TIPS, TRICKS AND SECRETS OF WINDOWS

Don't Defrag Your SSD

2011-04-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

Don't Defrag Your SSD

The claim: You shouldn't defrag your SSD because it will shorten the drive's life.

The reality: Defragging your SSD will indeed shorten its life because these drives have a finite number of writes. When defragmenting a drive, files are moved to areas of the SSD and that creates unnecessary writes.

Hot Water Fixes Discs

2011-04-26T08:02:00.001-07:00

Hot Water Fixes Discs

The claim: You can boil a CD to take care of scratches.

The reality: This sounds crazy, but it does work if done right. First, boil the water. Then quickly dip the CD in and out of the hot water. The theory is the heat will melt the plastic and even out scratches. We've had it work once or twice, but it's easy to ruin a disc if you're not careful.

Overclock Your Computer Using Oil

2011-04-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

Overclock Your Computer Using Oil

The claim: You can overclock your PC by dipping it in oil.

The reality: Placing a PC's motherboard in a container with mineral oil will cool the entire PC. (Obviously, things with moving parts, like a hard drive, should not be placed in the oil.) The oil itself will cool the components, and you'll have to tweak your BIOS to get a speed boost. Is it more effective than liquid cooling? Not particularly. Oil cooling is one of those "because we can" kind of ideas.

Laptops Cause Infertility

2011-04-26T07:58:00.001-07:00

Laptops Cause Infertility

The claim: Extended usage of hot laptops will decrease fertility in men.

The reality: It's true--placing anything hot on top of a man's lap will kill sperm. Even using a laptop pad won't help.

Secret Cell Phone Battery Power Nokia

2011-04-26T07:56:00.001-07:00

Secret Cell Phone Battery Power

The claim: You can get use secret reserve battery power if you type a code into your phone.

The reality: Apparently, this was kind of true. According to Snopes.com, inputting *#4720# in certain phones will decrease sound quality, which will, in turn, give you more talk time.

Game/App ISO(image) Installation For Dummies

2011-04-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

First of all no your not a dummy, you just think like one, lol.

Seriously, this is directed at the newcomers who have no idea what they are doing, but really want to play a game they downloaded. Make sure you pay close attention and follow step by step procedures I state as well as the procedures stated in provided .NFO files (open nfo in notepad) or .txt files. Make sure your computer agrees with at least minimum requirements, and make sure all necessary drivers are updated. ATI Users: Some games may need nvidia's PhysX software drivers to run. This is a brief tutorial of what needs to be done.

Disc Image- No not a picture of a disc. It is an exact copy of a DVD/CD that can be mounted on a virtual/image drive and acts just like the original physical copy. i.e. the disc without the disc.

Crack/fix-Altered executable file or set of files, usually released with an image(ISO) of the same name. Used to allow the end user to play a game, load an app, or view material that you would otherwise need a disc for and/or activation codes or keys to access. Usually has names like nodvd exe, mini image,etc.

mini image- A fake copy of a full iso. Usually has the crack inside of it and allows the user to mount the "mini" image in a virtual drive and run the game/app directly from the mini image.

Tools needed:
1. Virtual/Image drive reader(Daemon tools, Roxio Image Drive-Part of Roxio Ultimate 2009, Alcohol 120, Magicdisc,etc.
2. The ISO (duh) should be compatible with whatever image drive your using(magicdisc is compatible with all)
2a. Types of Iso images: nrg, bin+cue, mds+mdf, iso, CCD/IMG, and many more!
3. Read The Installation or release info provided either by the scene group named, the uploader, or whoever provided it for you!!! This info is found either in a ".txt" or ".NFO" . The .NFO can be read using notepad or word or any word processing app.
4. If you don't have the ISO, but instead have .rar files that contain it, that need to be extracted...........extract them. You can use 7zip, winrar, power archiver or the other millions of compression apps available.

Instructions:
After the unzippin/raring locate the ISO and mount it in the image drive. If you don't have autoplay enabled, enable it or go to the drive that the image is loaded to, and start the install process. After the installation process go over the instructions provided by the release group, if available; make sure you followed all instructions. Play the game

For those of you who don't read(what the hell are you here for?) A typical crack installation usually means copying and pasting the crack found in the "image" or ISO, to the installation directory of the game. If a crack can't be found in the ISO, google it or go to:

www.gamecopyworld.com

For Win 7 + Vista users: If a game doesn't work from the start, use compatibility mode, let's be a bit smarter about how we do things. W7 is a beta release(regardless of the RC nonsense) which means expect some software to need special privileges or permissions to run. Check to see if you have Admin privies, and run in compatibilty mode for the system that best suits the software you are using. If all this fails the game is not compatible, it's corrupted, or you did something wrong without knowing(yes s**t happens). To prevent downloading an incompatible game do some research.........we can't give you everything! Although we do try...........

For XP users: Most of the newer games(although they should work regardless) are designed for vista and later O.S. versions. If you have a problem installing a game that is only for Vista.................I want you to really ask yourself why your having that problem.

Window XP Themes: Top 7 Christmas Themes

2008-10-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

Christmas is almost here and its time to decorate your desktop with some cool Christmas themes and wallpapers. I have compiled a list of top Christmas themes with Wallpapers for Windows XP and Vista.

XP Themes :

1. Christmas Theme 1:

2. Christmas Theme 2:

3. Christmas Theme 3:

4. Christmas Theme 4:

5. Christmas Theme 5:

6. Christmas Theme 6:

Vista Themes:

1. Happy Holidays Theme:

Hope you liked them, in case you would like to add any more to the list, please share it in comments.

Window XP Tips: Turn off Autoplay

2008-10-12T12:07:00.000-07:00

Autoplay play feature is not only available in CD drives, but also on the flash drives and external hard drives that you connect to your PC. In any case your external drives or CDs are infected with virus or malwares, then chances are there that your PC could also be infected with the autoplay feature. Best way to combat this issue is to disable autoplay on all your system drives.

To disable autoplay on all drives, best method is to change it through Group Policy Editor. To do this click run and type gpedit.msc and press enter. Navigate to Local Computer Policy-> Computer Configuration->Administrative Templates-> System. Now on the right panel double click Turn off Autoplay. Now select enabled and choose All drives from the dropdown list and click ok.

Now autoplay feature will be disabled on all drives which you connect to your PC.

Windows XP Tips: Reorganise Windows Folders

2008-10-12T12:05:00.000-07:00

Whenever you create a new user account in Windows, it creates a lot of folders like “My Documents“, “My Music” etc. Most of the times when you save documents or download music or pictures, these are saved in these folders and all these data are stored in default drive of OS. In case Windows crashes and you need to re-install Windows, then you end up loosing all data.

In order to keep data safe, you can reorganize your Windows folders. Right click on My Documents and click properties. Select the target tab in properties. Type in the desired location where you want to reorgaize data. Here I have given as drive E:\Backup. Once you have enetered the path, click OK. It will ask whether you want to move all data to new location and chose Yes.

Now all the documents and files in My Documents would be moved to new location. Whenever you save any new documents to My Documents, then these will be saved on the new path hence keeping you data safe. This method can be used in Windows Vista as well.

Windows XP Tips: Get more Secure with XP-AntiSpy

2008-10-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Although Windows has decent level of security, its vulnerable to many attacks. With the release of Vista, security has improved. Windows XP still has lot of slip ups which can be a cause of security threat. XP-AntiSpy is a small software which can take care of slip ups in Windows XP. The xp-AntiSpy is a little utility that lets you disable some built-in update and authentication ‘features’ in Windows XP.

This small application includes around 50 Windows functions which can be enabled and disabled. The settings are categorized as media player, error, reports, network, internet explorer etc.

There is a suggested section where you can see what job it does when you check or uncheck an item. This is pretty useful feature especially if you are not clear about the process. XP AntiSpy is a freeware.

Download XP-AntiSpy

Windows XP Tips: Delete Contents from Folder without Deleting Folders

2008-10-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

There may be many instances where you would want to delete all the contents inside the folder, but wanted to maintain the folder structure as such. By default Windows does not provide any such option. If there are lots of folders inside a particular folder maintaining a folder structure, then its difficult to delete contents from all the folders. This task can be done using a registry entry.

To do this go to Start-> Run and type ‘regedit‘. In the registry, navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell key. Right click on ‘Shell’ and then create the ‘Empty folder Contents‘ sub key with the New|Key. then create the command key in the same way. Open ‘Default‘ by right clicking on it in the right hand side window. and fill it with the following entry- ‘cmd /c “cd /d %1 && del /s /f /q *.*.

Once you close the registry, the new command will appear in the right click menu of the folder. Now whenever you want to delete the contents, select “Empty Folder Contents” and only the contents will be deleted, the folder structure will remain intact.

NB: Please back up your registry before making any changes.

Windows XP Tips: Install/Uninstall Applications in Safe Mode

2008-10-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

When you install any software, if the installation is not proper or because of some other reasons sometimes, Window refuses to boot after restart. Windows can be booted in safe mode in such circumstances, but the installer will not work. When yo reboot in safe mode, you need to create a registry entry for Windows installer to work for install.

NB: If you use the registry editor incorrectly, you might cause serious problems that might require you to reinstall your operating system. Use the registry editor at your own risk. Keep a backup of registry before editing.

To create a Registry entry, open command prompt ( Run->Cmd). Type the following command in the Window- REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot\Minimal\MSIServer/VE/TREG_SZ/F/D %Service%

You can also create a entry from registry editor.

Next start the Windows Installer Service by typing net start msiserver. Once this is done, you will be able to install/uninstall applications in safe mode.

# Windows Vista Aero Glass Effects Requirements

2008-10-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

Aero glass effects is one of the new features introduced in Vista. But this feature is not available in all versions of Vista and there are few basic requirements for aero to work. Lets see what are the requirements.

Windows Aero is the premium visual experience of Windows Vista. The best part of Windows Aero experience is Windows Flip 3D, which is a way to preview your open windows in 3D stacks.

Requirements for Vista Aero Glass effects:

1-GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 gigabyte (GB) of RAM
128-MB graphics card
DirectX 9 class graphics processor that supports a Windows Display Driver Model Driver, Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware, and 32 bits per pixel.
Monitor refresh rate is higher than 10 hertz
Color Scheme selected should be Windows Aero
Aero works only in Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate versions.

If your computer has these features, then Vista Aero effects should work fine.

Windows Vista Tips: Disable Autoplay in Vista

2008-10-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

Earlier I had written about different methods to disable autoplay of removable drives in Windows XP. Vista provides more option in auto play than in XP and disabling auto play also has many ways. There are many methods to disable auto play depending on whether you want to disable globally or for independent drives.

1. Open Control Panel then click on “Play CDs or other media automatically” to open the AutoPlay dialog.

Here you uncheck the checkbox for disabling of auto play in all drives.

Now auto play is disabled in all drives.

2. If you need to disable for each drive independently, then you can do that by selected what the computer should do when it detects a particular drive.

You can select “Take no action” for each drive where you want to disable auto play.

Another method of disabling is to edit it through Group Policy editor. Select Run and type “gpedit.msc” and it opens up Group Policy editor. Navigate to Windows Components, Auto Play Policies and make sure that the “Turn off auto play” setting is enabled.
You can also edit the auto play policies through editing registry setting which is more risky than these.

# Windows Vista Tips: Shutdown your System Instantly

2008-10-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

When you press the power button on your PC, you can shut down your PC instantly without going through number of clicks. In order to do this, navigate to Power Options in your PC. Click start button, type Power Options and click enter. In the top left area, you can see a link “Choose what the power button does”.

Under the Power button options, select “Shut down” for “when I press the power button”. Finally click save changes.

Next time you press the power button on your PC, it shut downs your computer.

Windows Vista Tips: Automate your Disk Checking

2008-10-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

Disk can have flaws and problem due to many issues. There are plenty of programs to do disk checking. You can automate disk checking in Vista, to do this choose Start->All Programs->Accessories->System Tools->Task Scheduler.

