# Somebody Help! (Windows 98) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 9, 2000, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859 "2000-06-09T12:00:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859/1 "2000-06-09T12:00:13Z")
My Windows Explorer defaults were toyed with, and things seem funny to me. How do I undo this? a) First, I can’t just “drag and drop” files into folders anymore…this only creates a shortcut. Am I doomed to always “cut and paste” files into the folders I elect to move them into??? (What a pain!) If it was always this way, I sure don’t remember Windows Explorer acting like that! It’s not my imagination, right? b) Also, my folders are an obnoxious yellow color (which I don’t recall them being before). How do I change this setting? c1) Oh, and when I switch to “details” as my preference for listing files, I can’t Windows Explorer to remember this option when I exit! c2) How do I get Windows Explorer to remember to save my options regarding NOT to display various toolbars??? d) Lastly, under the pulldown meun “File”, it keeps a little running list (history) of my actions…like a browser, although I don’t have the “View as a webpage” selected. Ahhhh! (Bill the Cat Scream!) Calgon, take me away! I don’t have time to go and figure all this out…can someone just tell me the quick fixes? Thanks! (What a pain!) ---
**Author:** ![aramis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@aramis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aramis)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859/2 "2000-06-09T14:21:03Z")
For part (a), Explorer’s way of handling drag-n-drop is a little odd. The best solution is always to use the right might button to do d-n-d in Explorer. That way, when you reach the target, a little menu pops up that gives you the choice to Move, Copy, of Make A Shortcut. ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2000, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859/3 "2000-06-09T14:51:59Z")
If you don’t like Win98, why don’t you switch to one of those competitors Bill and Steve and their attorneys are always talking about? Oh, sorry, there aren’t any. Seriously, I would have switched to Linux by now if I had to use Windows Explorer as my file manager. I use the file manager in Norton Navigator (with a patch to make it work with Win98/FAT32) and it works great! Oh, sorry, Norton Navigator is off the market. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2000, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859/4 "2000-06-10T00:08:24Z")
Hit start, select RUN, type in that little bitty box: SFC Follow what it says. Youll need you w98 cdrom. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2000, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859/5 "2000-06-12T11:41:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*Hit start, select RUN, type in that little bitty box: SFC Follow what it says. Youll need you w98 cdrom. > \*\* What do you mean…I have to re-load Windows to reset the “options” I describe? ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2000, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859/6 "2000-06-12T11:42:09Z")
You mean with all the computer geeks out there, this is the best set of responses I can get??? Sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2000, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859/7 "2000-06-12T14:16:09Z")
A better place to get help with Win98 is a Microsoft site or a Win98 users bulletin board. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2000, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859/8 "2000-06-12T16:04:42Z")
‘What do you mean…I have to re-load Windows to reset the “options” I describe?’ I don’t recall saying that. I recall saying that you should run SFC, system file checker, which verifies your system files. duh. ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2000, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859/9 "2000-06-12T23:15:56Z")
another wonderful tool to restore defaults is call scanreg /restore if you go to a c: and type in scanreg /restore it will give a list of dates – choose a date on the list that is before the problems began and it changes all windows settings back to that date ---
**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2000, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859/10 "2000-06-13T01:45:55Z")
:eek: Goodness, people. What’s with the “jackhammer for a thumbtack” advice? > [@](#): > > a) First, I can’t just “drag and drop” files into folders anymore…this only creates a shortcut. Am I doomed to always “cut and paste” files into the folders I elect to move them into??? (What a pain!) If it was always this way, I sure don’t remember Windows Explorer acting like that! It’s not my imagination, right? **aramis** is right. Yes, it’s always like this, but only when you try to move a program (.exe) to another folder. You need to hold the right-mouse button to move the file then select “Move”. > [@](#): > > b) Also, my folders are an obnoxious yellow color (which I don’t recall them being before). How do I change this setting? Go to Control Panel, then go to Display or Themes. In either of them, you can change the way a folder looks. > [@](#): > > c1) Oh, and when I switch to “details” as my preference for listing files, I can’t Windows Explorer to remember this option when I exit! > > c2) How do I get Windows Explorer to remember to save my options regarding NOT to display various toolbars??? Go to a window and make the changes you want. Then go to View, Folder Options. Then click on the View tab and click on the button that says “Like Current Folder”. > [@](#): > > d) Lastly, under the pulldown meun “File”, it keeps a little running list (history) of my actions…like a browser, although I don’t have the “View as a webpage” selected. Again, this is always like this. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2000, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859/11 "2000-06-13T01:51:25Z")
> [@](#): > > c1) Oh, and when I switch to “details” as my preference for listing files, I can’t Windows Explorer to remember this option when I exit! Go to Start, Settings, then Folder Options. Then click on the View tab and in the checklist, put a check next to the option that says “Remember each folder’s view settings”. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2000, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859/12 "2000-06-13T08:46:33Z")
I had some problems with Win 98 about a week - 10 days ago. Handy gave me the same advice - it’s great advice. Seems to cure any number of Win problems. Just go START MENU \> RUN \> THEN TYPE IN ‘SFC’ \> RUN IT. Thanks again, handy. Worked like a dream. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2000, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-help-windows-98/21859/13 "2000-06-13T15:06:32Z")
London, Im surprised SFC is not mentioned anywhere. But when you update your W98 files from [microsoft.com](http://microsoft.com) you have to keep a list of which ones so you can answer input about them when you run SFC again.