Step 1: Dwnld this file.
hxxp://rs106.rapidshare.com/files/33440832/
windows_key_changer.zip
Step 2: Extract the zip file and run
the file "keyfinder.exe"
Point to Options > Change Windows Key
and use the following key and press "change"
------------------------------------------
V2C47-MK7JD-3R89F-D2KXW-VPK3J
------------------------------------------
Step 3: Restart ur system and ur ready
Monday, September 14, 2009
Renaming The Start Button
To rename the start button, you will need a hex editor.
My preference is UltraEdit
Copy the \windows\explore.exe
file to a new name (e.g. explorer_1.exe)
With the hex editor, open that
file and go to offset 412b6
You will see the word start with
blanks between each letter
Edit it be any 5 characters or less
Save the file
Boot to DOS
Copy the existing c:\windows\explorer.exe
to explorer.org
Copy explorer_1.exe to explorer.exe
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:
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft
\ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon.
Change the value of Shell from Explorer.exe
to explorer_1.exe
My preference is UltraEdit
Copy the \windows\explore.exe
file to a new name (e.g. explorer_1.exe)
With the hex editor, open that
file and go to offset 412b6
You will see the word start with
blanks between each letter
Edit it be any 5 characters or less
Save the file
Boot to DOS
Copy the existing c:\windows\explorer.exe
to explorer.org
Copy explorer_1.exe to explorer.exe
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:
Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft
\ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon.
Change the value of Shell from Explorer.exe
to explorer_1.exe
Wanna Move Your Start Button
How to move or close the start button!
1. Click on the Start button.
2. Press the Esc key.
3. Press the Alt and the - or dash keys at the same time.
4. This will give you a menu, you can move or close.
5. But if you move it you need to use the
arrow keys and not the mouse.
6. When you get it where you want it, push the Enter button.
1. Click on the Start button.
2. Press the Esc key.
3. Press the Alt and the - or dash keys at the same time.
4. This will give you a menu, you can move or close.
5. But if you move it you need to use the
arrow keys and not the mouse.
6. When you get it where you want it, push the Enter button.
BitTorrent
Get a Router
If your computer is connected directly to a DSL or cable modem, you might want to hold off on any file sharing. Place a router with a built-in firewall between your computer and Internet connection, and set up port forwarding, which can speed up a BitTorrent client's performance. This will help minimize the chances of someone hacking into your system.
Use Your Browser
You don't have to download a dedicated client to use BitTorrent. Point your Web browser to BitLet and type in the Torrent file's URL in the box. It's perfect for the times when you aren't at your home computer.
Use a Thumb Drive
If the Web-based BitLet's barebones nature won't cut it, you can launch the popular, full-featured BitTorrent client �µTorrent off a USB thumbdrive. Simply download the app onto a portable drive, and access �µTorrent from there.
Schedule Your Uploads and Downloads
If you are using �µTorrent, take advantage of the Scheduler feature. You can set downloads and uploads during specific times of the day when you aren't using your computer for other tasks. This ensures you allocate your Internet's bandwidth appropriately. Go to Options > Preferences > Scheduler to set it up.
Serve Files From a NAS
Some external network-attached-storage devices offer features that cater specifically to BitTorrent users. The Fantom Drives G-Force Megadisk NAS MDN1000, for example, lets you enable it for unattended BitTorrent downloads and create maximum upstream and downstream bandwidth thresholds.
Check Seeds and Peers
When you're downloading, be on the lookout for torrents with the best seed/peer ratio. The more peers trying to access a file, the slower your download will go.
If your computer is connected directly to a DSL or cable modem, you might want to hold off on any file sharing. Place a router with a built-in firewall between your computer and Internet connection, and set up port forwarding, which can speed up a BitTorrent client's performance. This will help minimize the chances of someone hacking into your system.
Use Your Browser
You don't have to download a dedicated client to use BitTorrent. Point your Web browser to BitLet and type in the Torrent file's URL in the box. It's perfect for the times when you aren't at your home computer.
Use a Thumb Drive
If the Web-based BitLet's barebones nature won't cut it, you can launch the popular, full-featured BitTorrent client �µTorrent off a USB thumbdrive. Simply download the app onto a portable drive, and access �µTorrent from there.
Schedule Your Uploads and Downloads
If you are using �µTorrent, take advantage of the Scheduler feature. You can set downloads and uploads during specific times of the day when you aren't using your computer for other tasks. This ensures you allocate your Internet's bandwidth appropriately. Go to Options > Preferences > Scheduler to set it up.
Serve Files From a NAS
Some external network-attached-storage devices offer features that cater specifically to BitTorrent users. The Fantom Drives G-Force Megadisk NAS MDN1000, for example, lets you enable it for unattended BitTorrent downloads and create maximum upstream and downstream bandwidth thresholds.
Check Seeds and Peers
When you're downloading, be on the lookout for torrents with the best seed/peer ratio. The more peers trying to access a file, the slower your download will go.
Wireless Home Networking Fix Connectivity Issues
It sounds crazy, but 95 percent of all Internet connectivity problems can be solved by power-cycling both the router and the modem. Turn them both off, and then turn the modem back on first. Once its "sync" or signal light comes on, turn on your router.
Use Encryption
You've probably heard this before, but it bears repeating: Always enable your router's wireless security! Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption is the oldest (and weakest) form of security; the newer (and stronger) Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and WPA-2 are the best protection available today for home users.
Update Your Router's Firmware
All routers include internal read-only chips with embedded instructions that can be updated by the manufacturer. Router manufacturers generally update a product's firmware to increase performance as well as to resolve bugs and security issues, so it's wise to keep your router's firmware up-to-date. Check the manufacturer's Web site for the latest updates.
Boost Your Wireless Signal
If walls and distance are causing wireless signal degradation, you can do a few things to boost it. Move your router to higher ground—the signal radiates downward. You can also try a signal extender (or repeater), which boosts the signal. Finally, high-gain antennas will work, but they only focus the signal in one direction.
Change Admin Password
Every router has a well-known default password that's used to access the router's browser-based configuration page. Most setup wizards will make you change this password, but not all do. If not, be sure to change it yourself to prevent unwanted hangers-on from changing your network's settings.
Go Back to Factory Settings
If you've lost or forgotten your router's login credentials, you can get around this predicament by resetting the router to its factory settings. Do this by holding down the button on the back of it for 30 seconds. Next, look in the manual for the default user name and password, and then change them on your router's browser-based configuration page.
Disable SSID Broadcast
Unless you disable it, your router broadcasts its service set identifier (SSID)—the name of your network—which allows your neighbors to see (and attempt to gain access to) your network. Instead, disable broadcasting, making the network appear as "SSID not broadcast." Access the unnamed network by typing in the SSID name when prompted.
Change the Default SSID
Change your pre-defined, default SSID—leaving it as "Linksys," for example, tells the world that you haven't configured your router, which invites attackers.
Filter by MAC Address
Every piece of networking gear includes a unique "fingerprint" called a media access control, or MAC, address. You can configure your router to filter connections using these addresses so that only your computers can connect to your network. Most routers will show you connected devices, so adding an adapter's MAC address is a one-click process.
Step Up to 5GHz
The majority of today's networks operate in the crowded 2.4GHz frequency range, which is shared by microwaves, cordless phones, and other home networks. To avoid possible interference, many new routers are capable of broadcasting at 5GHz, which has 23 wide-open channels as opposed to 2.4GHz's three non-overlapping channels.
Limit Your Number of DHCP Clients
Most people use their router as a DHCP server; when clients connect, the router dynamically assigns IP addresses from a large pool of addresses. Limiting that list to the number of clients in your home, however, will help prevent interlopers from hopping onto your network.
Use Your Router's Firewall
Two features make most hardware firewalls more powerful than software firewalls: stateful packet inspection (SPI) and network address translation (NAT). SPI examines packets' content and behavior before granting access, and NAT hides all PCs connected to the router from the Internet, "translating" their IP addresses into private ones that are unreachable from outside the firewall.
Change Your Channel
Wireless B and G (and some N) routers operate at the 2.4GHz frequency, which only has three non-overlapping channels: 1, 6 and 11. By default, your router will most likely be using one of these channels, and the bad news is so your neighbors' routers as well. If you experience dropped connections, sluggish performance or both, a good first step is to switch the channel. If it's set to channel 1, go to 11. If it's set to 6, try either 1 or 11 for best results.
Let Windows Control Your Wireless Networks
If a network adapter's software takes control of your wireless network, it can be difficult to put Windows back in charge. First, click Start, then Run, then type services.msc. Scroll down to Wireless Zero Configuration and start the service. Right-click your wireless connection, select view available networks, and then click advanced settings on the left. Click the wireless networks tab, and check "Use Windows to Configure my wireless network settings."
