Computer Land

Kindle International

2009-11-04T21:35:00.000-08:00

Kindle ????, apa sih kindle itu?
Kindle adalah alat untuk membaca buku atau koran atau majalah secara digital.

Sebelu versi internationalnya saya pernah coba yang versi sebelumnya, ternyata versi sebelumnya untuk belanja bukunya harus menggunakan internet dan di transfer melalui pc.

Nah di versi international ini kita bisa membeli secara online, dari kindlenya langsung tanpa melalui pc yang terkoneksi internet.

Tapi semua ini ada batasannya, dan ternyata hanya negara-negara tertentu saja yang bisa beli buku secara online dari kindle.DAn indonesia adalah salah satu negara yang tidak bisa beli secara online dari kindle.

Saya juga bingung apa sih yang dimaksud dengan internationalnya. karena sempat bingung juga pertama kali mencoba. Karena dari kindle international ini kita bisa registered kindle dari device langsung, beda dengan versi sebelumnya. Nah berarti kan ini sudah international bisa register, setelah saya register, dan mencoba membeli buku atau majalah dari store in kindle, ternyata semua item yang di klik tidak menghasilkan apa-apa dengan message No Items Found. Kutak sini kutak sana, sampe telp ke Amazon.com tidak ada solusi mereka hanya bilang kindle international tidak support di indonesia,sampai mengecek ke whispernetnya (wirelessnya) dan suruh cari manual wirelessnya oleh amazon.com, tapi tetep tidak ada solusi.

Akhirnya, penasaran cari di website amazon.com dari pc, baca sana baca sini tetep tidak ada jawaban, sampe ketemu settingan di manage kindle, your Country dan mencoba untuk merubah settingan Country, saya ganti dengan alamat dari amerika dan country diisi amerika, dan lakukan restart kindle, dan setelah tunggu restart akhirnya bisa juga belanja buku dari kindle secara online.

Cara setting countrynya adalah sebagai berikut :
* masuk ke www.amazon.com
* Login
* Pilih Digital Content, Manage your kindle
* Cari Your Country dan pilih Edit
* Isi dengan alamat dari amerka.
* Update info

ink system failure Error Code 0xc18a0001

2009-10-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

Ink System Failure, nah loh... kenapa nih dengan printernya?
sudah di coba matiin dan nyalakan lagi, liat settingan tidak ada yang berubah, bahkan di settingan tidak ada apa-apa-nya.

Setelah tanya sama user, sebelumnya diapain. Dan di jawab nggak di apa-apain, cuman ganti tinta hitam aja, trus langsung gitu muncul Ink System Failure,0xc18a0001. wah karena bingung akhirnya tanya dengan dengan pertanyaan bodoh, tintanya palsu atau refill nggak nih?, dan dijawab tintanya asli original, nah loh.. makin bingung lagi aja nih gue.

Akhirnya gw coba googling, dan menemukan ada yang seperti ini, tapi rata-rata mereka suruh install firmwarenya di update, wah ini printer masih garansi sih kalau gue install firmwarenya ntar takut garansi hilang, akhirnya dengan tetap semangat gw coba cari telp customer support HP di indonesia, cari di websitenya tidak nemu, dengan masih tetap googling error codenya, akhirnya ketemu 1 website yang ngebahas ini, ternyata caranya gampang banget.Mau tau caranya nah gini nih... :

Caranya ini hanya berfungsi untuk Photosmart 7280
1. Tekan dan tahan tanda '*' di keypad printer, kemudian tekan tanda '#' dan lepas keduanya.
2. Masukan '123' untuk masuk ke maintenance mode
3. Tekan tombol panah ke kanan, di samping tombol OK, sampai ketemu System Configuration menu.
4. Tekan OK dua kali untuk meng-Clear error condition, kemudian tekan "cancel" sampai kembali ke menu awal.
5. Matikan printer dan tunggu beberapa saat, kemudian nyalakan kembali.

Nah ternyata caranya cuman begitu aja.

selamat mencoba.

Mecari data yang terhapus

2009-02-13T09:27:00.000-08:00

Halo friend, apakah kalian pernah kehilangan data atau menghapus data tanpa sengaja?
wah pasti pernahkan?, gimana rasanya kalau tiba-tiba data-data skripsi sudah di ketik dan di simpan, tiba-tiba hilang tanpa sengaja terhapus. wah siok bangetkan?, dan pasti bisa nangis deh., Nah sekarang tidak usah khawatir lagi bila data hilang karena terhapus, sekarang banyak program yang canggih bisa mengembalikan data yang terhapus seperti sedia kala. Mau tau programnya....?

Ok, ternyata untuk mengembalikan data yang sudah terhapus itu tidak sulit, kita cukup search di Om Google, dengan nama pencarian "Undelete" nah maka akan tampil banyak program yang bertebaran di internet yang siap mengembalikan data anda.

Tapi diantara sekian banyak program undelete tidak semuanya bisa sempurnya mengembalikannya, kebanyakan ada yang bisa mengembalikan tapi nama file atau nama foldernya sudah berbentuk "File0001.doc" atau "File001.jpg", bahkan ada yang berbentuk tanda tanya "?".

Saya di sini bukan bermaksud untuk mempopulerkan suatu merk program undelete, tapi saya sekedar memberitahukan bahwa ada 2 program undelete yang menurut saya cukup bagus dan mudah di pergunakan. Nah program itu adalah :
1. Undelete from diskeeper
2. Active@ Undelete.
Nah 2 program ini yang pernah saya gunakan untuk mengembalikan data saya yang hilang karena terhapus. Tapi sayangnya program ini tidak gratis alias harus bayar.
kedua program ini bisa mengembalikan data yang terhapus seperti semula dengan nama file dan folder yang sama.

Tapi hati-hati dalam penggunaan program undelete ini, karena bila kita salah menggunakan program undelete, yang ada adalah data kita yang terhapus malah hilang total dan tidak bisa di kembalikan lagi. Pengalaman saya pernah menggunakan program undelete dari diskeeper, dengan program ini bisa ditampilkan seluruh data saya yang terhapus, tapi tidak bisa dikembalikan, karena program ini tidak gratis dan harus bayar baru bisa mengembalikan data yang terhapus. Nah karena menurut saya pada saat itu, ngapain pake yang bayar kalau ada yang gratis, maka saya cari kesana kesini,tanya om goole dan tanya teman. Akhirnya dapat juga yang gratis dari teman program undeletenya (tidak perlu saya sebutkan nama programnya) nah saya coba balikin tuh data, tapi dengan beberapa kelemahan salah satunya nama file dan folder tidak bisa kembali seperti semula, sehingga membingungkan kita mencari tau apa nama asli file ini. Akhirnya saya coba putuskan untuk membeli program undelete dari diskeeper secara online, dan saya coba install dan pergunakan, ternyata data saya yang telah terhapus yang sebelum saya pergunakan yang gratis saya masih bisa melihat data saya, sekarang malah tidak bisa dilihat dan hilang total. Untung saja saya masih ingat bahwa pernah copy data saya ke portable harddisk dan saya ingat di portable harddisk ini saya juga pernah hapus, maka saya coba ke harddisk portable dan ternyata program undelete itu berfungsi dan balik semua seluruh data saya.

Hal penting yang perlu di perhatikan dalam mengembalikan data yang hilang dari portable harddisk adalah selama proses pengembalian data atau proses undelete, sebaiknya harddisk portable tidak usah di pindah-pindah atau dipegang-pegang usb-nya, karena kalau sampai Harddisknya lepas koneksinya maka akan hilang total data kita, dan tidak bisa kembali lagi.

Nah demikian article ini saya buat bukan bermaksud promosi tapi sebagai masukan kepada teman-teman dalam mimilih program undelete.

In Windows XP, when I right-click a file or folder, sometimes my CPU goes up to 100%. Why?

2007-11-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

MS KB Article 819101 has more info:

In Windows Explorer, when you right-click a file or folder, you may experience any of the following behavior:

Any file copy operation that is occurring at that time may appear to stop responding.

Network connection speed may significantly decrease.

All streaming input/output operations such as listening to music on Windows Media Player may become distorted.

When you right-click a file or folder in Windows Explorer, the CPU usage goes to 100 percent while the shortcut menu is displayed. It returns to the correct level when the shortcut menu is closed.

To work around this behavior, use either of the following methods:
Method #1

Turn off the transition effects for menus and ToolTips.

To do this, follow these steps:

To turn off the transition effects in Windows XP do the following:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, double-click Display.
3. In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Appearance tab.
4. On the Appearance tab, click Effects.
5. In the Effects dialog box, click to clear the Use the following transition effect for menus and tool tips check box, and then click OK two times.

Method #2
Click the folder or file that you want (select it) before you right-click it to display the shortcut menu.

How can I prevent users from writing to USB removable disks (USB flash drives) by using Group Policy (GPO)?

2007-09-28T02:10:00.000-07:00

USB removable disks (also known as flash drives or "Disk on Key" and other variations) are quickly becoming an integral part of our electronic life, and now nearly everybody owns one device or another, in forms of small disks, external hard drives that come enclosed in cases, card readers, cameras, mobile phones, portable media players and more.

Portable USB flash drives are indeed very handy, but they can also be used to upload malicious code to your computer (either deliberately or by accident), or to copy confidential information from your computer and take it away.

Microsoft has introduced some changes into Windows XP Service Pack 2 that allow an administrator some control over how USB Removable Disks (or flash drives) are handled. A new storage device policy named WriteProtect makes it possible to prevent all removable USB drives from being written to. Users can still read from these devices, but are not longer able to write to them.

This tip is a variation of Disable Writing to USB Disks in XP SP2, you can prevent users from writing on to any portable USB removable disk or flash drive by using a custom .ADM file that can be imported into the Local Group Policy (thus effecting only the local computer) or by using Active Directory-based Group Policy Objects (also known as GPOs).

Follow the steps outlined in the Adding New Administrative Templates to a GPO article on general instructions on how to add or remove an .ADM file from the Administrative Templates section in GPO.

It's worth mentioning that in Windows Vista Microsoft has implemented a much more sophisticated method of controlling USB disks via GPO. If you have Windows Vista client computers in your organization you can use GPO settings edited from one of the Vista machines to control if users will be able to install and use USB disks, plus the ability to control exactly what device can or cannot be used on their machines.

Needless to say, as with any GPO setting, this option will only work on Windows 2000 operating systems or higher.

Download the USB_write_protect_ADM file (2kb)

After downloading the .ADM file, read Adding New Administrative Templates to a GPO.

You might also be interested in reading Disable USB Disks with GPO.

Note: In order to successfully view and configure the new .ADM file settings you will need to change the default filtering view for the GPO Editor (or GPedit.msc). Unless you change these settings, the right pane will appear empty, even though it has the settings in it.

Users trying to write to any USB Removable Disk will now get an Access Denied message.

Follow these steps:

1. In GPEdit.msc (or any other GPO Editor window you're using) click on View > Filtering.

2. Click to un-select the "Only show policy settings that can be fully managed" check-box. Click Ok.

3. Now you will be able to see the new settings in the right pane:

4. You can now change the available settings:

PVMAV RC 19 has been released

2007-08-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

Now PCMAV Released RC19
what new at pcmav rc19 (cleaner & realtime protector)?
-----------------------------------------------------------
a. added, identification database and cleaner 81 virus
local/foreign/variant new that reported to scattered in indonesia.
total 1032 virus along with variant it many go around at
indonesia has been known at rc19 this by engine internal pcmav.
b. repaired, engine realtime protector now can intercept virus
executed from lan or network.
c. added, engine"Anti Teriminate" simple so that pcmav can
walk normal. virus that do this matter is virus the example
result generate from gene.ffe.
d. renewed, change several virus names follows variant new
found.
e. added, when pcmav success integrate file
database vdb that is with give to know a success virus total
added at the end internal database total.

f. repaired, minor bug in button" cure files" which is on condition
certain cause pcmav" freeze" .
g. added, engine cleaner special to 3 variant kspoold another
that is kspoold. e, kspoold. f and kspoold. g.
h. added, engine cleaner special to variant deulledox another
that is deulledox. b. 107520.
i. added, engine to investigate according to comprehensive drivers,
services and modules that live at memory in realtime protector.
j. renewed, engine getupdates with add error handling
tighter to avoid not -load database.
k. improvisation, ability engine" deepclean" so that repair registry
perfecter Compare pcmav previous version.
l. repaired, double virus name use.
m. repair several minor bug and internal code improvisation to
ascertain that pcmav cleaner pcmav realtime protector more
from merely antivirus usually.

Downlaod

Vista Transformation Pack

2007-08-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

Hi, guys...
do you ever look windows vista ?
i think of all you ever seen that.
would you want change your windows xp like vista style?
if your answer yes, you can try this Vista Transformation Pack Version 7.0
This program will transform your Windows user interface to ultimate Windows Vista alike looks that everyone will never notice it’s the same old Windows XP (or 2003)

Features
Vista Transformation Pack will replace many of the resources in Windows XP/Windows Server 2003. It can change such things as:

* Boot screen
* Welcome Screen / Logon Screen
* New msstyles files (visual styles)
* New desktop and file icons
* New toolbar icons
* Progress Dialogs
* Sounds scheme
* System Tray icons
* New Wallpapers
* Windows Media Player Skins
* And much more
Changes in Version 7.0

-Added default system font option for recovery
-Added Docking support for preview and taskbar replacement
-Added DPI auto-detection in Machine Configuration
-Added hiding menubar option for Vista (Styler) toolbar
-Added information about KB925902 hotfix issues and solution on startup
-Added memory requirements checking for 3rd-party applications
-Added resetting DPI options and some extra information in Machine Configuration
-Added screen resolution auto-detection
-Added setting cleartype font automatically after the transformation
-Added Vista transformation “Express mode” (Make an appropriate setup configuration in single page!)
-Added ViStart (Vista Start Menu port for Windows XP/2003 with glass UI and search function)
-Added uninstalling existing components before updating
-Added WindowBlinds detection warning message (for user who is mistaken about glass border skin)
-Added Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 uxtheme patching support
-Fixed backing up system files bug on repair mode
-Fixed checking for Styler incompatibility with x64 edition OS
-Fixed fileversion checking bug that cause backup system files being overwritten by modified system files when update
-Fixed operating system checking bug (that allow user to install in Windows 2000 and below)
-Fixed Start Orb positioning bug
-Fixed Styler to execute Styler.exe only when user wants to hide menu bar to save up memory and some weird issues
-Fixed Styler to run in toolbar mode (prevent error and message popup)
-Fixed Vista (Styler) toolbar option with correction of menubar
-Fixed uninstalling bug with system drive icon
-Fixed uninstalling routines
-Fixed uxtheme.dll patching detection bugs on machine without any service pack
-Fixed Windows Live Messenger skin uninstallation bug
-Moved extra dialogs in the main dialogs process so user can make all decisions before transforming
-Removed customized open/save dialog due to bugs in some applications
-Replaced closeapp with pskill (some programs reported closeapp as virus though it isn’t)
-Replaced Blaero’s Start Orb with ViOrb (Auto positioning and snap over the start button upon taskbar shifting)
-Updated battery tray icons
-Updated Start Orb to full circle version
-Updated Getting Started and Help and Support FAQ
-Updated transformation to use backup system file if it has the same fileversion during update
-Updated LClock x86 to version 1.62b
-Updated Maintenance Center to be Welcome Center
-Updated minor UI graphic resources in themes
-Updated Segoe UI font
-Updated Shutdown/Logoff dialogs
-Updated Thoosje’s Vista sidebar to version 2.0
-Updated updating function to uninstall previous components before updating
-Updated Vista logon screen (Thanks to SoFtEcH for updating my logon)
|-Added status message (Welcome, Shutdown, etc.)
|-Fixed user account disapperance bug on lower resolution
|-Fixed user account moving around when focused
|-Moved shutdown button to right part
|-Updated password panel resources
|-Updated userpicture’s frame border
-Updated Visualtooltip to version 2.1

SCREEN SHOT

Boot

Logon Screen (Vista Transformation Pack 7)

Desktop Screenshot (It’s outstanding)

Vista Transformation Pack - Express Mode (Simplify the transformation in single page)

Vista Transformation Pack - Welcome Center (Refined Maintenance Center)

Vista Transformation Pack - Configure User Account (Personalise Vista experiences’ per-user configuration)

Desktop Screenshot (Enhanced by Vista Transformation Pack 7)

Download:Vista Transformation Pack 7.0
mirror:
sendspace.com
rapidshare.com
rapidshare.com (second mirror)
Savefile.com
Wiki Upload
WinFuture.de
Xwebhosting.org
Softpedia

“Yes & NO” video may hide a Trojan

2007-08-07T00:42:00.002-07:00

An advisory from Sophos Labs informed on Tuesday that a malware writer has been infecting thousands of computers by hiding a new Trojan variant in a cartoon video, which has been spread around the world via e-mail.