1. In the actions pane on the right, click Create task. Type in a task name and description and you can also check the Run with highest privileges.

2. Now select the triggers tab and set the interval for disk checking. You can set it monthly, daily or weekly.

3. Next select the actions tab and click new button. For ‘Program/Script’, type cmd.exe and in the Add argument box, type “/c echo y|chkdsk c: /f /x. When you have completed with these tasks, click OK.

Now disk checking will be automated based on the time you have set.

# Get Aero Effect (3D Flip) in Windows XP with WinFlip

2008-10-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

Windows Aero effects is one of the features added to Windows Vista and it gives a premium visual experience on Windows Vista. The best part of Windows Aero experience is Windows Flip 3D. The Aero effects can be made available in Windows XP as well using a small software called WinFlip.

WinFlip can give you the similar experience of Windows Aero. All you need is to download the zip file and run the WinFlip.exe file. It run in the taskbar and Aero effects (3D flip) can be got by pressing the Windows key + Tab. WinFlip does not require any installation.

Download WinFlip

How to Disable Windows Sidebar in Vista

2008-10-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

Sidebar is one of the notable additions in Vista. By default the sidebar contains a Calendar, Clock and slide show of pictures. Gadgets can be added or removed from the sidebar. Frankly speaking, the sidebar is of not much use actually and the sidebar starts up with Vista. You can disable the sidebar if you feel that sidebar is of no use.

1. Right click on Sidebar and in the option select Close Sidebar,

2. Right click on sidebar and select properties in the options.

In the properties options, uncheck “Start Sidebar when Windows Starts” option. Next time when Windows starts, sidebar will not be loaded.

3. Right click on the sidebar icon on the taskbar and select Exit.

Apart from these, you can change the start up of sidebar in msconfig file.

How to Customize Windows Vista Xp Logon Screen

2008-10-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

The default logon screen of Vista is not much exciting like the other UI features in Vista. The default logon screen may be annoying for many people. But not anymore, thanks to Stardock for creating this small utility to set any wallpaper as logon screen- Logon Studio.

Logon Studio is a free utility which can set any wallpaper as your logon screen. All you need to do is to download this utility and select the wallpaper you want as logon screen and apply.

You can create a new logon screen using the create feature available.

Once you apply the new logon screen, the utility will lock your computer to show how the new logon screen looks like.

Download Logon Studio

# Get an Enhanced Start Menu with Vista Start Menu

2008-10-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

The start menu in Windows XP and Vista have only basic functionality or rather it can be said as plain. Vista Start Menu is a good alternative to the plain start menu in XP and Vista. The best part of Vista Start Menu is that it does not change your system settings, thus making it easy to install, as well as simple to remove. The Vista Start Menu is designed such that all the items in menu are quickly accessible.

Features of Vista Start Menu;

Programs are easy to find because they are exactly where you left them. Programs do not change the positions and when a program is uninstalled, then the space is left blank.
There are different screen resolutions, like very large or very small.
You can resize the start menu just like any other program.
Command line prompt is easily accessible.
It also features a built in search (both PC and Internet).
Vista Start Menu has multiple tabs, so that you can arrange programs.
It has conveniently placed power buttons to shut down or restart computer.

Vista Start Menu is a great utility for customizing start menu especially for the fact that it does not change any Windows settings and can be configured easily.

Supported Platforms:
Windows NT
Windows 2000
Windows 2003
Windows XP
Windows Vista

Download Vista Start Menu

# Customize Windows Right Click Menu with MMM Free

2008-10-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

MMM free is a useful software to customize your Windows right click menu. When you have a growing list of applications, size of your right click menu also increases as most of the applications ad a menu. This results in a long right click menu which is difficult to manage. This freeware application lets you configure any right-click menu no matter which file you click on. Mmm lets you get rid of the items you never use. Lets you move those items you rarely use out on a submenu.

Customizing the menu is a bit confusing at the first moment. You need to right-click a file and then immediately launch MMM. This hows up a list of commands that can be run, which you can drag under “Hidden Items” or “Rarely used”. If you select items into “Rarely used” category,then it added an option in the menu.

This software runs in memory , but used very less memory. The whole program is just about 508kb. MMM is supported only in Windows XP.

Download MMM Free

# How to Make Folder Views Consistent across Vista

2008-10-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Compared to Windows XP, Vista has more options in folder views. The folder views may not be consistent across all folders. Sometimes one folder will shows list details and other one shows folders in thumbnails. Many times you would like to see same folder views across all folders in Vista. Setting the folder view same across all folders is a simple step.

To set folder views same across all folders, first select the folder view which you would like to have from the views menu.

Once you have select the view, click Organize menu and select Folder and Search Options. Select View tab in the dialog and click the Apply to Folders button to have this view across all folders.

Now check the folders and you can see the same view across all folders. This method applies to Windows XP as well.

How to Restore Run Command in Vista Start Menu

2008-10-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

Vista has lot of improvements over XP in features and design. People who use Vista for first time complain that many commands or features available in XP are missing in Vista. When using Vista for first time, it may be difficult to spot common commands used in XP and one such is the Run Command. Run Command is not available in Vista start menu by default. You can always use the run command using short cut key- Windows +R. If you need the run command in start menu, you can restore it in 3 simple steps.

1. Right click on the Vista start menu and click Properties.

2. In the properties window select the tab and click Customize.

3. Scroll down and tick the box to the side of Run Command. Click OK and now you can see Run Command in the start menu.

Remove WGA Notification with RemoveWGA

2008-10-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is a Microsoft notification tool to check whether the copy of OS running is genuine and not a pirated one. Once the WGA Notification tool has checked your OS and has confirmed you had a legit copy, there is no decent point or reason to check it again and again every boot. RemoveWGA is a simple tool to remove the WGA notification.

Features of RemoveWGA;

Tell you if the WGA notification tool is active on your system
Allows you to remove the WGA notification tool from your system

NB: Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications is different than Windows Genuine Advantage Validation. RemoveWGA only removes the notification part, phoning home, and does not touch the Validation part.

RemoveWGA Home Page

Convert Windows Vista into OSX Leopard

2008-10-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

Earlier I had written about transformation packs for Windows XP to get the looks of Vista and Mac OSX. The latest transformation pack is the Vista to OSX Leopard pack. This pack will transform your Vista into OSX Leopard. This pack is supported on Vista all editions 32 bit SP1. This pack will change Boot logo, Login screen, Welcome Center, Brandings, PC-Properties, Back and forward buttons, icons, wallpapers, screensavers etc.

You can go through the FAQ before using Vista OSX pack.

Download Vista OSX [Via Brown Baron]

Restore Open Folder Windows after Reboot

2008-10-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

If you are working on lot of files and folders and you need to reboot computer after any installation, its difficult to rebuild all the open windows after the reboot process. But Windows has an option to save the windows that you were working on and open them again on start up in windows.

1. Open any Explorer Window and click on Tools-> Folder Options (in XP) and Organize-> Folder and Search Option.

2. Under View tab, scroll down and check the box labelled “Restore previous folder windows on logon“.

3. Click OK and next time you restart your PC, all windows from previous logon will be opened.

How to Hide a Shared Folder in Windows

2008-10-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

If you are connected to a network and you have shared some folder, then it is visible to all the users in the network. But you can make the shared folders invisible. Here is a simple trick to make shared folders invisible so that only known users can access the folder.

1. Navigate to the folder which is shared across the network. Right click on the folder and select Rename.

2. Add a ‘$‘ to the end of the folder name (without the single quotes). For example if the folder name is Blogging, rename it to Blogging$.

3. Now you can share the folder and people who know about the folder can use it.

Stardock Officially Releases MyColors

2008-10-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

Stardock has officially released the their new software MyColors. Mycolors is a customizationWindows XP and Vista. MyColors theme includes everything a user needs to completely transform the Windows experience - a new Windows GUI, a new set of icons, gadgets, wallpaper, etc. Currently there are two free themes available- Diamond and Quest. Diamond theme gives Windows XP and Windows Vista users a glimpse at Aero Diamond. Diamond includes a completely new icon set, gadgets and more. software for

Users who already have WindowBlinds or Object Desktop can still download MyColors and get the Diamond MyColors theme, it will simply install the component parts into the appropriate locations.

Quest theme

Diamond Theme

There are also few good theme available for purchase and each theme can cost you $20. Stardock MyColor is a freeware and also you can download the two free themes available.

Download MyColors

Enable Aero effects (3D Flip) in Windows with Shock Aero 3D

2008-10-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

Earlier we had written about a freeware to get Vista Aero effects in Windows XP. One of our readers, Shobit pointed out about another freeware which gives aero 3D effects in Windows. This utility has task switching effect of Vista or Mac in Windows XP/2000/2003/Vista environment, optimised for users wanting much cooler PC environment.

This software is available in different language packs as well.

Download Shock Aero 3D

Display Thumbnail Previews in Taskbar with Visual ToolTip

2008-10-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

Windows Vista has a new feature of thumbnail previews of open programs in taskbar. This feature can be enabled in Windows XP as well, all you need is the freeware Visual Tooltip. This freeware creates thumbnails for the taskbar which can positioned as you like and it can also replace your taskbar. Visual Tooltip makes it possible to show a thumbnail of a window by putting the mouse cursor over a button of the taskbar.

After downloading the software, install and run it. The tool appears in the system tray and right click for selecting options. You can set the size, background and transparency of thumbnails.

You can also pull a thumbnail at any place on the screen by dragging and dropping it. It remains in the foreground and is updated regularly.

Visual Tooltip can also replace your taskbar with a three dimensional dock bar, similar to the ones in Mac.

Thumbnails added as a dock bar.

The thumbnails can have various rotations ( from 0 to 80 degree, CTRL key + mouse move on dock or on thumbnails, without clicking ).

The dock bar can replace the taskbar.

Visual Tooltip is a great software with lot of options considering the fact that its a freeware. Visual Tooltip is available for Windows XP and Vista users.

Download Visual Tooltip

Img Src: Visual ToolTip

How to take Screenshot with Vista Standard Snipping Tool

2008-10-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

Whenever you compose posts for your blogs, you will need pictures to illustrate it and the most common method of taking screenshot is the ALT + Print screen command. There are many freewares to do the job. Vista has an in-build snipping tool to take screen shots. This feature in Vista might be turned off in some PC and Laptops, but you can activate it to take screen shots.

This program belongs to the tablet PC functions of Vista. You will need Administrator rights to enable this feature. Open Control Panel and select ‘Programs’ and ‘Program and Features’.

Click on ‘Turn Windows functions on or off’ and you can see various setting which can be turned on or off. Now select the check box beside Tablet PC optional Components.

To Open this tool, click start menu and type snipping and press enter. When this is opened for first time, it will ask you whether it should add the tool in the quick start.

This tool has pretty good options as well, it offers free form, rectangular, Windows and full screen snip. There is also provision to select the background color. Once you snip the screenshot you can save it in graphic formats like JPEG.

This utility is available only in Vista Home Premium and Ultimate versions.

Windows XP SP3 Available through Windows Update

2008-10-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Earlier Microsoft had delayed the release of Windows XP SP3 through Windows Update due to some technical issue. Microsoft has announced that Window XP SP3 in now available through Windows Update. To install SP3 go to Windows Update and perform an express or custom install, make sure you see the service pack selected, and proceed with the install.

Windows XP SP3 will not significantly change the Windows XP experience as most of the changes are under the hood. SP3 will be available through Automatic Updates in a few months time.

Download Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3)

Give Windows XP a Makeover with XPize

2008-10-12T09:33:00.000-07:00

One of the prominent changes in Vista over XP is the vastly improved GUI. There are many ways to improve the GUI of XP and one of the freewares to do this job is XPize. XPize is a GUI enhancer for Windows XP and 2003. It replaces most of the non-XP icons, avis and bmps that Microsoft has always overlooked. The XPize installer simply automates the process of replacing resources in system files, making your XP’s look better.

Here you can see the old look of XP and the new look after installing XPize.