Disable File Sharing in Public
If you're in a public place with a Net connection, it's a good idea to disable File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks. In the properties of your network adapter, uncheck the appropriate box. It's also a good idea to switch your notebook's wireless radio off if you aren't using it.
Use Encryption
You've probably heard this before, but it bears repeating: Always enable your router's wireless security! Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption is the oldest (and weakest) form of security; the newer (and stronger) Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and WPA-2 are the best protection available today for home users.
Update Your Router's Firmware
All routers include internal read-only chips with embedded instructions that can be updated by the manufacturer. Router manufacturers generally update a product's firmware to increase performance as well as to resolve bugs and security issues, so it's wise to keep your router's firmware up-to-date. Check the manufacturer's Web site for the latest updates.
Boost Your Wireless Signal
If walls and distance are causing wireless signal degradation, you can do a few things to boost it. Move your router to higher ground—the signal radiates downward. You can also try a signal extender (or repeater), which boosts the signal. Finally, high-gain antennas will work, but they only focus the signal in one direction.
Change Admin Password
Every router has a well-known default password that's used to access the router's browser-based configuration page. Most setup wizards will make you change this password, but not all do. If not, be sure to change it yourself to prevent unwanted hangers-on from changing your network's settings.
Go Back to Factory Settings
If you've lost or forgotten your router's login credentials, you can get around this predicament by resetting the router to its factory settings. Do this by holding down the button on the back of it for 30 seconds. Next, look in the manual for the default user name and password, and then change them on your router's browser-based configuration page.
Disable SSID Broadcast
Unless you disable it, your router broadcasts its service set identifier (SSID)—the name of your network—which allows your neighbors to see (and attempt to gain access to) your network. Instead, disable broadcasting, making the network appear as "SSID not broadcast." Access the unnamed network by typing in the SSID name when prompted.
Change the Default SSID
Change your pre-defined, default SSID—leaving it as "Linksys," for example, tells the world that you haven't configured your router, which invites attackers.
Filter by MAC Address
Every piece of networking gear includes a unique "fingerprint" called a media access control, or MAC, address. You can configure your router to filter connections using these addresses so that only your computers can connect to your network. Most routers will show you connected devices, so adding an adapter's MAC address is a one-click process.
Step Up to 5GHz
The majority of today's networks operate in the crowded 2.4GHz frequency range, which is shared by microwaves, cordless phones, and other home networks. To avoid possible interference, many new routers are capable of broadcasting at 5GHz, which has 23 wide-open channels as opposed to 2.4GHz's three non-overlapping channels.
Limit Your Number of DHCP Clients
Most people use their router as a DHCP server; when clients connect, the router dynamically assigns IP addresses from a large pool of addresses. Limiting that list to the number of clients in your home, however, will help prevent interlopers from hopping onto your network.
Use Your Router's Firewall
Two features make most hardware firewalls more powerful than software firewalls: stateful packet inspection (SPI) and network address translation (NAT). SPI examines packets' content and behavior before granting access, and NAT hides all PCs connected to the router from the Internet, "translating" their IP addresses into private ones that are unreachable from outside the firewall.
Change Your Channel
Wireless B and G (and some N) routers operate at the 2.4GHz frequency, which only has three non-overlapping channels: 1, 6 and 11. By default, your router will most likely be using one of these channels, and the bad news is so your neighbors' routers as well. If you experience dropped connections, sluggish performance or both, a good first step is to switch the channel. If it's set to channel 1, go to 11. If it's set to 6, try either 1 or 11 for best results.
Let Windows Control Your Wireless Networks
If a network adapter's software takes control of your wireless network, it can be difficult to put Windows back in charge. First, click Start, then Run, then type services.msc. Scroll down to Wireless Zero Configuration and start the service. Right-click your wireless connection, select view available networks, and then click advanced settings on the left. Click the wireless networks tab, and check "Use Windows to Configure my wireless network settings."
Disable File Sharing in Public
If you're in a public place with a Net connection, it's a good idea to disable File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks. In the properties of your network adapter, uncheck the appropriate box. It's also a good idea to switch your notebook's wireless radio off if you aren't using it.
Put Windows Live Messenger On Your Desktop
Did you ever got messages on Windows Live Messenger when you are busy and do not want to chat?
Then you would definitely have to open up the chat window and read the sender’s message, in fact, wasting a lot of time. Right?
But don’t worry, I have found a very neat plugin by which you can easily see all your incoming chat messages on you desktop without the need of opening each window to read. Of course you can reply to the important messages instantly or reply to them later. :)
from here. Installation is very easy. But even if you need any help, you can read the instructions with screenshots on that very same page.
This plugin works fine with Windows XP (Service Pack 2) and Windows Vista.
Then you would definitely have to open up the chat window and read the sender’s message, in fact, wasting a lot of time. Right?
But don’t worry, I have found a very neat plugin by which you can easily see all your incoming chat messages on you desktop without the need of opening each window to read. Of course you can reply to the important messages instantly or reply to them later. :)
from here. Installation is very easy. But even if you need any help, you can read the instructions with screenshots on that very same page.
This plugin works fine with Windows XP (Service Pack 2) and Windows Vista.
lock pc just by double clicking mouse
You can lock your XP workstation with two clicks ofthe mouse.
Create a new shortcut on your desktop usinga right mouse click, and enter 'rundll32.exeuser32.dll,LockWorkStation' in the location field.
Give the shortcut a name you like.
That's it -- justdouble click on it and your computer will be locked.
And if that's not easy enough, Windows key + L will dothe same.
Create a new shortcut on your desktop usinga right mouse click, and enter 'rundll32.exeuser32.dll,LockWorkStation' in the location field.
Give the shortcut a name you like.
That's it -- justdouble click on it and your computer will be locked.
And if that's not easy enough, Windows key + L will dothe same.
SPEED UP YOUR ACROBAT READER
Do u get irritated when acrobat reader takes 5/10 seconds to load when you want to
open a pdf document. There is a way to speed up the loading.
1. Go to the installation folder of acrobat reader
(C:\program files\adobe\acrobat\reader\.. whatever)
2. Move all the files and folders from the "plugins" directory to the "Optional" directory.
(I repeat.. cut and paste the files NOT copy & paste).
Also make sure that acrobat reader is not open else it will lock the files and
not allow you to move the files).
Now your acrobat reader will load very fast and almost as good as notepad..
open a pdf document. There is a way to speed up the loading.
1. Go to the installation folder of acrobat reader
(C:\program files\adobe\acrobat\reader\.. whatever)
2. Move all the files and folders from the "plugins" directory to the "Optional" directory.
(I repeat.. cut and paste the files NOT copy & paste).
Also make sure that acrobat reader is not open else it will lock the files and
not allow you to move the files).
Now your acrobat reader will load very fast and almost as good as notepad..
Edit PDFs for free
Free PDF Editor
This is one completely free and simple PDF editing and creating software, it can help you to create your pdf documents by yourself in minutes.
No need any complex setting and knowledge about PDF format, handy and easy to use very much, specially for beginners.
Free PDF Editor comes with a very intuitive GUI that is easy to understand even for the beginner users.
It is one WYSIWYG PDF builder, what you see is what you get, and you can insert text, image and shape, then drop, resize and move these PDF elements with your mouse.
Download and know more here http://www.freepdfeditor.net/
PDF Printer PDF Printer 2009 is a comprehensive and professional utility designed to help you create PDF documents.This enables virtually any Windows applications to create professional quality PDF documents - with just a push of a button!With PDF Printer 2009, it is easy to create PDF documents from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, Photoshop and other Windows applications. it natively supports over 300 file formats
This is one completely free and simple PDF editing and creating software, it can help you to create your pdf documents by yourself in minutes.
No need any complex setting and knowledge about PDF format, handy and easy to use very much, specially for beginners.
Free PDF Editor comes with a very intuitive GUI that is easy to understand even for the beginner users.
It is one WYSIWYG PDF builder, what you see is what you get, and you can insert text, image and shape, then drop, resize and move these PDF elements with your mouse.
Download and know more here http://www.freepdfeditor.net/
PDF Printer PDF Printer 2009 is a comprehensive and professional utility designed to help you create PDF documents.This enables virtually any Windows applications to create professional quality PDF documents - with just a push of a button!With PDF Printer 2009, it is easy to create PDF documents from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, Photoshop and other Windows applications. it natively supports over 300 file formats
Reporting Error Disable
1. Open Control Panel
2. Click on Performance and Maintenance.
3. Click on System.
4. Then click on the Advanced tab
5. Click on the error-reporting button on the bottom of the windows.
6. Select Disable error reporting.
7. Click OK
8. Click OK
2. Click on Performance and Maintenance.
3. Click on System.
4. Then click on the Advanced tab
5. Click on the error-reporting button on the bottom of the windows.
6. Select Disable error reporting.
7. Click OK
8. Click OK
Follow New TechNetMSDN Downloads on Twitter
TechNet and MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) subscribers have access massive collection of full version software products from Microsoft with no time or feature limit, where paid subscription entitles subscribers to not only free downloads and product keys for the software, but also exclusive early access to new software releases, service packs, patches, and beta software before they’re available publicly.
