2,001 Tips
Windows 3.x
System Files

Stuck on Stacker

If you use Stacker or DoubleSpace, and Windows for Workgroups hangs at the logo screen when you have 32-bit file access enabled, check the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI. and make sure it doesn't have an EMMDriver=ON line.

Lost Little RAM

If Windows doesn't recognize the RAM above 16MB on your EISA system, try adding the /EISA switch to the device=HIMEM.SYS line of your CONFIG.SYS file.

One-Stop System File Editing

With the System Editor (SYSEDIT.EXE), you can edit WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI, AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. Select Run from the File menu in Program Manager, type SYSEDIT and press Enter.

SYSEDIT-A Windows Icon

Access SYSEDIT easily by creating an icon for the program. Simply drag and drop SYSEDIT.EXE from Windows' System directory in File Manager to any program group on your main desktop.

Time-Out for Printers

When Windows has trouble talking to your printer, try changing the DeviceNotSelectedTimeout setting in the [Windows] section of your WIN.INI file. This setting defines how long Windows will wait for a device-like a printer-to respond before delivering an error message.

Transmission Time

If you're having trouble printing from Windows, increase the TransmissionRetryTimeOut parameter in WIN.INI's [Windows] section. This line defines the length of time Windows will attempt to retransmit characters to a printer.

When Double Clicks Are a Drag

Sometimes, Windows may mistake a double-click as a drag operation. You can make Windows less sensitive to mouse movement when you're double-clicking by increasing the DoubleClickHeight and DoubleClickWidth values in the [Windows] section of WIN.INI. The parameters represent the number of pixels the cursor must travel after a click before dragging begins.

Phony Fonts

If you receive files created with fonts you don't have, you can substitute a different one. Just go to the [Font Substitutes] section of your WIN.INI file to substitute one font for another. Type a line like: [missing font] = [near substitute].

Rev Up Non-Win Apps

To speed up non-Windows application performance, add the line FileSysChange=Off to the [386Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file. That disables notification of File Manager when non-Windows applications create, rename or delete files. It also lets you run non-Windows applications exclusively, even when they modify files.

Alarming Apps

If you find that some non-Windows applications seem to go to sleep in the background and never execute (or execute very slowly), wake them up by decreasing the IdleVMWakeUpTime parameter in the [386Enh] section of your SYSTEM.INI file. That forces timer interrupts after the specified number of seconds has passed, even if the application doesn't use timer interrupts, and it may speed up response. The value of this entry is rounded down to the lowest power of two (such as 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64). The default is 8.

Restricted Access Area

Don't change the [boot.description] section unless you know exactly what you're doing. It contains a list of strings describing the devices you can change when you run Setup. If you change these entries, you won't be able to use Windows Setup to update drivers to newer versions.

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