. So then the taskbar allows you to switch back and forth between Windows. Told you I could teach anybody Windows 95. Well, don't start handing out diplomas just yet. Let me show you what multitasking is. First, I'm going to play a sound clip. Then I'm going to search for all the documents that contain the word retirement. What are the odds of finding that word in this guy's office? He's got meetings booked into his next life. Finally, I'll copy Bill's journals for the last 10 years to a new file folder. This is multitasking. See, everything is happening at the same time. Are you with me? Uh, in a Bert and Ernie kind of way. Oh, gosh! Who's that? I don't know, but could he be any larger? It's Boris, the window washer. Well, what's he saying? Oh, uh, Windows. Window. He knows Windows. Oh, I know Windows. Oh! Boris is the true Windows expert at Microsoft. My God! He is a large, large man. That man must be on a plank of steel. Well, Boris is also an expert at drive-through Windows. Oh, all right. Now, remember when I said I was hungry? That hasn't changed. Oh, well, you know, Bill owes us lunch. What do you feel like? Chinese? Oh, I don't know. I'm not sure I'm in the mood for any of the eases. Now, how about some of the eons, like Italian, Indian, Tunisian? OK, it's Chinese already. We've got the menu right up there. Let's close those programs and minimize Bill's hard drive. Now, go to the Documents menu and open up the file Chinese food. Bill must have used it recently. Oh, OK. Well, I'll just check off some selections here. Cashew chicken, Szechuan beef, and Mooshu pork. You know what's interesting about Mooshu, if I could just take a second? It's very good only when it's together, because moo, you know, not good, and shu, that doesn't taste good at all, but Mooshu together, that's an afternoon delight, a top-notch food experience. You OK there, Mooshu? Yeah. OK. Why don't you fax it on through to the restaurant? You can fax through a computer. Oh, yeah. Well, there's fax software built right in there. Why don't you guys find out for yourselves? This is where the Help menu comes in handy. All right, then. It's either the Help menu or 911. Why don't we put that Chinese menu on the taskbar and open up Help? OK, let me do it. All right, eager, eager. OK, so Help appears to be configured like Find with three different options. So you got your contents, which look like a table of contents, your index, which lists topics alphabetically, and your Find, which is a full-text search. So I guess we just punch in the word Fax, right? Yes, we are that lazy. OK, look, here's how you do it. So Program Menu, Accessories, Fax, Compose New Fax. So first we'll type in the name and the fax number. Then we'll use Bill's cover sheet and sure is slightly better service, you know. And then we'll attach our Chinese menu. And then finish. And it's gone. Not bad for a rookie. Windows, I know about Windows. Hey, Boris is in the house. How's that for hip Hollywood talk, huh? I love you guys. You guys are so cool, man. How about a complimentary squeegee? No thanks, we just order Chinese. Boris, they're here to talk to Bill about working on a video for Windows 95. Now, I've been ramping him up, but maybe you could like... You want me to show them Plug and Play? Oh, my pleasure, Bernice baby. Plug and Play, now what is that, some kind of hair replacement for kids? No, no, no, it's a major new feature that makes installing printers, modems, sound cards, and other new hardware a snap. I have here, ULIT Packard LaserJet 4L. I'm going to shut down the computer like so. Power up the printer. Stick in the printer cable. And then power up. Watch screen. Look out. Well, we don't have any CDs or flappies. I believe that's called flappies. That's what I said. No, no, you said flappies. I did not. Okay, you were there, you heard her say flappies, so I'm not crazy. I never leave home without a quick insert, and Windows 95, having recognized the printer, will copy the drivers of the CD onto the hard disk. So you mean I can plug and play every printer in the world? No, for older hardware, legacy hardware, recall it, you install printer yourself. Oh, so that means we have to use that very confusing control panel icon like on old Windows? No, now we have printer installation wizard. Well, that's more inspiring than printer installation ogre. Now, we just double-click add printer into the printer folder. Look at screen. On the left we have manufacturers listing, on the right we have models. Oh, getting it, getting it. Click on manufacturer and we see all the models. Once we have a match, we click next. Okay, losing it, losing it. All we do is follow the dialog boxes in the wizard. Okay, getting it back, getting it back. Truly impressive. For that, Boris, you can stay and have a bite with us. Lunch, oh, I think I love you. Mail's here. Hello, Boris. Hello, Ms. Kaplan. The