Internet Fixes Weekly Microsoft Windows News Letter

Oct 04, 2004http://internetfixes1.brinkster.net/chat!/chat.asp
 
Navigate the Scheduled Tasks tool in Windows 98!
Windows 98 includes a Scheduled Tasks component that lets you run applications on a preset schedule. When some of the scheduled tasks run silently in the background--that is, without a visible interface--it may seem that the performance of your Windows computer is compromised for no apparent reason.

Follow these steps to determine if a scheduled task is causing a problem:

1. Open the Scheduled Tasks tool by going to Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools.

2. From the View menu, select Details.

3. Drag the window open wide enough to check the Status column. A task in progress will show as Running.

4. Right-click tasks that aren't responding, and select End Task.

Note: Make sure that there isn't an unintended consequence of stopping a task before it's complete.

Distribute scheduled tasks

After you've created a scheduled task, you can easily distribute it to the user community. The settings for each scheduled task are held in a separate file with a .job extension. First, create a task and test it on a test box that's configured exactly like those it will be distributed to. Then copy the task, either through a login script or manually, to the windowsroottasks folder of the computers on which it will run (e.g., C:windowstasks).

The task will appear in the Scheduled Tasks tool of each computer, named after the .job file. Ensure that the application the task starts is in the same location on the target computers as it was on the test machine; if it isn't, the task won't be able to find it.

Schedule a reminder

Besides creating and distributing tasks to the user community, you can use the Scheduled Tasks tool to create a reminder for an action you must perform on your Windows 98 computer.

Here's how to create a scheduled task that opens the application you need at a required time:

1. Go to Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools.

2. Double-click Add Scheduled Task to open the Scheduled Task Wizard, and click Next.

3. From the Application list, select the appropriate program (or click Browse to find an alternative), and click Next.

4. Give the task a description, select one of the basic schedules (the options When My Computer Starts and When I Log On aren't time-dependent), and click Next.

5. Assign the day and time that you want the task to run, and click Next. You can also select the Advanced Properties check box, which enables you to refine the settings.

6. Test the task by right-clicking its icon in Scheduled Tasks and selecting Run.
ManageTemp Accounts with Account Expiration in Windows 2000!
After creating an account for a temporary employee, do you always delete the account when the worker leaves? Or do you find that handling the comings and goings of so many temporary employees can be a bit overwhelming?

Windows 2000's account expiration feature can help you maintain this situation by allowing you to define the date you want an account to expire. Even if you rehire the temp worker, you can easily re-enable the account and specify a new expiration date.

Follow these steps on a Windows 2000 domain controller to set an account's expiration date:

1. Open the Active Directory Users And Computers console.
2. Double-click an account you want to expire after a certain period of time.
3. Go to the Account tab.
4. Note the Account Expires section. Select the End Of dialog box and then specify the date that you want the account to expire.

This automatically disables the account on the specified date, so the account won't exist long after the worker leaves.
Quickly navigate through Windows Explorer with the Address Bar in Windows ME!
In the Windows Explorer window, you're probably used to seeing the Address Bar just under the Standard Buttons toolbar. (If you don't have it displayed, just choose View | Toolbars | Address Bar.) When you see the word Address you might think it's only used for navigating to Web sites. But you can also use it to traverse your directory tree via the keyboard.

Just place the insertion point in the Address text box by clicking in it or pressing [Alt]D, and then start typing the name of the folder you want. If you start with a drive letter such as C:\, you get a dropdown list of the folders at that level. If you select a file, such as a text file, that's saved at the root of the C: drive, when you select the filename and press [Enter], the contents appear in a Notepad window.

Actually, you can get away with just typing the back slash () to get a list of all the folders and files off the root of the C: drive. Then just start typing the folder name. As you do, the list only includes those folders with the characters you're typing. Now use your mouse to select the folder name from the drop-down list and the folder opens in Windows Explorer. If you want to open a text file that's saved at the root of the C: drive, just type the back slash and select the filename, and then the contents appear in the right pane of Windows Explorer.
Things to Note
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