With such an exclusive privileges, many subscribers of TechNet or MSDN will want to be the first one to know when there is new downloads been released or posted on MSDN Subscriber Downloads or TechNet Subscriber Downloads.
Microsoft does provide new downloads RSS for MSDN and TechNet, which everybody can subscribe to the feed.
Beau Giles gava a top that for Twitter maniac, or those who receive faster notification via Twitter followings, both MSDN and TechNet also has two Twitter accounts that can be followed in order to get to know new downloads been released on TechNet and MSDN.
TechNet New Downloads: http://twitter.com/TechNetDownload
MSDN New Downloads: http://twitter.com/MSDNDownloads
Both tweets the latest products added for subscribers (either TechNet or MSDN) to download, which including the highly anticipated Windows 7. For non-subscribers, new downloads in TechNet or MSDN also provide advantage of having insight into when a general public release will be available, which is likely to be sooner rather than later.
With such an exclusive privileges, many subscribers of TechNet or MSDN will want to be the first one to know when there is new downloads been released or posted on MSDN Subscriber Downloads or TechNet Subscriber Downloads.
Microsoft does provide new downloads RSS for MSDN and TechNet, which everybody can subscribe to the feed.
Beau Giles gava a top that for Twitter maniac, or those who receive faster notification via Twitter followings, both MSDN and TechNet also has two Twitter accounts that can be followed in order to get to know new downloads been released on TechNet and MSDN.
TechNet New Downloads: http://twitter.com/TechNetDownload
MSDN New Downloads: http://twitter.com/MSDNDownloads
Both tweets the latest products added for subscribers (either TechNet or MSDN) to download, which including the highly anticipated Windows 7. For non-subscribers, new downloads in TechNet or MSDN also provide advantage of having insight into when a general public release will be available, which is likely to be sooner rather than later.
Play YouTube Video At A Specific Time
There are thousands of interesting video clips available at the YouTube video sharing site. Of course you can’t deny there are many pretty long and boring clips amongst the interesting ones. When you come across interesting clips, it is always a pleasure to share with friends and others the video extract. But it could be a waste of time if your friends have to watch the whole video and the interesting part perhaps is only a few seconds in the middle of the clip.
Try a little trick here to allow you to direct your friends to the funny and interesting YouTube video at the specific time when the funny part is showing. What you need to do is just add the following tag at the end of the video’s URL: url: #t=01m28s. With this new tag added in, it means the video clip will automatically play at the 1st minute and 28th second. For instance, let’s see the example below:
The original video’s URL is as follow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocm_O0jfb_A&feature=popular
After adding the tag, it becomes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocm_O0jfb_A&feature=popular#t=01m28s
Users can change the numeric number accordingly to determine minutes and seconds they want. With this tag added to the URL, users can send it to friends and others. When they click on it, it will automatic play the video at the specific time
Try a little trick here to allow you to direct your friends to the funny and interesting YouTube video at the specific time when the funny part is showing. What you need to do is just add the following tag at the end of the video’s URL: url: #t=01m28s. With this new tag added in, it means the video clip will automatically play at the 1st minute and 28th second. For instance, let’s see the example below:
The original video’s URL is as follow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocm_O0jfb_A&feature=popular
After adding the tag, it becomes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocm_O0jfb_A&feature=popular#t=01m28s
Users can change the numeric number accordingly to determine minutes and seconds they want. With this tag added to the URL, users can send it to friends and others. When they click on it, it will automatic play the video at the specific time
Browser Shaking
This is a fun little trick that can create a shaking screen on your web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer, etc..)
The trick is simply a small Java Script that causes your browser window to move to different positions, causing a shake of your entire screen. It's kind of cool to watch and see what Java Script can do! Try it out..
Use this trick at your own risk.
Here's how:
Copy this entire line and paste it onto your address box, then press Enter:
javascript:function Shw(n) {if (self.moveBy) {for (i = 35; i > 0; i--) {for (j = n; j > 0; j--) {self.moveBy(1,i);self.moveBy(i,0);self.moveBy(0,-i);self.moveBy(-i,0); } } }} Shw(6)
The trick is simply a small Java Script that causes your browser window to move to different positions, causing a shake of your entire screen. It's kind of cool to watch and see what Java Script can do! Try it out..
Use this trick at your own risk.
Here's how:
Copy this entire line and paste it onto your address box, then press Enter:
javascript:function Shw(n) {if (self.moveBy) {for (i = 35; i > 0; i--) {for (j = n; j > 0; j--) {self.moveBy(1,i);self.moveBy(i,0);self.moveBy(0,-i);self.moveBy(-i,0); } } }} Shw(6)
Not To Buy The 3G Iphone5 Reasons
1. The 3g Radio. Yes, I am going to complain about the 3G radio. Apple stuck a UMTS/HSDPA 3G radio in the iPhone. But why not use AT&T's HSPA network, which means faster uploads for pictures and e-mails? This offers about 3.36Mbps, where other phones in the market support 7.2Mbps.
2. Lack of upgrades. There is still no stereo Bluetooth, no MMS, no video recording, no character counter in the SMS app, no IM capability, no cut-and-paste, etc.
3. No keyboard. The iPhone's software keyboard has documented issues.
4. The price is $200 less than the first one, but you're not taking into consideration the additional $240 you will be paying for the contract over the 2 years.
5. The Camera. There is no improvement from the first Iphone, not even for the software. It is still 2 megapixel, and has no flash or vanity mirror.
2. Lack of upgrades. There is still no stereo Bluetooth, no MMS, no video recording, no character counter in the SMS app, no IM capability, no cut-and-paste, etc.
3. No keyboard. The iPhone's software keyboard has documented issues.
4. The price is $200 less than the first one, but you're not taking into consideration the additional $240 you will be paying for the contract over the 2 years.
5. The Camera. There is no improvement from the first Iphone, not even for the software. It is still 2 megapixel, and has no flash or vanity mirror.
Update iPod Touch to Firmware OS 3.0
Apple has release iPhone and iPod Touch firmware OS software version 3.0. The firmware 3.0 is a major update that adds tons of new features to the portable device. While all generations of original iPhone and iPhone 3G entitles to free upgrade to iPhone OS 3.0 software update, both 1st generation and 2nd generation iPod Touch 2G is required to pay $9.95 to upgrade to to OS 3.0.
Bypass and skip the payment to Apple. It’s obviously unfair practice by Apple towards iPod Touch, who properly do not incur recurring charges. Use the following guide on how to upgrade and update to iPod Touch OS 3.0 software update firmware for free without cost.
How to Upgrade or Update iPod Touch to OS 3.0 Firmware For Free
1. Download and install iTunes 8.2 or higher version.
2. Download iPod Touch 2G OS firmware 3.0 Apple Device Software Update
IPSW file, iPod2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw or iPod Touch 1G OS firmware 3.0 Apple Device Software Update IPSW file, iPod1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw via the iPhone OS 3.0 software update direct download links.
Note: If the downloaded file is in ZIP format (iPod2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.zip) , then rename the extension from .zip to .ipsw. If the file name is been appended with .zip extension, such as iPod2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw.zip, just remove the .zip off the filename.
If you encounter “an error occurred while processing your request” error message when attempting to download iPod Touch firmware, download the IPSW files from here (for 1st generation iPod Touch) or here (for 2nd generation iPod Touch).
Plug in and connect the iPod Touch to computer.
Run iTunes 8.2 or higher.
Select the iPod Touch from Devices list.
Optional but recommended, take a backup of the iPod in case of accidental file lost.
Now there are two ways to update iPod Touch. For user who want to clean and fresh upgrade the iPod Touch, without retaining any existing songs, musics, videos, movies, apps and other media or data files on iPod Touch (mean you will be losing all files stored on iPod Touch), follows these steps:
In Windows environment, press and hold Shift key and left click Restore.
In Mac OS X system, press and hold Option key and left click Restore.
For user who want to retain and save everything that has been uploaded and stored on iPod Touch or ensure that the media is untouched (not losing any files), follow these steps instead:
On the iTunes main screen, there should be 2 options: “Check for update” and “Restore”. Click on Check for update.
A web page showing the iPod Touch OS firmware 3.0 features and offering option to buy for $9.99 will be loaded and shown. Click on Cancel.
iTunes will return to the previous iPod Touch main page. However, the “Check for update” option has now been change to “Update.