mail is here. Hey, Chipster. Even the mail room guys look like gates. Prepping pods, people. Hey, theChipster at Microsoft.com. TheChipster at Microsoft.com. You know, I think you're on to something. TheChipster here is responsible for some of the communications features of Windows 95. So, you want to take a little back-lit drive through the roads of the Microsoft network? I'll keep both hands on the keyboard, I promise. Smooth, very smooth. Thanks. But I think I'm going to have to go with no. Okay. Listen to what we say in advertising. Where do you want to go today? Think of Windows 95 and me as the vehicle to get you there. Okay, Chipster, here's a little tip. I love a man who gives up easy. Communicating online is the hot boom right now. And the Microsoft network is your on-ramp to the information superhighway. It offers everything from shopping to discussion with other people in areas like finance, sports, hobbies, books and movies. So, it's kind of like issue-specific party lines? Is she naive or what? No. Couldn't have said it better myself. Would you like a side of bacon with the egg on your face? All right. Let's click on the MSN icon. I'll log on with my name and password. Now we're dialing. The network is especially important for Windows 95 users because it'll have software support forums running all the time. Okay, the choices on screen include MSN Today, email and favorite places. Hey, why don't we send some email over the Internet to my buddy Tim. He'd freak if he knew we were here. Oh, no, not that guy in the grunge band. Grunge, excuse me. It's alternative heavy metal vinyl redux. Hello. Cool. Okay, they record on the harsh label. I think I know his Internet email address, tim at harsh dot com. Okay, let's type his name on the to line and we'll come up with a message. Well, let's invite him over. This is Bill Gates' office, not a rave party. This is a once in a lifetime thing. Okay, Tim, we are hanging out in Bill Gates' office. Why don't you come over, bring the new CD and video and then just hit the send icon and away it goes. Absolutely. Now that we've done that, let's explore the Microsoft network. Okay, sports, let's download some Ukrainian hockey cards or hook up with some college football fans. Jennifer, do you like cats? No. Then you're going to love this. Did I just say that? Oh, look, in there's the pence area. I see where this is going. Stop him, please. Ah, the scratching post. Pull the plug. Is there anybody in charge here? Oh, boy, an entire gallery of cat zoners photos. Do they have an audio tour with this? Let's look at buttons. Oh, doo-doo-poop-poop. Oh, now you've lost any chance you might have ever had. Hey, the pinkie duck wagon is coming. Your food's here, you're saved. I don't think I'm really hungry anymore. 20 minutes ago we were ready to throw you a telephone. Now you're not hungry? Hey, yeah, it's Jeff Lee. Listen, pal, the Steven Seagal fan club is down the hall. I'm getting Southern California. I guess you are here for some Windows 95 interface therapy. No, no, I don't think my HMO covers that. Hey, listen to the man. He's got a Zen spin on Windows 95. Look at our menu. Column A always complements Column B. Protein on the right, carbs on the left. Elements stay the same. But the combinations, choices, are indeed infinite. Creativity is challenged. Wow, well, it's kind of like an interactive fortune cookie, wouldn't you say? Yes, I would. The tools are same for everyone, but no two people view the world exactly the same through the Windows 95 system. You ever try any right-clicking? Well, there was some peer pressure back when I was a freshman. Most right-handed people use the left mouse key as their primary tool. Since right-handed people rule the world with the left side of their brain, we are trapped inside their rigid rules. But Microsoft Windows 95 allows for the influence of the right brain and the lefty in all of us. Right-clicking is the end result of all that. In other words, do you want to get funky? It's a little early for funky, and you happen to be terrifying me to my very soul. Windows 95 uses the right mouse button for what Microsoft calls power user features. Check this out. Right-click on the desktop, then Properties. Let's change the screen resolution on the fly. That is so cool. Now, mess around with it. Go to the task bar and right-click it. Okay, right-click it. So I'll just tile horizontally here. Or maybe I'll undo tile. Whatever I want. It's kind of my show here. Now, we go into my computer and open any file. I've got something Bill calls the Nova from a black hole. It's probably not important. We'll just throw that away. Now, drag the file out of the window onto the desktop using the right mouse button, then create a shortcut. Oh, no. No, there are no shortcuts. There are no shortcuts in this world. There's a very, very