Tips on Optimizing Windows 95/98 Automation All Staff
Boot to MS-DOS 7.0 Instead of Windows 95
If you would prefer that Windows 95 boot up in a MS-DOS session, instead of the GUI, do the following:
Open up the MSDOS.sys file in MS-DOS Editor.
Find the line "BootGUI1" and change it to "BootGUI0"
If by chance, your system doesn't have this item in the MSDOS.sys file, simply add the line "BootGUI0" near the top of the entire file.
Save the changes, quit the Editor, and reboot your PC.
When your system starts, it will bring up the familiar MS-DOS session!
Don't Pay for AutoPlay
Windows 95 introduces a new feature called AutoPlay that will automatically run a CD-ROM when you put it into your drive. Unfortunately, this feature can cause a major performance hit on some PCs, particularly if there's no CD in the drive. Windows 95 will check the drive every second or so to see if you've put in a disc, and that can slow the whole system. If you notice that your system occasionally seems to slow down and has jerky operation, first try putting a CD into the drive to see if that solves the problem. If you prefer, you can turn AutoPlay off completely. To do this, right-click on My Computer, select Properties, and click on the Device Manager tab. Select the CD-ROM drive (not "CD-ROM," but the specific drive name) and click on the Properties button. Under the Settings tab, uncheck the Auto Insert Notification box.
Don't Plug Unless You Want to Play
When you first insert a Plug-and-Play device, especially in a PC Card slot, Windows 95 drops whatever it's doing to attend to it. Windows assumes you want it installed immediately. It won't ask you about this, so make sure that's what you want to do before you plug in the device.
Forget Pressing that F8 Key Every Time
At just the right time to display the startup menu. Too much of a hassle! Use the following method to automatically display it for 10 seconds and then go to a normal boot of Windows 95 if nothing is pressed:
Use Explorer and find MSDOS.SYS in your root directory.
Make a copy of your MSDOS.SYS file to a TEMP or other directory.
Rightclick MSDOS.SYS and select PROPERTIES.
Change the attributes, uncheck all boxes.
Open a DOS session and type EDIT C:\MSDOS.SYS
Add BootMenu=1 to the [Options] section of the MSDOS.SYS file
Add BootMenuDefault=1 to the [Options] section of the MSDOS.SYS file
Add BootMenuDelay=10 to the [Options] section of the MSDOS.SYS file
Save the file
Change its attributes again to read only.
Restart your system......VOILA!
You can also add BootKeys=0 to this list if you wish all the Function keys to be disabled while booting to Win95. This is a good option if you want people to not mess with your carefully set up system by starting in an unexpected mode.
Make Mine Automatic
Microsoft recommends that you let Windows 95 manage the swap file size automatically, but you may find that your current settings have the swap file manually set for a specific size. This probably occurred because Windows 95 migrated your Windows 3.1 permanent swap file settings when you upgraded. To change your swap file settings, right-click My Computer, select Properties and click on the Performance tab. Then click the Virtual Memory button under Advanced settings. It's usually best to select Let Windows Manage My Virtual Memory Settings.
Stop Your Start-ups
When Windows 95 is up and running, use Notepad or your favorite editor to review the contents of your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. Chances are Windows 95 inserted a REM (remark) statement at the beginning of some lines because it no longer needs the listed items. Even if a line hasn't been disabled, you may not need it anyway. If in doubt, step through both files one line at a time and experiment to see what you do and don't need. With luck, you can get rid of both files. If you want to continue prescribing your own environment variables (SET TEMP, PATH and so on), you can now move these lines into CONFIG.SYS, which means you may no longer need an AUTOEXEC.BAT.
Try 'AutoDon'tPlay!'
To bypass the CD AutoPlay function, press and hold the Shift key while inserting a CD.
Turn off the Auto Load Feature of Windows 95
Put the following in CONFIG.SYS or in MSDOS.SYS...
