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BOOT CAMP 030
WINDOWS 98 PART 2
Having taken the decision to upgrade to Windows 98 the first
thing to do, before you even think about taking the CD-ROM out of its cover, is
back up all of your data files on a removable disc or tape. That means making a
copy of everything you've created on your computer, from word-processor
documents and accounts to your Internet address book and E-mail, in fact
anything that cannot be easily replaced, just in case the installation goes
belly-up.
From what we know of Windows 98 so far the chances of it
being responsible for an irrecoverable disaster during the installation are
quite small, but there's no point tempting fate. The process can easily take a
couple of hours, which is plenty of time for all sorts of unexpected things to
happen. Choose the time you carry out the update carefully, set aside an
afternoon, evening or weekend don't attempt it on a busy work day, that's just
asking for trouble…
Although Windows 98 thoroughly checks your machine before,
during and after the installation, now is a good time to put right any small
glitches and get rid of any dead wood. Open Windows 95 Explorer and run through
all of the programs that you have. Delete any you no longer need using the
Add/Remove facility in Control Panel or the program's own uninstaller. Make sure
that you have at least 200 megabytes of free space on the hard disc before you
begin.
Close down all running programs in Windows 95, pop in the Windows
98 CD-ROM and it should start automatically, if not click on Run in the Start
menu and select Set-up, or double click on the CD-ROM icon on My Computer and
choose Setup from there. The opening screen tells you what is going to do, and
roughly how long it will take. This depends on the speed of your PC, RAM
memory, the size of the hard drive and how full up it is. During the initial
stages you may or may not be asked to run Scandisk, or rather it will run it
for you. The installer will also ask you if you want to backup all of your
Windows 95 files, so you can return to your original configuration. You would
be unwise not to!
Hopefully the installation will go smoothly, you don't need
to stand over it but keep an eye on it from time to time as you will have to
make some decisions. It might suggest switching off or updating any anti-virus
software you're using (some programs may object to Windows 98) and whether or
not to make an emergency recovery disc (do it!). You'll need a blank formatted
floppy disc for that, so have one handy. It will ask which type of installation
you want (typical, portable, custom or compact), and you'll have to enter a few
details concerning you, your PC and internet connectivity.
Eventually, after the PC has re-booted for the last time you
will be asked for a password, if you're the only one using it just ignore it,
after that you'll see the Welcome screen and you're ready to go. At this point
you will be invited to register the program via the Internet, take a guided tour
or go straight to the Maintenance Wizard.
It's worth spending a few minutes with the tutorial but if
you decide to press on then you should see your old familiar desktop, but with
a few extra icons and elements. One obvious difference will be the way the Start
menu is organised. There will be two new entries, Favourites is a collection of
frequently accessed folders and Internet Web sites. If you click on a document
Windows 98 launches your word processor, selecting an image file takes you
straight to a graphics application, and so on. The integration of web browsing
facilities in Windows 98 is immediately obvious. If you point your mouse at an
Internet related entry the address appears and if you click on it, Win 98 dials
it up for you, automatically logging on to your ISP (internet service provider)
and connecting to the relevant site. The other newcomer on the Start menu is
Log. It off allows several people to share the PC and access their own
customised desktop, without having to close Windows every time.
Many Windows 98 features look and work differently, though
if you've installed Internet Explorer 4.0 some of it will already be familiar.
My Computer, Control Panel and Explorer are typical examples; they are
contained inside browser-style windows and resemble web pages in appearance. It
is designed to make it easier to move around and organise files; fortunately
the changes are quite subtle and you quickly get used to them. Settings on the
Start menu contains a utility called Folder options, that switches between
web-type single click file/folder open and conventional Win 95 double-click
actions.
Of more immediate interest are the customising options
contained in a new Control Panel item called Themes (previously seen on the
Windows 95 Plus pack). It comes as standard with Windows 98 and it contains a
big collection of wacky Windows wallpapers, backgrounds, pointers, screen
savers, sounds and icons. Don't bother unless you've got 32MB of RAM and leave
it alone if you want to get any work done, but if you've got an hour or three
to spare there's some tremendous fun to be had. On a more serious note, if you
have any disabilities Windows 98 has improved Accessibility Options (also in
Control Panel), including a simple screen magnifier to assist those with
impaired vision.
The Maintenance Wizard is a collection of tools, some of
them are old friends, like the Disk Defragmenter, others, such as Disk Cleanup
are new to Windows 98. This seeks out and identifies unused or unwanted files
and offers to delete them. Defragging speeds up disc access but it can take a
long time on a large disk drive, Windows 98 can do it automatically, at a time
of your choosing, though you have to leave the machine switched on if you do it
overnight.
If you've upgraded from Windows 3.1 or the early version of
Windows 95 there's the option to convert to the FAT-32 disc drive filing
system. This is definitely worth doing, in addition to recovering wasted hard
disc space programs will load faster, however, be warned that once the change
has been made it can't be undone and you won't be able to revert to your
previous installation.
We've barely scratched the surface of Windows 98. Some
features, like the Internet tools, troubleshooting utilities, multi-display and
support for new generation hardware each deserve an episode of Boot Camp on
their own. However, the key point is that upgrading to Windows 98 is relatively
safe and painless and on the evidence so far, a worthwhile exercise.
JARGON FILTER
DISK DEFRAGMENTER
Over time the files on a PC's hard disc drive become
disorganised, 'defragging' the drive restores order and speeds up reading and
writing data
EMERGENCY RECOVERY DISC
If Windows fail to boot up the Emergency Recovery Disc
contains the necessary start-up files to get it running, plus troubleshooting
and diagnostic utilities
SCANDISK
A Windows utility that checks the integrity of data stored
on a hard disc drive, identifies problems, and where possible, puts them right
TOP TIP
If you like the idea of personalising your PC desktop then
you don't have wait for Windows 98 or buy any extra software. There are
literally thousands of free desktop 'themes' on the Internet. A theme contains
wallpaper, sounds, screensavers and icons linked to almost any subject you care
to name. One of the best places to start is the Windows 95 Theme Archive, where
you can find everything from exotic animals and sci-fi monsters to cheesy 60's
and 70's sitcoms. The site contains full download and installation instructions,
plus the necessary Themes installation software, it can be found at:
http://ftp.monash.edu.au//pub/Win95.themes/
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