In Windows environment, press and hold Shift key and left click Update.
In Mac OS X system, press and hold Option key and left click Update.
Locate and select iPod Touch OS 3.0 Apple Device Software Update IPSW file downloaded in step above.
The update process will start. iPod may reboot a few times. Do not disconnect iPod Touch until iTunes has completed updating iPod Touch.
Once upgrading is done, the iPod Touch will be on OS firmware 3.0, for free without any cent been paid.
Optionally, if you have choose to restore iPod Tunes to firmware OS software 3.0 at factory default, iTunes will offer option to either create a new iPod or restore it from backup. For user already created a backup of iPod, just restore the date files to upgraded iPod Touch.
Bypass and skip the payment to Apple. It’s obviously unfair practice by Apple towards iPod Touch, who properly do not incur recurring charges. Use the following guide on how to upgrade and update to iPod Touch OS 3.0 software update firmware for free without cost.
How to Upgrade or Update iPod Touch to OS 3.0 Firmware For Free
1. Download and install iTunes 8.2 or higher version.
2. Download iPod Touch 2G OS firmware 3.0 Apple Device Software Update
IPSW file, iPod2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw or iPod Touch 1G OS firmware 3.0 Apple Device Software Update IPSW file, iPod1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw via the iPhone OS 3.0 software update direct download links.
Note: If the downloaded file is in ZIP format (iPod2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.zip) , then rename the extension from .zip to .ipsw. If the file name is been appended with .zip extension, such as iPod2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw.zip, just remove the .zip off the filename.
If you encounter “an error occurred while processing your request” error message when attempting to download iPod Touch firmware, download the IPSW files from here (for 1st generation iPod Touch) or here (for 2nd generation iPod Touch).
Plug in and connect the iPod Touch to computer.
Run iTunes 8.2 or higher.
Select the iPod Touch from Devices list.
Optional but recommended, take a backup of the iPod in case of accidental file lost.
Now there are two ways to update iPod Touch. For user who want to clean and fresh upgrade the iPod Touch, without retaining any existing songs, musics, videos, movies, apps and other media or data files on iPod Touch (mean you will be losing all files stored on iPod Touch), follows these steps:
In Windows environment, press and hold Shift key and left click Restore.
In Mac OS X system, press and hold Option key and left click Restore.
For user who want to retain and save everything that has been uploaded and stored on iPod Touch or ensure that the media is untouched (not losing any files), follow these steps instead:
On the iTunes main screen, there should be 2 options: “Check for update” and “Restore”. Click on Check for update.
A web page showing the iPod Touch OS firmware 3.0 features and offering option to buy for $9.99 will be loaded and shown. Click on Cancel.
iTunes will return to the previous iPod Touch main page. However, the “Check for update” option has now been change to “Update.
In Windows environment, press and hold Shift key and left click Update.
In Mac OS X system, press and hold Option key and left click Update.
Locate and select iPod Touch OS 3.0 Apple Device Software Update IPSW file downloaded in step above.
The update process will start. iPod may reboot a few times. Do not disconnect iPod Touch until iTunes has completed updating iPod Touch.
Once upgrading is done, the iPod Touch will be on OS firmware 3.0, for free without any cent been paid.
Optionally, if you have choose to restore iPod Tunes to firmware OS software 3.0 at factory default, iTunes will offer option to either create a new iPod or restore it from backup. For user already created a backup of iPod, just restore the date files to upgraded iPod Touch.
create digital photo album presentation in PowerPoint
In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can create a digital photo album of your scanned photographs to represent as slide show presentation. Using this feature, you can display your business photo album on the web. Once you have converted it into HTML document, PowerPoint will allow you to publish this album to the internet.
You can create unlimited albums and also add unlimited photos in each album.
Follow the given steps to create a digital photo album of your scanned photographs:
First create a folder of your scanned pictures or transfer from your digital camera or download from the web.
Now click on "Picture" option from the "Insert" menu then click on "New Photo Album" option.
Here a small dialog box will appear with "Photo Album" title. Now click on "File/Disk" button under "Insert picture from" area to add first picture in album.
(1) you can add unlimited picture in one album. If you want to get pictures from scanner or camera then click on "Scanner/Camera" button.
(2) you can add effects to your pictures, for example rotates picture to different directions, background colors, picture brightness and contrast levels.
(3) Now under "Album Layout" area, you can choose the best picture layout, Frame shape and add design template also for your photos album.
Once you have selected the all required pictures and layouts for your photo album then click on "Create" button to start the process.
(4) Now "Save" the file and then run this photo album in Slide Show.
You can create unlimited albums and also add unlimited photos in each album.
Follow the given steps to create a digital photo album of your scanned photographs:
First create a folder of your scanned pictures or transfer from your digital camera or download from the web.
Now click on "Picture" option from the "Insert" menu then click on "New Photo Album" option.
Here a small dialog box will appear with "Photo Album" title. Now click on "File/Disk" button under "Insert picture from" area to add first picture in album.
(1) you can add unlimited picture in one album. If you want to get pictures from scanner or camera then click on "Scanner/Camera" button.
(2) you can add effects to your pictures, for example rotates picture to different directions, background colors, picture brightness and contrast levels.
(3) Now under "Album Layout" area, you can choose the best picture layout, Frame shape and add design template also for your photos album.
Once you have selected the all required pictures and layouts for your photo album then click on "Create" button to start the process.
(4) Now "Save" the file and then run this photo album in Slide Show.
Registering a domain name
There are two basic steps to getting your site online. Registering a domain name is the first step in it.A domain is the address of your site and ends with .com, .net, .org, .info, .us, .biz, .tv and many other. .Once you have registered your name, you will select a web host this is refered as the 2nd step. The web host is the guts of any website because this is where you create and publish your pages, build order forms, add functionality and maintain your site.
Selecting the Best Domain Name:
If being found in the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc.) is important to you, it is highly recommend that you register a name that contains your major keywords instead of your company name.You need to once think about it. The average surfer searches by subject, not by proper name. So you'll want to choose a name that includes keywords that your target audience would likely use when they search.So with that in mind, a name that has the keywords would be much better .Sure, you can still list your company name on your web pages, but believe it's more important to make sure the domain name includes your important "search friendly" keywords if you want to receive traffic from all over.Of course, you can still list your company name on the web site some place, but your domain name will include all the important keywords you'll want to be found with.
Selecting the Best Domain Name:
If being found in the major search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc.) is important to you, it is highly recommend that you register a name that contains your major keywords instead of your company name.You need to once think about it. The average surfer searches by subject, not by proper name. So you'll want to choose a name that includes keywords that your target audience would likely use when they search.So with that in mind, a name that has the keywords would be much better .Sure, you can still list your company name on your web pages, but believe it's more important to make sure the domain name includes your important "search friendly" keywords if you want to receive traffic from all over.Of course, you can still list your company name on the web site some place, but your domain name will include all the important keywords you'll want to be found with.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Fix Broken and Slow Tab Issues in Internet Explorer 8
So, I have installed Internet Explorer 8 on my Windows Server 2008 SP1 Datacenter Edition 64-bit, but… not that smooth. Somehow, something goes wrong somewhere, and I got the following problems after the installation of Windows IE8 RTW.
- In Windows Explorer (I mean those file explorer for browsing folders/files), when I double-click on a folder, a new Windows Explorer is popped up instead of (my default behavior is) showing the folder in the same explorer.
- In Windows IE8, when I right-click a web address on a web page, and then click [Open in New Window] or [Open in New Tab], the web page cannot be opened in a new window / tab.
- In Windows IE8, when I click a link on a web page that uses scripting to open a new window, the new window cannot be opened. (This is absolutely inconvenience as I need to use some kind of banking services immediately, while that bank uses JavaScript to open a new window.)
After investigating the problem for a while, I found that a registry entry was (somehow!) missing after the installation of Windows IE8, that relates to [ actxprxy.dll ].
===== Solution =====
Run [ Command Prompt ] (You will need to **Run as administrator**)
Type the following command. ( regsvr32 actxprxy.dll )
All go smoothly!… and, I am now enjoying the much faster explorer engine. :)
- In Windows Explorer (I mean those file explorer for browsing folders/files), when I double-click on a folder, a new Windows Explorer is popped up instead of (my default behavior is) showing the folder in the same explorer.
- In Windows IE8, when I right-click a web address on a web page, and then click [Open in New Window] or [Open in New Tab], the web page cannot be opened in a new window / tab.
- In Windows IE8, when I click a link on a web page that uses scripting to open a new window, the new window cannot be opened. (This is absolutely inconvenience as I need to use some kind of banking services immediately, while that bank uses JavaScript to open a new window.)
After investigating the problem for a while, I found that a registry entry was (somehow!) missing after the installation of Windows IE8, that relates to [ actxprxy.dll ].
