On the CD-ROM

3D Walk-through Tour
with Author Ron White

An animated author takes you inside your PC
to show you how parts of your computer
from the power supply to the processor do their jobs.

More explanations of how other PC technology works!

How Computers Will Work in the Future!

Ron White's How Computers Work Better Toolkit

However good your computer and your software are – they could be better. Included on the CD-ROM are freeware and shareware programs I’ve personally picked and used to eliminate the annoying stupidities that inhabit all software and some of the physical quirks of the best hardware. This isn’t just "shovelware" someone rounded up to fill out the CD. They’re all terrific programs you’ll be glad to have. (One program we couldn’t get on the CD for some reason is QSort. It sorts your Start menu and Favorites each time you boot Windows. It’s free and you can get it at Hyper-Q Software.)

– Ron White

Buzof by Basta Computing

My favorite shareware program. Buzof enables you to automatically answer, close or minimize virtually any recurring window including messages, prompts, and dialog boxes. Teach Buzof how to respond to an annoying window, and from this point on, Buzof will periodically scan the desktop and take care of the window whenever it shows up again.

ClipMate by Thornsoft Development Inc.

The native clipboard in Windows is great for cutting and pasting a single item at a time, but if you want to move a series of items, or save items for later use, then you need ClipMate! Rather than working with one piece of clipboard data at a time, ClipMate enhances the native clipboard functionality by remembering all items (both text and graphic) that are copied to the clipboard and storing them in "collections" for later pasting. With ClipMate as a Windows companion, users will never accidentally lose a piece of clipboard data again.

Emergency Recovery System by BackTek Software

Recover gracefully from a system crash with ERS. If the Windows 95/98/ME registry or other system files get corrupted, backups will then be available to restore from.

File-Ex 98 by Cottonwood Software

File Dialog Extensions for Windows 95/98. Adds file management functions like Find, Copy, Delete, Rename, and MakeDir to the Open and Save dialogs of most Windows applications. Enlarges dialogs to any size desired so you can view more files. Also keeps track of the last 25 files and directories used for each application.

MemTurbo by Silicon Prairie Software

MemTurbo increases your system performance by making more RAM available for your applications and the operating system. It also defragments your physical RAM, increasing the efficiency of your CPU and Motherboard caches. MemTurbo also recovers memory leaks from poorly behaved applications and flushes unused libraries and DLLs temporarily out to disk, making more room for your favorite games or applications.

QuickView Plus by Jasc Software

Now you CAN open virtually any file and email attachment with Quick View Plus – the easy way to view virtually any file.

System Mechanic by Iolo Technologies

System Mechanic is the easiest most comprehensive way to keep your PC running smooth and error free! Works with Windows 95, 98, Me, NT4, and 2000!

Tweaki...for Power Users by JerMar Software Corporation

Tweaki is your ultimate Windows configuration manager. Whether you use the original release of Windows 95, Windows 2000 or something in-between, Tweaki has you covered. Tweaki provides an easy interface for implementing security, locking down your Desktop, tweaking Office, optimizing Windows, preventing access to Web sites, customizing your Desktop, managin startup applications, preventing ad companies from tracking your surfing hapits--the list goes on and on. More than 500 tweaks in all.

WinBatch by Wilson WindowWare, Inc.

WinBatch is the Windows desktop automation solution -- take nearly anything your computer can do, and assign it to a simple menu selection, command or hotkey. This puts the power of a complete programming language at your fingertips, so you can create simple, useful applications -- like a utility that prints files overnight -- but WinBatch makes it easy enough for quick-and-dirty, everyday solutions, like typing "Sincerely, Mary Smith" whenever you hit a hotkey. And with WinBatch+Compiler, you can compile your applications into .EXE files and distribute them to anyone you want, royalty-free -- great for network system administrators.

WinBoost by Magellass

WinBoost is a special utility designed to configure and personalize Windows ME/9X look and feel. Using an easy to use interface, you can configure hundreds of Windows ME/9X hidden settings from the Start Menu, Desktop, Accessories, Windows Explorer to Internet Explorer. In addition, you will get hundreds of selected Windows ME/9X tips and tricks to boost your productivity and performance.

Winzip by Winzip Computing, Inc.

WinZip brings the convenience of Windows to the use of Zip files and other compression formats. The optional wizard interface makes zipping and unzipping easier than ever. WinZip features built-in support for CAB files and for popular Internet file formats such as TAR, gzip, Uuencode, BinHex, and MIME, ARJ, LZH, and ARC files are supported via external programs. WinZip interfaces to most virus scanner