The malware, identified as Troi/Agent-FWO Trojan was hidden into “Yes & No” Shockwave video , a popular cartoon created by the Italian animator Bruno Bozzetto. According to Sophos, “The video only plays, though, after embedding itself on users' computers and downloading other pieces of malicious code.”

The video ironically shows the allowed and forbidden behaviours described in the highway code, and it was published on the internet by Mr. Bozzetto in 2001. From then on, hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have watched the video but it is not possible to guess how many of them have been infected by the Trojan, until researchers will understand exactly when the malware writer began to send out infected copies of the video. Such Trojan is playing the animation as a smokescreen as it silently infects Windows Computers.

Troj/Agent-FWO drops its malicious payload in the Windows System folder. Moreover, Sophos explains that it can create registry entries to run itself on startup, and it also has the functionality to inject code into system processes to stealth itself.
"It's important to realise that the animation itself is not malicious - thousands of artists, like Bruno Bozzetto, have created funny movies whose only negative can be the hours that have been spent watching them," said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for Sophos. "But the Trojan horse which is playing the animation in this instance is dangerous. Troj/Agent-FWO is exploiting society's predilection for forwarding humorous animations on to friends and family in its attempt to infect as many people as possible."

Written by Alberto Redi (halfmoon)
Friday, 29 June 2007
Source http://www.zone-h.org/content/view/14787/31/

PCMAV RC18 Update Build3

2007-08-07T00:42:00.001-07:00

PCMAV (PC Media AntiVirus) is indonesia antivirus, now has been release RC18 Build3.
This time it increase 10 signature for new virus espoused scan engine and special cleaner that can handle viruses many be reported to scattered in indonesia.
You can download from http://www.divshare.com/download/1451739-247
List Of virus For PCMAV rc18 Build3 :
AdryZ
AdryZ.htm
AdryZ.inf
AdryZ.txt
Alicia-Mario.C
DeulleDoX.B.107520

Feelcomz
Feelcomz.htm
Gen.FFE
Geratis.B
Harpot.H
Jadwal.B
KabaLove
KSpoold.E
KSpoold.E.dll
KSpoold.E.htt
KSpoold.E.ini
KSpoold.F
KSpoold.G
KSpoold.G.dll
Leena.H
Leena.H.doc
Moonlight-B.AA
Moonlight-B.AA.txt
Moonlight-B.AB
Moonlight-B.AC
Remotion
Remotion.bat
Remotion.hosts
Remotion.htm.A
Remotion.htm.B
Romlah.B
Romlah.B.ini
Romlah.B.txt
Tinutuan.D
Tinutuan.E
Topinsutki-Moontok
Topinsutki-Moontok.vbs
Vires.D
Vires.D.bat

PCMAV RC 18 Cleaner + RTP, download

Open Source Software For Windows

2007-08-06T21:23:00.004-07:00

Here are some open source for windows

Utilities

7-Zip
7-Zip is a file archiver with a high compression ratio.
7-Zip is open source software. Most of the source code is under the GNU LGPL
license. The AES code is under a BSD LICENSE. The unRAR code is under a mixed
license: GNU LGPL + unRAR restrictions.
You can use 7-Zip on any computer, including a computer in a commercial
organization. You don't need to register or pay for 7-Zip. But you can make a
donation to support further development of 7-Zip.

The main features of 7-Zip
* High compression ratio in new 7z format with LZMA compression
* Supported formats:
o Packing / unpacking: 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2 and TAR
o Unpacking only: RAR, CAB, ISO, ARJ, LZH, CHM, Z, CPIO, RPM, DEB and NSIS
* For ZIP and GZIP formats, 7-Zip provides a compression ratio that is 2-10 % better than the ratio provided by PKZip and WinZip
* Self-extracting capability for 7z format
* Integration with Windows Shell
* Powerful File Manager
* Powerful command line version
* Plugin for FAR Manager
* Localizations for 63 languages

Cobian Backup
Cobian Backup is now Open Source. I'm sure this is a bad decision and this eventually will mean the end of the program as we know it (Open Source is not the Holy Grail, you know?), but I have no longer the time (nor the desire) to keep developing the program year after year. So now you can download the program in binary or source form from SourceForge. The code is licensed under the Mozilla Public License 1.1 . If you are a developer, you can download the code and use it, but if yu care for the program and want to take part in the program's development, drop me a line and I'll add you to the team. You must use SVN then to work with the main depository. I will be participating in the project the first months, and then I will eventually take a break when (and IF) I find a good developing team.

ClamWin
ClamWin is a Free Antivirus for Microsoft Windows 98/Me/2000/XP and 2003.
ClamWin Free Antivirus comes with an easy installer and open source code. You may download and use it absolutely free of charge. It features:

* High detection rates for viruses and spyware;
* Scanning Scheduler;
* Automatic downloads of regularly updated Virus Database.
* Standalone virus scanner and right-click menu integration to Microsoft Windows Explorer;
* Addin to Microsoft Outlook to remove virus-infected attachments automatically.

The latest version of Clamwin Free Antivirus is 0.91.1

MP3 Gain
Easy to use MP3 manipulation tool for Windows. adjusts sound levels on MP3's so they are all the same

VLC
Plays more video files than most players: Quicktime, AVI, DIVX, OGG, and more. Pretty good interface.

OpenOffice.org
Big, full featured suite of tools for word processing and spreadsheets. Compatible with and a free replacement for Microsoft Word documents. Also supports OpenDocument Format.

AbiWord
A word processor. Leaner and quicker than OpenOffice. Compatible with Microsoft Word documents and OpenDocument Format.

Blogging for Fun and Profit

2007-08-06T21:23:00.003-07:00

by: Lewis Low

A blog is an online version of diary where people write and display almost anything - their opinions, photos, jokes, thoughts for the day and more. People also share stories about their pets, their passion for soccer, stamps... the limit is only your imagination!

In the last few years, blogging has emerged to become a much more meaningful activity than simply maintaining a personal diary. People use it to advertise their products and services, in fact, quite a number of companies even create their online presence by using a blog instead of a website.

Create Your Own Blog

Starting a blog is free. You can create one at http://www.blogger.com - a free service from Google Inc. You don't need to register a domain name or buy hosting. When you sign up at Blogger, everything happens online. Your blog will be hosted by Blogger and you get an URL like http://yourdomain.blogspot.com. You simply log in to your account and start to write. This is much easier and cheaper than buying your own domain and hosting, then hiring someone to do the web design, writing and coding.

Another free blogging service available online is WordPress which is also very popular and easy to use. WordPress supports more features than Blogger while allowing you to customize your blog with various plug-in. You can check it out at http://wordpress.org.

Monetize Your Blog

While blogging for your own interest, you can in fact maximize the potential of your blog for many marketing or commercial purposes.

The quickest and easiest way to turn a blog into a money-making enterprise is to include advertising on your blog. This can be done with contextual ad programs like Adsense - an advertising program by Google. Basically, you get paid when people click on the ads displayed on your website or blog. Google Adsense program is free to sign up. You can visit http://www.google.com/adsense to learn more about the rules and guidelines of the program. Other Adsense type ads that you can use for blog monetizing are SearchFeed, AdBrite, and Yahoo's Publisher’s Network (YPN).

Affiliate program is another potential way to make money blogging. By focusing on the subject of your blog post, you can promote relevant products from cost per sale affiliate programs like ClickBank and Amazon. You can write a review about the product or service with your affiliate links embedded inside so you get the commission whenever a sale is made.

Boost Your Blog Traffic

Blogs are quickly indexed by search engines, but you need to update it regularly. Search engines love fresh content and regular update will ensure that your website is indexed and ranked high up as well. The higher up it appears, the more traffic will come to your site, which means more sales. You can actively participate in forums discussion or post comments on other blogs to get more link back traffic.

Whether you use your blog for fun or for work, remember that it’s a highly potential tool any which way. So what are you waiting for? Start blogging away right now!

Ten Ways to Write Great Blog Posts That Get Attention

2007-08-06T21:23:00.002-07:00

Millions of blogs fight for readership online (over 75 million by some counts), with thousands more being created every day. Making yours stand above the rest may seem like a daunting task, but here are ten suggestions for making your blog posts stand out from the crowd.

1. Write each post title so it grabs the reader's attention. It is the first thing someone reads, and it should get your reader's attention right away. Your title should both pique the reader's interest and be informative. Do not write "Business Writing Advice"; instead, say "The Best-Kept Secret to Reducing Your Business Writing Worries." Longer titles have the advantage of describing in detail what your post is about; 8-12 words are a good range.

2. Keep sentences short and clear. A little goes a long way. Readers are busy people and they will not spend hours detangling complex syntax or sifting through blocks of text. Also, use strong language. Start a new paragraph every few sentences, and limit each post to 250 words, if possible. If you cannot write it in under 250 words, split it into two entries.

3. Break up the text. Use numbered lists, bullet points, and subheadings to make your posts easy to scan. Lots of white space on the page is a good thing-it allows your reader to take mental breaks and let the knowledge soak in. In addition, with the inevitable clutter of banner ads and side text, this technique puts some distance between your writing and all those distractions.

4. Keep current. No one wants to read old news. Your job is to stay up-to-date so your readers do not have to themselves. Read newspapers. Scour the web for references. For example, if you write a blog about business communication, subscribe to Google News Alerts using keywords related to the field, such as blogs, podcasting, instant messaging, business letters, memos, and business reports, so you will always be well informed. Posting items from last month or last year will lose your reader's interest faster than you can say "Enron."

5. Be bold. Timidity is an easy path to anonymity. Do not be afraid to create and state your opinions. Of course, there are some situations in which objectivity rules-but you have to give people a reason to read this blog by you and not by the person next door.

6. Be accurate. If you make a statement, be prepared to back it up. Know what your sources are and quote them accurately. Misinformation spreads like wildfire online; do not be the spark that sets it off or the wind that fans it.

7. Contribute to the conversation. Links are great-but then what? Do not just post links to the same tired sites, offer your reader something new. Contribute to the conversation. Your goal is to be the site to which everyone else is linking-so you had better have something worth writing about.

8. Stay focused. Once you have defined the theme of your blog, stick to it. A blog about piggy banks has no business posting about the latest innovation in alternative energy. Such a deviance will only confuse your reader and chip away at your virtual authority.

9. Use key words liberally. Keywords are, well, key. Harness your blog's search engine potential by dousing your title and post with effective keywords that will help interested parties find your page in the vast, muddled blogosphere. This is one of the most important elements of getting your blog read-go at it with gusto.

10. Be consistent. Keep a schedule and stick to it. Post frequently-at least several times per week if you want to increase your potential of attracting new readers. Let your blog languish for weeks without updates and your audience will move on to fresher ground.

Maintaining an informative blog that people want to read takes hard work and good writing skills. Find what makes your writing unique-and flaunt it for all it is worth.

by: Courtland Bovee

Some Tips to Speed Up Firefox

2007-08-06T21:23:00.001-07:00

Mozilla Firefox is an excellent web browser that does a much better job than Internet Explorer when it comes to protecting your privacy and computer security. Unfortunately, Firefox can sometimes be slower than Internet Explorer. The speed difference between the two browsers is one of the main reasons why most people do not change their browser from the quicker yet more vulnerable Internet Explorer to the slower but more secure Firefox browser, the other reason being that Firefox introduces many new features that simply take more time to learn than some users are willing to invest. To get the best of both worlds – speed and security of browsing – you can download Mozilla Firefox and speed it up with these tips.

Pipelining

This tweak is very easy to accomplish. On your Firefox web browser address bar, type about:config, then press Enter. Scroll through the list of values and look for these three crucial pipelining settings: network.http.pipelining, network.http.proxy.pipelining, and network.http.pipelining.maxrequests. You can use the filter to easily find each of these entries.

For the pipelining entry, you should change the value to true. Just double click the false value to make this change. For the maxrequests entry, the default setting is four. Change the value to your desired number. This value determines how many page requests Firefox is capable of making. You can go as high as 8 to speed up your tabbed browsing. Finally, go to proxy.pipelining and change the value from false to true.

Doing the above steps will give you greater browsing speeds by allowing Firefox to process and send requests simultaneously instead of waiting until a response has been received from a previous request. This will also reduce network bottlenecks by packing multiple requests into a single data packet.

Increase Your Firefox Memory Cache

Your computer will automatically allot a memory cache for your Firefox browser. Increasing your browser cache will actually increase the amount of objects that your browser can retain, which cuts down on time spent retrieving information from your hard disk or a web server. As a result, your frequently visited pages will load much faster.

You can modify the cache settings by going to the Firefox tools menu and clicking on Options. From here, click on the “Advanced” tab, then the “Network” tab. On the network tab, you can specify any cache size you like, but it is doubtful you will need more than about 32 Megabytes of cache.

Block Unwanted Advertisements

One of the best ways to speed up Firefox is by using an Ad Removal extension, such as AdBlock Plus. AdBlock Plus can be installed at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865, and it works to block annoying banner ads. AdBlock Plus also features a “learning” feature, meaning you can right-click on unblocked ads and set them to be blocked, as well. Even with no other optimizations, Firefox will load most pages much faster than Internet Explorer when using AdBlock Plus, because it does not have to worry about downloading all of the annoying, unwanted ads that clutter up so many webpages.

Another plugin, called FasterFox, implements a large number of tweaks based on increasing the speed of your browsing. FasterFox is available from: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1269

With these tips, you can speed up Firefox considerably, so don't let the slow performance you may have experienced deter you any longer. Firefox works to provide a much safer browsing experience than Internet Explorer, and its plugin interface allows for unprecedented levels of customization and convenience.

Copyright © 2007 MALIBAL, lLc

MALIBAL is the Home of the World's Fastest Laptop Headquartered in Las Vegas, this groundbreaking company has transmuted the world of mobile computing with its nonpareil laptops and unrivaled 24-hour USA-based support.

Please, check out these recommendations for the best notebook computers

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Childree

10 Steps To IT Success

2007-08-06T21:16:00.002-07:00

1. Choose a IT career that's in demand
It is essential to choose a career path in IT which has sufficient demand. There are hundreds of career paths in IT but NOT all offer the same levels of opportunity.

IT careers in demand can have lower entry requirements simply because there aren't enough people to fill the vacant roles resulting from skill shortages. These shortages can also fuel higher salaries to entice more people.

Technology can change quite rapidly so choosing the wrong database technology for example, could lead to less opportunity in securing work due to opportunities being few and far between than choosing a database technology which is in demand.