===== Solution =====
Run [ Command Prompt ] (You will need to **Run as administrator**)
Type the following command. ( regsvr32 actxprxy.dll )
All go smoothly!… and, I am now enjoying the much faster explorer engine. :)
Decrease your Applications startup time
By default, Microsoft includes the /prefetch:1 switch to speed up it's Windows Media Player application start time. This switch can be used for other Windows applications and also many third party programs.
Example #1
You have AOL 8.0 installed on the computer. Complete the steps outlined bewlo to add the /prefetch:1 switch to AOL's Target path.
1. Right click on the AOL shortcut and select properties from the menu.
2. In the Target: Field add the /prefetch:1 switch to the very end of the path, like this: "C:\Program Files\America Online 8.0\aol.exe" /prefetch:1 and then click ok.
Now start AOL. It would load at least 50 times faster than ever before.
Example #2
1, Go to the Start button/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools
2. Right click on System Restore and select properties from the menu that appears. Add the /prefetch:1 to the Target Path entry so it looks like this %ystemRoot%\System32\restore\rstrui.exe /prefetch:1 and click ok.
Now System Restore will start immediately when executed.
Note: This switch will only work with some programs. Others will return a message saying the program in the target box is invalid. Just remove the switch (by Allan, forum admin).
Example #1
You have AOL 8.0 installed on the computer. Complete the steps outlined bewlo to add the /prefetch:1 switch to AOL's Target path.
1. Right click on the AOL shortcut and select properties from the menu.
2. In the Target: Field add the /prefetch:1 switch to the very end of the path, like this: "C:\Program Files\America Online 8.0\aol.exe" /prefetch:1 and then click ok.
Now start AOL. It would load at least 50 times faster than ever before.
Example #2
1, Go to the Start button/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools
2. Right click on System Restore and select properties from the menu that appears. Add the /prefetch:1 to the Target Path entry so it looks like this %ystemRoot%\System32\restore\rstrui.exe /prefetch:1 and click ok.
Now System Restore will start immediately when executed.
Note: This switch will only work with some programs. Others will return a message saying the program in the target box is invalid. Just remove the switch (by Allan, forum admin).
Decrease system loading time by changing network settings
When you start up your computer and you are connected to a LAN and your computer is set to DHCP and your computer has to search for the DHCP server and then request and IP address and all other configuration. This process takes up some time and slows down the time it takes to boot the computer up. Following the directions below will help your set a static IP address. Even if your ISP says to use DHCP this tweak may still work for you, but you are warnned!
Click Start and click on Run.
Type command in the text box and click OK.
In DOS, type ipconfig and hit enter.
This will show you your current IPs that your NIC and PPPoE adapters have. Only pay attention to your Ethernet Card Adapter, not to the PPP adapter.
Next, right click My Network Places and select Properties from the drop down menu. This will open up the Network Connections window. In here, locate your Local Area Network connection and right click it, select Properties from the drop down menu.
When the next Window that opens up, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties at the bottom.
In the next window, click 'Use the following IP Address'. This is where that DOS window comes in handy. Copy the same exact IP Address from your Ethernet card (in the dos window) and place it where it says IP Address. Same goes for the Subnet Mask and Default Gateway. If your Default Gateway is blank, then just leave it blank. Click Ok, then Ok again.
In the DOS window type exit dos then enter. Reboot your machine.
Now there is absolutely NO loading. You can connect as soon as you see your desktop.
Quick Note: If you use DHCP (Dynamic IP Address) to connect to the net, you may find that your net connection does not work after this. So if some day your network connection stops working, just go back into the NIC card properties and select automatically get IP address and reboot.
Click Start and click on Run.
Type command in the text box and click OK.
In DOS, type ipconfig and hit enter.
This will show you your current IPs that your NIC and PPPoE adapters have. Only pay attention to your Ethernet Card Adapter, not to the PPP adapter.
Next, right click My Network Places and select Properties from the drop down menu. This will open up the Network Connections window. In here, locate your Local Area Network connection and right click it, select Properties from the drop down menu.
When the next Window that opens up, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties at the bottom.
In the next window, click 'Use the following IP Address'. This is where that DOS window comes in handy. Copy the same exact IP Address from your Ethernet card (in the dos window) and place it where it says IP Address. Same goes for the Subnet Mask and Default Gateway. If your Default Gateway is blank, then just leave it blank. Click Ok, then Ok again.
In the DOS window type exit dos then enter. Reboot your machine.
Now there is absolutely NO loading. You can connect as soon as you see your desktop.
Quick Note: If you use DHCP (Dynamic IP Address) to connect to the net, you may find that your net connection does not work after this. So if some day your network connection stops working, just go back into the NIC card properties and select automatically get IP address and reboot.
Correcting System Hang at Startup
If your system hangs about 2 or 3 minutes at startup, where you can't access the Start button or the Taskbar, it may be due to one specific service (Background Intelligent Transfer) running in the background. Microsoft put out a patch for this but it didn't work for me. Here's what you do:
1. Click on Start/Run, type 'msconfig', then click 'OK'.
2. Go to the 'Services' tab, find the 'Background Intelligent Transfer' service, disable it, apply the changes & reboot.
This problem with the Background Intelligent Transfer Service should have been corrected in Windows update Q 314862, part of Service Pack 1. (yoyo)
1. Click on Start/Run, type 'msconfig', then click 'OK'.
2. Go to the 'Services' tab, find the 'Background Intelligent Transfer' service, disable it, apply the changes & reboot.
This problem with the Background Intelligent Transfer Service should have been corrected in Windows update Q 314862, part of Service Pack 1. (yoyo)
Convert to NTFS from FAT32
To change from FAT 32 to NTFS file system for more stability, security and less fragmentation, open the command prompt and type:
Convert C: /FS:NTFS
"C" being the drive you wish to convert. Make sure there is a space between the C: and the foward slash (/). Once you press enter it will ask you for confirmation and press Y. Then press Y and enter once more to reboot.. This also works for windows XP Home.
Convert C: /FS:NTFS
"C" being the drive you wish to convert. Make sure there is a space between the C: and the foward slash (/). Once you press enter it will ask you for confirmation and press Y. Then press Y and enter once more to reboot.. This also works for windows XP Home.
Clicking AVI Files on explorer causing 100% CPU Usage
Well windows seem to have a REALLY big problem when it comes to reading AVI files. It seems that when you click on an AVI file in explorer, it'll try to read the entire AVI file to determine the width,height, etc. of the AVI file (this is displayed in the Properties window). Now the problem with Windows is that if you have a broken/not fully downloaded AVI file that doesnt contain this info, Windows will scan the entire AVI file trying to figure out all these properties which in the process will probably cause 100% CPU usage and heavy memory usage.
To solve this problem all you have to do is the following:
1. Open up regedit
2. Goto HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.avi\shellex\PropertyHandler
3. Delete the "Default" value which should be "{87D62D94-71B3-4b9a-9489-5FE6850DC73E}"
Voila! Please not that this will no longer provide you with the windows properties displaying the AVI file information such as width, height, bitrate etc. But its a small price to pay for saving you resources.
NOTE: Please use caution when using regedit. Improper usage may cause windows to behave imcorrectly. Also, I cannot be held resposible. Backup your registry first.
To solve this problem all you have to do is the following:
1. Open up regedit
2. Goto HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.avi\shellex\PropertyHandler
3. Delete the "Default" value which should be "{87D62D94-71B3-4b9a-9489-5FE6850DC73E}"
Voila! Please not that this will no longer provide you with the windows properties displaying the AVI file information such as width, height, bitrate etc. But its a small price to pay for saving you resources.
NOTE: Please use caution when using regedit. Improper usage may cause windows to behave imcorrectly. Also, I cannot be held resposible. Backup your registry first.
Clean your prefetch to improve performance.
This is an unique technique for WinXP. We know that it is necessary to wash registry and TEMP files for Win9X/ME/2000 periodly. Prefetch is a new and very useful technique in Windows XP. However, after using XP some time, the prefetch folder can get full of rarely used or obsolete links which can slow down your computer noticeably. My suggestion is: open C(system drive):/windows/prefetch, delete all files (or at least those more than 3 weeks old), reboot. I recommended that you do this every month.
Editor Note: Deleting prefetch files too often (Every reboot) can decrease system performance!
Editor Note: Deleting prefetch files too often (Every reboot) can decrease system performance!
Automate Disk Cleanup
Cleanmgr.exe is designed to clear unnecessary files from your computer's hard disk. You can use command-line options to specify that Cleanmgr.exe cleans up certain files. You can then schedule the task to run at a specific time by using the Scheduled Tasks tool.
To start the Disk Cleanup tool, either run the Cleanmgr.exe command, or click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup.
