Chapter TwoChapter Two
Features of Your PC Services System
There are two main sources of information about the hardware in your system: the BIOS Setup Program and the Windows 98 Device Manager. The BIOS Setup Program provides you with information about the built-in hardware of your PC Services system. It controls the hardware settings for your system. The Device Manager provides you with information about your system hardware as it is recognized by Windows 98.
If you are ever unsure just what hardware is in your computer, you can use the Device Manager in Windows 98 (Start/Settings/Control Panel/System/Device Manager) to see what equipment is present. In some cases, Windows 98 will only be able to tell that you have a "generic" piece of equipment. If it fails to return the necessary information, you may need to go back to your manuals or check the technical specifications in the PC Services Manuals.
Your main interface with your computer will be your keyboard. If you are unfamiliar with the standard PC keyboard, some of its keys are explained in this section. The keyboard has all the standard computing typing keys and some control keys. If you are not familiar with the computer control keys, the major ones are discussed below.
The [Alt] and [Ctrl] keys, like the [Shift] key, alter the function of the traditional typing keys and the function keys. Depending on the software you are using, the actual function of the [Alt] and [Ctrl] keys will vary. They might also be used in combination with each other and/or with the [Shift] key to provide further possible combinations of functions with the typing keys. For example, the [Alt]+[Ctrl]+[Del] combination is used to provide a soft reboot of the computer system.
The function keys (F1-F12) serve different purposes and carry out different tasks depending on the application you have running. They are often used in combination with control keys. You should check the documentation for your application, especially sections on keyboard shortcuts, for information about what the keys do in that application. The cursor keys allow you to move the active cursor of the computer to various locations on the screen or within the document, as well as to insert and delete characters. Your computer has a numeric keypad. If the NumLock is engaged, the pad will allow you to type numbers as you would on a 10-key pad. If the NumLock is not engaged, the keys function as cursor keys.
The Windows Start keys (the two keys with Windows logo) allow you to launch the Start menu. The Menu key (to the right of the right-hand Start key) allows you to pull up the popup menu in a Windows 98 program; this key functions just like a click of the right mouse button.
RAM (Random Access Memory), also sometimes referred to as system memory, is the active memory of your computer, where it holds programs and data that are currently in use. The more RAM your computer has, the more space it has to run programs. Your computer came with a certain amount of RAM (probably 16MB, 32MB or 64MB), but that is not the limit of the memory used by Windows 98. Windows 98 will set up a swap file on your hard drive to provide additional "virtual memory." When the programs you are running need more than the memory available to your computer, Windows 98 will "swap" some memory to that hard drive. When those bits of memory are needed, Windows 98will swap them back into RAM (and, if necessary, swap other bits of memory to the hard drive). Even with a fast bus and fast hard drive, the reading and writing to disk is slower than having the data available in RAM. If you find that your computer is doing a lot of swapping and this is slowing the response time of your computer, you should consider upgrading the memory in your computer.
The hard drive is the fixed disk which provides the primary storage medium for your data. It is inside your computer (although you can purchase removable hard drives). Most of your programs and data will be stored on the hard drive. The capacity of your hard drive will probably be one or more gigabytes. The programs you run and the data you create will be stored on this hard drive and take up some of that available space. Programs tend to take up a lot of disk space (some may take up 50-60 megabytes), while the files that you create will take up much less (stored in plain text, a 1,000 page novel will fit in less than one megabyte). Your main hard drive (the one that houses your Windows 98 operating system) is usually the C: drive in your system. You can find out what is stored on this drive by double-clicking on the My Computer icon and then double-clicking on the C: drive icon
You can also find out the capacity, used space and available space on the C: drive by right-clicking on the C: icon and then selecting properties.
You can also use the Windows Explorer to see the contents of the C: drive (Start/Programs/Windows Explorer). See the Windows 98 documentation for more information on this program.