2. Avoid saturated IT career paths
If there's too many people vying for opportunities in a particular IT area, then there will be too much competition to get a job. This gives employers the opportunity to pick and choose only the best candidates, those who have the most experience.

Saturated IT careers can also bring down salaries on offer, as employers know that they can pay less and still get suitably qualified staff.

A recruiter colleague of mine, regularly runs job ads on several very popular internet job search sites. He told me that he can get over a 1000 applicants for each role he advertises, with roles involving Microsoft Windows and Cisco technology, generally having the most applicants.

He said that this is great because he can pick and choose only the best candidates for the jobs, generally those with a lot of experience.

On the flip side, when employers recruit in the IT sector I'm in, they get a lot less applicants, so it can sometimes be tough to find candidates, resulting in employers lowering their entry requirements and increasing salaries.

3. Avoid Dead End IT careers
Dead Ends are IT careers which may look like a good opportunity to the uninitiated but in reality offer very little in terms of career advancement. Dead end IT careers generally include working long and unsociable hours in jobs which can be quite stressful.

Helpdesk and support roles can be dead end jobs which offer little in career advancement. If you work too many hours then your real pay per hour could be very little.

So if a job pays $30,000 a year but involves working 70 hours a week with no payment for overtime, the real hourly payment is actually less than $9 an hour instead of $16 per hour.

Worse still some dead end jobs include the dreaded being on-call, where the employer can contact you, outside of work if there's a problem. This could mean your weekend is ruined by a call from the office, to fix a problem that takes several hours to fix. On-call payments can be very poor, sometimes around the $20 a day mark.

When I first started looking for a career in IT, I was offered a computer support engineer role which paid a lot more than I was on in my non IT job at the time. But when I delved deeper, it wasn't the dream move into IT that I longed for. There was absolutely no opportunity for career advancement and the hours involved were long, spending day after day travelling between many customer sites.

4. Forget Certification as the backdoor to IT success!
Relying solely on certifications to get into IT won't make you more employable. Employers look for experience and candidates who are 'paper qualified' that is, have a IT certification but no experience, will not be looked upon favourably.

It's become too easy to gain many certifications through the likes of braindumps, whereby the actual certification exam answers are posted on various internet websites.

Certifications such as Microsoft's MCSE, Cisco's CCNA and the like are only for those who already have experience in that particular certification's field. More and more employers look at certifications as a desirable and not as an essential part of their job requirements.

Some of the work I do, involves working with HP/Compaq Servers, Windows 2003, Citrix Presentation Server and Exchange 2003 and I've never been asked to provide any evidence of HP/Compaq, MCSE or Citrix CCA certification, because my experience validates the fact that I know how to work with these types of servers and systems in a variety of environments.

5. Choose a IT career with a low TTL
By choosing an IT career with a low Time To Learn (TTL), you can get onto the career ladder quickly instead of being bogged down by trying to attain the skills necessary for a career which has a longer time to learn (TTL).

Consider a career working in J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition) whilst this is definitely a career in demand, the TTL is quite high, as not only is a good grasp of Java required, but there may be a requirement for IBM Websphere, Tomcat, Apache and whole host of other technologies. So unless you've worked in this field for a number of years and been able to build up a steady exposure to these technologies, it's going to take an age to learn these technologies from scratch, during which time you could lose out on earning good money.

6. Use Special skills
I find it incredibly easy to get work in retail banks even when my technology skills aren't up to date. Why? Because I have other special skills which the world of retail banking holds in high esteem, these special skills have also helped me work in the health, telecommunications and pharmaceutical sectors.

When I apply for a job, I make sure that my skills in appreciating Change Management and working in project orientated roles, aswell as document preparation are prominent. Too many people spend too much time focusing on their technological skills instead of harnessing the power of their special skills.

7. Use Inside Information and avoid the hype
By knowing someone who already works in IT or even better works in the same area in IT as you would like to, can provide enormous benefit. Mainly allowing you to sort fact from fiction by being able to get quality unbiased advice.

When I started looking at a career in IT, I was able to quickly dismiss the notion of "When I get my MCSE certification, I'll be on $500 a day" because my friend who already worked in IT told me that doing an MCSE without any experience wouldn't get me a job and only those consultants who have years of experience along with an MCSE, are the ones who would most likely earn $500 a day or more.

Yet, many of the people I met at the time who were also trying to get into IT, still believed this notion and spent thousands of pounds trying to get MCSE certified.

Training companies can all too often be guilty of starting the hype bandwagon rolling, with the only objective in mind is to make as much money as possible from IT wannabes who don't know how to distinguish fact from fiction.

8. Forget about education qualifications
As long as you can read and write, then a career in IT could be for you. A lot of people think just because they don't have a degree, they won't be able to get a good job in IT. The truth of the matter is that the majority of employers don't give a hoot about whether you have a degree (unless it's a graduate program). All they care about is whether you have the experience and skills to get the job done.

I don't have a degree and it certainly hasn't hampered my career aspirations. I don't even bother mentioning my educational details when I apply for jobs and have never been asked about my education from any of the employers I've worked for and most of my employers have been large multinational corporations.

Experience is the key in attaining well paid IT work with prospects and it isn't too difficult getting the right level of experience. I used an 'experience driven training' program which allowed me not only to understand the technology I was learning but, actually put it to practice in the workplace.

9. Be flexible
The days of fat salary cheques with a job for life are long gone but there is still plenty of opportunity to earn well by being flexible. More and more employers are looking for IT specialists who are flexible in their work requirements.

Employers may have projects involving only a few months work, which will prove difficult to hire a full time person for. What happens when the works finished, do they just fire the person hired? This could hit them with a load of legal problems such as unfair dismissal. So enter the freelancer, who works on a contracted freelance basis.

I work on a freelance basis as I found it can be easier to find work as more and more employers are looking for freelancers, therefore finding work is never a challenge. I can also earn as much as 3 times more as I would if I was hired directly by the employer as an employee, and better still I pay less tax, so I can take a lot more money home.

10. Be found
If no one knows you exist then no one will find you. To be successful in any career, people need to know you exist. People must be made aware of your presence and this is easily achieved by preparing a good résumé (CV) which gets noticed.

I spent months perfecting my résumé (CV) making sure that it contained relevant information. I treat my résumé (CV) as an advert in which I have at least four pages to attract the attention of the reader and make sure they carry on reading my résumé (CV). Instead of putting it in the bin because it’s difficult to read, irrelevant or difficult to understand.

When I send my résumé (CV) off to a potential employers, eight times out of ten, I get a call. Many people applying for IT jobs can’t get past this first hurdle, simply because their résumés (CV) are very poor. My chances of securing an interview from my résumé (CV) runs at around 50%, which is well above average. So before choosing my next assignment, I generally can have several job offers to consider.

I spend as much effort on making myself known as I do in learning the technologies of my trade. Marketing myself is very important in getting a well paid job. I've set up a web site to provide more information: www.best-it-career.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_T_Johnson

How To Choose The Right Laptop

2007-08-06T21:16:00.001-07:00

I am often asked how one goes about choosing the right laptop. Obviously because of the technological understanding required as well as the plethora of brands out there, it can be very confusing and daunting.

So here is some brief advice on how to go about it:

Firstly decide what you are going to use the laptop for. For example, if it is just to be used for internet, email access and documents then your requirements are very different from someone planning to run processor and memory intensive applications such as games, media applications or CAD. An entry level laptop may be more than adequate for your needs! So why pay for more?

Don’t buy a laptop just because it has "lots of features". This is because you will most likely end up paying for features that you don’t need. A good example of what I mean by "lots of features" and where this happens a lot is with cell phones. Most people just use them for calls and sms’s, yet end up paying exorbitant prices for fancy phones that have a “million-and-one” features, they never use.

Rather carefully consider the specifications and features of various models and decide what is important for your needs. I.e. wireless (mostly standard nowadays), Bluetooth, harddrive size, processor spec, memory size, built in camera etc.

When comparing models which have similar specifications go for the one with the highest performance processor (dual processor preferable) as well as the maximum amount of ram you can afford (minimum 512Mbytes). The better the processor and the more ram, the faster the laptop will be. While one should not buy IT based on "lots of features", it is worth ensuring that you get the best "value for money" with features that are important.

Weight and battery size can also be a deciding factor. If you travel frequently, then a light laptop with a 12” screen may be preferable to lugging around the world with a dead weight.

Choosing the laptop brand is always a personal thing. Sometimes you just like the look and feel of a particular brand. Other times it's a recommendation from a particular person. The brand you choose can also make a huge difference in price. For example recently, I was comparing a Lenovo Z61p against a Mecer E81 with identical performance specifications and the Lenovo was +- R6000 (South African Rands) more expensive. Also the Mecer had more inbuilt features such as a camera and TV tuner. However despite the price difference and extra features, the customer still went for the Lenovo because he loved the "look and feel" of the Lenovo brand over the Mecer.

My favorites brands in order of preference are: Lenovo, Acer, Mecer and HP.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_Gibson

Patrick Gibson - EzineArticles Expert Author

Cheap Inkjet Cartridges

2007-08-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

Most cheap inkjet cartridge makers have to constantly fight to be heard over the voices of the big companies who issue much propaganda to convince people to avoid the cheaper inks, saying that they are inferior, don’t perform well, and cost the consumer more money in the long run, making the savings obsolete and not worth the trouble. But of course in order to sort out the facts from the mere public relations spin advertising, it is necessary to know more about the products themselves, and what things about them qualify a good or great one from one that is inferior or shoddy.

Both expensive and cheap inkjet cartridge technology is essentially the same, and if you look at the inks or at the containers they come in, you will be hard pressed to detect any differences at all, except of course the difference in price. The expensive brands cost about twice as much, and sometimes more than twice as much, as the discounted ink cartridges, and of course this causes many consumers to be nervous that they are “getting what they pay for” in the form of a lesser quality product.

Some of these products, including cheap inkjet cartridge products, may use special inks that contain an electrostatic charge and sometimes may have iron in the ink, to offer it some magnetic quality; have plastics added, have water in them, or have pigments and chemicals to bind the pigments to the ink or to the paper it prints against. The image of what is going to printed, is transferred electronically inside the printer, more or less, because the electronic signals tell the jets of the ink jet where and how often to disperse ink on to the paper.

Even the cheap inkjet cartridge is one of the most high-tech and modern versions of a technology of ink that was first instituted some four or five thousand years ago, in Egypt, where ink was first used to do block printing, where you use a block of wood to press out a carved image. Sometimes ashes or soot and various kinds of acid and iron salts were put into the dyes or liquid ink to color it or give it a texture or other physical properties that made it better for printing onto parchment or wood or even paper, if they had paper making expertise at that time in history.

The cheap inkjet cartridge is essentially a clone, made to imitate the cartridge sold when you first bought your printer. If the clone is a good one, you will get a product you can’t tell the difference from in terms of how it compares to your name brand cartridge, and the savings can be substantial. Be sure that your clone works in your particular machine, as some makers of printers engineer them so that they do not work with off-brand supplies.

For lots of information on where to find cheap inkjet cartridges and related topics, visit About Printer Ink at www.aboutprinterink.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Wilssens

How Do I Fix A Slow Computer?

2007-08-01T04:11:00.003-07:00

The one question I am often asked is how do I fix a slow computer. People want their computer to respond quickly. Especially in the days of cable and DSL internet service, they want their computer to be able to keep up. So, when it doesn’t, people sometimes lean towards needing a new computer. I will show you one simple program you can run and this is how I fix a slow computer.

First, lets look at a couple of the reasons computers get slow. One of the biggest reasons computers get slow is they do not clean them. And I am not talking about the dust in them (although, it is a good idea to clean this out as well). I am talking about the clutter in the computer system itself.

People just have way too much stuff in there. And with all of this stuff comes all sorts of storage and memory that is taken up by this. So, every now and then, just de-clutter your computer. Delete the files you do not need, and organize everything the way you can find it again.

The second way is to fix your registry files. These are files that tell the computer what to do and how to handle the software. If they get messed up, then the computer begins to run slow, as it is somewhat confused as to how to operate. Just by using a registry repair software, you can fix this.

This can take less than 10 minutes. Just download and install the registry repair software. Let the software run a scan of your computer. It will tell you all of the errors you have within your registry files. Then, the software will fix them. And that is it. Your computer is now running at top speed again.

So, how do I fix a slow computer: by organizing my files better and by using a registry repair software.

Michael Baker is a Computer Optimization Technician, and recommends using a registry repair software to Fix A Slow Computer and to fix any problems such as computers freezing, locking up, restarting for no reason, and getting the blue death screen.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Baker

How Do I Recover Deleted Files - Documents and Folders

2007-08-01T04:11:00.002-07:00

We sometimes accidentally or purposely deleted our files and documents in our computer. And then you later realized you need it back and want it recovered. Now you start panicking on how to recover these files. I really understand when you are not too computer savvy or I must say, not too computer “literate” to deal with this kind of problem.

Well, there is always help. I will show you simple steps on how to recover these files. Have you noticed an icon located on your desktop screen (that is the main screen that you see when all programs on the task bar are closed) that looks like a garbage bin? This is actually called the recycle bin.

What happens is that, if you delete your files, it does not actually get deleted from the computer. It goes to this bin called recycle bin. Not unless you permanently delete it, you can only do this manually. But ofcourse there is always an option that you don’t have to delete it manually. You can also set it up to delete files right away without moving them to the recycle bin. I suggest you don’t choose this option though.

By knowing if your recycle bin is not set to remove files immediately when deleted, do the following:

(1) Point the mouse to the recycle bin icon
(2) Right Click the mouse
(3) Click on Properties
(4) On the Global tab, make sure the Do not move files to Recycle Bin is unchecked.

To recover your files or your documents, do the following:

(1) Double Click your recycle bin icon from the desktop
(2) It should show you the list of files that has been deleted and has been moved to the recycle bin
(3) Point your mouse to the file or document that you want to restore, then right click your mouse (press the right click of the mouse)
(4) Click on restore

You should see your file from where it was saved before it was deleted. For example, if the file was originally saved on a folder named “personal file folder”, the file you just recovered and restored is moved back to that folder. That way, you don’t have to locate the file after restoring it.

Here is the worse scenario, what if you had emptied the recycle bin?. So what are now your chances to recover these files?

The good news is, those files are actually still on your hard drive and is occupying a space. Now, there is a freeware (meaning it is absolutely free!) called Restoration. You can find this freeware by searching from many search engines on the internet. This is a utility used to possibly restore and undelete your files.

Ms. Mcbanon is an experienced Medical Biller and Coder based in New York. A graduate of Bachelor Science in Computer Engineering. A Medical Practice Billing Consultant.

Read more about the author as she shares her knowledge and expertise in her field by visiting her personal website at www.justmypassion.com

She shares her expertise and knowledge with www.medclaimsplus.com She has extensive knowledge and skill in the area of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Anesthesiology, Surgery, Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Mental & Behavioral Health, Pediatrics & Internal Medicine.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pinky_Mcbanon

Windows Registry Cleaning: To Clean Or Not To Clean

2007-08-01T04:11:00.001-07:00

There are a lot of people who claim that cleaning your registry will not improve your system's performance . They say it's ok to use a registry cleaner as part of a removal process of a program (e.g. when you uninstall a software and want to clean the entries from the registry). But most users use registry cleaners as part of a system cleaning routine.

So why not use a registry cleaner? Because most registry cleaners delete some dll files which are important files for some programs to run. Most registry cleaners will offer a choice of selecting which files to delete but an inexperienced user could easily choose to delete important files that are not to be deleted. Are you ready to risk that the registry cleaner deletes something you really need, causing a program or a feature to fail?