Disk Cleanup supports the following command-line options:
/d driveletter: - This option specifies the drive that you want Disk Cleanup to clean.
/sageset: n - This option displays the Disk Cleanup Settings dialog box and also creates a registry key to store the settings that you select. The n value, which is stored in the registry, allows you to specify tasks for Disk Cleanup to run. The n value can be any integer value from 0 to 65535. To have all of the options available when you use the /sageset option, you might need to specify the drive where Windows is installed.
/sagerun: n - This option runs the specified tasks that are assigned to the n value if you use the \sageset option.
For example, in Scheduled Tasks, you could run the following command after you run the cleanmgr /sageset:11 command:
cleanmgr /sagerun:11
This command runs Disk Cleanup and includes the options that you specified with the cleanmgr /sageset:11 command.
To start the Disk Cleanup tool, either run the Cleanmgr.exe command, or click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup.
Disk Cleanup supports the following command-line options:
/d driveletter: - This option specifies the drive that you want Disk Cleanup to clean.
/sageset: n - This option displays the Disk Cleanup Settings dialog box and also creates a registry key to store the settings that you select. The n value, which is stored in the registry, allows you to specify tasks for Disk Cleanup to run. The n value can be any integer value from 0 to 65535. To have all of the options available when you use the /sageset option, you might need to specify the drive where Windows is installed.
/sagerun: n - This option runs the specified tasks that are assigned to the n value if you use the \sageset option.
For example, in Scheduled Tasks, you could run the following command after you run the cleanmgr /sageset:11 command:
cleanmgr /sagerun:11
This command runs Disk Cleanup and includes the options that you specified with the cleanmgr /sageset:11 command.
ASPI Drivers
I have had some bad times trying to get CD/DVD programmes working with XP. This was down to the ASPI drivers which I have now downloaded and installed. PowerDVD, AudioCatalyst and a few others now work how they were meant to.
Click Here to download the ASPI drivers from Adaptec
Click Here to download the ASPI drivers from Adaptec
Application Defrag
This type of defrag pushes all commonly used programs and boot files to the edge of the hard drive for faster access. Windows XP normally schedules this every three days when it is idle, however you can force it to do this by using the b switch anytime
i.e defrag c: -b
i.e defrag c: -b
Adjust Graphics for Speed
Windows XP has a lot of new cool looking visual elements, however, those new elements take up more RAM and cause your computer to be less responsive. By tweaking your graphics settings, you can increase the performance of your computer.
To get started, Let's reduce the color quality. This setting determines how many colors are displayed on your screen.
Right click on your desktop and select properties.
Click on the settings tab and adjust the color quality drop down box to Medium (16 Bit).
Click OK.
Next, let's use the windows performance settings to optimize your computer for performance. This will revert back to the old Windows 2000 look as well as take away a lot of the fancy graphics effects. However, if you are really into performance, this is the price you have to pay.
Right click on the My Computer icon on your desktop or in your start panel and select properties.
Next, Click on the Advanced tab and hit the setting button under performance.
On the visual effects tab, select Adjust for Best Performance and hit OK.
Hit OK once more to exit system properties.
Now your computer will run slightly faster!
To get started, Let's reduce the color quality. This setting determines how many colors are displayed on your screen.
Right click on your desktop and select properties.
Click on the settings tab and adjust the color quality drop down box to Medium (16 Bit).
Click OK.
Next, let's use the windows performance settings to optimize your computer for performance. This will revert back to the old Windows 2000 look as well as take away a lot of the fancy graphics effects. However, if you are really into performance, this is the price you have to pay.
Right click on the My Computer icon on your desktop or in your start panel and select properties.
Next, Click on the Advanced tab and hit the setting button under performance.
On the visual effects tab, select Adjust for Best Performance and hit OK.
Hit OK once more to exit system properties.
Now your computer will run slightly faster!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
I hear Windows XP must be "activated." What's that?
Activation is a form of copy protection, in which each copy of XP must be turned on by registering it with Microsoft. The copy of Windows XP is then uniquely associated with a particular computer, thus preventing pirating of the operating system by using the same disk to upgrade multiple machines.
This is highly controversial, to say the least. The valid reason is that activation can break and require reactivation, which can be inconvenient. The bogus reason is that people raise the valid issue--and make a big deal about it--because they want to freely copy commercial software.
Microsoft has responded to user concerns, it says, by making activation as seamless as possible. New hardware with XP pre-installed doesn't require activation and should never require reactivation, even if significant changes are made to the hardware configuration.
Upgraders will have to activate their software when it is installed; typically, this is done automatically over the Internet or alternatively over the telephone. Microsoft says it's significantly raised the threshold of hardware changes required to force reactivation (which occurs if there are enough changes that XP thinks it's been copied to a new computer).
Probably, Microsoft has been sensitized to this issue, and we'll see how it works out once customers start upgrading to XP en masse. We think people whose real issue is a desire to steal software have blown people's fears of OS activation out of proportion.
By the way, Microsoft will be selling--at a 10 to 15 percent discount--additional OS licenses to users who'd like to use the same original disk to install Windows XP on multiple machines.
This is highly controversial, to say the least. The valid reason is that activation can break and require reactivation, which can be inconvenient. The bogus reason is that people raise the valid issue--and make a big deal about it--because they want to freely copy commercial software.
Microsoft has responded to user concerns, it says, by making activation as seamless as possible. New hardware with XP pre-installed doesn't require activation and should never require reactivation, even if significant changes are made to the hardware configuration.
Upgraders will have to activate their software when it is installed; typically, this is done automatically over the Internet or alternatively over the telephone. Microsoft says it's significantly raised the threshold of hardware changes required to force reactivation (which occurs if there are enough changes that XP thinks it's been copied to a new computer).
Probably, Microsoft has been sensitized to this issue, and we'll see how it works out once customers start upgrading to XP en masse. We think people whose real issue is a desire to steal software have blown people's fears of OS activation out of proportion.
By the way, Microsoft will be selling--at a 10 to 15 percent discount--additional OS licenses to users who'd like to use the same original disk to install Windows XP on multiple machines.
Disc Cleanup hangs
When I run Disk Clean Up, it gets to the first three bars when checking the files (status bar says "compress old files") and then just hangs there? If I close it down and run it again, then it just never comes up at all.
Solution
From Microsoft KB 812248
1.Click Start, and then click Run.
2.Type regedit in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
3.Locate, and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\VolumeCaches
4.On the File menu, click Export, and then click Desktop, type VolumeCaches in the File name box, and then click Save.
Note This step creates a backup of the VolumeCaches registry key. If you experience any problems after you complete the steps that are listed in this procedure, you can use this backup to restore the VolumeCaches key to its original state. To restore the key, double-click the VolumeCaches.reg file on your desktop, and then click Yes.
5.Expand the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\VolumeCaches
6.Delete the Compress old files registry key.
7.Quit Registry Editor.
Or, The Disk Cleanup Tool Stops Responding:
Solution
From Microsoft KB 812248
1.Click Start, and then click Run.
2.Type regedit in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
3.Locate, and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\VolumeCaches
4.On the File menu, click Export, and then click Desktop, type VolumeCaches in the File name box, and then click Save.
Note This step creates a backup of the VolumeCaches registry key. If you experience any problems after you complete the steps that are listed in this procedure, you can use this backup to restore the VolumeCaches key to its original state. To restore the key, double-click the VolumeCaches.reg file on your desktop, and then click Yes.
5.Expand the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\VolumeCaches
6.Delete the Compress old files registry key.
7.Quit Registry Editor.
Or, The Disk Cleanup Tool Stops Responding:
How do I stop pop-ups including Messenger spam?
Pop-Ups are due to either Messenger Service, are embedded on web pages, or may even be part of a spyware program that you have installed. If they are due to Messenger Service you may either disable it or block the open ports. Note that disabling Messenger Service is only a temporary fix and doesn't address the real problem. Or, they may just be pop ups for automatic updates to OE or WinXP.
[Source - bootdisk.com]
Note that Messenger Service is different than Windows Messenger. This section deals with Messenger Service.
To disable Messenger Service see these links:
link 1
link 2
To block the ports to prevent spammers from sending you ads via Messenger Service read below:
If they say messenger service in the title bar, these have nothing to do with MSN messenger or Windows messenger.What this is a new way for spammers to attack your computer and send you pop-up ads. If you receive these ads it means that your computers netbios ports are wide open to the internet and this could be a real security problem.
What you should do is install a good firewall that will block the ports the spammers use and stop the ads. A good place to start is Zone Alarm [www.zonelabs.com] for an inbound/outbound blocking firewall or use the inbound blocking only firewall built in to XP. Configure the XP firewall to block ports 135, 137-139 and 445. Zone Alarm will block these ports by default. [Thanks purplehaz03]
The issue is that currently ANYONE can actually send you a message through the .NET Messenger network without being on YOUR contact list! You can change this so that people will have to add you to their contact lists before they can send you a message (which will have the effect of blocking these Spam messages in the future).