Computer disks will often get fragmented. This means that files are not stored in a single piece, but are broken up and distributed. This happens because hard disks are random access devices. When they seek to save a file to disk, they find the first available space and begin to store the information. If this space is not large enough to accommodate the whole file, then the computer will break off the remaining section of the file and find the next available space. And so on. This can result in files being broken into many small pieces and scattered across the drive. With heavy usage, the drive can eventually become very fragmented. This can slow access time to the disk. Keep in mind that even a very fast hard drive is still much slower than RAM, so slowing the access time to the disk will slow down what is already one of the slowest elements of your system. You can check fragmentation level and defragment the disk by using defragmentation software (one example comes with Windows 98 and can be found in the System menu (Start/Programs/System Tools). A good defragmentation program will usually advise you as to whether or not the disk is sufficiently fragmented to warrant running the program at this time. Defragmentation can be a lengthy process.
Peripheral Devices: Serial Devices
The Communications Ports on your PC allow you to connect external devices such as a mouse, a scanner or another computer to the PC. Your PC comes equipped with two available serial ports (in addition to a PS/2 port used by your mouse). The Serial Communications Port on your PC are COM1 and COM2. In the event you have changed your port assignments in the Setup Program, and then experience problems, go back into the BIOS Setup Program and load the default values to reset the Serial Port COM settings.
If your serial devices if Plug-and-Play compliant, the computer should recognize the new device when it is connected and lead you through the process of setting it up. If it is not, you should check the documentation for the device for instructions on completing the setup process for that device.
Serial devices connected after the PC is powered up may not work reliably. Connect devices to the Communications Ports while the computer is turned off. This not only helps to protect the PC from damage, but turning on the PC after connecting an external device to the port allows the computer to prepare itself and the device to operate together.
Peripheral Devices: Parallel Devices
Your PC comes equipped with a high-speed parallel port, capable of supporting ECP and EPP transfer modes. You will probably use this port to connect your printer, but it is also capable of providing a connection for other parallel devices (such as a parallel port drive or backup unit). Many parallel devices will have a pass-through connection that will allow you to connect your printer to the device and then the device to the parallel port. If you experience problems with a parallel port device, check the parallel device mode in the BIOS Setup program to determine if the mode is compatible with your device.
If you have purchased a joystick, simply plug it into the Game port located on the rear of the system. Many game programs will ask you to calibrate the joystick before playing. If you find that your buttons are not functional or your controller will not move the cursor, your joystick might not have the proper setup. Check the documentation that came with your joystick to determine the specific kind of joystick that you are using. Check this against the joystick settings in your program. If the image drifts across the screen, you might need to recalibrate the joystick. Check the documentation for the program for information on how to calibrate.
If your software uses the Windows 98 joystick controls, you will need to be certain that you have your system set up properly. Double click on the Joystick icon in the Control Panel to bring up the joystick window.
Note: You can set up your system for several different joysticks, or gamepads, by choosing a different joystick number from the list provided. Then, when using a specific joystick, you can select it by entering this window and choosing it from the list.
Select your kind of joystick, or a compatible option identified by your joystick documentation, from the list of joystick options.
Then click on the Calibrate button to move to the calibrate window.
Follow the directions provided to calibrate your joystick. You can also adjust the thrust setting for your joystick if it supports that option. Once you have completed the calibration, test the calibration by clicking the button provided. These joystick settings will allow you to have accurate control of any program that uses the Windows 98 joystick controller.
Your PC comes equipped with a high-quality sound system capable of providing you with quality audio sound through the included speakers.
You can adjust the volume and balance of the audio output by double-clicking on the speaker icon on the taskbar and using the slides in the audio mixer. To use the slide, you can either place the cursor above or below the slide and click (this will move the slide in increments) or click on the slide and drag it up or down. To adjust the balance (left-right) of that audio element, you can use the balance slide by dragging it to the left or right. You can also choose to mute the specific audio feature by clicking on the checkbox for that feature.