Features of Xpize;

Patches more than 150 system files without user interaction.
Updates tons of old resources still existent in Windows XP coming from Windows 95/98/2000.
Gives Windows XP a fresh new look, with new animations, icons and images.
Installs some cool extras, such as a boot screen, logon screen, screensaver and more.
Lets you create a custom Windows CD using the XPized ISO feature.

XPize is supported on Windows XP or Windows Server 2003.

Download XPize

Modify Boot Manager in Vista with VistaBootPRO

2008-10-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

From Windows XP to Vista, there has been a change in the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) registry editing and normal users may find it difficult to edit the BCD file. This job can be easily done with VistaBootPRO. VistaBootPRO is a freeware which was developed to make changes to the Windows Vista Boot Configuration Data registry quickly and easily, doing the job in a fraction of the time it would take using the alternative. VistaBootPRO allows users to easily and neatly organize their boot configuration entries.

One thing that is really good about this utility is the ability to backup your boot manager before you change anything, that way you don’t have to worry as much about screwing something up.

System Requirements: Windows XP (Home, PRO, x64, MCE 2005), 2003 Server, Vista, or Longhorn Server. All systems must have .NET 2.0 Framework. You need to run VistaBootPRO as administrator mode for changing the boot settings.

Download VistaBootPRO

Enable Thumbnail Previews in Taskbar in Windows XP

2008-10-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Few days back I had written about a freeware which can create thumbnail previews in taskbar Windows XP similar to ones in Vista. Here is another simple utility which can create quick thumbnail previews in Windows XP taskbar. Visual Task Tips is a lightweight shell enhancement utility. It provides thumbnail preview image for each task in the Windows Taskbar, as seen in the Microsoft Windows Vista.

Visual Task Tips is a simple utility and its only 102kb in size.

Download Visual Task Tips

Customize Windows Vista with Vista Visual Master

2008-10-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

Vista Visual Master is a freeware application that will help you to customize your Windows Vista easily. With this software, you can change the look of the Windows and buttons, change system icons and hundreds of file icons, reconfigure the boot and logon screen, patch and apply your new themes, and you can customize Windows Vista all with one application.

Features of this freeware;

Replace about 40 system icons and hundreds of file icons, including “Computer”,”Recycle Bin”
Patch your original theme so that you can use other themes to personalize your computer
Change logon and boot screens
Remove the small arrow on each icon; show Windows version on the computer desktop and hide all desktop items; disable or enable Windows Sidebar; disable changing wallpapers; force to enable DWM effect and create separate processes for desktop and explorer.

Vista Visual Master has a clean and simple interface it brings you an All-in-One set of powerful and neatly classified tools, settings and tweaks.

Download Vista Visual Manager

How to Export Websites in Security Zone to another PC

2008-10-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

Internet explorer has an integrated zone for adding web addresses which are classified as “Trustworthy Sites” and “Restricted sites“. Many entries might have added if you are using IE for long time. Now when you want to shift these settings to another PC, you can export these data and read it on another PC.

To export these setting, open registry editor (Run->Regedit). Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Domains

Select the entry and click export from the file menu. Type in a name for the file and ensure that the ‘Selected Branch’ option in save window is activated and click the Save button.

Now you can copy the file to new PC and double click to add the details to the registry.

How to Disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows Vista

2008-10-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

One of the added features in Vista is the User Account Control or the UAC. This is a security feature in Vista and it prompts for the user’s permission in modifying data related to security or any Windows function. Sometimes UAC could be annoying as the pop-up comes out every now and then. You can disable the UAC in Windows Vista, but please note that this will make your PC less secure.

To disable UAC, open Control Panel, select User Accounts and inside you can see option to turn User Account Control on or off. Now uncheck the box against, Use User Account Control (UAC). Once you make the change, you will need to restart the PC to see the effects.

When UAC is turned on, it denies write access to Program Files and Windows folders for security reasons. So in case you want to modify any folder in Program files, you will need to turn off the UAC.

How to Enable CTRL+ALT+DEL Logon in Vista

2008-10-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

Windows XP and previous version has CTRL+ALT+Del method of logging into PC, but this was missing in Vista. Actually this option is available in Vista, but is not enabled by default. You can enable it from the Control Panel. for changing this setting, you need to open the User Accounts window by typing netplwiz in the run command. This is the shortcut command for user accounts.

In the User Accounts window, select the Advanced tab. Check the box against “Require users to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete” and click ok.

Next time you restart your Vista, Ctrl+Alt+Del will be enabled on your Vista.

Enhance GUI in Windows Vista with Vize

2008-10-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

Few days back I had written about a freeware to improve the GUI experience in XP. Although Vista has a very much improved look and feel there still few places where Microsoft has to still improve. Vize is a freeware application which can improve the GUI experience in Vista. It replaces most of the non-Vista icons, animations and bitmaps that Microsoft is still overlooking.

Vize automates the process of replacing resources in system files, applying the real fit and finish to Windows Vista. The patching process will not disable Vista’s built-in security features.

Features of Vize;

Patches more than 70 system files with minimal user interaction.
Updates tons of old resources still existent in Windows Vista coming from Windows 95/98/2000/XP.
Gives Windows Vista the real fit and finish.

Since it patches the Vista files, its advisable to create a system restore point before using it.

Download Vize

Complete List of Run Commands in Windows Vista

2008-10-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Run commands are always useful for the fact that you can access Windows programs and features quickly instead of going through control panel. Windows Vista has many new commands and with these commands you can directly open features which are available in Control panel. You can execute these commands either in through Run or typing it in the search box in Start menu.

Here is the list of Run commands in Windows Vista

Help Pane : helppane
Color Management : colorcpl
Computer Management Launcher : CompMgmtLauncher
Control Panel : control
Credential Backup and Restore Wizard : credwiz
Defragment User Interface : dfrgui
Driver Package Installer : dpinst
DPI Scaling : dpiscaling
DVD Player : dvdplay
Display Adapter Troubleshooter : AdapterTroubleshooter
Authorization Manager : azman.msc
Bitlocker Wizard : bitlockerwizard
Event Viewer : eventvwr
Firewall Settings : FirewallSettings
Firewall Control Panel : FirewallControlPanel
Windows Firewall with Advanced Security : wf.msc
Problem Reports and Solutions : wercon
Windows Fax and Scan : wfs
Windows Image Acquisition - wiaacmgr
Windows Update Application Manager - wuapp
Windows Standalong Update Manager - wusa
Windows Shared Folder Management : fsmgmt.msc
Snipping Tool : snippingtool
Bitlocker Notifier : fvenotify
Fax Cover Sheet Editor : fxscover
iSCSI Initiator : iscsicpl
Iexpress : iexpress
Logoff from Vista : logoff
Language Pack Installer : lpksetup
Windows Mobility Center : mblctr
Microsoft Sync Center : mobsync
Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool : msdt
Remote Assistance : msra
User Accounts : Netplwiz
ODBC Data Source Administrator : odbcad32
Optional Features Manager : optionalfeatures
People Near Me : p2phost
Performance Monitor : perfmon
Presentation Settings : presentationsettings
Printer Migration : PrintBrmUi
Encryption File System : rekeywiz
Windows Backup Utility : sdclt
Accesibility Settings : sethc
Windows Share Creation Wizard : shrpubw
Software Licensing/Windows Activation : slui
Sound Volume : sndvol
Sound Recorder : soundrecorder
Sticky Note : StikyNot
Digitizer Calibration Tool : tabcal
Trusted Platform Module : TpmInit
System Properties : SystemPropertiesAdvanced
System Properties (Hardware pre-selected) : SystemPropertiesHardware
System Properties (Computer Name pre-selected) : SystemPropertiesComputerName
System Properties (Performance pre-selected) : SystemPropertiesPerformance
System Properties (Protection pre-selected) : SystemPropertiesProtection
System Properties (Data Execution Prevention pre-selected) : SystemPropertiesDataExecutionPrevention
System Properties (Remote pre-selected) : SystemPropertiesRemote

Custom Keyboard Layout with Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator

2008-10-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

If you wanted to create a custom keyboard layout for the language which Microsoft does not support, then Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator is the software you should be trying out. With this software, you can define your own keyboard layout so you can quickly and easily enter your favourite symbols with a simple keystroke.

Create new keyboard layouts from scratch
Base a new layout on an existing one
Modify an existing keyboard layout and build a new layout from it
Multilingual input locales within edit control fields.
Build keyboard layout DLLs for x86, x64, and IA64 platforms.
Package the resulting keyboard layouts for subsequent delivery and installation.

To install Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator tool, your system must meet the following requirements;

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 or Windows Vista (MSKLC will not run on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME or Windows NT4).
Microsoft .NET Framework v2.0 must be installed. You can install .Net framework from here.

Download Keyboard Layout Creator

Change Vista Color Automatically with Vista Color Transform

2008-10-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

Vista Aero effects has different colors to choose from, but each time when you need to change it, you need to make changes in the settings. Vista Color Transform is a light-weight freeware application that works in your System Tray alternating the colors of the Taskbar and window-borders found in Vista. All you need to do is to activate Aero effects.

It is also possible to add colors to the cycle and even create your own ones. This freeware does not need any installation, just download and run the utility. Another great option is to change colors based on the battery life of Laptops. You can change the color to darker one when battery is coming down in the Laptop.

Download Vista Color Transform

How to Manipulate the Performance Index of Vista

2008-10-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

Vista has a Performance Index which is determined based on the hardware of the system. Vista inspects the hardware of the PC and determines the Performance Index and this is important as some Softwares enable some functionality based on this value. Vista also does not support Aero effects if the performance index is less than 3. If the performance index can be manipulated, then many functions and softwares would do most of the jobs. But changing the performance index does not have any impact on the actual performance of the system.

How to Change the Performance Index:

Please note this is a registry hack and keep a back up of your registry before changing.

First you need to check the actual performace index of your Vista, to do this navigate to ‘Performance Information and Tools’ and click ‘Update my Score’ in the Control Panel. Now to modify this score, open Registry editor by typing regedit. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES_\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System key. Change the DWORD value of EnableLUA to 0 and save it. Now restart Windows after closing it.

Next step is to navigate to ‘C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\DataScore’ folder, you can see multiple documents in XML format and each represents evaluation conducted so far. Open the latest file based on time stamp in textpad and you can see the latest test results in line number 13-20. Change these values to higher value, maximum being 5.9 and save the file.

Now go back to the registry entry and change the DWORD to 1 and save it and restart the PC. Now if you see the Performance index it will have the new value. Please note that if you again conduct the test it will be reset to old value, but whenever the performance index is taken, it will have the new value.

So in case Aero effects are not working in your Vista because of low Performance index, then you can manipulate it using this method.

How to Copy and Paste Files Faster with Mouse Click

2008-10-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

TXmouse is a freeware application that will help you to copy and paste files faster in Windows, without going through CTRL +C and CTRL +V. This small utility does not require any installation. Simply copy it to the auto start folder located at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Autostart. You can use the software once you restart the PC.

Copying and pasting files can be done using the mouse. Mark any text and copy it to the clipboard with a click. A click on the centre button of the mouse or mouse wheel is sufficient to paste the content from the clip board.

This process works on all PCs as this application basically triggers the key combination CTRL+C and CTRL+V for any application. Another thing to look at is an X icon in the system tray. If it looks light red , TXMouse is ready to copy on mark. However, if you have manually copied any content to clipboard, the icon changes as soon as you move the mouse. The X flips and changes its hue, in other words “turns its back on you.” This means that copy-on-mark is temporarily off - until you paste the clipboard content with the middle button click.

If you want to remove TXMouse, you can do it by removing the exe file from the Autostart folder.

Download TXMouse

How to Set Background for Vista Folders

2008-10-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

In Vista, the ability to have custom backgrounds images in explorer view is not available. But this functionality can be enabled using a freeware called Vista Folder Background. This small application makes folder backgrounds possible and can be automatically applied to subfolders.

In order to set a background, right click on the folder and check the folder background settings.