The windows registry is a really huge database with thousands of entries. If you run a registry cleaner on a typical machine you will get only a small number of errors compared to the size of the registry. If you search for performance tests that somehow prove that registry cleaners are important and should be used you won't find any real evidence that registry cleaners are important, apart from tests performed by software companies. So is this registry cleaning process just for the sake of "cleaning"?

There are people and registry cleaner software companies stating that registry cleaners are important and should be used at a timely basis. The cleaners will free some space from your computer's RAM and will make your system more responsive. If you're encountering unexplained errors or your computer crashes or freezes often then you need to repair your registry. There are a lot of corrupt files, paths, registry keys that need to be cleaned in order for your registry and your system to perform well. There are certain DLL files that need to be repaired.

If you want to avoid runtime errors, windows startup errors and especially windows explorer errors then you have to make sure that your registry is clean and stable. That is what the software companies developing registry cleaners claim.

So what is the truth? Do you really need a registry cleaner? Should you spend your time and your money and invest on a registry cleaning software? The answer is Yes mostly.

In my opinion you should use a registry cleaner to optimize your system's performance only if you know what the registry is and how it works. Furthermore you should know what a registry cleaner is and how it works. You must be aware of the importance of the registry for your system. Remember, the registry is a database where all your system's information is stored. It is so important that Windows system has built in registry tools working on the background to make sure your registry performs well and protect your system's integrity.

The fact is that because your computer's registry is so massive, problems can occur as time goes by. These problems can cause strange behaviors, could freeze up your system or cause unwanted errors. Not to mention the frustration from the end user's point of view. If your registry is clean then you don't need to worry. but if you notice your computer is becoming unstable then you need to make sure your system's registry is clean and optimized.

In my opinion it's a good practice to scan and optimize your registry every now and then but make sure you know what you're doing when making changes or when deleting files, especially dll files. Remember that a single dll file can be important part of more than one application or program. Do not delete anything, unless you are 100% sure you don't need that file. Also, always perform a registry backup before proceeding to a registry cleaning or optimizing. Most registry cleaners offer this option of taking a backup of your registry before making any changes. If anything goes wrong you can restore the backup.

Do not just clean your registry just because a lot of people are talking about registry cleaners these days. Know what you're doing when messing with this really important system's database. And always choose wisely when buying any registry cleaning software. There are registry cleaners that are sophisticated and powerful and can optimize your registry without the need to worry about deleting any needed files. And there are registry cleaners that are not so safe and cannot be trusted. The choice is yours. Check out this software for registry cleaning. The download is free. Mary Markell is a webmaster of Digitalstarproducts Products Directory.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Markell

Data Backup And Restore - Solutions For Hard Drive Crashes

2007-08-01T04:11:00.000-07:00

These days, one of the most threatening thing that can happen to a person is that he/she suddenly looses the valuable data stored on his/her computers hard drive. The very thought of losing data from a hard disk, because of weak security measures, is horrible. The only way to avoid such a possibility, if you do not have a restore option, is to back up the data on a regular basis.

Its up to you to decide what you should do to recover the data which was there inside your crashed hard drive. The first thing that you should do is that you should not run the recovery software that you got with your PC. This way you won't overwrite original files. Now you should contact a reliable recovery company of good repute to restore those files you lost due to disk failure. Some of these recovery companies come directly at your home in order to provide you recovery services. But for home service, they can charge you more.

Format of some files are such that they cannot be recovered. The best example is DWG files or some graphic files. These special files require some media in order to get recovered. There is also a lot of difference between a hard drive crash and hard drive damage. In the latter case your lost data can not recovered while in former case you can recover your lost data. In case of poor security you can never recover the data you lost. You should always keep your data in a safer place in order to protect it.

Some of the commonly used tools to protect your data from malicious programs are anti virus softwares, firewalls and encryption technology. In encryption your data is translated into some secret code and only the person who knows the password or the key is able to decrypt it.

In case of any emergency, always keep few recovery tools ready in order to avoid data loss. One of the tools is back up option. Always keep a back up of the data that is stored on your computer. Store it one some different hard drive or some other storage medium. This way, if your data is lost due to hard drive crash or damage, you will be able to recover all of it. Go for data back up often. To protect your data from others, have preventive measures in place. If your computer is in a network like the internet, then use a good firewall to block any unwanted traffic. Anti virus softwares are also a good way to stop anything that may corrupt the files on your hard drive.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tommy_Jackson

What is Linux and why is it so popular?

2007-07-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

Every desktop computer uses an operating system. The most popular operating systems in use today are:

* Windows
* Mac OS
* UNIX

Linux is a version of the UNIX operating system that has become very popular over the last several years.

Operating systems are computer programs. An operating system is the first piece of software that the computer executes when you turn the machine on. The operating system loads itself into memory and begins managing the resources available on the computer. It then provides those resources to other applications that the user wants to execute. Typical services that an operating system provides include:

* A task scheduler - The task scheduler is able to allocate the execution of the CPU to a number of different tasks. Some of those tasks are the different applications that the user is running, and some of them are operating system tasks. The task scheduler is the part of the operating system that lets you print a document from your word processor in one window while you are downloading a file in another window and recalculating a spreadsheet in a third window.
* A memory manager - The memory manager controls the system's RAM and normally creates a larger virtual memory space using a file on the hard disk. (See also this Question of the Day.)
* A disk manager - The disk manager creates and maintains the directories and files on the disk. When you request a file, the disk manager brings it in from the disk.
* A network manager - The network manager controls all data moving between the computer and the network.
* Other I/O services manager - The OS manages the keyboard, mouse, video display, printers, etc.
* Security manager - The OS maintains the security of the information in the computer's files and controls who can access the computer.

An operating system normally also provides the default user interface for the system. The standard "look" of Windows 98 includes the Start button, the task bar, etc. The Mac OS provides a completely different look and feel for Macintosh computers.

Linux is as much a phenomenon as it is an operating system. To understand why Linux has become so popular, it is helpful to know a little bit about its history. The first version of UNIX was originally developed several decades ago and was used primarily as a research operating system in universities. High-powered desktop workstations from companies like Sun proliferated in the 1980s, and they were all based on UNIX. A number of companies entered the workstation field to compete against Sun: HP, IBM, Silicon Graphics, Apollo, etc. Unfortunately, each one had its own version of UNIX and this made the sale of software difficult. Windows NT was Microsoft's answer to this marketplace. NT provides the same sort of features as UNIX operating systems -- security, support for multiple CPUs, large-scale memory and disk management, etc. -- but it does it in a way that is compatible with most Windows applications.

The entry of Microsoft into the high-end workstation arena created a strange dynamic. The proprietary operating systems owned by separate companies and the lack of a central authority in the UNIX world weaken UNIX, but many people have personal problems with Microsoft. Linux stepped into this odd landscape and captured a lot of attention.

The Linux kernel, created by Linus Torvalds, was made available to the world for free. Torvalds then invited others to add to the kernel provided that they keep their contributions free. Thousands of programmers began working to enhance Linux, and the operating system grew rapidly. Because it is free and runs on PC platforms, it gained a sizeable audience among hard-core developers very quickly. Linux has a dedicated following and appeals to several different kinds of people:

* People who already know UNIX and want to run it on PC-type hardware
* People who want to experiment with operating system principles
* People who need or want a great deal of control over their operating system
* People who have personal problems with Microsoft

In general, Linux is harder to manage than something like Windows, but offers more flexibility and configuration options.

An A-Z Index of the Windows NT/XP command line

2007-07-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

An A-Z Index of the Windows NT/XP command line

ADDUSERS Add or list users to/from a CSV file
ARP Address Resolution Protocol
ASSOC Change file extension associations
ASSOCIAT One step file association
AT Schedule a command to run at a later time
ATTRIB Change file attributes

BOOTCFG Edit Windows boot settings
BROWSTAT Get domain, browser and PDC info

CACLS Change file permissions
CALL Call one batch program from another
CD Change Directory - move to a specific Folder
CHANGE Change Terminal Server Session properties
CHKDSK Check Disk - check and repair disk problems
CHKNTFS Check the NTFS file system
CHOICE Accept keyboard input to a batch file
CIPHER Encrypt or Decrypt files/folders
CleanMgr Automated cleanup of Temp files, recycle bin
CLEARMEM Clear memory leaks
CLIP Copy STDIN to the Windows clipboard.
CLS Clear the screen
CLUSTER Windows Clustering
CMD Start a new CMD shell
COLOR Change colors of the CMD window
COMP Compare the contents of two files or sets of files
COMPACT Compress files or folders on an NTFS partition
COMPRESS Compress individual files on an NTFS partition
CON2PRT Connect or disconnect a Printer
CONVERT Convert a FAT drive to NTFS.
COPY Copy one or more files to another location
CSVDE Import or Export Active Directory data

DATE Display or set the date
Dcomcnfg DCOM Configuration Utility
DEFRAG Defragment hard drive
DEL Delete one or more files
DELPROF Delete NT user profiles
DELTREE Delete a folder and all subfolders
DevCon Device Manager Command Line Utility
DIR Display a list of files and folders
DIRUSE Display disk usage
DISKCOMP Compare the contents of two floppy disks
DISKCOPY Copy the contents of one floppy disk to another
DNSSTAT DNS Statistics
DOSKEY Edit command line, recall commands, and create macros
DSADD Add user (computer, group..) to active directory
DSQUERY List items in active directory
DSMOD Modify user (computer, group..) in active directory

ECHO Display message on screen
ENDLOCAL End localisation of environment changes in a batch file
ERASE Delete one or more files
EXIT Quit the CMD shell
EXPAND Uncompress files
EXTRACT Uncompress CAB files

FC Compare two files
FDISK Disk Format and partition
FIND Search for a text string in a file
FINDSTR Search for strings in files
FOR /F Loop command: against a set of files
FOR /F Loop command: against the results of another command
FOR Loop command: all options Files, Directory, List
FORFILES Batch process multiple files
FORMAT Format a disk
FREEDISK Check free disk space (in bytes)
FSUTIL File and Volume utilities
FTP File Transfer Protocol
FTYPE Display or modify file types used in file extension associations

GLOBAL Display membership of global groups
GOTO Direct a batch program to jump to a labelled line

HELP Online Help
HFNETCHK Network Security Hotfix Checker

IF Conditionally perform a command
IFMEMBER Is the current user in an NT Workgroup
IPCONFIG Configure IP

KILL Remove a program from memory

LABEL Edit a disk label
LOCAL Display membership of local groups
LOGEVENT Write text to the NT event viewer.
LOGOFF Log a user off
LOGTIME Log the date and time in a file

MAPISEND Send email from the command line
MEM Display memory usage
MD Create new folders
MODE Configure a system device
MORE Display output, one screen at a time
MOUNTVOL Manage a volume mount point
MOVE Move files from one folder to another
MOVEUSER Move a user from one domain to another
MSG Send a message
MSIEXEC Microsoft Windows Installer
MSINFO Windows NT diagnostics
MSTSC Terminal Server Connection (Remote Desktop Protocol)
MUNGE Find and Replace text within file(s)
MV Copy in-use files

NET Manage network resources
NETDOM Domain Manager
NETSH Configure network protocols
NETSVC Command-line Service Controller
NBTSTAT Display networking statistics (NetBIOS over TCP/IP)
NETSTAT Display networking statistics (TCP/IP)
NOW Display the current Date and Time
NSLOOKUP Name server lookup
NTBACKUP Backup folders to tape
NTRIGHTS Edit user account rights

PATH Display or set a search path for executable files
PATHPING Trace route plus network latency and packet loss
PAUSE Suspend processing of a batch file and display a message
PERMS Show permissions for a user
PERFMON Performance Monitor
PING Test a network connection
POPD Restore the previous value of the current directory saved by PUSHD
PORTQRY Display the status of ports and services
PRINT Print a text file
PRNCNFG Display, configure or rename a printer
PRNMNGR Add, delete, list printers set the default printer
PROMPT Change the command prompt
PsExec Execute process remotely
PsFile Show files opened remotely
PsGetSid Display the SID of a computer or a user
PsInfo List information about a system
PsKill Kill processes by name or process ID
PsList List detailed information about processes
PsLoggedOn Who's logged on (locally or via resource sharing)
PsLogList Event log records
PsPasswd Change account password
PsService View and control services
PsShutdown Shutdown or reboot a computer
PsSuspend Suspend processes
PUSHD Save and then change the current directory

QGREP Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern.

RASDIAL Manage RAS connections
RASPHONE Manage RAS connections
RECOVER Recover a damaged file from a defective disk.
REG Read, Set or Delete registry keys and values
REGEDIT Import or export registry settings
REGSVR32 Register or unregister a DLL
REGINI Change Registry Permissions
REM Record comments (remarks) in a batch file
REN Rename a file or files.
REPLACE Replace or update one file with another
RD Delete folder(s)
RDISK Create a Recovery Disk
RMTSHARE Share a folder or a printer
ROBOCOPY Robust File and Folder Copy
ROUTE Manipulate network routing tables
RUNAS Execute a program under a different user account
RUNDLL32 Run a DLL command (add/remove print connections)

SC Service Control
SCHTASKS Create or Edit Scheduled Tasks
SCLIST Display NT Services
ScriptIt Control GUI applications
SET Display, set, or remove environment variables
SETLOCAL Control the visibility of environment variables
SETX Set environment variables permanently
SHARE List or edit a file share or print share
SHIFT Shift the position of replaceable parameters in a batch file
SHORTCUT Create a windows shortcut (.LNK file)
SHOWGRPS List the NT Workgroups a user has joined
SHOWMBRS List the Users who are members of a Workgroup
SHUTDOWN Shutdown the computer
SLEEP Wait for x seconds
SOON Schedule a command to run in the near future
SORT Sort input
START Start a separate window to run a specified program or command
SU Switch User
SUBINACL Edit file and folder Permissions, Ownership and Domain
SUBST Associate a path with a drive letter
SYSTEMINFO List system configuration

TASKLIST List running applications and services
TIME Display or set the system time
TIMEOUT Delay processing of a batch file
TITLE Set the window title for a CMD.EXE session
TOUCH Change file timestamps
TRACERT Trace route to a remote host
TREE Graphical display of folder structure
TYPE Display the contents of a text file

USRSTAT List domain usernames and last login

VER Display version information
VERIFY Verify that files have been saved
VOL Display a disk label

WHERE Locate and display files in a directory tree
WHOAMI Output the current UserName and domain
WINDIFF Compare the contents of two files or sets of files
WINMSD Windows system diagnostics
WINMSDP Windows system diagnostics II
WMIC WMI Commands

XCACLS Change file permissions
XCOPY Copy files and folders
http://www.ss64.com/nt/

Hacking Windows XP Book

2007-07-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

BUY Hacking Windows XP Book

Hacking Windows XP is the ultimate tweakers handbook, concentrating on customizing the look, increasing the performance and securing Windows XP. Hacking Windows XP is not like other hacking books, if you want random tips and tricks, buy another book. But if you want one of the most complete tweaking books ever written, Hacking Windows XP is for you. Take a look at the table of contents to learn how the book is organized and the extensive list of topics covered.

Written by the creator of TweakXP.com and packed with a companion CD-ROM filled with registry files, applications mentioned in the book and bonus hacking utilities, Hacking Windows XP is the book for any beginner or advanced user that wants to get more out of Windows XP.

Source : http://www.hackingwindowsxp.com/

Rubber Stamp

2007-07-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

In This Tutorial we will create a rubber stamp with photoshop cs2.
ok, we start now.

1.Let's we create new project File-->New

2. type a text, in this example we type CompStations.

3. Next Duplicate the layer Compstations, then rotare 180 degree
Edit->Transform->Rotate 180. Move the second layer so you have a decent circle Like this:

4. and type StOrE, like this

5. To add the broken "chop" effect, Create a new layer (make sure it's the top layer), and add some clouds by selecting Filter->Render->Clouds. Then add some noise by selecting Filter->Noise->Add Noise.