You can play audio CDs through the sound system by inserting an audio CD in the CD-ROM drive. The CD software will recognize the audio CD and launch the program to control the playback of the CD.
In addition to playing music from audio CDs, your system can play audio files stored in MIDI or WAVE file formats, as well as sound stored in audio form and used in programs and games. With the proper software, you can also use the sound system to play audio files via the World Wide Web, including live audio broadcasts.
You can use your sound system to play back sound files via the Media Player program (Start/Programs/Accessories/Multimedia/Media Player). You can open an existing file and then play it by clicking on the Play button (the right-pointing triangle). You can also use the built-in functions of the Media Player to alter the playback. Check the documentation in Windows 98 for information on the functions of the Media Player.
You can obtain applications that will allow you to use a microphone connected to your sound card (the included microphone is connected to the fax/modem card to provide speakerphone capabilities) to record sounds and store them as files on your system. You can also use the Sound Recorder program built into Windows 98 (Start/Programs/Accessories/Multimedia/Sound Recorder) for this purpose. This program can also be used to modify the sound files with certain audio effect. Check the documentation in Windows 98 for information on using the various elements of this program.
You can store such sound files in one of three quality formats, which vary in the amount of disk space that they use: Telephone Quality, Radio Quality, CD Quality (in order of increasing quality and file size). You can access these controls by clicking on File/Properties. High quality files of more than a few seconds in length will consume a considerable amount of disk space. You should choose the highest quality only when excellent sound quality is essential or disk space is not at a premium.
It might require some adjustment to get the desired sound quality out of your microphone. You can use the voice settings in the mixer (double-click on the speaker icon on the taskbar and select Options/Properties) or the controls found by double-clicking on the Multimedia icon in the Control Panel (Start/Settings/Control Panel).
Wave files that you have recorded can be added to documents that support OLE. Sounds embedded in a document will be played via the Windows 98 software when double-clicked in the document. Check your software documentation to determine if your software will support embedded sounds.
Your PC system should have arrived all ready to run, but you still should have some familiarity with your system and how it is set up. While you do not need to be a computer technician to use the Setup program, you should not make any changes to the Setup program until you are familiar enough with the system to be certain about what you are doing. If you have recorded all the information from the Setup program in the chart at the end of your manual, then it should be easy enough to restore the settings. If you ever change the equipment in your PC Services system (add a hard drive or another floppy drive, etc.), you may need to let the Setup program know what you have done. Thus, you should know something about using this part of your computer.
The Setup program writes information about your computer directly onto the computer's hardware (it is stored in the computer's BIOS CMOS chip). When you turn on your computer, it first looks at this information to see what the physical system has available for its use. If this information is incorrect, the computer may not work. Access to the Setup menu is during bootup. When you first start the computer, you will be offered the chance to enter the Setup mode (by pressing the [Del] key). If you wish to enter after the computer has booted, you will need to exit Windows 98 (or whatever operating system you are running). You can enter the boot mode by selecting Shut Down in the Start menu. Then select the restart option. When the computer starts to reboot, press the [Del] key to enter the program.
Once you have entered the Setup program, you will be greeted by the "Main Menu". You can follow the instructions provided or check the Mainboard User's Manual for your computer for detailed information on the Setup program.
You should scroll through the other screens and record the settings. If the settings are ever altered, you will have a record of the original configuration.
One option is to enable the boot password. This password will enable you to protect your computer from any unauthorized use. If you choose this option, be certain that you will remember the password. If you forget it, you will be unable to boot the computer and you will need to contact the Technical Support number for more information.
While the Setup program tells your computer what equipment it is running, the Windows 98 Device Manager tells the operating system what equipment it is running. If you want to know more information on these pieces of the computer, you can click on the particular device in the Device Manager and then click on Properties. If there is a problem with the device, you will get some basic information here on the source of the problem. If there is a conflict between two (or more) devices, you will also be told which devices are trying to use the same IRQ or resource.