To Disable Messenger Service Spam - simply Open up the main Messenger window, click Tools, then Options, then the Privacy tab, click All users and then click the Block button. This way you can manually add who you want to receive messages from and block all others. [Thanks Taurarian]
Microsoft has some articles as well:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=330904
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/comm
unicate/stopspam.asp
Another option to manage the Messenger Service is to use a tiny utility called Shoot The Messenger.
Note that ShootTheMessenger is just a toggle switch that turns Messenger Service Off/On. One should still block the ports as noted earlier.
If the popups are are website based one may install a Pop-Up Stopper. A list of these type of utilities are listed for download on the Utilities Page under Popup Stoppers And Web Filters.
If your pop-ups are due to spyware, one can find such ware and disable it by using Ad-Adware or Spybot, both of which and more links can also be found under Anti-Spyware on the Utilities Page.
If due to automatic updates to OE or WinXP check Start | Settings | Control Panel | System | Automatic Updates and change it.
As things move on however more web browsers and/or add-on toolbars include anti-popup functions for popups and popunders coded into webpages.
[Source - bootdisk.com]
Note that Messenger Service is different than Windows Messenger. This section deals with Messenger Service.
To disable Messenger Service see these links:
link 1
link 2
To block the ports to prevent spammers from sending you ads via Messenger Service read below:
If they say messenger service in the title bar, these have nothing to do with MSN messenger or Windows messenger.What this is a new way for spammers to attack your computer and send you pop-up ads. If you receive these ads it means that your computers netbios ports are wide open to the internet and this could be a real security problem.
What you should do is install a good firewall that will block the ports the spammers use and stop the ads. A good place to start is Zone Alarm [www.zonelabs.com] for an inbound/outbound blocking firewall or use the inbound blocking only firewall built in to XP. Configure the XP firewall to block ports 135, 137-139 and 445. Zone Alarm will block these ports by default. [Thanks purplehaz03]
The issue is that currently ANYONE can actually send you a message through the .NET Messenger network without being on YOUR contact list! You can change this so that people will have to add you to their contact lists before they can send you a message (which will have the effect of blocking these Spam messages in the future).
To Disable Messenger Service Spam - simply Open up the main Messenger window, click Tools, then Options, then the Privacy tab, click All users and then click the Block button. This way you can manually add who you want to receive messages from and block all others. [Thanks Taurarian]
Microsoft has some articles as well:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=330904
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/comm
unicate/stopspam.asp
Another option to manage the Messenger Service is to use a tiny utility called Shoot The Messenger.
Note that ShootTheMessenger is just a toggle switch that turns Messenger Service Off/On. One should still block the ports as noted earlier.
If the popups are are website based one may install a Pop-Up Stopper. A list of these type of utilities are listed for download on the Utilities Page under Popup Stoppers And Web Filters.
If your pop-ups are due to spyware, one can find such ware and disable it by using Ad-Adware or Spybot, both of which and more links can also be found under Anti-Spyware on the Utilities Page.
If due to automatic updates to OE or WinXP check Start | Settings | Control Panel | System | Automatic Updates and change it.
As things move on however more web browsers and/or add-on toolbars include anti-popup functions for popups and popunders coded into webpages.
How do I repair Internet Explorer in Windows XP?
The ability to Repair Internet Explorer does not exist in the version that ships with Windows XP. This feature only becomes available after you upgrade to a newer version. This is normal and has been this way since Windows 98 and IE4.
However, you can reinstall IE in Windows XP by clicking Start, Run and entering the following command:
rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 %windir%\Inf\ie.inf
Note: You will need to have your XP CD available.
Some people have problems with the command line above. A small VB Script that will execute the command for you can be downloaded here. Save the file to your hard drive and double click it to run IE Setup.
How to Reinstall or Repair Internet Explorer and Outlook Express in Windows XP (Q318378)
here
However, you can reinstall IE in Windows XP by clicking Start, Run and entering the following command:
rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 %windir%\Inf\ie.inf
Note: You will need to have your XP CD available.
Some people have problems with the command line above. A small VB Script that will execute the command for you can be downloaded here. Save the file to your hard drive and double click it to run IE Setup.
How to Reinstall or Repair Internet Explorer and Outlook Express in Windows XP (Q318378)
here
How do I turn on automatic logon xp feature?
If you are the only one who uses your XP machine logging in every time can be a pain in the rear. Here is a tiny adjustment that will automate the process.
Here's how to turn this feature on....
1) Go to the Start Menu and the Run box.
2) Type in the following:
control userpasswords2
now click OK
3) In the new Windows that appears select the account you wish to make the primary logon.
Now uncheck the "Users must enter a user name and password..." box.
4) Click Apply and a dialog box will appear asking you to confirm the selected users password.
Click OK when you are done!
That's it! You are now finished..... No more logging in!
Here's how to turn this feature on....
1) Go to the Start Menu and the Run box.
2) Type in the following:
control userpasswords2
now click OK
3) In the new Windows that appears select the account you wish to make the primary logon.
Now uncheck the "Users must enter a user name and password..." box.
4) Click Apply and a dialog box will appear asking you to confirm the selected users password.
Click OK when you are done!
That's it! You are now finished..... No more logging in!
Fine Tune XP for a Speed Boost
Ever wonder what Microsoft Windows XP is doing while you're using your word processor or browsing on the Internet? Windows XP actually uses a whole suite of applications to provide its rich levels of functionality, and virtually everything you take for granted is controlled by one of the individually configurable components of your operating system, all know as Services.
These system services include network connectivity, system security, automatic updates and even the ability to log in.
Service Management Computers are no different from people when it comes to performing more than one task at a time: the more plates you try to spin, the more each plate will slow until a critical point when the entire system overloads and crashes to the floor.
The difference, however, is that Windows XP relies on processor performance, RAM and available disk space to cope with this multi-tasking problem. As long as it doesn't run out of resources, things should tick over nicely.
Unfortunately, problems do start to appear when your resources run low; your applications, such as Microsoft Word, then begin to suffer as a result of these higher priority services sapping the strength of Windows XP. There are over 100 built-in system services installed by default with Windows XP Professional Edition and Service Pack 2 (a few less with Windows XP Home Edition) and this is before you load any additional applications that might also create their own services.
Anti-virus products, for example, install at least one extra service, and some install up to three. With all these services using up your system's ability to run your applications, how can you do any work without upgrading? The answer is simple: disable any unnecessary services, thus freeing up the resources they were using.
Wheat from the chaff
The complete list of services supplied with Windows XP will undoubtedly benefit you if you're a business user and have used Windows XP in a domain environment where the Net Logon service is actually used by the operating system to authenticate users to a domain controller. There are many services such as this in Windows XP that can actually be disabled to stop them from booting automatically when the system starts up, thereby freeing valuable system resources that could otherwise be used by a faltering program.
The trick to streamlining your system is in deciding which of the system services are critical to your level of operation and which you can live without. You can experiment by disabling services and finding out in greater detail what each one does and how it affects your performance, but it's best to start by looking at the safer options that could make a difference - it's not worth taking risks with your PC.
First principles
Services can be set to one of three modes: automatic, manual or disabled. If a service is set to start automatically then it starts with your system. If it's set to Manual, you can go into the Service Management Console and simply right click on it, then choose start.
Technically, services set to Manual can also be started by Windows XP if it needs them, but this is rarely the case. To completely stop a service from running it can be set to Disabled. The only way to reverse this is to go into the Service Manager and change the setting back to manual or automatic again.
You should familiarize yourself with the interface before proceeding. Click on Start> Control Panel, then select Administrative Tools, and double-click on Services. You'll quickly get an idea of which services
are running and whether they are set to start automatically, manually or if I they're disabled. Click the name of the service listed as I being the Computer Browser. If you are using a stand alone system or even a network of systems, only one of those needs to be a
computer browser. You could: switch off the Computer Browser service by setting it to disabled, only re-enabling it if you really need to.
Experiment with the following services: Error Reporting, Help and Support, Indexing Service, Logical Disk Manager, Net
Logon, NetMeeting, Remote Desktop Sharing, Network provisioning Service, Performance Logs and Alerts, Portable Media Serial Number Service, QoS RSVP, Remote Desktop Help Session Manager, Secondary Logon, Server, Smart Card and TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Service.
These system services include network connectivity, system security, automatic updates and even the ability to log in.
Service Management Computers are no different from people when it comes to performing more than one task at a time: the more plates you try to spin, the more each plate will slow until a critical point when the entire system overloads and crashes to the floor.