6. Then select the new noise layer, and change the blending mode to "screen". This will give our passport chop some texture.

IP Addressing And SubNetting

2007-07-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

IP Addressing And SubNetting
By Dr.T of BCVG Dr.T,
www.ebcvg.com
raven@ebcvg.com

Another article explaining basics of IP addressing and building subnets.

Basic Definitions
=====================

Here are some basic definitions I think that one should know in order to understand this article:

IP Address - A unique number ID assigned to one host or an interface on a network.

Subnet - A portion of a network sharing a particular address.

Subnet Mask - A 32 bit combination used to describe which portion of an address refers to the subnet and which part refers to the host.

Interface - A network connection.

InterNIC - Internet Network Information Center

NIC - Network Interface Card.

Ethernet - An Ethernet is the IEEE 802.3 Standard that allows two or more computers transfer data back and forth. The access method used, is based on Ethernet systems, which range from 1Mbps - 1000Mbps (1GBps).

Internet Protocol (IP)
=========================

The Internet Protocol, IP, is a network protocol that contains addressing information and control information that enables packets to be routed. The IP protocol is the primary protocol along with the TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) in the Internet Protocol Suite (IPS). IP actually work like a router and it is the heart of the IPS while the TCP protocol responsible that divide and reassembly packets and to assure that everything come to its destination and if not to resend it again.

IP Addressing
======================

An IP Address is actually a 32-bit (4 bytes) number, which provides you information on how to access the system and how to communicate with it through specific protocols - set of commands which computers use when they communicate (transfer data, files etc.).

The IP address is divided into 4 octets which each one takes 8bits = 1byte.
In order to represent the IP address of a system, we usually use the following structure: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx where each 'xxx' is on octet. This way of representation called the dotted decimal notation. Each octet can contain a value range from 0 - 255 in decimal or from 00000000 - 11111111 in binary form. The reason the value can range from 0 to 255 is because each octet is one byte and the range of the values can range from 0 to 255 only.

Here is how binary octets convert to decimal (basic knowledge in binary is required):

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - Binary octet

128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1 - Decimal octet

To find the value in this octet we need to sum all the number we got: 128+64+32+16+
8+4+2+1 = 255. Here is another sample of octet conversion:

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 - Binary octet

0 64 0 0 0 0 0 1 - Decimal octet

The result is 64+1 = 65.

To make the work with IP Addresses easier, they have been divided into five classes, each one of which has its own properties and intended use. Nowadays only the first three IP Address Classes are used (A, B and C) while the remaining two (D and E) serve for experimental and for research purposes only. Here are the IP Address Classes:

Class Name Network & Host IP Address Range Example
===============================================================

Class A: N.H.H.H 1.0.0.0 - 126.255.255.254 24.215.1.50

Class B: N.N.H.H 128.1.0.0 - 191.254.0.0 187.45.44.12

Class C: N.N.N.H 192.0.1.0 - 223.255.254.0 200.20.21.20

Class D: Not Available 224.0.0.0 - 239.255.255.255 225.45.33.33

Class E: Not Available 240.0.0.0 - 254.255.255.255 243.55.190.22

The “N” and “H” in the above table designate the Network ID and Host ID respectively.
Each host on the TCP/IP network is assigned a 32 bit number - IP Address – which consists of two parts (sections): the Network ID (network class) and the Host ID (host number). The Network ID identifies the network and must be assigned by the InterNIC, if the network is part of the Internet. The Host ID identifies a host on a network and is assigned by the local network administrator.

The first class is Class A. This class usually used by very large organizations (military, big universities etc.) that have many computers in their network. Their Network ID is only 8 bits (1 byte) long, which leaves 24 bits (3 bytes) for the Host ID. This means that such a network can hold up to (2^24 - 2) hosts.
Class B usually serves smaller universities, big companies, ISPs etc. The Network ID is 16 bits (2 bytes) long, which leaves 16 bits (2 bytes) for the Host ID. Such a network can hold up to 65,534 (2^16 - 2) hosts.
Class C is intended for small organizations and home users. The Network ID is 24 bits (3 bytes) long, which leaves 16 bits (2 bytes) for the Host ID. Such a network can hold only 254 (2^8 - 2) computers.

The class of any given IP address can be determined easily by the value of its first octet. For example, if we have the IP address 145.44.5.34, the value in the first octet is 145 and since this value falls in the range between 128 and 191, this IP Address belongs to Class B. If we have the IP Address 12.34.212.4 then the value in the first octet is 12, which belongs to Class A because it falls between 1 and 126.

Now that we understand the structure of IP addresses it is the time for explanation about special values that might present in some of its octets.
The first such value is 0 - it is reserved for systems that "do not know" their address. It is possible for a system to not know its network class or even host; a system with IP 0.0.0.90 “knows” that its host number is 90, but it “does not know” on what network.

The second reserved value is 255. It is used for broadcasting – sending a message to everyone on the network. For example, if you “sit” on 154.9.5 network and want to send a message to everybody on that network you should send it to 154.9.5.255. Notice that on some older system, the value 0 is used as the broadcast value.

The last reserved value is 127. This value does not belong to any class and it is used for special purposes only. A very common example is 127.0.0.1, which is the IP address assigned to every system, which is not connected to the Internet. If you have a web server installed on your system and you type 127.0.0.1 at the address bar you will arrive to the home page.

Sub-netting
========

Most of the people who work with networks see Sub-netting or IP Sub-netting as one of the most difficult to understand. Nevertheless, I will try to explain it in plain words and simple examples.

Basically sub-netting is dividing IP networks into smaller networks called sub-networks or subnets. Sub-netting is very important and useful feature, which provides the network administrator with several benefits: extra flexibility, more efficient use of network addresses and the capability to maintain broadcast traffic.
Subnets are under local administration and they reflect the organization’s internal structure. As such, the outside world sees the organization as a one single network and has no knowledge about the details of its internal structure.

The first step in learning sub-netting is to understand what is IP Subnet Mask or Subnet Mask (notice that this is not the same as Subnet!). Subnet address is created by "borrowing" bits from the Host ID section and designating them as a subnet section (notice that your can "borrow” only from the Host ID section and not from the Network ID section!!).
The subnet mask specifies the number of the “borrowed” bits. We represent the subnet mask the same way we represent the IP address octets, but the values can only be 0, 128, 192, 224, 240, 248, 252, 254, and 255 as the borrowed bits are the higher ones and have to be sequential. The subnet mask is built according to the number of the "borrowed" bits from the Host ID – see the following table:

128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 128
1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 = 192
1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 = 224
1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 = 240
1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 = 248
1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 = 252
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 = 254
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 = 255

In the above table you can see the number of the "borrowed" bits and the relative value that should appear in the subnet mask. Lets take an example and analyze it. If we take the IP address 148.44.34.90, according to first octet we find that it belongs to Class B so we have two Network ID octets:

[ 148 ] . [ 44 ] . [ 34 ] . [ 90 ] - IP address
[ N ] . [ N ] . [ H ] . [ H ] - Network ID and Host ID

If we want to create a sub-network from this network and we want to "borrow" 8 bits from the third octet we'll get the following subnet mask:

[ N ] . [ N ] . [ H ] . [ H ] - Network ID and Host ID

[ N ] . [ N ] . [ SN ] . [ N ] - Network ID, Host ID and Sub-network

[ 255 ] . [ 255 ] . [ 255 ] . [ 0 ] - subnet mask

As you can see, when you build a subnet mask the Network ID octets become automatically 255 and according to the "borrowed" bits we can find our what value should the other octet(s) contain(s). If we don't want to create any sub-network from a given IP address we'll have the following defaults subnet masks:

Class A - 255.0.0.0
Class B - 255.255.0.0
Class C - 255.255.255.0

After I have explained what is Sub-netting and how to find out subnet masks it's time to explain how to calculate the number of subnets and hosts for each network. Each network can contain limited amount of subnets and hosts per subnet. In order to know these numbers we must know the subnet mask of the given network because the number of subnets and the number of hosts per subnet is a function of the "borrowed" bits.

The best way to explain this is giving an example.
Assume we have the IP Address 148.44.34.90, which (see above) belongs to Class B and we have 16-bit Network ID and 16-bit Host ID. As I wrote above we can use only the Host ID section for creating sub-networks. In our case the maximum number of bits, which we can “borrow”, is 16. Now, lets say we want to create a sub-network of 7 "borrowed" bits so, our subnet mask is 255.255.254.0 and the number of subnets which we can create with this subnet mask is 2^7 - 2 (we must subtract two because one place is reserved for broadcast and another one - for network address) = 126 possible sub-networks. Now, the number of hosts per each subnet is 2^9 - 2 = 510 hosts.

Now after I have gave a little example I'll sum the above paragraph to general "equations":

Number of subnets = 2^[Number of borrowed bits] - 2
Number of hosts per subnet = 2^[HostID bits - Number of borrowed bits] - 2

In order to determine the sub-network address of a specific IP address, we need to do a set process. For that we use the logical operator AND. Here is the table of the AND logical operator:

0 AND 0 = 0
0 AND 1 = 0
1 AND 0 = 0
1 AND 1 = 1

Again, the best way to explain this is showing an example. Assume we have the IP address 190.33.10.12 with the subnet mask 255.255.255.0. The first step to find what is the subnet mask is transferring the Host ID bits of the IP address and the "borrowed" bits of the subnet mask:

IP Address 190.33.10.12 10.12 (Class B, first two octets are fixed)
Subnet mask 255.255.255.0 255.0 (only the "borrowed" bits)

10.12 00001010 00000000
255.0 11111111 00000000

After we have transferred them into binary form all we have to do now is to make a simple AND operation. As a result of this AND operation we will get the subnet address:

00001010 00000000
AND
11111111 00000000
--------------------
00001010 00000000 = 10.0

As you can see from the above AND operation, we have got the network address of the IP address 190.33.10.12. Now, we know that IP address 190.33.10.12 belongs to network address 190.33.10.0, and the valid addresses ranging from 190.33.10.1 - 190.33.10.254. 190.33.10.255 is used for broadcast.

Final Words
================

I hope that I made this tutorial is simple and clear enogh. Should you have any questions, comments, suggestions do not hesitate to contact me via email.
This tutorial utilizes few articles of Cisco (R).

Windows XP Tips

2007-07-23T03:38:00.001-07:00

Faster DOS Printing

Submitted 6/21/03

If you are experiencing slow printing for DOS programs with Windows2000

1. Go Start | Run | Regedit
2. Click Hkey_Local_Machine
3. Click on System
4. Click CurrentControlSet
5. Click Control
6. Go to the bottom of this part of the list and click WOW
7. Click LPT timeout and change it to a 3

Submitted by Steve Cohen
Cleaning the Prefetch Directory

Added 3/2/03

WindowsXP has a new feature called Prefetch. This keeps a shortcut to recently used programs.
However it can fill up with old and obsolete programs.

To clean this periodically go to:

1. Star / Run / Prefetch
2. Press Ctrl-A to highlight all the files
3. Delete them

Not Displaying Logon, Logoff, Startup and Shutdown Status Messages

Added 3/2/30

To turn these off:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system
3. If it is not already there, create a DWORD value named DisableStatusMessages
4. Give it a value of 1

Download a reg file
Accessing Non-Listed Display Configurations

Added 3/2/03

If you want to access display configurations not normally listed (e.g. 256 colors)

1. In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Settings tab.
2. Click the Advanced button.
3. Click the Adapter tab,
4. Click the List all modes button.
5. Select the resolution, color depth, and refresh rate that you want and click OK.

Repair Install

Added 2/9/03

If XP is corrupted to the point where none of the previous solutions get it to boot,
you can do a Repair Install that might work as well as keep the current settings.
Make sure you have your valid WindowsXP key.
The whole process takes about half an hour depending on your computer
If you are being prompted for the administrator's password, you need to choose the 2nd repair option, not the first.

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD
2. At the second R=Repair option, press the R key
3. This will start the repair
4. Press F8 for I Agree at the Licensing Agreement
5. Press R when the directory where WindowsXP is installed is shown. Typically this is C:\WINDOWS
6. It will then check the C: drive and start copying files
7. It will automatically reboot when needed. Keep the CD in the drive.
8. You will then see the graphic part of the repair that is like during a normal install of XP (Collecting Information, Dynamic Update, Preparing Installation, Installing Windows, Finalizing Installation)
9. When prompted, click on the Next button
10. When prompted, enter your XP key
11. Normally you will want to keep the same Workgroup or Domain name
12. The computer will reboot
13. Then you will have the same screens as a normal XP Install
14. Activate if you want (usually a good idea)
15. Register if you want (but not necessary)
16. Finish
17. At this point you should be able to log in with any existing accounts.

NTOSKRNL Missing or Corrupt

Added 2/9/03

If you get an error that NTOSKRNL not found:

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
3. Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
4. Change to the drive that has the CD ROM.
5. CD i386
6. expand ntkrnlmp.ex_ C:\Windows\System32\ntoskrnl.exe
7. If WindowsXP is installed in a different location, just make the necessary change to C:\Windows
8. Take out the CD ROM and type exit

HAL.DLL Missing or Corrupt

Added 2/9/03

If you get an error regarding a missing or corrupt hal.dll file, it might simply be the BOOT.INI file on the root of the C: drive that is misconfigured

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
3. Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
4. Type bootcfg /list to show the current entries in the BOOT.INI file
5. Type bootcfg /rebuild to repair it
6. Take out the CD ROM and type exit

Corrupted or Missing \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG

Added 2/9/03

If you get the error:
Windows could not start because the following files is missing or corrupt
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM or \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
3. Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
4. Enter in the administrator password when requested
5. cd \windows\system32\config
6. Depending on which section was corrupted:
ren software software.bad or ren system system.bad
7. Depending on which section was corrupted
copy \windows\repair\system
copy \windows\repair\software
8. Take out the CD ROM and type exit

NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM Not Found

Added 2/9/03

If you get an error that NTLDR is not found during bootup,

If you have FAT32 partitions, it is much simpler than with NTFS.
Just boot with a Win98 floppy and copy the NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM files
from the i386 directory to the root of the C:\ drive.

For NTFS:

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
3. Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
4. Enter in the administrator password when requested
5. Enter in the following commands (X: is replaced by the actual drive letter that is assigned to the CD ROM drive.
COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C\:
COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:\
6. Take out the CD ROM and type exit

Bringing Up the Shutdown Dialog Box

Added 1/31/03

1. Create a new txt file somewhere on your system, open it and put in this one line:
(new ActiveXObject("Shell.Application")).ShutdownWindows();
2. Save and Close the file. Change the extension to js and your got it.
3. You can make a shortcut to that file to make it easy to shut down your system.

Submitted by DJ Speed Racer
Adding TCP/IP Printers

Added 1/7/02

To create a connection to a printer connected to your network:

1. Start to add a new printer through the control panel.
2. Select Local Printer / Next
3. Instead of a LPT port, check Create a new port at the bottom on the window
4. Scroll to Standard TCP/IP Port
5. Keep going and enter the IP address of the printer.

Increasing the Folder Cache

Added 1/6/02

The default setting for WindowsXP is to cache the Explorer settings for 400 folders.
To increase it:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam
3. Change the vaule of BagMRU to whatever size you want (hex)

1000 - 3e8
2000 - 7d0
3000 - bb8
4000 - fa0
5000 - 1388

You can Dowload a reg file that will set it for 5000
Hiding the Last User Logged On

Added 1/4/03

If you use the standard NT style of login and want to hide the last user:

1. Start the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
2. Go to Computer Configuration / Windows Settings / Security Settings / Local Policies / Security Options
3. Scroll down to Interactive logon: Do not display last user name
4. Set it to Enable

Poweroff at Shutdown

1/4/03

If your computer does not turn off the power when doing a shutdown,
you may need to edit the registry. I have all the correct BIOS and Power settings and still needed to do this.