Your PC Services system has been configured for your use, but it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the hardware in your system (before you have to familiarize yourself when something is not working properly or when you add or upgrade your equipment). You can get to the Device Manager through the System icon in the Control Panel (Start/Settings/Control Panel) or by right-clicking the My Computer icon on the desktop and selecting Properties.
Clicking on the Computer icon in Device Manager and then on Properties will take you to a window where you can view the settings for the hardware components. Be sure to read the Windows 98 manual carefully before altering any settings in Device Manager.
The software that came with your system will be installed. Save the disks or CDs that came with your system in case you ever need to reinstall this software.
In order to install the software that you already own, that you may have purchased along with your system or that you purchase at a later date, you will need to know how to add that software to your PC Services system.
While Windows 98 has a number of components built into it which can allow you to write letters and papers, draw pictures, send faxes and the like, these "applets" are only adequate to simple tasks. If you plan to use your computer for more complicated tasks, you will want to purchase software for that purpose. For example, a full-featured word processor will allow you to take advantage of more elaborate features such as columnar text and a substantial thesaurus. If you have some primary purpose(s) for your computer, for example, keeping your financial records or writing a novel, you should look into purchasing the available software. This will allow you to take advantage of the speed and power of your computer. Your PC Services system is capable of running DOS and Windows 3.x software, but neither of these will take advantage of all of the features of your PC Services system. If those programs are adequate to your purposes, then they will run just fine, but, if you can buy Windows 98 compatible software for your system, it will run most effectively.
The installation of software is done through the Add/Remove Program icon in the Control Panel. Then click on Install in the Install/Uninstall menu. To complete the installation of the software programs, you should follow the instructions provided with the software. Most software programs (especially Windows programs) will install directly from within Windows 98. If your program must be installed from within DOS, you can run DOS within Windows by selecting the MS-DOS option in the Start/Programs menu. Some programs will request information about your hardware, so consult the chart at the end of the manual where you have listed the software and specifications for your computer.
Windows 98 software is designed to allow for an easy removal of software when you have decided that it no longer suits your needs. You can use the Add/Remove utility to remove software from your system. This will not only remove the software, but also remove references to that software from some of the files that control your system. You should always use this uninstall option for removing a program, unless the software comes with its own installation options. This Add/Remove option is also used by some software to enable or disable certain aspects of a program. See the software documentation for instructions on using such options.
Software on CD-ROM can provide you with savings of hard drive space. Some programs on CD-ROM will give you the option of setting up a minimal amount of the program on the hard drive and running off the CD. This may often be slower, but, in a program that does not make a lot of calls to the disk, the difference may not be noticeable. On the other hand, with the exception of a few CDs that run directly from the compact disc, most CD programs install some of their parts on the hard drive. When buying software on CD, you might want to check to see how much hard drive space will be required. If you have a choice of minimal installation, you should consider how much the program might be slowed by making lots of calls to the disc. You could install the software each way for a while to test the speed, but another approach would be to consider the nature of the program and how intensively it will be using the CD.
While every effort has been made to make your PC Services system usable right from the start, this computer is yours and you should set it up in the way that will make the experience of using it as comfortable and productive as possible. There are many settings that you can adjust in Windows 98, as well as multiple routes to documents and programs that you can follow (menus, windows, desktop shortcuts, keyboard shortcuts, etc.). You should explore the PC Services system and Windows 98 and learn how to adjust the computer for your use.
The mouse speed for your PC Services system can be adjusted to accommodate your personal preferences. You can alter the mouse speed for applications running in Windows 98 by accessing the Mouse selection in the Control Panel (Start/Settings/Control Panel).
The options in this menu will allow you to alter the double-click speed, the time between clicks that the computer will recognize as a double-click rather than as two separate clicks.