Installation/ Uninstall

1. Unzip the file and run the install.bat
2. To uninstall run uninstall.bat and restart the PC

Download Vista Folder Background

Tweak Windows with XdN Tweaker Freeware

2008-10-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

XdN Tweaker is a free tweaking software for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista. What makes this freeware different from others is the fact that it does not include settings and options which are normally available in Windows and can be changed easily. What this program does is to change settings which Windows does not normally allow to change without changing registry.

Features of XdN Tweaker;

Changes the number of Folder views Windows saves.
Resets the folder views Windows has saved.
Add/Remove classic Windows 2000 user control panel icon.
Disable/Enable ATI Catalyst Control Center right click on Desktop
(only for use if you have an ATI video card and have the Catalyst Control Center installed).
Disable/Enable ‘SendTo’ right-click menu.
Allows you to adjust and tweak TCP/IP settings.
Disable/Enable ZipFolders.
Disable/Enable the Outlook Express/Windows Mail splash screen.
Put the File menu above the Back/Forward buttons in IE7.
Remove or Replace the Search box in IE7.
Disable/Enable User Account Control prompts under Vista.
Disable/Enable the “- Shortcut” text under Vista.
Attempt to force Vista to better save folder views.
Disable/Enable Windows Media Player Explorer context menus.
Add/Remove “Take Ownership” to right-click menus under Vista.
Disable/Enable the Documents item on the Classic Start Menu.
Changes “Delete” to “Search…” on Recycle Bin.
Turn off the annoying full screen “black” UAC prompt.
Add/Remove the Network Connections icon to Control Panel
Enable Classic Search in Explorer and Internet Explorer.
Disable/Enable Shutdown Reason dialog under Server 2003.
Disable/Enable Windows scanning AVI files for thumbnails.
Remove/Restore hidden ASPNET user that prevents auto login.
Add “Tweak UI” icon to Control Panel (if installed).

The latest version has lot of bug fixes and code clean up and few new tweaks added.

Download XdN Tweaker

How to Select Files and Folders in Vista using Checkboxes

2008-10-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

In Windows, if you want to select multiple files, the you need to use CTRL or SHIFT key. In Vista you can select multiple files and folders using checkboxes. you will need to enable this in the folder settings. To do this, Navigate to Folder and Search options in the Organize menu.

In the Folder and Search options, select the View tab and check the box against “Use Check boxes to select items”.

Click Ok and now you will be able to select files and folders using check boxes. To select a file using Checkbox, hover the mouse over the folder and you can see a checkbox on the top left hand corner.

How to Use Natural Language Search in Vista

2008-10-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

Naturally Spoken Language Search is a little known feature in Vista and used by very less people. Natural Language search allows you to search files and folders in Vista based on natural keywords like “modified yesterday”, “modified last week” etc. To enable Natural Language search go to Folder Options in Organise menu of your explorer.

In the Folder Options, select Search tab and check the box against “Use natural Language search”. Click OK and now you can search files

Now you can search for files by tying “modified yesterday”, “modified last week” or “files created last month”.

How to Check the Reliability of OS and Applications in Vista

2008-10-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

The reliability and performance check is a feature in Vista which help to check the reliability of OS and Applications installed. This feature is available in Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate editions. To check the reliability, open Control Panel. Click on “Performance and Maintenance” and then select “Administrative Tools”. This can also be accessed from Classic View by double clicking Administrative Tools. Inside Administration Tools, open “Reliability and Performance Monitor”.

In the “Reliability and Performance Monitor” window, select Reliability Monitor. This monitor tells the stability of Windows Vista. The monitor starts from the day Windows Vista was installed on your PC. This monitor collects data about software installs, uninstall, Windows errors, improper shutdown etc. The reliability index is a value between 1 and 10. The value is 10 when Vista was first installed and decreases with any errors or crashes.

When you select a particular day, it shows the errors and crashes that occurred on that particular day.

Below this chart, you can find the detailed report on Software installs, application failures, Hardware failures etc. Each failure or error is a negative event for stability and the rating decreases.

If there are no errors or failures over a period of time, then the index starts increasing. The importance of this feature lies in the fact that it can be used to identify the causes of problems and possibly correct these. If the failures are occuring due to software, then its recommenced to uninstall it.

Windows Vista Explorer Groups and Stack Feature

2008-10-12T08:34:00.001-07:00

Windows Vista features lot of UI changes when compared to previous Windows versions. Apart from the visual changes, there are many hidden features in these UI. One such feature is the groups and stacks in Windows Explorer. The Vista Explorer has few headings on the top of folders. These are basically Name, Type, Date Modified, Size and Tags.

Click on the menu at the end of the Type and you can see sub menu. When you click group, files are grouped based on Type. At the same time, if you select group from Name menu, then files are grouped based on name.

Another feature in Vista is Stack. When you do a Stack by type, then files are ordered based on file type. Double clicking on the stack will open up all of the corresponding files.

To conclude, the new file management system is Vista is very much improved when compared to XP and its not just the basic ordering what you find in Vista.

How to Backup Files and Folders in Windows Vista

2008-10-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

Backing up files and folders is a very important task as this can save your data in the event of a system crash or failure. Windows Vista has a similar backup utility like Windows XP. To back up your data, open Control Panel and select “Back up your computer” under the System an Maintenance menu.

This will take you to Back up and Restore Center, here click on Backup Files button.

Next step you have to select the place where you are going to back up data, it can be hard disk, CD/DVD or to a network.

Now select the drive you want to take back up, by default all drives on your hard disk are selected.

Select the type of files you want to back up like pictures, emails, documents, videos etc.

Next step is to schedule the back up. You can select Daily, Weekly or monthly and also select the time.

If you have select back up to DVD or CD and the DVD is full, then backup will continue once you insert the next blank disc. You can check the back up settings in the back up and restore center.

You can restore files the same way from the Restore Files menu.

How to Reset Windows NT, XP and Vista Admin Password

2008-10-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

Many times we forget the Windows admin password and end up re-installing the OS again. Offline NT Password is a utility to (re)set the password of any user that has a valid (local) account on your Windows NT/2k/XP/Vista system. This utility works on the principle that Windows stores its user information, including encrypted passwords, in a file usually found in \system32\config.

Important Note: Resetting a user’s or administrator’s password on some systems might cause data loss, especially EFS-encrypted files.

Feature of this Utility;

Reset password of any user that has a valid (local) account on your Windows NT/2k/XP/Vista.
No need to know the old password to set a new one.
It works offline, that is, you have to shutdown your computer and boot off a floppy disk or CD.
Will detect and offer to unlock locked or disabled out user accounts.

You can read the complete FAQ on resetting password using this utility.

Offline NT Password Homepage

How to Create a Password Reset Disk in Vista

2008-10-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

We have already written on how to reset the Windows password using a freeware. You can reset your Windows Vista password if you create a reset disk. This reset disk can be saved in USB drive or Floppy disk. To create a reset disk, open start menu and type “User Accounts” and enter.

On the left menu, select Create Password rest disk. Make sure you have plugged in USB drive or a floppy drive.

Next step is to select the drive to create password reset disk.

You will need to enter the current Windows user password.

Now the reset disk will be created on the USB drive. To reset password, you need to select Reset Password option while logging in and it will guide you to reset the password.

How to Take Ownership of Files and Folders in Vista

2008-10-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

Every file or folder in Vista has owner. The owner controls how permissions are set on the object and to whom permissions are granted. If an administrator need to edit or change permission on any file or folder, then the ownership of file needs to be taken. The owner can always change permissions on an object, even when denied all access to the object. To take ownership of files, right click and select Properties.

In the properties window, select Security Tab,

Click the Advanced button in the Security tab. In the Advanced Security Settings, select Owner tab.

Here you can view the current owner of the file and also the option to change owner. Click the Edit button at the bottom.

Here you can select the new owner of the file and apply the settings. You get a security warning that you need to close the file and open it again for settings to take place.

Now the ownership of file is changed to the new user.

Create Vista Boot Screens with Vista Boot Logo Generator

2008-10-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

Vista does not feature a decent boot logo like Windows XP, but you can always customize Vista. Vista Boot Logo Generator is a tool that should simplify the process of creating the new high resolution Vista boot logos. By default, Vista’s high resolution boot logo is not enabled. To enable the hi-resolution boot logo, you must enable the NOGUIBOOT option using MSCONFIG (Start > Type msconfig and select Boot Tab).

NB: Vista Boot Logo Generator doesn’t yet support x64 Vista, in this version. Do not attempt to install x86 boot screens on the 64-bit versions of Vista, otherwise you will cause your system to become unbootable. Take a back up of the boot logo before replacing it. Try this boot logo at your own risk as this software is still in beta.

Update: AS pointed about by How-To Geek, this software will not work with Vista SP1.

To create a Boot Logo, you need 2 images of sizes (800X600 and 1024X768) and images should be 24 bit Bitmap images. Once the images are loaded in the Boot Logo Generator, select File –> Save Boot Screen Files as option. The file name will be “winload.exe.mui”.

Now you need to copy it to the location where boot logo is saved. Save the created file to (C:\Windows\System32\en-US) and replace the existing file by the same name. Type the following command in run;

%windir%\System32\en-US

You will probably not have write permissions for the above file and for this you will have to take ownership of the file. Now if you boot Vista, you can see the new boot logo in action.

Download Vista Boot Logo Creator

How to Make Windows Vista SP1 Installation Permanent

2008-10-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

Once you have installed Windows Vista SP1 and you have no issues with the service pack, then you can consider making the SP1 installation permanent. The advantage of doing this is that you can reclaim disk space. Vista SP1 takes up lot of disk space for files which are needed in case of SP1 uninstall. Once you make the SP1 installation permanent, you will not be able to uninstall it again.

To make the SP1 installation permanent, there is a tool called vsp1cln.exe (Vista SP1 Cleaner), which is located in Windows/System32 folder.

Open the command prompt (Win Key +R and type cmd), navigate to Windows/System32 folder and type vsp1cln.exe. You can also run this directly by typing vsp1cln.exe in the run command or double click the file vsp1cln.exe from Windows/System32 folder.

It asks for a conformation and then cleans the SP1 installation files and makes SP1 permanent.

How to Setup Multiple Network Connectivity on Windows

2008-10-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

If you use DHCP in one location and static IP-address at another location, you may keep changing the network TCP/IP properties on your Windows laptop depending on your location, which can be little annoying. You can use the “Alternate Configuration” features available on the Windows TCP/IP properties to choose the appropriate TCP/IP configuration automatically as explained in this article.

1. Start -> Control Panel -> Network Connection -> Right click on the LAN that needs to be configured and select properties.

2. In the Local Area Connection properties Windows, scroll down and select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) as shown below and click on properties.

3. In the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) properties, the General tab represents the primary configuration. Here you can select “Obtain an IP address automatically”, which will get obtain the IP-address, if a DHCP server is identified in the network.

4. Click on Alternate Configuration tab, and click on ‘User Configured’ to enter the static ip-address of the alternate location, where you use your Windows laptop, as shown below. Once this is setup, at work if you have DHCP, the laptop will automatically use the primary configuration and at home, if you have static IP-address, it will automatically use the alternative configuration.

This article was written by Ramesh Natarajan. At the The Geek Stuff blog he shares his knowledge and experience on Linux and other Geeky stuff. He has more than 15 years of experience in IT industry and has performed very intensive work on System administration, DBA, Hardware and Storage.

How to Set Default File Associations in Vista

2008-10-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

Each file extension in Windows is associated to a program and when you open the file, its set to open with the default program for that particular extension. You can set/change the association of each extension with any program manually. To do this Open Control Panel and select “Make a file type always open in a specific program” option under Default Programs.

Here you can see the list of all extensions and the associated programs on the right.

If you need to change or set the default program, select the extension and click Change Program button located on the top right corner.

Here the recommended programs and also the other programs are displayed. Once you select a program, the file will be associated with that program. Alternatively if you need to change only for a particular file, right click on the file and select Properties-> General Tab and select the Change button.

