The A+ Certification & PC Repair Handbook (Charles River Media Networking/Security)

The following Windows Me diagnosing and troubleshooting test tips have been included to give you an extra edge while taking the real exam. Pay close attention to these tips, for they may make the difference between your passing or failing the exam.

To create a start-up disk in Windows Me, click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs > Startup Disk > Create Disk > OK.

To disable Internet Connection Sharing in Windows Me, click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs > Windows Setup > Communications > Details. Uncheck the Internet Connection Sharing checkbox, and click OK.

To place encryption on a compressed folder in Windows Me, right-click on the Compressed folder and select “Encrypt.” Type a password in the Password box and verify the password by entering it again in the Confirm Password box.

System Monitor can be used in Windows Me to monitor dial-up networking connections and measure download and upload speeds.

To maximize ISP/Internet and dial-up networking connection speeds, you should disable any unused or unnecessary protocols. To do so, navigate to Dial-Up Networking and right-click on your connection icon. Next, select Properties > Networking tab, and uncheck NetBEUI and IPX/SPX compatible. These protocols are not normally used for ISP connections.

In Windows Me, you can print out your system configuration summary by clicking Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Information. On the File menu, click Print.

To associate a file with a program in Explorer, right-click on the file, select “Open With,” and choose the program you wish to open the file with. You can change the start order of items in the Windows Me Start menu by dragging them to a different location.

To increase your capacity for temporary Internet page storage, simply navigate to Internet Explorer > Tools > Internet Options > General tab > Settings. You can then increase your storage space for temporary Internet pages by moving the slider to the right.

To undo a previous system restoration or restoration point prior to your last system restoration in Windows Me, Click Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore. For undoing your last system restoration, select “Undo my last restoration,” and select Next. For rolling back to a restoration point prior to your last system restoration, click “Start the System Restore Wizard,” and navigate through the Wizard instructions.

A default install of Windows Me does not have Direct Memory Access (DMA) enabled for CD-ROM devices and hard drives. Enabling DMA for these devices will improve the overall CPU access time to these devices. To enable DMA support in Windows Me, select Start > Settings > Control Panel > System. Next, select the Device Manager tab and then double-click on your desired hard drive or CD-ROM device. Select the Settings tab and place a check mark in the DMA box. A message, “Unsupported hardware alert”, will be displayed. Select OK, and reboot your system.

To turn off 32-bit PC card support in Windows Me, select Start > Settings > Control Panel > System. Next, select the Device Manager tab, and verify that “View devices by type” is selected. Select the plus sign (+) next to PCMCIA Socket and select your PC card controller. Next, under device usage place a check mark in the “Disable in this hardware profile” box, and select OK.

To disable the Smart Start menu in Windows Me, select Start > Settings > Taskbar. Next, select Start Menu and remove the check mark from the “Use Personalized menus” checkbox.

To reset your Internet Explorer settings to their default installation settings, select Internet Options on the Internet Explorer Tools menu. Next, select the Programs tab and click the Reset Web Settings button.

To add or modify a device driver in Windows Me, navigate to the System Properties icon in the Control Panel, select the Device Manager tab, select the plus sign (+) next to hardware type, and double-click on the hardware. Select the Driver tab and click Update Driver. You will then need to follow the specific instructions displayed on the screen.

In most cases, Windows Me will detect and repair a bad or corrupt Registry. If you need to do a manual restore of the Windows Me Registry, you should first boot to a start-up disk. Then, from a command prompt, type “cd\windows\command” and press Enter. Next, at the command prompt, type “scanreg /restore”. You will then need to select the Registry to be restored, and press Enter. You will be told whether or not you have restored a good, working Registry. You will then need to reboot your system.

Disk Defragmenter is still located in the same location: Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter. Don’t forget to use it if your programs are slow to load, and you haven’t done it in a while.

Shortcuts are handled exactly the same way they were in previous versions of the Windows 9x family. Don’t forget that special symbols (e.g., \ / @ > | : “ ? *) are not allowed.

Programs being installed often like to create unnecessary shortcuts in your Start menu. Removing them is as easy as right-clicking the desired shortcut and selecting Delete. (This will not uninstall the program, only remove the shortcut to its destination file.)

 Should you lose mouse support, you can begin troubleshooting by bringing up the Start menu using CTRL+ESC.

The Start menu Favorites contain the exact same Favorites found in Internet Explorer. Should you wish to disable them in the Start menu, go to Control Panel > Settings > Task Bar & Start Menu > Advanced, and disable them there.

DCC (Direct Cable Connection) is still supported by Windows Me, however the fact that the absolute fastest port supported is the parallel port (or the even slower serial port), they are not a very attractive solution. However if you are using a laptop and just want to quickly connect to zip a file, or if your need an external drive that is not available to you, it will do the trick. To set up a DCC connection, go to Start > Programs > Accessories > Communications to make sure DCC is installed. (If it is not installed, install it from the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel; you will need the Windows Me CD-ROM). To start the DCC applet, go to Start > Programs > Accessories > Communications > Direct Cable Connection. The DCC setup process will guide you through the rest of the setup.