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Cheap Tricks for computer success
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Sit up and shut downThis is one of WE Compute’s most popular Cheap Tricks ever. Windows 95 and 98 have almost turned shutting off your computer into a 12-step program. These programs are the beta test for NT interface features, so even upgrading to NT won't resolve this problem. Note: For some reason, We Compute included only a DOS (that is, Win95/98) version, not an NT version, of this trick. You have to click on the Start button, click on Shut Down, select Shut down again and click on OK. And the computer is still on. You have to wait until it tells you it’s okay, and then you can actually push the various buttons on your PC, monitor and printer to turn them off. But you can set things up so at least the first part of the operation is reduced to click-click. Right-click on your Windows 95 or 98 desktop and, in the menu that pops up, choose New and Shortcut. In the dialogue box that appears, type the command line C:\windows\rundll.exe user.exe,exitWindows with a space before user only. (This assumes your Windows 95 or 98 directory is called Windows and is on drive C. If not, substitute the real directory name for windows in the command line. Click on Next and name the new shortcut something clever like "Shut Down". Click on Finish. Now a "Shut Down" icon appears on your desktop. Double-click on it and you’re out. That fast. Note: This trick works with the systems we’ve tested it on, but a few users have found it works for them better if they use rundll32.exe in the command line instead of rundll.exe. And at least one reader has found he has to revise the line to C:\Windows\rundll.exe \system\user,exitWindows for the trick to work. Free *Cheap Trick* of the Week: November 1, 1999 |
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| Now, this naturally raises the question as to why you want to shut down. Many people leave their machines running, under the theory that this extends the life of the computer by not subjecting it to thermal cycling. The reality is the computer hardware can thermally cycle many times a day and will typically long outlast its usefulness. In other words, thermal cycling is not an issue. You can ignore it. Leaving the computer on wastes energy, though it does eliminate the boot-up wait. But Windows has so many defects that you need to reboot your computer occasionally anyhow. Shutting it off at the end of the day means you start the next day with a freshly rebooted machine. The memory is flushed out, and things are ready to rock and roll. The other thing is shutting it off protects it from hacking. If it's not on, it can't be hacked without turning it on. Some people leave their home computer on because they are using it as a file server. This is really the wrong approach. Don't use your workstation as a server. Some reasons not to use a workstation as a server:
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