The Microsoft System Information (MSI) utility version 4.1
that comes with Windows 98 looks at first glance like the old version found in some
Microsoft applications, but not Windows 95 itself. But check the Tools menu and you'll
find a whole lot more under the hood, including old favorites ScanDisk, the Registry,
ScanReg and Dr. Watson. Still, the best MSI stuff is brand new.
The System Troubleshooter (called System Configuration Manager on the Tools menu in Win98
build 1525) automates the recovery procedures that the computer-savvy have used for years
to identify elusive glitches. It repeatedly boots up, tests and eliminates instructions
until the problem goes away.
Another great new MSI app is the System File Checker, which checks your systems files
automatically for errors.
Win98's MSI ScanDisk utility adds new options for checking out errors due to name length
and for reporting duplicate files. Other than that, there's not a great deal new about
ScanDisk. It no longer offers you the option of checking hard drives after disk problems.
If you've had a hard drive error or an improper shutdown, the utility runs automatically.
You'll have to enter another part of MSI, the System Troubleshooter if you want to disable
ScanDisk in Win98.
MSI's report screens expand on the old System utility in the Win95 Control Panel,
reporting on device conflicts, defining memory spaces occupied by various resources,
Click to enlarge. The Microsoft System Information Utility looks a whole lot like the old
Windows 95 version that came with some Microsoft applications.
and pointing to 16-bit, 32-bit and MS-DOS components. MSI also points out hardware
installations that had to be "forced," that is, that Win98 couldn't find and
install on its own, which is useful if you're having device problems.
MSI also lets you display and sort information in the Registry from the MSI Tools menu, an
especially nice way to see which OLE components are registered for which applications, for
example. It also includes a button to copy any entry into Clipboard for pasting into
another editing tool, as well as the ability to export any entry as a TXT file. MSI gives
you better control over printing Registry entries than Win95's REGEDIT ever did.
MSI's ScanReg tool does a quick backup-and-scan of your Registry, tells you of potential
problems and lets you know if it's been too long since your last backup.
When all else fails, Dr. Watson is there. Not widely used outside tech support and
development circles, this utility sits quietly in the background watching Win98 and
associated applications, recording everything that takes place into WLG files. When an
application crashes, Watson intercepts the fault that caused it, logging the nature of the
error and why it happened.
|