long, long road. Not in Windows. Let me show you Windows Explorer briefly. All right, now I hear this replaces the file manager. Well, I hope you found him a new position in the company. I mean, that guy's got a family. You know? Consider Windows Explorer the file manager on steroids. Let's go to it through the Start button. Wow. So now the left side shows the drives and folders? Now, just drag and drop any file to any folder or drive you want. It's a great way to manage your files. Okay, now, if memory serves, you couldn't do this in the old Windows without opening a bunch of file manager windows. That is correct, Grasshopper. Let me give you one more tip. Take any shortcut and drag it to the Start button. Okay, well, I'll grab the shortcut to Nova from a black hole. Here we go. Now show me the Start menu. Survey says the shortcut is now on the top of the Start menu. We are rocking the desktop. You did not just say rocking the desktop. No. You said rocking with a little apostrophe on the end. No, I didn't. You... Go to the task bar and right-click any program. Okay, got it. Now we can close just like that and... Look, it moves. Hmm. Now let's really get crazy. Go into the control panel off the hard drive in my computer. Let's check out desktop themes. What is this? Actually, it's not part of Windows 95. There are some really cool displays that come with a companion program from Windows 95 called Microsoft Plus. Now dial up American 60s and hit display. Aw, psychedelic. People, we have an announcement. Stay away from the brown floppies. With Windows 95, you can pretty much impose your will on your PC and the world. You're all so empowered. It's Joystick Johnny. Joystick Johnny. What brings you to town, Buckaroo? Where's Gates? Bill's not here, Johnny. We don't want no trouble. Joystick Johnny? What is a Joystick Johnny? The most feared video game warrior in the territory. He's probably heard that the new multimedia support for Windows 95 makes games fast and cool. And of course Windows 95 is compatible with DOS games like Flight Simulator. That's yesterday's news to Johnny. Somebody better step up and volunteer. We start fitting everyone here for one-man bungalows. How about that stranger over there? He looks like he's hiding something. Okay, first of all, I'm Matthew, so that takes care of the stranger thing. Second of all, I'm not hiding anything. As a matter of fact, I'm working on expose right now to blow the lid off the sitcom business. Yeah, well, nobody's leaving until somebody's mad about the Joystick Johnny. Okay, Junior, you're on. Oh, girl. Hardy har har. Oh, no. See, that's a coward's laugh. Nobody calls Joystick Johnny a coward, ma'am. Lee, bring up 3D Pinball. Ha ha ha. So, uh, what's 3D Pinball? You mean you've never played that? No. No. Oh, wait a minute. No. Nobody has. It's a new game in Microsoft Plus. So, uh, so the kid was bluffing? Well, let's hope so. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Ha ha ha. Hey, Johnny. Ha ha ha. Oh. Yes. Oh, I love it. Yes. Oh. Smooth. Target achieved. Isn't that what the kids say? You're on my list, Missy. Ha ha ha. It's Puff the Magic Dragon. Ha ha ha. Yo, Matt. How you doing, brother? Jim, you brought the band. I did? Oh, wow. I thought I was being stalked. You guys bring your video? Ha ha ha. Totally digital. Oh, but on a CD, though. How can we play it? Not that you were invited, but you could use Windows 95. It's got full screen, full motion video. No more of that postage stamp-sized screen and cheesy 16-bit movement. But I'm warning you, one spin and you're out of here. Just don't want to riot when the boss gets back. Hey, maybe we can jam with the shareholders when we get off work. Not on my watch. Just pop it in and away we go. All right. MUSIC Hey, you want an egg? Want a neck? All right. I'll tell you something, I've learned so much, I feel like I've already been a part of the Windows 95 video. Yeah, I know. It's an incredible program, isn't it? Yeah, and the best thing is we've met some incredibly freakish and frightening people. Uh-huh, and you know what, Matty? I'm feeling kind of nutty, I'm feeling kind of kooky. Yeah? So you know what I think I'm going to do? What? I think I'm going to press that red button. Really? Uh-huh. Oh! Ha ha ha! Let's see you play! Oh! On TV, dudes! Windows! I know Windows! Hey! I told you people to stay away from the brown floppies. Well, what happened? I don't know. I mean, you pressed a button and people got zapped into the computer and now, uh... What do we do? Leave? Yeah, I guess we can see Bill tomorrow, right? Yeah. Okay. You know, this is going to sound kind of strange, but I'm kind of going to miss Joyce St. John. Oh, are you, Matty? Hey, Matty! What's going on? I said floppy. You said flappy. No, I didn't. I said floppy. You said flappy. Floppy. Floppy? Why would I say flappy? You say potato, I say