Once you are selected the program, click OK.

How to Create a Quick Launch for Window Switcher (Flip 3D)

2008-10-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

Windows switcher is the function which enables Windows Flip 3D effects in Aero. Windows Switcher is available as a quick launch shortcut when Vista is installed. In case you deleted the quick launch for Windows Switcher, here is the way to get it back. Click on the start button and in the search type “Switch” and you can see and entry Window Switcher under files.

Right click and select Send to -> Desktop (Create shortcut). This will create desktop shortcut for Switcher.

Not drag and drop the Switcher shortcut to Quick Launch.

Now when you click the Window Switcher on the Quick launch, you can see the flip 3D effects in action.

Hope you liked this tip, you can check out the complete collection of Windows Vista tips.

How to Access Send To Menu Quickly in Vista

2008-10-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

Send To menu in Windows is one of the very useful and most commonly used menu. In Windows XP, Send To menu was accessible by typing sendto in run command, but things have changed in Vista. If you type the sendto in run command in in Vista, you will not be able to access it, instead it throws an error.

In Vista, to access sendto menu in Vista, type the following in run command.

%appdata%\microsoft\windows\sendto

Now you will be able to see items in sendto menu. But it will be difficult to remember the command all the time. To access the sendto menu quickly, you can create a shortcut to sendto menu in the start menu. Drag the sendto folder to the start menu and drop it between folders in All Programs. You will need to righ drag the folder to the start menu. Once you release between the folders, you need to select Create Shortcut here option.

Once shortcut is created, you will be able to access sendto menu quickly from start menu.

How to Manage Recent Items List in Vista

2008-10-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

If your PC is being used by multiple people with the same login, then mostly its preferred that others do not see your recent documents and also its useful if you were able to control the number of items in the Recent Items (Recent Documents in XP) list. A simple registry hack will help you to take control of the recent document list and manipulate the number of documents shown here.

NB: Please take a back up of your registry before doing any changes.

1. Select Start->Run (Win + R) and type regedit.

2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies. If this folder does not have an subkey Explorer, then right click and select New-> Key.

3. Once you have created the subkey explorer, select Explorer and create a New DWORD(32 bit) value.

4. Enter the name for this value as MaxRecentDocs.

5. Now double click on the created entry and here you can enter the value. Select Decimal and enter the desired number and click OK.

Restart your PC to implement the changes.

How to Abort Shutdown or Restart in Windows Vista

2008-10-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

Many times after a software installation, Windows prompt for a restart and you click the restart button accidentally before saving all your work. You can create a shortcut to abort the restart/shutdown process in such cases. To create a shortcut, right click on the desktop and select New-> Shortcut. In the create new shortcut dialog box, first enter the location of shortcut as shutdown.exe –a.

In the next step, give a name for the shortcut like Abort Shutdown.

Click Finish and your new shortcut to abort shutdown or restart will be available on desktop. This shortcut will work only for a short duration between the actual shutdown. So its better to create a keyboard shortcut for this.

Right click on the desktop shortcut and select properties. In the shortcut tab, select a suitable keyboard shortcut, which you can fire quickly.

Click Apply and you are done. Next time you accidentally click restart, then quickly fire this keyboard shortcut to abort shutdown process.

Microsoft Releases Windows Vista Performance and Tuning Guide

2008-10-12T06:24:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has releases a Windows Vista Performance and Tuning Guide for Vista users to get the best performance. This guide is available for download in pdf and xps formats. With this guide Microsoft seems to be extending the marketing of Vista.

This guide is a part of Spring board series and the PDF version consist of 14 pages. This guide talks about optimizing Vista for best battery performance, ready boost feature, disabling background programs or services, using the sleep function to make computer faster and other tips.

Download Vista Performance Guide

How to Add Additional Clocks in Windows Vista

2008-10-12T06:22:00.000-07:00

Windows Vista has a different type of display for date and time when compared to XP. Vista provides with the option of adding two more clocks to the existing display of one. This could be helpful if you are working with people from different parts of the world. Adding additional clocks is an easy task in Vista.

This is the normal display of time and date in Vista, to add two more additional clock, click in the link “Change date and time settings”. Select the Additional Clock tab in the date and time settings.

Here check the boxes against “Show this clock” and select the time zone you want to display. You can also enter a name for the clock and once you are done click OK.

Now you can see three clocks, one primary and two additional ones.

How to Show only Specified Items in Control Panel in Vista

2008-10-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

In Window, you can hide all control panel items and folders except the ones specified using settings. This is helpful when your PC is shared and you do not want users to make too many changes. With this settings, only those items are displayed in the Control panel which are specified. To make the change, you need to open Group Policy Editor. (Group Policy Editor is not available in Vista Home Basic/Premium users)

1. Open Group Policy Editor, Start-> Run –> gpedit.msc

2. In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to the option User Configuration-> Administrative Templates-> Control Panel.

3. In the right window, double click on the item “Show only specified Control Panel Items”. Enable the option using the radio button.

4. Click the Show button to select the items to be shown in Control Panel.

Enter the item to be displayed using the name as its displayed in Control Panel. Once you have selected the items to be displayed, click OK and close the settings. Now if you open the control panel, you will be able to see only the items you specified.

Here I have selected only Windows Update in Control panel. With this policy, you can restrict the items displayed in Control panel.

How to Change the Default Timeout Seconds in Dual Boot Vista

2008-10-12T06:17:00.000-07:00

When you have installed two different versions of Windows, say Vista Ultimate and Vista Home premium or XP and Vista as dual boot, these options show up when you boot Windows. But many times the timeout seconds is set as very low value and it becomes difficult to select an OS which is not the default one. This time can be changed easily using config settings.

1. Open System Configuration (Start->Run->msconfig).

2. Select the Boot tab in System configuration.

3. Against the box for Timeout, enter the value in seconds the time you want for selecting OS.

4. Click OK and close. Next time you boot Windows, you can see the select OS screen appearing for the new time set.

How to Disable Error Reporting in Windows Vista

2008-10-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

Whenever a program hangs or crashes occurs, Vista is able to automatically send relevant information about the failure to Microsoft using Windows Error Reporting (WER), have this information analyzed and obtain a solution to the problem if one exists. In case you are testing beta versions of applications, you might encountered this situation many times. Some times the Error Reporting can be annoying, but it can be turned off using Group Policy Editor.

1. To disable Error Reporting, open Group Policy Editor (Start-> Run-> gpedit.msc)

2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Error Reporting.

3. Double click on the setting- Disable Windows Error Reporting.

4. Click Ok and close the Group Policy Editor.

Windows Error reporting will not show up next time any application crashes or stops working.

How to Enable/Disable Hibernation in Windows Vista

2008-10-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

When Windows is switched to hibernation mode, Windows saves the current state into a file called hiberfil.sys. This files size is very huge and will extend to several GB. In case you are not using hibernation, you can disable it to save hard disk space. To disable hibernation, open Start-> All Programs-> Accessories-> Command Prompt. Right click and select Run as Administrator in case you are not logged in as admin account.

In the command prompt type “powercfg.exe –h off” to turn off hibernation (without quotes).

In case you want to enable hibernation, type “powercfg.exe –h on” in the command prompt.

How to Disable Access to Removable Drives in Vista

2008-10-12T06:09:00.000-07:00

In case your PC is shared one and many others users access it, then there are chances of virus or malware attack through removable drives(CD/ USB drives). You can configure your PC such that removable drives are not accessible in Vista. If this setting is enabled, then no access is enabled for removable. To disable access to removable drives follow the steps below;

1. Open Group Policy Editor (Start-> Run-> gpedit.msc). Group Policy editor works only on Vista Business or Ultimate Editions.

2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Removable Storage Access.

3. Select “All Removable Storage class: Deny all access” and select enable.

Alternatively you can also configure removable drives for read only or write only access. Its also possible to configure CD drives, Floppy drives etc independently.

How to Find out Successful and Unsuccessful Logon in Vista

2008-10-12T06:07:00.000-07:00

Windows Policy allows you to display information about the previous user logons and logon failures to the user. This enables you to check unauthorized access to your PC. This setting can be enabled using the Group Policy Editor. Group Policy Editor is available only in Windows Vista Ultimate and Enterprise version.

1. To enable this setting, Start-> Run-> gpedit.msc.

2. Navigate to Computer Configuration-> Administrative templates-> Windows Components-> Windows Logon Options. Double click the first option on the right side- “Display Information about previous logons during user logon”.

Enable the option and click OK. When this option is enabled, a message appears displaying the last logon attempted along with the user name and also the number of unsuccessful attempts on your PC.

How to Add or Edit Tags for Multiple Photos Quickly in Vista

2008-10-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

There are lots of freeware application including Microsoft Pro Photos tools to edit meta information of photos. You can also add or edit tags, author details, rating, title and subject in Vista easily and quickly. This can be done for a single photo or multiple photos. To add the photo details select a photo and you can see the details at the bottom of the explorer window.

You can add details against Tags, Title, Comments, Author and also Subject. Once you add/edit the details, you can save the details by clicking the save button.

This can be done for multiple photos as well, all you need is to select all the photo and click the Show more details link and do the same process.

Now all your photos will have the same details.

How to Restore Lost Files and Folders in Windows Vista

2008-10-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

If you were working on a document or any files, you overwrote the current version with the one previously saved and lost information, then Vista can help you recover them using the feature of Shadow Copy. This feature is available only in Windows Vista Enterprise and Ultimate editions. Shadow Copy feature lets you to restore a specific version of file, not only the recent ones. Vista creates copy of your file each time it creates a system restore. To restore a shadow copy that’s stored on your computer, you right-click the file or folder, and then click Restore previous versions.

When you select the option, the Previous Versions tab is selected in the properties window. Then you can select the previous version of the file or folder that you want to restore, click Restore, and the file or folder is restored.

This is a useful feature especially for documents if you accidently overwrote the files.

How to Restart Explorer Quickly in Windows Vista

2008-10-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

Whenever a new program is installed, sometimes it prompts for a restart of PC, but in these cases it would be sufficient if we restart the Explorer instead of restarting Windows. For restarting explorer, you can follow the normal process by selecting CTRL +ALT +DEL and select Task Manager. In the task manager, click on explorer.exe entry and select End Process.

This process can be simplified by creating a batch file and then executing it from the desktop. To do this, open notepad and type the following commands,

@echo off
taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
explorer.exe

Now save the file in Windows folder with the extension .bat. The file name can be anything you chose. Now create a shortcut to this file on the desktop. Now whenever you need to restart explorer, double click on the desktop entry and it will do the job of restarting explorer.

Please make sure that you save all information which you were working on before executing this command.

How to Remotely Sign Out of Windows Live Messenger 9.0

2008-10-12T05:54:00.001-07:00

If you logged on to Windows Live Messenger from any PC and forgot to sign out when you finished browsing, then Live Messenger provides an option of remotely sign out of Messenger. This feature is useful if you signed in to Windows Live Messenger from your friends house or from a browsing center and forgot to sign out. You can see this message when you are signed into Live Messenger from more than one place.

To remotely sign out, click on the button on the top of the Messenger which indicates the number of places signed in. Here you can see all the locations where you have signed in. Select the location from where you want to sign out. There is also option to sign out from all places.

Alternatively you can also set to sign out from anywhere else when you log in. To set this option, select the option button and navigate to Sign in tab. In the Sign In tab, select the option “Sign me out everywhere else”.

Click Apply and now on Windows Live Messenger will sign out from other places when you sign in. Selecting this option will give more security to your Windows Live Messenger.

How to Restart Crashed Programs Automatically in Vista

2008-10-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes programs like email or your webserver monitoring applications might have crashed and did not start automatically. Application Monitor is a freeware program that constantly checks the processes previously chosen by the user, and when it detects that one of those processes has stopped working it will start it again. So in any case the programs selected by you crashes, then Application Monitor will start it back for you.

With the add button, you can start adding application which you want to monitor. AppMonitor has been developed keeping in mind all the admin and power users who use programs that must always been running and that don’t have a built-in restart function.