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
3. Edit the key PowerOffActive and give it a value of 1
4. You can do the same in HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop

Download reg file
Remembering Folder Settings

Added 12/21/02

If XP does not remember your folder settings, delete or rename the following registry keys

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU]
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags]

Download reg file
Stop Password Expiration

Updated 12/21/02

If you want to do this for all users, enter:

Start / Run / net accounts /maxpwage:unlimited

Added 3/18/02

If you are getting an error message that your password is about to expire:

1. Right click on the My Computer icon
2. Select Manage
3. Go to Local Users and Groups / Users
4. Right-click on the user you want to change
5. Select Properties
6. On the General tab, check Password never expires
7. Click OK

Installing Java Virtual Machine

Updated 12/21/02

If you are getting errors when browsing the web to install Java Virtual Machine,

You can still download it from Microsoft (version 3810)
If this link is removed by MS or is too slow you can download it here

If you need a previous version, you can download 3805

It is now included in Service Pack1

You can also download Sun's version
Preventing Applications from Stealing the Focus

Added 12/14/02

To prevent applications from stealing the focus from the window you are working

1.

Start Regedit
2.

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop
3.

Edit the key ForegroundLockTimeout
4.

Give it a value of 00030d40

Download reg file
Disable Explorer Thumbnail View

Added 12/4/02

If you want disable the Explorer's ability to show the Thumbnail View ,

1.

Start Regedit
2.

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced \
3.

Change ClassicViewState to 1

Download reg file
Adding Environment Variables

Added 12/04/02

Since any version of NT does not use an autoexec.bat file,
to add environment variables to WindowsXP:

1.

Right click on My Computer
2.

Select Properties
3.

Click on the Advanced tab
4.

Click on the Environment Variables button
5.

From here you can change it for the system or just the current user.

Disable Passport Pop-Up

Added 11/26/02

Normally, WindowsXP will prompt you 10 times that You Need a Passport to use WindowsXP Internet communication features...

To disable this

1.

Start Regedit
2.

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ MessengerService
3.

Edit the binary key PassportBalloon
4.

Give it a value of 0A (0A 00 00 00)

Show Hidden Devices

Submitted 11/26/02

You can show hidden devices in the Device Manager. One way is by making a simple registry change. The other is through a batch file.

Registry Change:

1.

Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ ControlSet001 \ Control \ Session Manager \ Environment
2.

Create a string DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES
3.

Give it a value of 1

Download reg file

Batch File

@Echo Off
Prompt $p$g
set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1
start devmgmt.msc
exit

Submitted by Michael Kinsel
Spell Check Not Working With Outlook Express and Office97

Added 11/23/02

This is simply due to a missing or corrupted DLL file

1. Go to the i386 directory of your XP source files
2. Run Expand csapi3t1.dl_ csapi3t1.dll (Note: If your source files are on a CD, you will need to put a path before the csapi3t1.dll since you can't write to the CD).
3. Copy the file to the Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Proof directory
4. You can also download the file from my site.

Disable Shared Documents

Added 11/23/02

To disable the Shared Documents folder that shows up on the network

1.

Start Regedit
2.

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer \
3.

Create a new DWORD Value
4.

Give it the name NoSharedDocuments
5.

Give it a value of 1
6.

Log off or reboot

Disable the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon's menu

Submitted 11/23/02

To Disable the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon's menu:

1. Start regedit.exe
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Conferencing\Mcpt
3. Create a new string value (Click on Edit > New > String Value).
4. Name the value Nx
5. Double-click on it and set it's value to 1
6. Close the registry

Now the menu options will be grayed out.

Submitted by Justin Herron
Prevent the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon from appearing in the notification tray

Submitted 11/23/02

To Prevent the Remote Desktop Sharing (RDS) icon from appearing in the notification tray:

1. Click Start, then Run.
2. Type services.msc and then click ok.
3. Scroll down until you find the NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing service
4. Double-click on it.
5. Click on the Log On tab.
6. Uncheck Allow service to interact with desktop
7. Click OK then close the services window.
8. Reboot (You must reboot).

There you go. When you return, RDS will work, but there will be no icon in the notification area.

Submitted by Justin Herron
Printing a Directory

Added 11/12/02

WindowsXP does not allow you to use previously describe methods for printing the contents of a directory.
To do this requires the creation of a small batch file which is then added to your right-click options.

Batch File

On the root of the C: drive, create a batch file called print_directory.bat with the following lines:

@echo off
dir %1 /o:g > c:\directory.txt
start /w notepad /p c:\directory.txt
del c:\directory.txt
exit

Note: dir %1 /o:g will print with any directories listed first. You can add whatever other switches you like

Adding to the Explorer Right Click

1.

Start the Explorer
2.

Go to Tools / Folder Options
3.

On the File Types tab, click File Folder.
4.

Click Advanced button and then click New.
5.

In the Action box, type Print Directory (or whatever text you want to appear).
6.

In the Application used to perform action box, type C:\print_directory.bat, and then click OK.
7.

Click OK, click OK, and then click Close

Fixing the Registry

Sometimes after adding the right click with the Explorer, the default setting for opening a folder is changed.
To correct this:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Directory \ shell
3. Edit the default value to be explorer or none

Download reg file
Removing Thumbs.db Files

Added 11/12/02

When viewing a folder with the Thumbnail view, WindowsXP creates a thumbs.db file.
This is a cache of the current pictures in that directory.
If you want to turn this feature off and save a little disk space

1.

Start the Windows Explorer
2.

Go to Tools / Folder Options / View
3.

In the first section under Files and Folders, check Do not cache thumbnails
4.

Now you can search for the thumbs.db file on your computer and remove them. No more should be created.

Enable / Disable the Task Manager

Added 10/17/02

1.

Start Regedit
2.

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
3.

Create the Dword value DisableTaskMgr
4.

Give it a value of 0 to enable it
5.

Give it a vaule of 1 to disable it

Download Reg File
Saving Desktop Settings

Added 9/11/02

If you desktop or folders on your desktop do not retain their settings:

Start Regedit

1.

Go go HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Program Manager\Restrictions
2.

Create or edit the DWORD value NoSaveSettings
3.

Give it a value of 0

Download reg file
Hiding the Windows Version on the Desktop

Added 9/10/02

If your version of WindowsXP is displaying on the desktop and
you would like to remove it:

1.

Start Regedit
2.

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop
3.

Edit or Create the DWORD entry PaintDesktopVersion
4.

A value of 0 will hide the version from the desktop
5.

Logoff or reboot

Download reg file

To make this change for all future users, edit
HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop in the same manner.
Using Media Player 6.4

Added 9/10/02

If you want to use the older version of Microsoft Media Player 6.4, it is still on your computer.

Make a shortcut on your desktop to the:
C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\mplayer2.exe file

You can also change the file associations from this program to set it as the default for all media types.
Controlling the Desktop Cleanup Wizard

Added 7/24/02

By default, the Desktop Cleanup Wizard will pop up every 60 days to cleanup your desktop.

To stop this:

1. Right click on the desktop.
2. Select Properties
3. Click on the Desktop tab
4. Click on the Customize Desktop button
5. Uncheck Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard

Clearing the Page File on Shutdown

Updated 7/24/02

Another way to set the computer to clear the pagefile without directly editing the registry is:

1. Click on the Start button
2. Go to the Control Panel
3. Administrative Tools
4. Local Security Policy
5. Local Policies
6. Click on Security Options
7. Right hand menu - right click on "Shutdown: Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile"
8. Select "Enable"
9. Reboot

Submitted by Arthur Pounder

Added 8/16/01

If you want to clear the page file on each shutdown:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\ClearPageFileAtShutdown
3. Set the value to 1

Download reg file
Restoring Access to CD ROMs

Added 5/22/02

If after you remove CD Burning software, you can no longer access your CD ROM's,
the following registry keys need to be deleted:

Locate and delete the UpperFilters and LowerFilters values under the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

Download Reg File
ReInstalling WindowsXP

Added 5/21/02

If you need to reinstall WindowsXP and want to keep all your current installed applications and settings:

1.

Start WindowsXP
2.

Go to the location of your source files
3.

Run WINNT32 /unattend

I've often need to do this to repair something that had gotten corrupted and didn't want to do a clean install.
Setting the Dir Command to Display Filenames on the Left

Added 5/10/02

Previous versions of Windows displayed the filenames on the left hand side when you run the dir command.
WindowsXP changes this and the default it to put it on the right.

To change this back:

1.

Right click on My Computer
2.

Click on Properties
3.

Click on the Advanced tab
4.

Click on the Environment Variables button
5.

Click on New button
6.

Enter the Variable name: dircmd
7.

Enter the Variable value: /-n

Dell Computer Not Keeping Correct Time

Added 5/5/02

If your Dell computer is loosing time while the computer is turned on,
You can run the following commands:

1. Start / Run / CMD
2. Net stop w32time
3. w32tm /unregister
4. w32tm /unregister
5. w32tm /register
6. Net start w32time

You can also download a Dell Patch to do the same process automatically
Fix Browsing Delay to Win98/ME Computers

Added 5/18/01

If you experience a 30 second or so delay when browsing to Windows98 or WindowsME computers,
delete the following registry key on the Windows2000 or WindowsXP computer.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / Software / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / Explorer / RemoteComputer / NameSpace {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}

Download reg file
Formatting a Partition Greater than 32 GIGs with FAT32

Added 4/27/02

WindowsXP will only format a partition greater than 32 GIGs as NTFS.
If you want to format it with FAT32:

1.

You can use a regular Win98 Boot disk and use that version of FDISK to create the partition (with Large Hard Drive Support)
2.

Reboot with the same boot disk and format
3.

WindowsXP will then be able to use the partition with no problems

Adding SafeBoot to the Boot Menu

Added 4/23/02

You can add Safeboot as an option to the normal XP boot screen

1. Open a command prompt
2. Copy the current c:\boot.ini to another name (just in case)
3. With your favorite text editor, edit c:\boot.ini
4. Copy then edit the current boot line to another line. For example:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
might copy and then change to:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional Safeboot" /fastdetect
5. Start MSCONFIG
6. Click on the BOOT.INI tab
7. Highlight the second line with the additional name of Safeboot
8. Check the /SAFEBOOT box with option you want
Minimal - Minimal set of drivers
Network - With Network Support
Dsrepair - Directory Services Repair
Minimal (Alternate Shell) - Standard Explorer Desktop
9. You will now have this option every time you start XP

No GUI Boot

Added 4/23/02

If you don't need to see the XP boot logo,

1. Run MSCONFIG
2. Click on the BOOT.INI tab
3. Check the box for /NOGUIBOOT

Speeding the Startup of Some CD Burner Programs

Added 4/23/02

If you use program other than the native WindowsXP CD Burner software,
you might be able to increase the speed that it loads.

1. Go to Control Panel / Administrative Tools / Services
2. Double-click on IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service
3. For the Startup Type, select Disabled
4. Click on the OK button and then close the Services window
5. If you dontYou should notice

Getting Rid of Unread Email Messages

Updated 4/20/02

To remove the Unread Email message by user's login names:

1. Start Regedit
2. For a single user: Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail
3. For all users: Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UnreadMail
4. Create a DWORD key called MessageExpiryDays
5. Give it a value of 0

Download reg file
Using the Internet Explorer Classic Search

Added 4/20/02

If you want to use the classic search engine in the Internet Explorer

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
3. If it is not there, create a String Value of Use Search Asst
4. Give it a value of no

Download reg file
Logging in as Administrator

Added 4/11/02

If you want to log in as Administrator, but it is not show on the Welcome screen,

1. Hold the Ctrl-Alt key and press Del twice.
2. This will bring up the normal login and you can log on as Administrator

To unhide the Administrator account so it does show up:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon \ SpecialAccounts \ UserList
3. Unhide the Administrator key by giving it a value of 1

Download reg file
Correcting Fast User Switching Error

Added 4/11/02

If you are getting an error that:
A recently installed program has disabled the Welcome screen and Fast User Switching
with a reference to CSGina.DLL

1. Start Regedit
2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
3. Delete the key GinaDLL

Download reg file
Using the Classic Search in Explorer

Added 4/11/02

If you prefer to use the classic search style in Explorer,

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState
3. Add a String Key called Use Search Asst
4. Give it a value of no

Download reg file
No To All When Overwriting Files

Added 4/5/02

When overwriting files in the Windows Explorer, there is an option for Yes To All.
This would overwrite any files you would normally be prompted for.

To have No To All, simply hold down the Shift key while you click on the No option.
Re-Installing User Login Pictures

Added 4/5/02

Normally WindowsXP shows assigned pictures for each user on the system.
If you have deleted your user pictures, want to know the location, or need to reinstall them,
they are stored in the C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\User Account Pictures\Default Pictures
directory.

If you need to reinstall them, they can be expanded from the source CD. The actual files are:
airplane.bmp
astronaut.bmp
ball.bmp
butterfly.bmp
cat.bmp
fish.bmp
pink flower.bmp
guitar.bmp
snowflake.bmp
beach.bmp
car.bmp
chess.bmp
dirt bike.bmp
dog.bmp
drip.bmp
duck.bmp
frog.bmp
horses.bmp
kick.bmp
lift-off.bmp
palm tree.bmp
red flower.bmp
skater.bmp

WINIPCFG for XP

Added 4/1/02

If you like the graphic IP configuration program that comes with Windows98,
you can download a similar one for WindowsXP or Windows2000 from Microsoft at:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/wntipcfg-o.asp

The actual file is at:
WntIpcfg_setup.exe
Search Companion Error

Added 4/1/02

When doing a file search, if you get the error A File That Is Required to Run Search Companion Cannot Be Found

1. Log on as an Administrator
2. Click Start
3. Select Run
4. Enter in the command - %systemroot%\inf
5. Right-click the Srchasst.inf file
6. Click Install

Installing the Backup Program on the Home Version

Added 4/1/02

By default, the NTBACKUP program is not installed on the home version.

You can find it on the CD in the \VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP directory

Since not all vendors include the actual source code for XP,
you can download a copy
Changing Drive Letters

Added 3/30/02

If you want to change the letters assigned to your fixed or removable drives:

1. Right Click on My Computer
2. Select Manage
3. Select Disk Management

For a Fixed Disk:

1. Select it
2. Right click
3. Select Change Drive Letter and Path
4. Click on the Edit button
5. Enter in the letter you want to use

For a Removable Disk:

1. In the lower, right hand panel, right click on the Disk or CD ROM #
2. Select Change Drive Letter and Path
3. Click on the Edit button
4. Enter in the letter you want to use

Note: This can only be done for drives that do not have the Operating System Installed or you are booting to.
Turn off the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer as the Default Image Viewer

Updated 3/29/02

You can also change the file associations for the specific file types you want.

1. Open the Windows Explorer
2. Go to Tools / Folder Options / File Types
3. Scroll down to the extension you want to change
4. Click on the Change button
5. Select the program you want to associate with that extension
6. Click on the OK button

Added 3/4/02

If the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer is set as the default for many of your graphic file types,
you can remove it so other graphics programs can be used.

1. Run Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT / SystemFileAssociations / image / ShellEx / ContextMenuHandlers
3. Delete the key ShellImagePreview

Download reg file
Allowing Network Access with Blank Passwords

Added 3/23/02

Although you can log in locally without a password, by default, WindowsXP Pro does not allow network users to access the computer without a password. Typically you will receive an Unknown error 31 if this is the case.

