Windows Your Way

Windows Me Start-Up Kit

If you've been using Windows for awhile, you'll find Microsoft's new Me version very familiar. But like a new pair of shoes, Win Me needs some breaking in before you'll feel comfortable with it. Here are a few pointers for getting off on the right foot. For tips on how to transit from 98 to Me, see this month's Upgrade Guide.

Hidden Menu Options

Windows Me hides options on the Start menu's Programs list that you haven't used recently. They're not deleted--they're just filed away so the menu won't spread across the screen. To see the full menu, click the double down arrows at the end of the shortened menu, or hover the mouse over the menu. To disable the feature, click Start, Settings, Taskbar & Start Menu, and uncheck Use personalized menus.

Hardware/Software Compatibility

Microsoft claims that Windows Me is compatible with anything that works with Windows 98--and more. Of course, no new operating system is bug-free. Before upgrading, check the list of Win Me-compatible hardware. You can also check Microsoft's list of compatible programs and a dedicated Windows Me help page. The Windows Me installation CD-ROM has a file called Add-ons/Document/Textfile/Programs.txt that discusses Windows Me-related issues with software such as Photoshop, CuteFTP, and NetSonic. If you've installed Win Me already, find Programs.txt in the Windows folder.

Clipboard Viewing

Few people know that Windows has a Clipboard Viewer for reviewing images and text that have been cut from or pasted into any application. That's because no version of Windows--including Windows Me--installs it by default. To set Clipboard Viewer up, select Start, Settings, Control Panel, and choose Add/Remove Programs. Next, under the Windows Setup tab, select System Tools, and click Details. Scroll to and select Clipboard Viewer, and then click OK until Windows installs the component. (To accomplish this step, you may first have to put the Windows CD-ROM in its drive.) To view the contents of the clipboard, select Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click the Clipboard Viewer item.

System Health, Speed

If your system takes a noticeable performance hit when you install Windows Me, a system-health setting called System Restore is probably responsible. This feature monitors and preserves your system settings, so when something goes wrong you can roll your system back to a date when it worked. The monitoring slows down PCs with lower-end CPUs and slow hard drives--and it's switched on by default (unless your disk or Windows System partition has less than 200MB of free space). To turn it off, select Start, Settings, Control Panel, choose System properties, click the Performance tab, and click File System. Under the Troubleshooting tab, make sure that Disable System Restore is checked. To create a system restore point manually, pick Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore, select Create a restore point, click Next, and follow the instructions.

Music, Maestro

Whenever you load a music CD or open an .mp3 file, Windows Me loads the same program: Windows Media Player 7. It's bigger and more powerful than the older versions of Media Player--and it takes longer to load. If this delay has you tapping your feet for the wrong reason, install or restore a less-demanding application such as WinAmp to control your CD audio, WAV, MP3, and other sound formats. The quickest way to do this is to install the smaller app so that it associates itself with the relevant file extensions.

DOS Is for Dummies

The new party line at Microsoft is that booting to DOS is a bad thing, so you can't do it under Windows Me. Deleting this option shaves a couple of seconds from the operating system's load time, but some system-level tools (such as BIOS upgrade patches) won't work unless you boot to DOS. Windows Me gives you only one way to do this: Insert the start-up floppy disk you made when you installed the upgrade. If you've lost it, make a new one: Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, select Add/Remove Programs, click the Startup Disk tab, and slip a formatted disk into your floppy drive. Windows Me does the rest.

Automatic Updates

Windows Me downloads its own updates automatically during slack online time; then it notifies you when the updates are ready for installation. This is a great relief to some users--it's certainly more responsive than Windows 95/98's approach--but it wigs out other people who feel that it exposes their systems to forces beyond their control. Sensibly, Microsoft provides three Update settings to suit all paranoia levels. The default setting lets Windows Me automatically download updates and then ask if you're ready to install them. Under the second option, the OS checks whether any updates are available and asks your permission to download and install them. The third setting turns off all automatic updating and requires a visit to Microsoft's Windows Update page to update your OS. To change the default, select Start, Settings, Control Panel, and click Automatic Updates.