Application Monitor is pretty useful tool especially if you are running a web server or a monitoring tool for websites.

Increase Performance in Windows Vista

2008-10-01T03:11:00.000-07:00

I don't Think You Have Ever Heard These Tricks To Increase Your Speed Remarkable!!!!

To optimize the performance of your hard drive

1. Go to the Disk Drives section in Device Manager (Control Panel - System - Device Manager) and expand it.

2. Right-click on each hard drive, select Properties, and under the Policies tab make sure "Optimize for Performance" is selected. If its available, also tick the "Enable Write Caching on the disk" and "Enable Advanced Performance"options.

This allows hard drives to use a cache (a small area of memory set aside for the hard drive) to speed up reading and writing to the drive.

Disable DEP

Some people like to disable Data Execution Protection for a little bit more perfomance, and to do this you simply launch a "Run..." box, type "cmd" (without the quotes) and then type bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff to disable it. To re-enable it, just type bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOn instead

Play MS-DOS Games on Vista

If you try to run an old DOS game on Vista, you'll probably get an error "This system does not support fullscreen mode." Fortunately, this isn't a dead end. Download a copy of DOSBox, the greatest MS-DOS emulator for any platform (Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and more), and try running your game under DOSBox. Not only will you get support for old-school graphics like CGA and EGA, you can even run it in a window!

Disable System Restore

If you make regular backups of important data then it should be safe to disable System Restore, which can affect performance. Only disable it if you're sure you don't want to use it - it is essentially a feature of Windows which can allow you to roll back to a previous time if it gets corrupted in any way, but it requires memory and disk space.

Use ReadyBoost

ReadyBoost is a feature unique to Windows Vista and allows users to boost performance without upgrading their PC any more than adding a flash USB drive. By storing data that would normally require RAM on flash drives, Vista becomes more responsive with ReadyBoost, particularly on systems with 512MB of RAM or less. If you have a spare USB flash drive that you don’t use, it’s worth enabling this feature. Before you start you must ensure that ReadyBoost is set to Automatic and started in services.msc.

To use ReadyBoost, simply insert your USB flash drive, open “Computer,” right ** on the flash drive and ** “Properties.” ** on the “ReadyBoost” tab and ** on “Use this device.” I recommend leaving the amount of space reserved to the default. After this, just ** “OK” and your system will be taking advantage of ReadyBoost. This is unlikely to make much difference to systems with 1GB or more of RAM. This will require the USB drive to be more or less empty.

Right ** on “Computer” and then ** “Properties”. In the left panel ** “System Protection” which will bring up the System Restore information. If you do not wish to use System Restore, untick all of drives that are shown and then ** “Apply” or “Ok.” This should disable system restore.

Disable file indexing

The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive and creates a "searchable keyword index." As you can imagine, this process can be quite taxing on any system.

The idea is that the user can search for a word, phrase, or property inside a document, should they have hundreds or thousands of documents and not know the file name of the document they want. Windows XP's built-in search functionality can still perform these kinds of searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer. The OS has to open each file at the time of the request to help find what the user is looking for.

Most people never need this feature of search. Those who do are typically in a large corporate environment where thousands of documents are located on at least one server. But if you're a typical system builder, most of your clients are small and medium businesses. And if your clients have no need for this search feature, I recommend disabling it.

Here's how: First, double-click the My Computer icon. Next, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching." Next, apply changes to "C: subfolders and files," and click OK. If a warning or error message appears (such as "Access is denied"), click the Ignore All button.

Defrag Your Boot

To defrag your boot open-run and enter "defrag c: -b" a window opens and takes around 20min depending on your system to close

Faster windows Vista boot!

first restart ur pc and look at the blue line(boot screen) and see how many times it goes..
that u have to do is:

1- start>run> and past ''regedit''
2- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/ SYSTEM / CurrentControlSet / Control / Session Manager / Memory Managment / PrefetchParameters / EnablePrefetcher.
3- dobbel ** on "Enableprefetcher"
4- past 1 in Value Date, and Hexadecimal most be on(enable)
then restart the pc and and look at the blue line and see how many times it goes.

Increase Performance in Windows Xp

2008-10-01T02:52:00.000-07:00

I don't Think You Have Ever Heard These Tricks To Increase Your Speed Remarkable!!!!

Disable creating compress old files

On an NTFS partition, Disk Cleanup can compress old files
to save space. But calculating the savings and performing
the compression often take a long time, and on some systems,
Disk Cleanup hangs during the process. If that happens, or if
you don't care to wait, use this Registry tweak to disable the
compression: Delete the key
HKEY_ LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches\Compress Old Files.

Disable Error Reporting

To disable the stupid feature in WinXP which tries to send a report to microsoft every time a program crashes you will have to do this:
Open Control Panel
Click on Preformance and Maintenance.
Click on System.
Then click on the Advanced tab
Click on the error reporting button on the bottom of the windows.
Select Disable error reporting.
Click OK
Click OK

Disable file indexing.

Defrag Your Boot

To defrag your boot open-run and enter "defrag c: -b" a window opens and takes around 20min depending on your system to close

Fixing Your Windows For Corrupt Files

How to fix corrupted files in XP
Place the xp cd in your cd/dvd drive
+ Go to start
+ run
+ type in 'sfc /scannow' (without the ')

Now it should all load, and fix all your corrupted file on windows XP

Faster windows xp boot!

Disable System Restore

Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
In the System Properties dialog box, click the System Restore tab.
Click to select the Turn off System Restore check box. Or, click to select the Turn off

System Restore on all drives check box.
Click OK.
When you receive the following message, click Yes to confirm that you want to turn off

System Restore:
You have chosen to turn off System Restore. If you continue, all existing restore points

will be deleted, and you will not be able to track or undo changes to your computer.

Do you want to turn off System Restore?
After a few moments, the System Properties dialog box closes.

TIPS TRICKS AND SECRETS

2008-05-04T04:53:00.000-07:00

FASTER INTERNET EXPLORER

2008-04-18T03:20:00.000-07:00

1. ** start > run

2. type regedit > enter

3. browse folder HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\m*cro$oft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\InternetSettings

4. right ** @ windows right > New > DWORD

5. type MaxConnectionsPerServer > u can set value (the more higher the no, the more good speed u get, eg : 99)

6. create another DWORD >type MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server

7. then put a high value as mentioned above

8. then, restart IE ... ur finished.

HOW TO SAVE FLASH FILES

2008-04-18T03:14:00.000-07:00

##### represents click
Download and save Shockwave Flash swf files from the web browser to your hard disk using Firefox or Internet Explorer.

There's a good chance that the animation or cartoon game you want to download was created using Flash. Use these tips for downloading Flash files from the Internet to your hard drive. You save all Flash animations from web pages, including Flash websites, Flash game, Flash Animations, Flash Tutorials, Flash Movie Trailers, Flash Advertisements, or what ever Flash files you find in the web.

Shockwave Games, Website elements, Screencasts (software demos) created in Macromedia Flash (swf) always fascinate me. I generally like to save these flash files embedded in webpages to my hard-drive for offline viewing.

But saving flash animations from websites is not so easy. Macromedia Flash player context menu has no option to download or save the Flash movie from the web browser. The right-###### context menu of most browsers won't work on Flash objects. So I will share some techniques (work-arounds) to save flash files from Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer (IE), Opera or MyIE2 web browsers.

1. Saving Flash files from Firefox

Firefox for Newbies
a. ###### Tools - Page Info
b. ###### the Media Tab on the Page Info Windows
c. The media tab has a complete list (with preview) of Images, CSS Files and Shockwave Flash files that were downloaded by the Firefox browser while rendering (loading) the page.
d. Scroll down the list and locate the swf file.
e. ###### the "Save As" button. Select some directory on your hard drive and save the file (No need for a third-party plug-in)

Firefox for Geeks and Power Users
a. Type about:blank in the Firefox address bar
b. Now ###### List cache entries or directly type about:cache?device=disk (Disk cache device)
c. Press Ctrl+F and try to location the flash file by typing some part of website URL or the flash file name or just .swf. After some hit and trial, you should be able to locate the swf file URL
d. ###### the SWF URL to open the Cache Entry Information page. Right ###### on the link and choose "Save link as"

2. How to save flash in IE browser

###### Tools - Internet Options
b. In the General Tab, ###### the Settings button available in the Temporary Internet Files group.
c. ###### View Files to open your Temporary Internet Files folder. Depending upon your IE settings, the Temp. folder can contain tens of thousands of files.
d. ###### View - Details. Now ###### View - Arrange Icons By - Internet Address. Depending upon the webpage, there could one or more Flash files (Shockwave Flash Object) under the Inernet Address.
e. Once you find the right flash file, right-###### and choose Copy. Then paste the swf file in any other directory. Be sure to
keep the page and IE open to avoid purging of the cache file.

For newbies, I suggest the following approaches:
1. Get a download accelerator like Flashget and tell it to automatically download the shockwave extention (*.swf)
2. Or download a free IE plug-in for saving flash files.

3. How to save Flash files from Opera browser
Just like IE, Opera stores the flash files in the browser cache.

4. Save flash in MyIE2
Either follow the exact procedure for Internet explorer or download the free Flash saver MyIE2 plugin.

A HIDDEN MOVIE STAR WARS

2008-04-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, do u know that windows XP is having a hidden "Star Wars Movie" inside it???
You should be connected to the NET for using this.
Go to Starts-->Programs-->Run
Type
telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl
And hit enter......... Enjoy the magic!!!!

Delete your Recycle Bin

2008-04-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

1-From Start menu choose Run

2-Type "regedit" and then press OK

3-Then select the following
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

4-Then press right ** on the file in the right side and choose Delete

Delete An undeletable File

2008-04-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

Delete An "undeletable" File

Open a Command Prompt window and leave it open.
Close all open programs.
** Start, Run and enter TASKMGR.EXE
Go to the Processes tab and End Process on Explorer.exe.
Leave Task Manager open.
Go back to the Command Prompt window and change to the directory the AVI (or other undeletable file) is located in.
At the command prompt type DEL where is the file you wish to delete.
Go back to Task Manager, ** File, New Task and enter EXPLORER.EXE to restart the GUI shell.
Close Task Manager.

Or you can try this

Open Notepad.exe

** File>Save As..>

locate the folder where ur undeletable file is

Choose 'All files' from the file type box

** once on the file u wanna delete so its name appears in the 'filename' box

put a " at the start and end of the filename
(the filename should have the extension of the undeletable file so it will overwrite it)

** save,

It should ask u to overwrite the existing file, choose yes and u can delete it as normal

Here's a manual way of doing it. I'll take this off once you put into your first post zain.

1. Start
2. Run
3. Type: command
4. To move into a directory type: cd c:\*** (The stars stand for your folder)
5. If you cannot access the folder because it has spaces for example Program Files or Kazaa Lite folder you have to do the following. instead of typing in the full folder name only take the first 6 letters then put a ~ and then 1 without spaces. Example: cd c:\progra~1\kazaal~1
6. Once your in the folder the non-deletable file it in type in dir - a list will come up with everything inside.
7. Now to delete the file type in del ***.bmp, txt, jpg, avi, etc... And if the file name has spaces you would use the special 1st 6 letters followed by a ~ and a 1 rule. Example: if your file name was bad file.bmp you would type once in the specific folder thorugh command, del badfil~1.bmp and your file should be gone. Make sure to type in the correct extension.

10 reasons why PCs crash U must Know

2008-04-12T03:29:00.000-07:00

Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."

You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?

1 Hardware conflict

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.

For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.

If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.

Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.

Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.

Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is xxx.driverguide.xxx. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).

When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.

To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

2 Bad Ram

Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.

But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.

One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.

Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.

EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.

3 BIOS settings

Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.

Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.

A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.

Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

4 Hard disk drives

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.

The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).

Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-Hard Disk.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.

Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors

Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.

These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.

If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.

If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.

Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).

Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

6 Viruses

Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs

Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.

A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.