potato, you say floppy, I say potato. Say it, say it, say it. Now that you've had a few laps, let's review what we've learned about Windows 95. After you start your computer, you'll see a brand new desktop in Windows 95. It's made up of the task bar found at the bottom of the screen and various icons. My computer, the recycle bin, and depending on your configuration, it might include the inbox where Microsoft Exchange resides, network neighborhood, and the Microsoft network icon. Point the mouse at the Start button at the bottom left and click. There's no need to double-click. A single click will do. This is called the Start menu. From the top, you've got Programs, which with a little drag on the mouse, cascades into a submenu listing many of the programs on the hard disk. You don't have to hold the mouse button down, just move it. This menu replaces Program Manager in the old Windows. Below that is your Documents menu, which contains your recently used documents. That means you can get back to work on a file faster. Settings gets you to the new improved control panel, your printer's folder, and allows you to customize the task bar. The Find feature is all new on Windows 95. It's a fast way to find files or folders. Help is right there at your fingertips. Help is configured like Find with three different options. You've got your Contents, which looks like a table of contents, your Index, which lists topics alphabetically, and your Find, which is a full-text search. Run allows you to start up any program with a command. Shutdown does just that. It allows for a safe shutdown, restart, and log off from a network. Let's get back to the task bar. The objective of the task bar is to make switching between multiple applications in Windows as simple as changing the channel on a television set. Whenever you open a window, it resides on the task bar. To change between windows and tasks, just click on the task bar button you want, and you're in. Let's take a look at the new window design. In the upper right-hand corner is the new Max and Min feature. To minimize this document, click on the left box. To maximize, click on the middle box. To close any program or document, click on the X. The My Computer feature, new to Windows 95, allows you to manage stuff on your computer like files and folders. Double-click on the icon to open it up. It gives you access to all your drives, the new control panel, the printer's folder, and other applications, depending upon your configuration. It makes browsing your PC fast and easy. You can now rename any files that can be renamed directly from the desktop. Just click on the icon once, then click on the name. A box will open up allowing you to type in the new name. This is a real time saver when you are working on two versions of the same document. One of the most anticipated advances in Windows 95 is support for long file names. For a lot of people, this feature alone is worth the price of admission. No more need for personal codes. No more 8.3 character limits. Just name your files and folders any way you like. With Windows 95, you can use file names of up to 250 characters. The Recycle Bin is also new to Windows 95. Now deleted files are moved to the Recycle Bin, awaiting your further instructions. You can immediately get the file back by going into Edit and clicking Undo Delete, or you can drag it out and put it into another location, or leave it in Recycle Bin for future considerations until you decide to empty the bin. Everyone is talking about multitasking. While the old Windows had some form of multitasking, Windows 95 has true multitasking. It allows applications to run at the same time without interrupting each other. Windows 95, in conjunction with Microsoft Exchange, allows for the user to send and receive faxes directly from the desktop. In case you missed it the first time, here's how you send a fax. Go into the Program menu, go to the Accessories submenu, go to Fax, and then Compose New Fax. Type in the name and fax number, add a cover sheet, add a note, even attach a file. Hit Finish and away it goes. Of course, you'll need a modem to do this. Plug and Play is a major new feature that makes installing printers, modems, sound cards, and other new hardware a snap. Windows 95 has been designed to recognize thousands of hardware devices the instant you plug it in. To install any device that is plug and play compatible, power down, attach it to your computer, and then power up. Watch the screen, insert the Windows 95 CD or floppy, and the system, having recognized the new hardware, will copy the drivers onto the hard drive. For older hardware, legacy hardware we call it, you install the hardware yourself. To add a printer, just double click Add Printer in the printer folder. You can get to it through My Computer or Settings on the Start menu. Look at the screen. On the