The options will allow you to alter the shape and speed at which the pointer moves, as well.
Since you might not be the only user of this system, you should consider setting up the system in a way that will allow each user to customize the settings for their own use. Windows 98 allows you to provide a custom password for each user that will then load Windows 98 with the settings for that user. This can also allow you to set up one variation for your work and another for your games and such. It can also allow for such useful distinctions as setting your mouse up for different users who might be right- or left-handed. See the Windows 98 documentation for information on this feature.
You are the one who is going to be looking at this screen all the time, so this is one area of the computer over which you should exercise personal control. You can adjust the resolution of your screen. Windows 98 has been set to a default setup of 640 x 480 (640 lines across by 480 vertically), which is the minimum resolution for running Windows 98, as well as being a standard resolution used by many games. You can alter this to any resolution supported by your video card and monitor. You will be able to chose among them from the Start/Settings/Control Panel/Display menu. Although your video card is pre-installed and set up in Windows 98, your monitor will not be. Rather than try to tell Windows 98 what monitor you have, you can let Windows 98 auto-detect your monitor type. Select Start/Settings/Control Panel/Add New Hardware and follow the steps provided or check with the Windows 98 manual for instructions. If you choose a higher resolution, you can adjust the screen fonts to make looking at the screen more comfortable for you. If you have problems with the display after making these changes, refer to the Troubleshooting. If you select a video configuration that is not acceptable, Windows 98 will forewarn you. Change back to the default settings and try adjusting the settings again.
A higher resolution might also mean a slower refresh rate, the speed at which a monitor sends a new image to the screen. A cathode ray tube (CRT) sends an image vertically down a screen one line at a time. The whole screen is thus refreshed at a certain interval (as the CRT cycles down the screen and then returns to the top). This speed is usually measured in Hz (hertz), which is a unit of frequency. A refresh rate of 60 Hz will produce a slightly perceptible flicker of the screen that can cause eye strain. A rate of 72 Hz or faster will usually produce a comfortable image. Your monitor may refresh at different frequencies depending on the resolution. Check your monitor specifications for the refresh rate: this may help prevent eyestrain.
Once you have your computer running, you will start to generate data of your own. This data will be stored in files (distinct collections of related data stored in a single format). You provide names for those files when you save them from within the application that has been used to create them. Windows 98 is capable of supporting long file names so that you can name a file running in a Windows 98 application with a good, descriptive file name (for example, "John Smith financial records for May 1995"). Programs which are not fully compatible with Windows 98 (DOS programs or Windows 3.x programs) may be restricted to the older DOS convention of 8 characters and a three character extension after a period (for example, JSMITH95.FIN).
Windows 98 still makes use of the extensions to track what programs are associated with what extensions. This allows Windows 98 to know what application to launch when a document is selected for opening. Windows 98 does not typically display those extensions (since it uses icons for those files that indicate the program with which they are associated), but it can be made to do so. Check the Windows 98 documentation for instructions on how to turn on that function.
OLE (object linking and embedding) is a built-in function of Windows 98 and of many applications that will run under Windows 98. OLE allows you to create documents which are, in fact, compositions of multiple files in multiple applications. Thus, you could write a report in a word processor that would include a set of data from a spreadsheet and a graph from a presentation graphics program and a picture from an image-editing program. This single document would be edited by using the programs to edit the individual components without you having to move from program to program (OLE keeps track of what program needs to be used for editing a certain part of a document). Thus your data is stored in files and/or as documents. Your applications and Windows 98 should keep track of the documents, allowing you to concentrate on creating them.
Once you have created files or documents, you can make copies of them, rename them, move them around, or do many other things with them. You can also delete them when they are no longer necessary. Fortunately, a file that has been deleted can usually be restored. If you have used the Recycling program in Windows 98, the deleted files will be stored there (until the bin is emptied). You can see the Windows 98 documentation for information on how to use the Recycling program. Even a file that has been "deleted" is usually recoverable, if you act quickly. When the computer deletes a program, it does not immediately delete it. It marks that area of the disk as available for use. As you store more data, that area might be overwritten (where a file is stored is random). If not much data has been stored since the file was deleted, you can usually recover all or part of that file. There are various utility programs that can be used for such recovery. If you ever accidentally erase a file, you should look into such a program.