An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( xxx.nai.xxx). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec ( xxx.symantec.xxx).

7 Printers

The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.

If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.

8 Software

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.

The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.

Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from xxx.jv16.org

Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.

Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.

Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

9 Overheating

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from xxx.computernerd.xxx or xxx.coolit.xxx

CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.

10 Power supply problems

With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.

If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.

It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.

Computer Viruses and Anti Viruses

2008-04-12T03:22:00.000-07:00

Contents

Key points
How to avoid computer viruses
Types of computer virus
Combating the crime
What to do if you get a virus

Key Points
A computer virus is a computer program that is written by a malicious author

They spread by copying themselves, then transferring on to other computers

There are around 53,000 computer viruses in existence, with a new one detected every 18 seconds

A computer virus can do anything from popping up a short message to wiping key files so your computer doesn't work

The "ILOVEYOU" virus infected up to 45 million computers, causing £7 billion worth of damage world-wide

How to avoid catching a virus
Dos and Don'ts

Stay calm. A computer virus isn't dangerous until the infected email is opened. Delete any mail you think is infected and empty your deleted items folder Don't open any attachment you are not sure about, even if you have a virus scanner
Read the email. Check that the contents of the message makes sense before you open any attachments
Don't forward any attachment to a friend without being sure it is safe

Look out for hoaxes. There are many emails warning of "the most destructive virus ever", but often these viruses don't exist Don't send an email about a "new virus" without checking it out. Visit sites like vmyths.com to check for hoaxes
Send any email you think is infected to an anti-virus company (you may have to own a copy of their virus software). They can tell you if it is a virus or not Don't send mail that may contain a virus to anyone other than official virus companies. Mail filtering systems will probably delete it anyway
Make sure you have a recent backup of your most important work Don't place backup floppy disks in your computer if you think you have a virus, as the virus could spread to your backups
If you get a computer virus you'll need to use a virus scanner to get rid of it Don't be blasé just because you have a virus scanner. You will still need to keep your eyes open in case a new virus emerges

There are many kinds of virus, all work in slightly different ways. Find out what types of virus are flying around the Internet.

What can you do if you get one? Read our survival guide.

Who would write a computer virus? Meet the hackers, crackers and script kiddies!

How Do Computer Viruses Work

Types of virus
From worms to macros, there's a whole host of viruses out there to catch...

Worms
These viruses spread via computer networks. The ILOVEYOU virus above was a classic example of a worm. These viruses are becoming an increasing threat as a growing number of computers are permanently connected to networks. Worms can spread over corporate networks or via emails sent over the Internet.

Trojans
A Trojan virus takes its name from a story in Homer's Iliad where Greek soldiers pretended to make peace with their enemies, the Trojans. The Greeks made a grand peace-keeping gesture - the gift of a large wooden horse.

When the Trojans hauled it inside their city gates, a small band of Greek warriors leapt out. They opened the gates and let the rest of the Greek army storm in to capture the city.

A Trojan virus is one that opens your computer up to malicious intruders, allowing them to read your files.

File viruses
A file virus is one that replaces a key system file on your computer. These viruses can reload themselves every time you start your computer up. Once they're in the memory, they can spread by writing themselves to any disk you insert into your disk drive.

Boot sector viruses
This is an early type of computer virus that spreads by hiding itself in an invisible location on your hard drive or floppy disk. When your computer reads an infected floppy disk, the virus is copied from the disk to your computer's memory.

From there, it writes itself to the 'boot sector' on your hard drive. The boot sector is read each time you turn your computer on. So the virus is constantly reloaded and can copy itself on to other floppy disks. These viruses are fairly rare nowadays, as they are easy to catch.

Macroviruses
A macrovirus infects word processor files, such as Microsoft Word documents. Although not as dangerous as other viruses, they can spread quickly if a Word file is sent via email. After an initial scare, Microsoft added protection into later versions of Word, so you receive a warning about infected documents.

Hoaxes
The virus hoax came about after friends sent each other emails about a new virus threat. Someone decided that they could cause just as much trouble by sending out fake warnings rather than real viruses.

Hoaxes may seem harmless, but they do a great deal of damage to the Internet as a whole. Not only do they slow down traffic and clog up email servers, but they also cause people to panic. Companies can spend money and time investigating what is just someone's idea of a joke.

Mobile phone viruses

Although rare, mobile phones are the latest technology to be hit by virus problems. Some people have discovered that it is possible to crash certain types of mobile by sending them a coded text message.

Mobile phones can now be affected by viruses
Mobile phone viruses

A recent case in Spain started via email. When the user opens the attachment on their PC, the virus generates a "junk" text message (using a Spanish telecommunications company website) which is sent out to a random phone number. Anti-virus software companies say that the virus will not infect the mobile phone itself.

Who Writes Computer Viruses?

Virus authors are normally 14-26 year old males who spend a lot of time on their computers. Some of them want to prove they are good programmers. Others want to show that they have the power to cause large-scale problems.

But most viruses don't constitute good programming, as many fail to deliver their payload. Many are re-hashed versions of old programs that require little skill to produce.

The law
In the UK, if you're caught using a computer for criminal reasons you can receive a five-year sentence and an unlimited fine. If convicted of 'cyber-terrorism', then you can be given the same sentence as a terrorist bomber.

How do you catch a virus writer?
Although the Internet allows computer viruses to spread quickly, it also helps to catch the authors.

Each computer connected to the Internet has an address, similar to a phone number. This is called an IP address and looks like this: 128.5.10.64. Every email you send is marked with your IP address and this information is hard to remove.

Unique IP adresses are used to locate hackers
Hunting hackers

Your IP address reveals what company (or Internet Service Provider) holds your account. The company can then find out which customer sent the mail. So if you send a virus to a Member of Parliament, it won't be long before the police are knocking on your door asking questions.

Sophisticated virus authors would be able to cover their tracks to some degree, but there is usually some way to track them down.

Hackers, crackers and script kiddies
There's a whole zoo of cantankerous coders out there:
# Hackers: people who try to find security flaws in corporate computer programs. Most hackers don't aim to cause problems, but they might send an anonymous email to the person in charge warning them of their security problem. Amongst other hackers, there is much honour to be gained by those who can 'crack the uncrackable' programs
# Crackers: unlike hackers, crackers are less sophisticated. They like to break into people's websites and replace their corporate homepage either with pornographic images or hoax messages

# Script kiddies: young virus pirates, who copy old computer viruses and modify them. Often they don't work. If they do, they are seldom as dangerous as the originals and can be easily destroyed

What To Do If You Get A Virus

Even if you are careful to avoid a computer virus, you may still be unlucky. If you are you'll need to get a piece of software called a virus scanner. Many people put off getting a decent virus scanner because it costs too much, or they think they won't get a virus.

They cost around £40 from most good computer stores. This will include a certain amount of updates and technical support for a year. Updates after this period can be obtained at fairly low cost.

It may seem like an extra unnecessary outlay, but if you are running a small business from your home computer then you need to protect your work. Backups can help, but if you put your work back on a machine with a virus it will just get infected again.

How do they do that?
Before you go and spend hard earned cash on a virus scanner it is worth understanding what they do.

A typical virus scanner will have two main functions:
# scan for new viruses entering your computer
# clean up any viruses it finds and make sure they can't do any more harm

Virus scanners are pieces of software that run all the time. So when you start up your computer the virus scanner will also start. This ensures that viruses are caught as soon as possible. A virus scanner will also check the following for viruses:
# disks inserted in your PC
# email you receive
# programs you download from the Internet

If you have already got a computer virus, the software will find these and:
# Notify you that you have a virus (stay calm!)
# Try to repair the file the virus has infected
# Isolate any files that can't be repaired

The virus scanner will always try to rescue any files it can. There are some viruses that don't destroy files, instead they 'corrupt' them so they cannot be used. Good virus scanners can often reverse this.

If the scanner cannot repair a file, it will place it in a secure area so you can't run it by accident. Then you can send the virus to an anti-virus company. If it is a new one they will add it to their database and at least you will be able to help prevent other people catching it.

Online virus scanners

If you don't yet have a virus scanner but think you might have a virus then try using an online virus scanner. These pieces of software work by sending you a small program over the internet. From there you can find out if you really do have a virus. If you do then now is the time to purchase some anti-virus software.

Boost Speed for Extreme Gamers

2008-04-12T03:21:00.000-07:00

Any self respecting gamer knows me as "Fugged_Dup" online, networked, or tripping out as I pummel them at any game. That statment goes out to all you "Button Mashing" tards also!!
To the point - PC Gamers NEVER have enough speed.. but you can now get the upper hand on the compitition boys and girls.
Make computer go faster temperorily for faster games
I have created a CMD file that shut-downs several Services in an attempt to reduce lag and stutters in games. I obviously haven't included all variant services and what-not (far too many) but I have included the most common,
Simply paste the code into a notepad and rename it something.cmd and save it. Run the program, could take anything from 20 secs to a few minutes to run, depending on system spec.

--- SOF ----
net stop "Computer Browser"
net stop Server
net stop Workstation
net stop "Help and Support"
net stop Messenger
net stop "Print Spooler"
net stop "Shell Hardware Detection"
net stop "SSDP Discovery Service"
net stop "Task Scheduler"
net stop Themes
net stop "Upload Manager"
net stop "Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)"
net stop "Automatic Updates"
REM IPsec might be nessesary for ADSL Users
net stop "IPSEC Services"
REM The Following might not be installed on your system
REM if they are I would recommend switching them off.
net stop "Ipod service"
net stop "SecuROM User Access Service (V7)"
REM I use Norton antivirus and I switch it off completely.
net stop "Symantec AntiVirus Client"
REM All done Press any key to close this window
pause
--- EOF---
When you have finished gaming I suggest restarting the computer in order to bring back these services

Best Keyboard Shortcuts

2008-04-12T03:19:00.000-07:00

Getting used to using your keyboard exclusively and leaving your mouse behind will make you much more efficient at performing any task on any Windows system. I use the following keyboard shortcuts every day:

Windows key + R = Run menu

This is usually followed by:
cmd = Command Prompt
iexplore + "web address" = Internet Explorer
compmgmt.msc = Computer Management
dhcpmgmt.msc = DHCP Management
dnsmgmt.msc = DNS Management
services.msc = Services
eventvwr = Event Viewer
dsa.msc = Active Directory Users and Computers
dssite.msc = Active Directory Sites and Services
Windows key + E = Explorer

ALT + Tab = Switch between windows

ALT, Space, X = Maximize window

CTRL + Shift + Esc = Task Manager

Windows key + Break = System properties

Windows key + F = Search

Windows key + D = Hide/Display all windows

CTRL + C = copy

CTRL + X = cut

CTRL + V = paste

Also don't forget about the "Right-**" key next to the right Windows key on your keyboard. Using the arrows and that key can get just about anything done once you've opened up any program.

Keyboard Shortcuts

[Alt] and [Esc] Switch between running applications

[Alt] and letter Select menu item by underlined letter

[Ctrl] and [Esc] Open Program Menu

[Ctrl] and [F4] Close active document or group windows (does not work with some applications)

[Alt] and [F4] Quit active application or close current window

[Alt] and [-] Open Control menu for active document

Ctrl] Lft., Rt. arrow Move cursor forward or back one word

Ctrl] Up, Down arrow Move cursor forward or back one paragraph

[F1] Open Help for active application

Windows+M Minimize all open windows

Shift+Windows+M Undo minimize all open windows

Windows+F1 Open Windows Help

Windows+Tab Cycle through the Taskbar buttons

Windows+Break Open the System Properties dialog box

acessability shortcuts

Right SHIFT for eight seconds........ Switch FilterKeys on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN....... Switch High Contrast on and off.

Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK....... Switch MouseKeys on and off.

SHIFT....... five times Switch StickyKeys on and off.

NUM LOCK...... for five seconds Switch ToggleKeys on and off.

explorer shortcuts

END....... Display the bottom of the active window.

HOME....... Display the top of the active window.