left we have the manufacturer listing, and on the right we have Models. Click on a manufacturer and then scan through the models. Once you have a match, you click Next. All you have to do is follow the dialog boxes in the Wizard. You can install new hardware to your system just as easily using the Add New Hardware Wizard. The Microsoft Network is your on-ramp to the information superhighway. It offers everything from shopping to discussion with other people in areas of the world. You can also have a discussion with other people in areas like finance, sports, hobbies, books, and movies. To access the Microsoft Network, you'll need a modem and a phone line. Once this is set, click on the MSN icon. You'll receive instructions on how to register electronically. Once you've signed up, anytime you want to surf the net, double click on the icon, lock in with your code name and password, and you'll be connected. On screen currently include MSN Today, email, and favorite places. Browse around. You never know who you'll meet. One of the major features of the Microsoft Network is the ability to send and receive electronic mail or email. Click on the email bar and a dialog box will appear. In the two box, type in the name of the person you're sending mail to. Type in his or her electronic address, write a letter, and hit the send icon. You can receive email as well through the Microsoft Network and Microsoft Exchange. Windows 95 contains what we refer to as Power User Features. This allows for the user to customize his or her computer. One of the major tools is right-clicking. Go to any icon, folder, the desktop, the taskbar, and right-click it. You'll find a whole array of Power User options. Here's just a few. Right-click on the desktop, then Properties. You can adjust your background, load a screen saver, change the appearance of the desktop, even change the screen resolution on the fly. Go to the taskbar and right-click it. You can cascade your windows, tile your windows horizontally or vertically, then undo tile to get back to normal. Shortcuts are an extremely fast and useful tool for the Power User. You can create a shortcut to any object in the user interface and place it anywhere. Shortcuts are represented just like regular icons, except in the lower left corner there is a small jump arrow. Let's drag a file onto the desktop using the right mouse button. We can move the file there or copy the file or create a shortcut. Remember, a shortcut can be deleted without affecting the object to which it points. Take any shortcut and drag it to the Start button. It will now reside on top of the Start menu for easy access. Go to the taskbar and right-click any application. It will bring up a menu that will allow you to close it just like that. Let me show you Windows Explorer briefly, which replaces the File Manager in Windows 3.1. You can get to it via the Start button in Programs menu. Now the left side shows the drives and folders. Now just drag and drop any file to any folder or drive you want. It's a great way to manage your files. You can't do this in the old Windows without opening a bunch of File Manager windows. Go to the taskbar, click and hold down the left mouse button. Now move it anywhere you want. Cool, huh? Microsoft has created a companion program to Windows 95 called PLUS. One of its most spectacular features is the ability to dramatically change the look of the desktop. If you have this loaded, go into the control panel off the hard drive in My Computer. Click on Desktop Themes. There are many wonderful desktop themes. I particularly like American 60s. Multimedia support in Windows 95 makes games fast and cool. Because of Windows 95 32-bit architecture, it's ready to support the new 32-bit games being developed for the PC. And of course, Windows 95 is compatible with DOS games like Flight Simulator. Windows 95 has a wide range of multimedia support. The ability to play digital video is built right into Windows 95. It supports full screen, full motion video. No more postage stamp sized screens and cheesy 16-bit movement. It has a built-in CD player that allows you to play audio CDs right off your CD-ROM drive. Just pop it in and it will play automatically. Next up, we'll review the 20 most commonly asked questions about Windows 95. What are the system requirements for Windows 95? Windows 95 is designed to work with existing hardware. If you run Windows 95 on a 386DX computer with 4MB of memory, the minimum requirements, then your system will perform just as well as one running Windows 3.1. If you have a more powerful processor, such as a 486 or Pentium processor, or more memory, Windows 95 will outpace your current system under Windows 3.1. What hardware upgrades are necessary to use all of the new features of Windows 95? If your computer meets the requirements to run Windows 95, you'll be able to take