Very few people ever know exactly where every document on their hard drive can be found. Sometimes you will need to find a document. Many applications have such a function built-in. If the one you are using does not, you can use the Find function built into Windows 98 (Start/Find). Files can be located by name (if you remember it), or by some text or data contained in the file, or by the date the file was last used. For more information about using Find functions, see the Windows 98 documentation or the documentation that came with your application.
In addition to storing files on your hard drive, you may also choose to store them (or copy them) on diskettes. Your computer will use diskettes (usually 3.5" diskettes) as secondary storage media. Secondary storage means that they are stored outside the memory of your computer. Your primary storage medium is your hard drive. Data is stored on diskettes as magnetic fields. Your PC Services system came equipped with a 3.5" drive. 3.5" diskettes have a hard cover that helps make them more durable than the older 5.25" diskettes. They are also smaller and store more information. If you need to use 5.25" diskettes, you can add a 5.25" drive to your PC Services system. To read data from or write data to your diskette, insert your diskette into the drive. You will need to tell your software which drive to read from and write to (A:, unless you have added a drive or changed the designation). A read/write head inside the drive will now be lowered and the diskette spun to allow access to its surface. Always handle a diskette by its case. Do not touch the media inside the diskette. If possible, write on the label before placing it on the diskette. If you must write on a label on a diskette, use a soft pen (felt-tip pen). Information on a disk is stored as a magnetic field, and thus diskettes can be damaged or erased by exposure to magnetic fields.
Avoid placing the diskette near sources of strong magnetic fields, such as motors, telephones, speakers and television sets. Avoid exposing the diskette to extreme temperatures, moisture, smoke, direct sunlight, dust, dirt and ashes. These can all damage your diskette. Store in a proper case when not in use.
You can prevent data on a diskette from being accidentally erased by moving the write-protect notch so that the hole is open. This will allow you to read from the disk, but not to write to it or alter it.
It is a good idea to make backup copies of your files on a regular basis. You can obtain a tape backup unit or optical storage device, which will allow you to save your whole configuration of files at once. Software can be used to make that process automated. If you are not likely to generate a lot of data, you might be fine with backing up onto floppy disks. You will still want to provide a backup of your whole system first (in case you ever need to restore anything). You should try to back up your files on a regular basis (daily if you generate a lot of hard-to-replace work, and certainly weekly in any event).
In addition to backing up your work, it is also worth considering archiving old files. This means to move them off the hard disk (to free up space) and place them into a safe location where they are less likely to be damaged or altered. If you will not be going back to alter a file (e.g. a previous year's tax records), then leaving it on your hard drive is an easy invitation for accidental alteration. Archiving such files will help prevent such mishaps.
You might want to consider buying a UPS (uninterruptible power source) for your PC Services system, especially if your work is difficult to replace. The disk caching in Windows 98 is dynamic, not fixed (as it was in Windows 3.1, if you have been using that operating environment). This allows for greater speed and flexibility, but it also presents something of a problem in the case of a power outage. When you are using the PC Services system in Windows 98, it does not immediately write data to the disk. Rather it keeps it in cache memory, where it can be more easily accessed. If you have a substantial amount of information in the cache memory and power failure occurs before that data is written to the disk, that data will be lost. This is also the reason that you should not shut off the computer until you have exited Windows 98 (which prompts Windows 98 to write the information in the cache to the disk).