To change this setting:

1. Run gpedit.msc
2. Go to Computer Configuration / Windows Settings / Security Settings / Local Policies / Security Options
3. Double click on Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console login only
4. Disable this option

Changing the Default DOS Window Properties

Added 3/22/02

If you want to change the default DOS windows properties like:

* Size
* Color
* Font
* Buffer Size
* Window / Full Screen

1. Open up a DOS window
2. Right click on the Title Bar
3. Select Defaults
4. Make any of the changes you like
5. All subsequent DOS windows will assume these defaults

Changing the Registered Owner

Added 3/20/02

1. Start Regedit
2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
3. From there you can edit the name in the Registered Owner key

Opening a Command Prompt to a Particular Directory from Explorer

Added 3/18/02

If you want to open a command prompt to a directory that is selected in the Explorer:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Directory \ shell
3. Create a new key called Command
4. Give it the value of the name you want to appear in the Explorer. Something like Open DOS Box
5. Under this create a new key called command
6. Give it a value of cmd.exe /k "cd %L"
7. Now when you are in the Explorer, right click on a folder, select Open DOS Box, and a command prompt will open to the selected directory.

Download reg file
Adding Time Servers

Added 3/18/02

With WindowsXP, you can double-click on the time in the System Tray and connect to Time Servers on the Internet to synchronize with.
To add to the list of available servers:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DateTime\Servers
3. Add new string keys named 2, 3, etc. with a value of the time server you want to use.

Creating a Boot Floppy

Added 3/14/02

To create a bootable floppy from within WindowsXP:

1. Insert a floppy into the A: drive
2. Open the Explorer
3. Right click on the A: Drive
4. Select Format
5. Check Create an MS-DOS startup disk
6. Click on the Start button
7. This will create a Millennium boot disk

Changing the Login Screen Saver

Added 3/8/02

If you want to change the screen saver that runs at the login prompt:

Start Regedit

1. Go to HK_USERS / .DEFAULT / Control Panel / Desktop
2. Double click on SCRNSAVE.EXE
3. Enter in the screen saver you want to use

Running NetMeeting

Added 3/8/02

To run NetMeeting:

1. Do a Start / Run
2. Enter conf
3. Answer the prompts along the way for name, e-mail etc.

Set the Online Registration as Being Completed

Added 3/4/02

You can set WindowsXP to assume the online registration has been completed.

1. Run Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion
3. Create a String Value called RegDone
4. Give it a value of 1

Download reg file
Decreasing Boot Time

Added 3/4/02

Microsoft has made available a program to analyze and decrease the time it takes to boot to WindowsXP
The program is called BootVis

1. Uncompress the file.
2. Run BOOTVIS.EXE
3. For a starting point, run Trace / Next Boot + Driver Delays
4. This will reboot your computer and provide a benchmark
5. After the reboot, BootVis will take a minute or two to show graphs of your system startup.
6. Note how much time it takes for your system to load (click on the red vertical line)
7. Then run Trace / Optimize System
8. Re-Run the Next Boot + Drive Delays
9. Note how much the time has decreased
10. Mine went from approximately 39 to 30 seconds.

Re-Enabling System Restore

Added 3/3/02

If you previously disabled system restore through the Group Policy Editor,
the option to start it again does not show in the System Properties.
You can re-enable it again by:

1. Run the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
2. Go to Computer Configuration / Administrative Templates / System / System Restore
3. Set Turn off System Restore and Turn off Configuration to Disable
4. Right click on My Computer
5. Select Manage
6. Go to Services and Applications / Services
7. Scroll down to System Restore Service
8. Set it for Automatic
9. Click on the Start button to start the service
10. Close down this window
11. Go back to the Group Policy Editor and configure both to Not configured
12. Now when you right click on My Computer, there should be a tab for System Restore and you can configure how much space will be used.

Hide/Unhide Logon Names

Added 3/3/02

If you want to hide or unhide the names of users that are displayed on the initial logon screen:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon \ SpecialAccounts \ UserList
3. Add a DWORD with the name of the user account you want to hide
4. Make sure it has a value of 0
5. If there is an existing account, you can unhide it by giving it a value of 1

Reinstalling the TCP/IP Protocol

Added 3/2/02

If you've worked on previous versions of Windows,
there are times when you need to completely reinstall the TCP/IP protocol stack.
This is typically due to corrupted files.

To do this with XP,
you need to run a small script:

netsh int ip reset [ log_file_name ]

the log_file_name needs to be specified.

e.g.
netsh int ip reset ip_reset.txt
Renaming the Start Button

Added 2/25/02

To rename the start button, you will need a hex editor.
My preference is UltraEdit

1. Copy the \windows\explore.exe file to a new name (e.g. explorer_1.exe)
2. With the hex editor, open that file and go to offset 412b6
3. You will see the word start with blanks between each letter
4. Edit it be any 5 characters or less
5. Save the file
6. Boot to DOS
7. Copy the existing c:\windows\explorer.exe to explorer.org
8. Copy explorer_1.exe to explorer.exe
9. You will also need to replace the explorer.exe in the c:\windows\system32\dllcache file as well with the new one.

Note: If the partition is NTFS and you can't access the files from DOS:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon.
3. Change the value of Shell from Explorer.exe to explorer_1.exe

Rollback a Device Driver

Added 2/18/02

If you install a device drive that does not work correctly,
you can restore the previous one fairly easily.

1. Log in with an administrator account
2. Right click on My Computer
3. Select Properties
4. Click on the Hardware tab
5. Click on the Device Manager button
6. Go to the device you want to reconfigure
7. Click on the Driver tab
8. Click on the Roll Back Drive button

Selecting What Details to Display in the Explorer

Added 2/3/02

To add or remove items to be displayed in the Explorer when using the Details View

1. Start the Explorer
2. Go to View / Choose Details
3. Right click on the columns by Name and check or uncheck any item you want displayed

Available options are:

* Owner
* Name
* Size
* Type
* Date Modified
* Status
* Attributes
* Author
* Title
* Subject
* Category
* Pages
* Comments
* Copyright
* Date Created
* Date Accessed
* Attributes
* Artist
* Album Title
* Year
* Track Number
* Genre
* Duration
* Bit Rate
* Protected
* Camera Model
* Date Picture Taken
* Dimensions
* Company
* Description
* File Version
* Product Name
* Product Version

Closing Multiple Taskbar Items

Submitted 2/3/02

If you hold down the Control Key when you click on the taskbar icons,
it selects multiple tasks. Then you can simply right-click on the selected items and choose close group.

This tip works with all windows, not just one applications. If you have the cal, ie, notepad and solitaire open, it will close them all, unlike the group similar items command that only lets you close all of one type (ex: all IE or all notepads).

Submitted by Terry Cadieux
Remembering Outlook / Outlook Express Password

Submitted 1/26/02

On systems, Outlook or Outlook Express will not remember the e-mail password,
which would then need to be entered in each time.

To solve the problem:

1. Open Registry Editor
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft
3. Right Click Protected Storage System Provider
4. Choose the Permissions option
5. Click the Advanced box near the bottom right hand corner. This should open another box, Towards the bottom of this box there should be two tick boxes, make sure that both of them are ticked. Click Apply, another box will open Click Yes, then Click OK and OK again.
6. Left Click the + next to Protected Storage System Provider and Delete any sub folder in this tree. (Right clicking and choose the delete option or press the delete key and choosing yes to delete)
7. Shutdown and Restart Computer.

Submitted by Naste
Turning Off the Firewall

Added 1/26/02

If you want to turn off the firewall for your computer:

1. Go to Start / Settings / Network Connections
2. Right click on the network connection you want to change
3. Select Properties
4. Click on the Advanced tab
5. Uncheck the box in Internet Connection Firewall

Grouping Similar Taskbar Buttons

Added 1/26/02

When you open more than one document in the same program and then minimize each document,
rather that showing separate icons on the taskbar for each document, WindowsXP groups them under a single icon for that application.

If you want to group, or ungroup, similar taskbar buttons,

1. Right click on the Taskbar
2. Select Properties
3. Check or Uncheck Group similar taskbar buttons

Turning Off the Guest Account

Added 1/22/02

For security purposes, you might want to turn off the Guest account

1. Open up the Control Panel
2. Click on User Accounts
3. Click on Change an account
4. Click on the Guest account
5. Click Turn off the guest account

Original NT Style Logon Screen

Updated 1/19/02

If you want to have the original NT style windows logon screen with XP,
simply hold the Ctrl-Alt keys and press the delete key twice.

The following Update Submitted by:
Steven Pennypacker

To make a permanent change so the logon screen is always like the traditional NT4/2000 style:

1. Go to the Control Panel
2. Open up User Accounts
3. Click Change the way users log on and off
4. Uncheck Use the Welcome screen
5. Click on Apply Options

Turning Off the Built-In CD Burner

Added 1/15/02

If you want to turn off the ability to using the built-in CD burner software that comes with WindowsXP:

1. Open up the Explorer
2. Right click on the drive that is your CD burner
3. Select Properties
4. Click on the Recording tab
5. Uncheck Enable CD recording on this drive

Hiding System Tray Icons

Added 1/10/02

With WindowsXP, you can manually select how you want individual icons in the System Tray to be displayed.

1. Right click on the Taskbar
2. Select Properties
3. Check Hide inactive icons
4. Click on the Customize button
5. This will bring up a dialog box that will allow you to select one of three options for your applications:
Hide when inactive, Always hide, or always show
6. Highlight current or past applications and make any changes you like.
7. A small arrow will now appear in the System Tray that will allow you to show or hide these icons.

Faster Task Switching

Added 1/6/02

If you installed WindowsXP Power Tools from Microsoft, when you press Alt-Tab to switch between running applications,
you get a screen that shows a small graphic of the window that is of that application along with its icon.
This also takes a long time to display. (Or at least longer than I'm comfortable with)

You can speed this up and revert back to previous ways task switching is displayed.

To Turn This Off After Your Reboot:

1. Run MSCONFIG
2. Click on the Startup tab
3. Uncheck Taskswitch
4. Click on the OK button
5. If you want to keep working, click on Exit without Restart

To Turn This Off Immediately:

1. Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete
2. Click on the Processes tab
3. Highlight TaskSwitch.exe
4. Click on the End Process tab
5. Click on the Yes button

WindowsXP Command Line Utilities

Added 1/5/02

While there are a lot of command line utilities in WindowsXP, here are some that I have been using lately.

bootcfg - Configures, queries, or changes Boot.ini file settings.

driverquery - Displays a list of all installed device drivers and their properties.

getmac - Returns the media access control (MAC) address and list of network protocols associated with each address for all network cards in each computer

gpresult - Displays Group Policy settings and Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP) for a user or a computer

netsh - You can use commands in the Netsh Interface IP context to configure the TCP/IP protocol

schtasks - Schedules commands and programs to run periodically or at a specific time

systeminfo - Displays detailed configuration information about a computer and its operating system
Disabling Error Reporting

Added 12/5/01

By default, WindowsXP will request to report application errors to Microsoft.
To turn this off:

1. Right click on the My Computer icon on the desktop
2. Select Properties / Advanced
3. Click on the Error Reporting tab
4. Check Disable error reporting

Adding a Title for the Command Prompt Title Bar

Added 11/27/01

If you create a batch file that might take a while to run,
you can add a title to the command prompt title bar it by simply adding the line:

title YOUR TEXT

where YOUR TEXT would be replaced by whatever text you want to show.
Increasing Graphics Performance

Added 11/27/01

By default, WindowsXP turns on a lot of shadows, fades, slides etc to menu items.
Most simply slow down their display.

To turn these off selectively:

1. Right click on the My Computer icon
2. Select Properties
3. Click on the Advanced tab
4. Under Performance, click on the Settings button
5. To turn them all of, select Adjust for best performance
6. My preference is to leave them all off except for Show shadows under mouse pointer and Show window contents while dragging

Creating an Automated Install of WindowsXP

Added 11/12/01

On the WindowsXP CP, in the SUPPORT\TOOLS directory,
there is a file called DEPLOY.CAB.

1. Extract the programs DEPLOY.CHM (help file) and SETUPMGR.EXE (main program)
2. Run SETUPMGR and answer the prompts.
3. This will create both a unattend.bat and unattend.txt file you can use for automated installs.
4. Note: The batch file might need some minor modification for file locations but it is fairly basic.

Creating a Shutdown/Reboot Icon

Added 11/11/01

WindowsXP has a program called SHUTDOWN.EXE which allows you to easily create icons to shutdown or restart your computer.

To create a shutdown shortcut on the desktop:

1. Right click on an open area of the desktop
2. Select New / Shortcut
3. Enter in "shutdown -s -t 00" - no quotes
4. Press the Next button
5. For the name, enter in anything you like. I just use shutdown. Click on the Finish button.

For a reboot, enter "shutdown -r -t 00"

Shutdown [{-l|-s|-r|-a}] [-f] [-m [\\ComputerName]] [-t xx] [-c "message"] [-d[u][p]:xx:yy]

Parameters

* -l - Logs off the current user, this is also the defualt. -m ComputerName takes precedence.
* -s - Shuts down the local computer.
* -r - Reboots after shutdown.
* -a - Aborts shutdown. Ignores other parameters, except -l and ComputerName. You can only use -a during the time-out period.
* -f - Forces running applications to close.
* -m [\\ComputerName] - Specifies the computer that you want to shut down.
* -t xx - Sets the timer for system shutdown in xx seconds. The default is 20 seconds.
* -c "message" - Specifies a message to be displayed in the Message area of the System Shutdown window. You can use a maximum of 127 characters. You must enclose the message in quotation marks.

Command Line Help Reference

Added 11/11/01

To get a quick help for all the commands you can enter from WindowsXP,
simply create a shortcut:

hh.exe ms-its:C:\WINDOWS\Help\ntcmds.chm::/ntcmds.htm
Using the System File Checker

Added 11/11/01

You can run the System File Checker to verify protected system files.

Command line switches are:

sfc [/scannow] [/scanonce] [/scanboot] [/revert] [/purgecache] [/cachesize=x]

* /scannow - Scans all protected system files immediately.
* /scanonce - Scans all protected system files once.
* /scanboot - Scans all protected system files every time the computer is restarted.
* /revert - Returns the scan to its default operation.
* /purgecache - Purges the Windows File Protection file cache and scans all protected system files immediately.
* /cachesize=x - Sets the size, in MB, of the Windows File Protection file cache.

Disabling Balloon Tips

Added 11/9/01

To turn off balloon tips in applications that support XP Themes:

1.

Start Regedit
2.

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\
3.

Create a DWORD value of EnableBalloonTips
4.

Give it a value of 0

Download reg file
Speeding Up the Display of Start Menu Items

Added 11/8/01

An easy way to speed up the display of the Start Menu Items is to turn off the menu shadow.

1.

Right click on an open area of the Desktop
2.

Select Properties
3.

Click on the Appearance tab
4.

Click on the Effects button
5.

Uncheck Show shadows under menus

Installing the NetBEUI Protocol

Added 11/7/01

Microsoft no longer supports the NetBEUI protocol as part of WindowsXP.

You can add it as a installable protocol by going to the VALUEADD \ MSFT \ NET \ NETBEUI
directory on the CD ROM.

Note: %SYSTEMROOT% refers to the drive and directory where you installed WindowsXP.
Typically this is in the C:\WINDOWS directory

1. Copy the nbf.sys into the %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ directory
2. Copy netnbf.inf into the %SYSTEMROOT%\INF\ directory
3. Open the Network connection properties for your local area network and use "Install..." button to add NetBEUI protocol

I included a zipped file with the above files and a simple batch file to copy both to the appropriate directories

This is only if you absolutely need NetBEUI. It is not at all a necessary requirement for most networks.
Setting System Time Over the Internet

Added 11/5/01

You can set your system clock to a time server on the Internet.