advantage of many of the benefits of the new operating system without upgrading your machine. What do I look for to use Plug and Play? If you choose to upgrade hardware or peripherals, look for Plug and Play compatible devices, those bearing the design for Microsoft Windows 95 logo on the package. That means you can plug in the new equipment and the operating system will configure it automatically. Do I need to upgrade my current programs for Windows to take advantage of Windows 95? You don't need to upgrade your current software programs to run them in Windows 95. However, the 32-bit programs designed for Windows 95 take advantage of the added power and ease of use built into Windows 95. For example, 32-bit applications support preemptive multitasking and long file names. Look for software programs containing this functionality marked with a design for Windows 95 logo. Do I need new networking software to connect Windows 95 to my network server? No. If you're currently running Windows 3.1 and connecting to a server, Windows 95 will continue to run your existing networking software. If you're running Windows for Workgroups operating system, Windows 95 will enhance the 32-bit protected mode networking components in Windows for Workgroups for faster network response. How does Windows 95 connect to the Internet? Windows 95 contains the plumbing to connect to the Internet. Therefore, if you have a modem on your computer, you have three options. One, you can connect through the Microsoft network. Two, you can add Microsoft Plus to your system. This companion for Windows 95 gives you one-button access to the Internet as well as some free time on it through a preferred service provider. Three, you can manually connect by following these steps. A, obtain an Internet PPP or SLIP account, including a user name and password from an Internet service provider. B, use the control panel in Windows 95 to install TCP IP in the network option. C, type your user account information into the TCP IP property sheets. D, install dial-up networking from the Add, Remove Programs option in the control panel and define your service provider's connection to the Internet. Or, install a network adapter. Is it compatible with Macintosh? Can Windows 95 run Macintosh software? You cannot use Macintosh software on a PC running Windows 95. Some computer networks, such as Windows NT Server running Windows NT services for Macintosh, allow Windows-based computers and Macintosh computers to share files, printers, and electronic mail. What happens to my old version of MS-DOS and Windows if I install the upgrade version of Windows 95? Windows 95 will do some housekeeping when your existing environment is upgraded from MS-DOS and Windows 3.x. Windows 95 will upgrade your existing version of Windows and remove any unnecessary files. In addition, some MS-DOS command utilities will be replaced with newer ones provided with Windows 95. Can I stop monitoring system resources in Windows 95? Will it rid my computer of system resource limitations? Windows 95 greatly improves on system resource limitations. You will be able to run many more applications under Windows 95 than under Windows 3.x, and you'll be able to create more complex documents. System resources will no longer be a practical limitation for most customers in Windows 95. Will it finally do away with a 640K barrier? Applications for Windows and Windows 95 don't rely on real-mode memory, but the kind that lives in the first 640K of memory, and for even older-style MS-DOS-based applications and drivers that do, Windows 95 provides more memory to them than ever before. It'll depend on your configuration, but for most devices, Windows 95 will have protect-mode drivers that don't use MS-DOS for real-mode space. You'll have about 620 to 630K of memory free compared to 540 to 570K before. Will it be on both CD-ROM and floppy? Yes, for the first time, Microsoft is releasing a personal operating system on CD. If you own a CD-ROM drive, installation will be much more convenient with the CD version of Windows 95. Plus, the CD-ROM version of Windows 95 will include a game, not included on the floppy disk version. How much will it cost? The final street price of Windows is set by retailers. Microsoft estimates the upgrade version of the operating system will cost about $100. What is the fastest, easiest way to get it? The fastest way to get Windows 95 is through an authorized Microsoft retailer. Most retailers, including mail-order companies, will have copies of Windows 95 and other Windows 95-based products available on the release date. How do I add programs to the top of my Start Menu? The icons on the Start Menu are essentially shortcuts to the actual program. There are two ways to add programs to the top of the Start Menu. One, from Settings in the Start Menu, choose Taskbar. Select the property sheet