NUM LOCK+ASTERISK....... on numeric keypad (*) Display all subfolders under the selected folder.

NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (+) Display the contents of the selected folder.

NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN....... on numeric keypad (-) Collapse the selected folder.

LEFT ARROW...... Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder.

RIGHT ARROW....... Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder.

Type the following commands in your Run Box (Windows Key + R) or Start Run

devmgmt.msc = Device Manager
msinfo32 = System Information
cleanmgr = Disk Cleanup
ntbackup = Backup or Restore Wizard (Windows Backup Utility)
mmc = Microsoft Management Console
excel = Microsoft Excel (If Installed)
msaccess = Microsoft Access (If Installed)
powerpnt = Microsoft PowerPoint (If Installed)
winword = Microsoft Word (If Installed)
frontpg = Microsoft FrontPage (If Installed)
notepad = Notepad
wordpad = WordPad
calc = Calculator
msmsgs = Windows Messenger
mspaint = Microsoft Paint
wmplayer = Windows Media Player
rstrui = System Restore
netscp6 = Netscape 6.x
netscp = Netscape 7.x
netscape = Netscape 4.x
waol = America Online
control = Opens the Control Panel
control printers = Opens the Printers Dialog

internetbrowser

type in u're adress "www.google.com", then press [Right CTRL] and [Enter]
add www. and .com to word and go to it

For Windows XP:

Copy. CTRL+C
Cut. CTRL+X
Paste. CTRL+V
Undo. CTRL+Z
Delete. DELETE
Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin. SHIFT+DELETE
Copy selected item. CTRL while dragging an item
Create shortcut to selected item. CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item
Rename selected item. F2
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word. CTRL+RIGHT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word. CTRL+LEFT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph. CTRL+DOWN ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph. CTRL+UP ARROW
Highlight a block of text. CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document. SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select all. CTRL+A
Search for a file or folder. F3
View properties for the selected item. ALT+ENTER
Close the active item, or quit the active program. ALT+F4
Opens the shortcut menu for the active window. ALT+SPACEBAR
Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously. CTRL+F4
Switch between open items. ALT+TAB
Cycle through items in the order they were opened. ALT+ESC
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop. F6
Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer. F4
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item. SHIFT+F10
Display the System menu for the active window. ALT+SPACEBAR
Display the Start menu. CTRL+ESC
Display the corresponding menu. ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name
Carry out the corresponding command. Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu
Activate the menu bar in the active program. F10
Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu. RIGHT ARROW
Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu. LEFT ARROW
Refresh the active window. F5
View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer. BACKSPACE
Cancel the current task. ESC
SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive Prevent the CD from automatically playing.

Use these keyboard shortcuts for dialog boxes:

To Press
Move forward through tabs. CTRL+TAB
Move backward through tabs. CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
Move forward through options. TAB
Move backward through options. SHIFT+TAB
Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option. ALT+Underlined letter
Carry out the command for the active option or button. ENTER
Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box. SPACEBAR
Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons. Arrow keys
Display Help. F1
Display the items in the active list. F4
Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box. BACKSPACE

If you have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard, or any other compatible keyboard that includes the Windows logo key and the Application key , you can use these keyboard shortcuts:

Display or hide the Start menu. WIN Key
Display the System Properties dialog box. WIN Key+BREAK
Show the desktop. WIN Key+D
Minimize all windows. WIN Key+M
Restores minimized windows. WIN Key+Shift+M
Open My Computer. WIN Key+E
Search for a file or folder. WIN Key+F
Search for computers. CTRL+WIN Key+F
Display Windows Help. WIN Key+F1
Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain. WIN Key+ L
Open the Run dialog box. WIN Key+R
Open Utility Manager. WIN Key+U

accessibility keyboard shortcuts:

Switch FilterKeys on and off. Right SHIFT for eight seconds
Switch High Contrast on and off. Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN
Switch MouseKeys on and off. Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK
Switch StickyKeys on and off. SHIFT five times
Switch ToggleKeys on and off. NUM LOCK for five seconds
Open Utility Manager. WIN Key+U

shortcuts you can use with Windows Explorer:

Display the bottom of the active window. END
Display the top of the active window. HOME
Display all subfolders under the selected folder. NUM LOCK+ASTERISK on numeric keypad (*)
Display the contents of the selected folder. NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN on numeric keypad (+)
Collapse the selected folder. NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN on numeric keypad (-)
Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder. LEFT ARROW
Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder. RIGHT ARROW

23 Ways To Speed WinXP, Not only Defrag

2008-04-12T03:16:00.000-07:00

Since defragging the disk won't do much to improve Windows XP performance, here are 23 suggestions that will. Each can enhance the performance and reliability of your customers' PCs. Best of all, most of them will cost you nothing.
1.) To decrease a system's boot time and increase system performance, use the money you save by not buying defragmentation software -- the built-in Windows defragmenter works just fine -- and instead equip the computer with an Ultra-133 or Serial ATA hard drive with 8-MB cache buffer.

2.) If a PC has less than 512 MB of RAM, add more memory. This is a relatively inexpensive and easy upgrade that can dramatically improve system performance.

3.) Ensure that Windows XP is utilizing the NTFS file system. If you're not sure, here's how to check: First, double-** the My Computer icon, right-** on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Next, examine the File System type; if it says FAT32, then back-up any important data. Next, ** Start, ** Run, type CMD, and then ** OK. At the prompt, type CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS and press the Enter key. This process may take a while; it's important that the computer be uninterrupted and virus-free. The file system used by the bootable drive will be either FAT32 or NTFS. I highly recommend NTFS for its superior security, reliability, and efficiency with larger disk drives.

4.) Disable file indexing. The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive and creates a "searchable keyword index." As you can imagine, this process can be quite taxing on any system.

The idea is that the user can search for a word, phrase, or property inside a document, should they have hundreds or thousands of documents and not know the file name of the document they want. Windows XP's built-in search functionality can still perform these kinds of searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer. The OS has to open each file at the time of the request to help find what the user is looking for.

Most people never need this feature of search. Those who do are typically in a large corporate environment where thousands of documents are located on at least one server. But if you're a typical system builder, most of your clients are small and medium businesses. And if your clients have no need for this search feature, I recommend disabling it.

Here's how: First, double-** the My Computer icon. Next, right-** on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching." Next, apply changes to "C: subfolders and files," and ** OK. If a warning or error message appears (such as "Access is denied"), ** the Ignore All button.

5.) Update the PC's video and motherboard chipset drivers. Also, update and configure the BIOS. For more information on how to configure your BIOS properly, see this article on my site.

6.) Empty the Windows Prefetch folder every three months or so. Windows XP can "prefetch" portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That's fine. But over time, the prefetch folder may become overloaded with references to files and applications no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting time, and slowing system performance, by pre-loading them. Nothing critical is in this folder, and the entire contents are safe to delete.

7.) Once a month, run a disk cleanup. Here's how: Double-** the My Computer icon. Then right-** on the C: drive and select Properties. ** the Disk Cleanup button -- it's just to the right of the Capacity pie graph -- and delete all temporary files.

8.) In your Device Manager, double-** on the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers device, and ensure that DMA is enabled for each drive you have connected to the Primary and Secondary controller. Do this by double-*** on Primary IDE Channel. Then ** the Advanced Settings tab. Ensure the Transfer Mode is set to "DMA if available" for both Device 0 and Device 1. Then repeat this process with the Secondary IDE Channel.

9.) Upgrade the cabling. As hard-drive technology improves, the cabling requirements to achieve these performance boosts have become more stringent. Be sure to use 80-wire Ultra-133 cables on all of your IDE devices with the connectors properly assigned to the matching Master/Slave/Motherboard sockets. A single device must be at the end of the cable; connecting a single drive to the middle connector on a ribbon cable will cause signaling problems. With Ultra DMA hard drives, these signaling problems will prevent the drive from performing at its maximum potential. Also, because these cables inherently support "cable select," the location of each drive on the cable is important. For these reasons, the cable is designed so drive positioning is explicitly clear.

10.) Remove all spyware from the computer. Use free programs such as AdAware by Lavasoft or SpyBot Search & Destroy. Once these programs are installed, be sure to check for and download any updates before starting your search. Anything either program finds can be safely removed. Any free software that requires spyware to run will no longer function once the spyware portion has been removed; if your customer really wants the program even though it contains spyware, simply reinstall it. For more information on removing Spyware visit this Web Pro News page.

11.) Remove any unnecessary programs and/or items from Windows Startup routine using the MSCONFIG utility. Here's how: First, ** Start, ** Run, type MSCONFIG, and ** OK. ** the StartUp tab, then uncheck any items you don't want to start when Windows starts. Unsure what some items are? Visit the WinTasks Process Library. It contains known system processes, applications, as well as spyware references and explanations. Or quickly identify them by searching for the filenames using www.google.com or another Web search engine.

12.) Remove any unnecessary or unused programs from the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel.

13.) Turn off any and all unnecessary animations, and disable active desktop. In fact, for optimal performance, turn off all animations. Windows XP offers many different settings in this area. Here's how to do it: First ** on the System icon in the Control Panel. Next, ** on the Advanced tab. Select the Settings button located under Performance. Feel free to play around with the options offered here, as nothing you can change will alter the reliability of the computer -- only its responsiveness.

14.) If your customer is an advanced user who is comfortable editing their registry, try some of the performance registry tweaks offered at Tweak XP.

15.) Visit Microsoft's Windows update site regularly, and download all updates labeled Critical. Download any optional updates at your discretion.

16.) Update the customer's anti-virus software on a weekly, even daily, basis. Make sure they have only one anti-virus software package installed. Mixing anti-virus software is a sure way to spell disaster for performance and reliability.

17.) Make sure the customer has fewer than 500 type fonts installed on their computer. The more fonts they have, the slower the system will become. While Windows XP handles fonts much more efficiently than did the previous versions of Windows, too many fonts -- that is, anything over 500 -- will noticeably tax the system.

18.) Do not partition the hard drive. Windows XP's NTFS file system runs more efficiently on one large partition. The data is no safer on a separate partition, and a reformat is never necessary to reinstall an operating system. The same excuses people offer for using partitions apply to using a folder instead. For example, instead of putting all your data on the D: drive, put it in a folder called "D drive." You'll achieve the same organizational benefits that a separate partition offers, but without the degradation in system performance. Also, your free space won't be limited by the size of the partition; instead, it will be limited by the size of the entire hard drive. This means you won't need to resize any partitions, ever. That task can be time-consuming and also can result in lost data.

19.) Check the system's RAM to ensure it is operating properly. I recommend using a free program called MemTest86. The download will make a bootable CD or diskette (your choice), which will run 10 extensive tests on the PC's memory automatically after you boot to the disk you created. Allow all tests to run until at least three passes of the 10 tests are completed. If the program encounters any errors, turn off and unplug the computer, remove a stick of memory (assuming you have more than one), and run the test again. Remember, bad memory cannot be repaired, but only replaced.

20.) If the PC has a CD or DVD recorder, check the drive manufacturer's Web site for updated firmware. In some cases you'll be able to upgrade the recorder to a faster speed. Best of all, it's free.

21.) Disable unnecessary services. Windows XP loads a lot of services that your customer most likely does not need. To determine which services you can disable for your client, visit the Black Viper site for Windows XP configurations.

22.) If you're sick of a single Windows Explorer window crashing and then taking the rest of your OS down with it, then follow this tip: open My Computer, ** on Tools, then Folder Options. Now ** on the View tab. Scroll down to "Launch folder windows in a separate process," and enable this option. You'll have to reboot your machine for this option to take effect.

23.) At least once a year, open the computer's cases and blow out all the dust and debris. While you're in there, check that all the fans are turning properly. Also inspect the motherboard capacitors for bulging or leaks. For more information on this leaking-capacitor phenomena, you can read numerous articles on my site.

Following any of these suggestions should result in noticeable improvements to the performance and reliability of your customers' computers. If you still want to defrag a disk, remember that the main benefit will be to make your data more retrievable in the event of a crashed drive.