It is possible that your computer might become infected by a virus, a program that was designed to move into a computer's system and cause damage. Many viruses act by altering the boot record of your disk, thus rendering it unusable. If you never exchange disks with anyone else, only buy software from major companies and do not exchange information via modem, your risk of being infected is relatively minimal. Unfortunately, that is a very limiting way to use a computer and few of us use them that way. You should regularly check your computer for viruses (not all viruses act immediately, some are set to engage when a function is performed or when a specific date and time arrives). There is software available to help protect and rid your computer of viruses.
If you have been making regular back-ups of your data, you should be able to survive infection by a virus with minimal damage. If you use your modem to upload and download files regularly, you should be sure to check the files for viruses (unless your on-line provider does this at their end, which you can find out by checking with them).
The first step in keeping your PC Services system clean is to prevent dirt from accumulating. You can buy dust covers for most components, and these should be used if you will be leaving the system idle for any lengthy period. Try to keep the area around the computer clear and clean. Open ports in the rear of the computer can quickly accumulate dust and dirt that can affect their functioning. You can also buy spill guards or shields for keyboards.
Try to keep the keyboard clean. Do not eat or drink over it. Clean out dirt that accumulates, especially between keys. If a key becomes stuck, you can carefully pry it up and clean the area underneath it. This should be done with caution, so as not to damage components of the keyboard. If you are uncertain about how to do this, you should have a qualified technician perform the cleaning, rather than risk damaging the keyboard.
Special cleaning materials include:
Warning: Do not use a vacuum, even one designed for cleaning computers, on the inside of your computer. The static generated by the vacuum can damage components inside the computer.
Although you use your power strip or surge protector to turn of the power to your components, you should avoid using this method to power down an inkjet printer. Many inkjet printers must park their print cartridges to avoid evaporation of the ink. These printers rely on a shut down routine that is activated when the printer is turned off. If you cut the power to the printer by shutting down the surge protector, you might leave the cartridge exposed.
Any time you use a password for your system (for the entire system via the BIOS Setup program, for Windows 98, for a program or a file), you should be certain that you have recorded that password and stored it in a secure place. Few things will frustrate you more than forgetting a password for a program that you have not used in a while.
Store your Windows 98 manual in a safe place. Its cover contains the registration number for your copy of Windows 98. If you lose this number, you will not be able to reinstall Windows 98 on your system (for an upgrade or repair) without purchasing another copy of Windows 98.
Once you are an experienced user of Windows 98, you can change the look of your desktop to suit your tastes. Windows comes with a number of color schemes and background wallpapers. Bitmaps and other image files can be used as "wallpaper" for your system.
If you find that a DOS program (e.g. a game) will not run, you might need to alter the DOS configuration that Windows uses for its DOS windows. DOS programs are still limited to using the first 640K of RAM for their primary functions. The number of drivers already in RAM (for sound cards, mouse, etc.) may reduce this amount. Since some games require over 500K of RAM to run effectively, the DOS configuration files may require some tweaking. You can find this information in the Windows 98 manual or online documentation. If you are not at all familiar with DOS memory requirements, you might want to read an older DOS manual to familiarize yourself with DOS-based programs.
You should save your files often (about every 15 minutes) when you are working, to avoid data loss in the case of a system crash or power failure. You can also take advantage of autosave functions in your software.
Although you may have all the programs on CD or diskette and feel that a complete backup of your system is not necessary, you should keep in mind that reinstalling software is time-consuming and that you will then have to reset all the custom settings in your programs. A complete backup will save you time and aggravation in case of technical or physical problems with your hard drive. Make a complete backup of your system on a regular basis.
While power failures and equipment failures may be the most common sources of data loss (and these are easily restored by using your backup tape or disk or optical storage device), you should also consider the loss of data in the event of fire, flood, earthquake, etc. It is a good idea to keep a backup copy of your data at a site other than your primary worksite for your system. If your PC Services system is in your office, you might consider taking your backup home with you. If your data is very valuable, you might also consider placing a backup disk or tape in a safe deposit box at your bank.