1. Double-click the time on your taskbar
2. Click the Internet Time tab
3. Check Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server
4. Click on the Update Now button

Creating a Password Recovery Disk

Added 11/5/01

In case you forget your password, you can create a password recovery floppy disk beforehand to help you out of this problem.

1. Single-click Start menu
2. Go to the Control Panel / User Accounts
3. Click the User Account
4. On the left hand side, click on Prevent forgotten password
5. You will need to know your password to create the disk.
6. If you don't remember your password sometime in the future, click on the green arrow like normal at the login and you will be prompted to insert the password recover disk.

Changing the Default Search Settings

Added 11/5/01

By default, when you start a search,
you are prompted for what you want to search for.
(e.g. Pictures, Documents, Files, Computers)

To change the preferences, simply click on Change preferences

From here you can:

1. Turn off the animated screen character
2. Change files and folders search behavior (setting it to Advanced changes the default search screen to be for simply files)
3. Internet search settings
4. Turn off balloon tips

Opening an Explorer Window to the Directory You Want

Added 9/4/01

If you want to create a shortcut for the Explorer to a specific directory,
include the directory you want in the Target.

For example:
%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n, /e, d:\internet

would open the Explorer to the D:\INTERNET directory
Disabling Hibernation

Added 8/20/01

If you don't want to use up the disk space taken by Hibernation, or don't need to use it at all,
you can easily disable it.

1. Open up the Control Panel / Power Options icon
2. Click on the Hibernation icon
3. Uncheck Enable Hibernation

Locking the Workstation

Added 8/19/01

There are two ways you can lock the workstation.

1. With a Windows key + L
2. Create an shortcut rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation

Changing the Picture Displayed for a User

Added 8/19/01

You can change the picture that gets displayed for a particular user

1. Go to the Control Panel
2. Select User Accounts
3. Click on the Account to change
4. Click on Change my picture
5. You can then browse to the picture you want to use

Displaying the QuickLaunch Toolbar

Added 8/16/01

By default, WindowsXP does not show the QuickLaunch toolbar.
To enable it again:

1. Right click on an open area of the toolbar
2. Select Toolbars
3. Select Quick Launch

Now you can add programs like with Win98
Increasing System Performance

Added 8/16/01

If you have 512 megs or more of memory, you can increase system performance
by having the core system kept in memory.

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\DisablePagingExecutive
3. Set the value to be 1
4. Reboot the computer

Download reg file
Removing the MSN Messenger

Added 8/16/01

If you want to remove the MSN Messenger from always starting in the system tray, do

1. Start / Run
2. Then enter in the following string: RunDll32 advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection %windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

To remove it completely, see the section Adding / Removing Additional Programs

Remove the hide from the line:
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
Common Command Console Utilities

Added 8/16/01

WindowsXP comes with quite a few console utilities you can easily run from the command line:

Computer Management - compmgmt.msc
Disk Managment - diskmgmt.msc
Device Manager - devmgmt.msc
Disk Defrag - dfrg.msc
Event Viewer - eventvwr.msc
Shared Folders - fsmgmt.msc
Group Policies - gpedit.msc
Local Users and Groups - lusrmgr.msc
Performance Monitor - perfmon.msc
Resultant Set of Policies - rsop.msc
Local Security Settings - secpol.msc
Services - services.msc
Component Services - comexp.msc
Automatically Ending Non-Responsive Tasks

Added 8/16/01

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\AutoEndTasks
3. Set the value to be 1
4. In the same section, change the WaitToKillAppTimeout to the number of milliseconds you want.

Download reg file
Changing the Internet Explorer Title

Added 8/16/01

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Window Title
3. Enter what you want appear in the title bar

Changing Visual Effects

Added 8/16/01

To change visual effects such as fade menus, mouse shadow, visual styles on buttons, drop shadows for icons, slide open boxes and buttons etc.:

1. Right click on My Computer
2. Select Properties
3. Click on the Advanced tab
4. Under Performance, click on the Settings button
5. From here you have a list of items you can select

Changing System Restore Settings

Added 8/16/01

By default, WindowsXP uses a large amount of hard drive space for storing system restore points.
If this is not necessary, you can change the settings.

1. Go to Start / Programs / Accessories / System Tools
2. Run System Restore
3. For each drive or partition, you can click on the Setting button to change how much hard drive space is devoted to each one.
4. There is even the option to turn it off for all drives.

Configuring the Firewall

Added 8/16/01

WindowsXP has firewall capabilities built into the operating system.

1. For your network connection to the Internet, select Properties
2. Click on the Advanced tab
3. Check the Internet Connection Firewall section
4. Click on the Settings button to change the settings

Changing Programs That Start Automatically

Added 8/16/01

WindowsXP has a similar program, MSCONFIG, that was available in Windows98.
This allows you to view and change what programs are automatically started each time you log in.

The new version also allows you to view and edit the boot.ini file (as well as check for errors and use several advanced switches)
Adding / Removing Additional Programs

Added 8/16/01

By default, WindowsXP does not display all the programs you can add or remove.
To show this list:

Edit the \Windows\Inf\sysoc.inf file

In the Components section, simply remove the word hide.
This will leave two commas together (like on the rest of the items).
Then you can go to the Control Panel / Add or Remove Programs / Add/Remove Windows Components and the new items will be displayed.

[Components]
NtComponents=ntoc.dll,NtOcSetupProc,,4
WBEM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wbemoc.inf,hide,7
Display=desk.cpl,DisplayOcSetupProc,,7
Fax=fxsocm.dll,FaxOcmSetupProc,fxsocm.inf,,7
NetOC=netoc.dll,NetOcSetupProc,netoc.inf,,7
iis=iis.dll,OcEntry,iis.inf,,7
com=comsetup.dll,OcEntry,comnt5.inf,hide,7
dtc=msdtcstp.dll,OcEntry,dtcnt5.inf,hide,7
IndexSrv_System = setupqry.dll,IndexSrv,setupqry.inf,,7
TerminalServer=TsOc.dll, HydraOc, TsOc.inf,hide,2
msmq=msmqocm.dll,MsmqOcm,msmqocm.inf,,6
ims=imsinsnt.dll,OcEntry,ims.inf,,7
fp_extensions=fp40ext.dll,FrontPage4Extensions,fp40ext.inf,,7
AutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,au.inf,hide,7
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
msnexplr=ocmsn.dll,OcEntry,msnmsn.inf,,7
smarttgs=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,msnsl.inf,,7
RootAutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,rootau.inf,,7

Games=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,games.inf,,7
AccessUtil=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,accessor.inf,,7
CommApps=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,communic.inf,HIDE,7
MultiM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,multimed.inf,HIDE,7
AccessOpt=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,optional.inf,HIDE,7
Pinball=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,pinball.inf,HIDE,7
MSWordPad=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wordpad.inf,HIDE,7
ZoneGames=zoneoc.dll,ZoneSetupProc,igames.inf,,7
Displaying and Configuring the Classic Start Menu

Added 8/16/01

If you prefer the original Start Menu, you can easily switch it back.

1. Right click on the Taksbar
2. Select Properties
3. Click on the Start Menu tab
4. Select Classic Start Menu
5. If you click on the Customize button you can choose to display Administrative Tools, Favorites, Run, and expanding many of the sub-menus like the Control Panel.

Increasing File System Caching

Added 8/16/01

To increase the amount of memory Windows will locked for I/O operations:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management
3. Edit the key IoPageLockLimit

4096 - 32megs of memory or less
8192 - 32+ megs of memory
16384 - 64+ megs of memory
32768 - 128+ megs of memory
65536 - 256+ megs of memory
Enabling NumLock on by Default

Added 8/16/01

To have numlock turned on for each user:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard\InitialKeyboardIndicators
3. Change the value from 0 to 2
4. Turn Numlock on manually
5. Log off and back on again.
6. For all users, make the same change to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard\InitialKeyboardIndicators

Download reg file

http://www.onecomputerguy.com/windowsxp_tips.htm#fast_dos_print

How to Find the Most Energy-Efficient Laptop Available

2007-07-23T03:09:00.000-07:00

Look for PCs wearing the EPA's new Energy Star 4 label.
Melissa J. Perenson, PC World
Friday, July 20, 2007 5:00 PM PDT

The Environmental Protection Agency today introduced its first complete refresh of its Energy Star specification for computers. The EPA estimates that over the next five years, the updated Energy Star computer spec will save American businesses and consumers $1.8 billion in energy costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions of 2.7 million cars.

The computer Energy Star spec, designed to help save the environment and save consumers money, was first introduced in 1992. Now in its fourth iteration, the spec has broadened its scope to encompass a wider breadth of computer usage. The EPA says that only the most energy-efficient computing products will qualify for the Energy Star label.
Rethinking Power Savings

The new spec has been in the works for two years. Energy Star has evolved into an international platform; the European Union uses it, as does Canada and many Asian countries.

"We've done a major overhaul of the spec. All of our international partners were talking more about energy efficiency," says Katharine Kaplan, product development manager for energy star IT and consumer electronics. "In the past we focused on standby and power management. But we found that power management was being disabled [by users]. So we focused in on a couple of different opportunities for power savings." Power management puts your PC into a low-power sleep mode.

"Computers spend the majority of their time in idle mode, and we hadn't paid any attention to the idle mode before this. The new requirements focus in on idle mode--when the computer is on and in use, but it's not actively crunching data--as well as sleep mode, and standby mode (when the computer is off, but still plugged in)," says Kaplan. "Before, you had to power down to a maximum wattage when not in use [to meet Energy Star guidelines]. Now, we've set targets and maximums for use in different operating modes." Computer makers have to meet these efficiency targets to get the Energy Star logo.

One of the big changes in the requirements of Energy Star 4: Newly qualified computers must include a more energy-efficient power supply.

"By including a requirement for 80 percent efficient power supplies in our spec, we're hoping to make 80 percent efficient the standard," says Kaplan, adding that "There is some added cost to make that power supply more efficient." The EPA got the idea to include this requirement from the existing 80 Plus initiative. "What we've tried to do is emphasize the value in efficiency."
Buying Energy Star Today

If you want to make sure you're buying a product that meets the latest Energy Star specs, look for the Energy Star logo. The spec now requires companies to display the logo on the product, and on packaging and related materials, such as product literature (previously, such display was optional).

At launch, 122 desktop and notebook PCs met the Energy Star 4.0 qualification. Additional products are undergoing testing now; visit the qualified product list for the latest information.

Interestingly, the vast majority--102--of those 122 qualified products are notebooks, observes Kaplan. Big-name notebook makers with models approved for the Energy Star include Dell, Gateway, Lenovo, Acer, Toshiba, and Hewlett-Packard. Dell, Gateway, and HP also have desktop models.

The EPA expects 25 percent of computer products, or less, to qualify for Energy Star under the 4.0 spec--down from the current 98 percent of products that qualify. "We expect that rate to jump up quickly, though, because there's so much innovation in this space, and companies are so responsive [to Energy Star]," says Kaplan.

Computer manufacturers have good reason to be paying attention to Energy Star. "Manufacturers are telling us that customers are increasingly asking for energy-efficient products. Many large companies and institutional purchases now require Energy Star," Kaplan notes. "And the European Union issued a requirement in July that government purchases be Energy Star-compliant."
Future of Energy Star

The latest Energy Star spec is being released in two phases. Today marked the first phase, also referred to as tier one; and development is already under way on tier two.

In the first phase, says Kaplan, the EPA concentrated on idle mode. Now the agency is turning its attention to PCs in what it calls active mode, which is when the PC is actively processing data.

One of the obstacles has been determining how to develop a test for active mode. However, by the time the second phase of Energy Star 4.0 comes into effect in 2009, that should no longer be a roadblock.

"We're working with the industry to develop a benchmark--a way of exercising your computer in a way that captures the average use patterns and the average experience of an office user, for example," says Kaplan. "This forthcoming benchmark will help us look at all modes of [computer] operations. This work is being done by industry groups Ecma International and BAPCo, and we're actively participating in the process. We hope to make use of that benchmark assessment tool in our tier two Energy Star 4.0 specification in 2009."

Also on the table for tier two: Expanding the spec to include game consoles. The EPA approached game console makers in the first phase of the specification, but didn't hear much interest from manufacturers. And, admits Kaplan, "Game consoles are not likely going to be able to meet this spec. But now the game console makers are talking with us, and they're working with us now and looking for efficiency opportunities."

How PCs Work

2007-07-23T02:28:00.000-07:00

When you mention the word "technology," most people think about computers. Virtually every facet of our lives has some computerized component. The appliances in our homes have microprocessors built into them, as do our televisions. Even our cars have a computer. But the computer that everyone thinks of first is typically the personal computer, or PC.
A PC is a general purpose tool built around a microprocessor. It has lots of different parts -- memory, a hard disk, a modem, etc. -- that work together. "General purpose" means that you can do many different things with a PC. You can use it to type documents, send e-mail, browse the Internet and play games.

In this article, we will talk about PCs in the general sense and all the different parts that go into them. You will learn about the various components and how they work together in a basic operating session. You'll also find out what the future may hold for these machines.

Let's take a look at the main components of a typical desktop computer.

* Central processing unit (CPU) - The microprocessor "brain" of the computer system is called the central processing unit. Everything that a computer does is overseen by the CPU.

* Memory - This is very fast storage used to hold data. It has to be fast because it connects directly to the microprocessor. There are several specific types of memory in a computer:
o Random-access memory (RAM) - Used to temporarily store information that the computer is currently working with
o Read-only memory (ROM) - A permanent type of memory storage used by the computer for important data that does not change
o Basic input/output system (BIOS) - A type of ROM that is used by the computer to establish basic communication when the computer is first turned on
o Caching - The storing of frequently used data in extremely fast RAM that connects directly to the CPU
o Virtual memory - Space on a hard disk used to temporarily store data and swap it in and out of RAM as needed

Defining a PC
Here is one way to think about it: A PC is a general-purpose information processing device. It can take information from a person (through the keyboard and mouse), from a device (like a floppy disk or CD) or from the network (through a modem or a network card) and process it. Once processed, the information is shown to the user (on the monitor), stored on a device (like a hard disk) or sent somewhere else on the network (back through the modem or network card).

We have lots of special-purpose processors in our lives. An MP3 player is a specialized computer for processing MP3 files. A GPS is a specialized computer for handling GPS signals. A Nintendo DS is a specialized computer for handling games, but it can't do anything else. A PC can do it all because it is general-purpose.

* Motherboard - This is the main circuit board that all of the other internal components connect to. The CPU and memory are usually on the motherboard. Other systems may be found directly on the motherboard or connected to it through a secondary connection. For example, a sound card can be built into the motherboard or connected through PCI.

* Power supply - An electrical transformer regulates the electricity used by the computer.

* Hard disk - This is large-capacity permanent storage used to hold information such as programs and documents.

* Operating system - This is the basic software that allows the user to interface with the computer.

* Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) Controller - This is the primary interface for the hard drive, CD-ROM and floppy disk drive.

* Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Bus - The most common way to connect additional components to the computer, PCI uses a series of slots on the motherboard that PCI cards plug into.

* SCSI - Pronounced "scuzzy," the small computer system interface is a method of adding additional devices, such as hard drives or scanners, to the computer.

* AGP - Accelerated Graphics Port is a very high-speed connection used by the graphics card to interface with the computer.

* Sound card - This is used by the computer to record and play audio by converting analog sound into digital information and back again.

* Graphics card - This translates image data from the computer into a format that can be displayed by the monitor.

In the next section, we'll look at how your computer connects to the outside world.