for the Start Menu programs. Choose Add, then browse for the program which you wish to add. Select the location in the Start Menu you want the program icon to reside. For example, right on the Start Menu or in the Programs list, then click OK. Two, from the Programs folder, left button drag and drop the icon for the program onto the Start button. Will my Disk Repair and Maintenance Utilities still work with Windows 95? Disk Repair and Maintenance Utilities that were designed for earlier versions of DOS and Windows will probably not function correctly on Windows 95. This is a result of the enhancements made to the file systems to support long file names. You can use either ScanDisk, which is included in Windows 95, or you can contact your software vendor for information on Windows 95 utility updates. Can I use my existing Disk Compression software with Windows 95? Windows 95 will run successfully with most all of the major compression drivers in the market today. Simply install Windows 95 over your existing compression software, and the compressed drives will remain usable. If you have double space or drive space installed, Windows 95 will automatically update the compression driver. Your software vendor may also have plans to produce a protect mode compression driver for Windows 95. Protect mode drivers will significantly enhance performance. Should I install into my existing Windows directory or a different directory? Both are valid choices for setup. The advantage to installing into your existing Windows directory is that the previous settings and applications are migrated into the new installation. The advantage to installing Windows 95 into a different directory is that it preserves your previous DOS Windows configuration, allowing you to dual boot between both versions. The biggest disadvantage here is that you'll need to reinstall more of the applications on your system in order to put the proper support files in place, as well as the application settings in the any files and or the registry. How do I install MS Fax? To install Microsoft Fax during setup, when the accessory screen is displayed, go to MS Fax and put a check in the box. If you have not already selected MS Exchange, it will notify you of this and require that you select that option as well. To install Microsoft Fax after setup, go to Control Panel, double-click Add Remove Programs, and select the Windows Setup tab. From that tab, scroll the Accessories box to MS Fax and put a check in the box. If you have not already selected MS Exchange, it will notify you of this and require that you select that option as well. Please note, adding MS Exchange and MS Fax will require at least 10 megabytes of free space to install. How do I create shortcuts on the desktop? There are two ways to create a shortcut on the desktop. One, right mouse click on the desktop, not on an icon or other object, and select New Shortcut. Windows 95 will then ask you for the command line for the shortcut. Type in the correct command along with any special parameters, or browse to find the application you want the shortcut to. Click the Next button, and you'll be prompted for a name for the shortcut. So enter a name you'll recognize. When you have done this, click Finish. Two, open Explorer or My Computer, and find the application file or folder you want to create a shortcut for. Once you've found it, click the right mouse button and hold down while dragging the pointer to the desktop. This will bring up a menu with the option to create a shortcut. Choose this option, and it will create a shortcut on the desktop with a name of Shortcut To that application name. How do I boot to a C prompt? Turn on the computer or restart the computer. To restart a computer currently in Windows 95, place the pointer on Start and click the primary mouse button. Select Shut Down and restart the computer. Press the F8 key when you see Starting Windows 95, which appears briefly before the Windows 95 logo appears, and this will bring up the Boot menu. Select Command Prompt Only, and this will boot you to a C prompt. Music playing Music playing Music playing Music playing Music playing Music playing Music playing Music playing Music playing Music playing Music playing Music playing Music playing It's tough to find harmony when you're all alone. Music playing To make it happen, you have to use the right tools. Music playing Introducing Microsoft Office for Windows 95, the right tools for getting your job done. It's an entirely new suite of software applications for Microsoft, including Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Schedule Plus, designed to cross smoothly and easily over the boundaries between software applications. Office 95's integrated tools let you access the full power of your software so you can focus on getting your job done. Music playing Music playing Music playing