The difference, however, is that Windows XP relies on processor performance, RAM and available disk space to cope with this multi-tasking problem. As long as it doesn't run out of resources, things should tick over nicely.
Unfortunately, problems do start to appear when your resources run low; your applications, such as Microsoft Word, then begin to suffer as a result of these higher priority services sapping the strength of Windows XP. There are over 100 built-in system services installed by default with Windows XP Professional Edition and Service Pack 2 (a few less with Windows XP Home Edition) and this is before you load any additional applications that might also create their own services.
Anti-virus products, for example, install at least one extra service, and some install up to three. With all these services using up your system's ability to run your applications, how can you do any work without upgrading? The answer is simple: disable any unnecessary services, thus freeing up the resources they were using.
Wheat from the chaff
The complete list of services supplied with Windows XP will undoubtedly benefit you if you're a business user and have used Windows XP in a domain environment where the Net Logon service is actually used by the operating system to authenticate users to a domain controller. There are many services such as this in Windows XP that can actually be disabled to stop them from booting automatically when the system starts up, thereby freeing valuable system resources that could otherwise be used by a faltering program.
The trick to streamlining your system is in deciding which of the system services are critical to your level of operation and which you can live without. You can experiment by disabling services and finding out in greater detail what each one does and how it affects your performance, but it's best to start by looking at the safer options that could make a difference - it's not worth taking risks with your PC.
First principles
Services can be set to one of three modes: automatic, manual or disabled. If a service is set to start automatically then it starts with your system. If it's set to Manual, you can go into the Service Management Console and simply right click on it, then choose start.
Technically, services set to Manual can also be started by Windows XP if it needs them, but this is rarely the case. To completely stop a service from running it can be set to Disabled. The only way to reverse this is to go into the Service Manager and change the setting back to manual or automatic again.
You should familiarize yourself with the interface before proceeding. Click on Start> Control Panel, then select Administrative Tools, and double-click on Services. You'll quickly get an idea of which services
are running and whether they are set to start automatically, manually or if I they're disabled. Click the name of the service listed as I being the Computer Browser. If you are using a stand alone system or even a network of systems, only one of those needs to be a
computer browser. You could: switch off the Computer Browser service by setting it to disabled, only re-enabling it if you really need to.
Experiment with the following services: Error Reporting, Help and Support, Indexing Service, Logical Disk Manager, Net
Logon, NetMeeting, Remote Desktop Sharing, Network provisioning Service, Performance Logs and Alerts, Portable Media Serial Number Service, QoS RSVP, Remote Desktop Help Session Manager, Secondary Logon, Server, Smart Card and TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Service.
XP file command speed boost
Would you like to speed up normal file commands like open, close, etc.? After all every bit of speed increase helps, right?
Here's how.
Windows XP keeps a record of all files on the hard disk so when you do a search on the hard drive it is faster. There is a downside to this and because the computer has to index all files, it will slow down normal file commands like open, close, etc. If you do not do a whole lot of searches on your hard drive then I suggest turning this feature off:
1. Control Panel
2. Administrative Tools
3. Services
4. Scroll to Indexing Services. Under Startup type select Disable.
5. Click OK
That's it!
Here's how.
Windows XP keeps a record of all files on the hard disk so when you do a search on the hard drive it is faster. There is a downside to this and because the computer has to index all files, it will slow down normal file commands like open, close, etc. If you do not do a whole lot of searches on your hard drive then I suggest turning this feature off:
1. Control Panel
2. Administrative Tools
3. Services
4. Scroll to Indexing Services. Under Startup type select Disable.
5. Click OK
That's it!
Speed up XP's menu display
When using the start menu you'll notice a delay between different tiers of the menu hierarchy. For the fastest computer experience possible we recommend...
...changing this value to zero. This will allow the different tiers to appear instantly.
1. Start Regedit. Click Start, and then click Run >
> Type regedit in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
3. Select MenuShowDelay from the list on the right.
4. Right on it and select Modify.
5. Change the value to 0
6. Reboot your computer.
Note: A setting of zero (0) is virtually instantaneous - experiment with other settings (200 or 300 or 400 perhaps) to see what you are most comfortable with.
...changing this value to zero. This will allow the different tiers to appear instantly.
1. Start Regedit. Click Start, and then click Run >
> Type regedit in the Open box, and then press ENTER.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
3. Select MenuShowDelay from the list on the right.
4. Right on it and select Modify.
5. Change the value to 0
6. Reboot your computer.
Note: A setting of zero (0) is virtually instantaneous - experiment with other settings (200 or 300 or 400 perhaps) to see what you are most comfortable with.
Free Windows XP Tools
FREE Antivirus Software... FREE FireWall... FREE Ad-aware...
FREE Antivirus Software...
The FREE AVG software http://free.grisoft.com
Another recommended FREE Antivirus product is the Avast Home Edition ver 4 available at: http://www.avast.com
FREE FireWall...
There is a Firewall capability within Windows XP (to be improved in XP Service Pack 2).
However you may want to consider something a little bit more robust for your PC. Here are THREE FREE FireWall software programs I personally recommend:
Zone Alarm Look for the FREE version
Kerio Personal Firewall - Limited Personal Edition - Free for Personal Use
Sygate Personal Firewall - version 5.5 is Free for Personal Use
NOTE: Sygate Personal Firewall 5.5 is free for personal/home use, serial number and registration code are not required to register the program. The text at the top of the linked page is misleading because it states “Welcome to our downloads section. You can download and evaluate Sygate software for a full 30 days to see if it suits your need(s). After the 30 day trial period, you can continue using the software by purchasing a license key to unlock it…” The statement refers only to the Pro version, not to the free personal version.
But if you have the spare cash then PLEASE take a serious look at purchasing the "Professional" versions. But if you can not afford it then at least download the FREE version!
Free Ad-aware
Ad-Aware is designed to provide advanced protection from known Data-mining, aggressive advertising, Parasites, Scumware, selected traditional Trojans, Dialers, Malware, Browser hijackers, and tracking components. With the release of Ad-Aware SE Personal edition.
FREE Antivirus Software...
The FREE AVG software http://free.grisoft.com
Another recommended FREE Antivirus product is the Avast Home Edition ver 4 available at: http://www.avast.com
FREE FireWall...
There is a Firewall capability within Windows XP (to be improved in XP Service Pack 2).
However you may want to consider something a little bit more robust for your PC. Here are THREE FREE FireWall software programs I personally recommend:
Zone Alarm Look for the FREE version
Kerio Personal Firewall - Limited Personal Edition - Free for Personal Use
Sygate Personal Firewall - version 5.5 is Free for Personal Use
NOTE: Sygate Personal Firewall 5.5 is free for personal/home use, serial number and registration code are not required to register the program. The text at the top of the linked page is misleading because it states “Welcome to our downloads section. You can download and evaluate Sygate software for a full 30 days to see if it suits your need(s). After the 30 day trial period, you can continue using the software by purchasing a license key to unlock it…” The statement refers only to the Pro version, not to the free personal version.
But if you have the spare cash then PLEASE take a serious look at purchasing the "Professional" versions. But if you can not afford it then at least download the FREE version!
Free Ad-aware
Ad-Aware is designed to provide advanced protection from known Data-mining, aggressive advertising, Parasites, Scumware, selected traditional Trojans, Dialers, Malware, Browser hijackers, and tracking components. With the release of Ad-Aware SE Personal edition.
Boost performance through My Computer
Pretty easy tweak, if, you know where to look. Truth is, most people never find this on their own.
So here it is:
1) Start > Right Click on My Computer and select properties.
2) Click on the "Advanced" tab
3) See the "Performance" section? Click "Settings"
4) Disable all or some of the following:
Fade out menu items after clicking
Show Shadows under menus
Fade or slide menus into view
Slide open combo boxes
Slide taskbar buttons
Fade or slide ToolTips into view
Use a background image for each folder type
Use common tasks in folders
There, now Windows still look good and perform faster.
So here it is:
1) Start > Right Click on My Computer and select properties.
2) Click on the "Advanced" tab
3) See the "Performance" section? Click "Settings"
4) Disable all or some of the following:
Fade out menu items after clicking
Show Shadows under menus
Fade or slide menus into view
Slide open combo boxes
Slide taskbar buttons
Fade or slide ToolTips into view
Use a background image for each folder type
Use common tasks in folders
There, now Windows still look good and perform faster.
Using Microsoft Regedit
The Microsoft Registry Editor (regedit.exe) enables you to view, search for, and change settings in your system registry, which contains information about how your computer runs.
Although you can use Registry Editor to inspect and modify the registry, doing so is not recommended, as making incorrect changes can damage your system.
You might need to use Registry Editor, with assistance from a technical support professional, in order to adjust certain system settings.
Regedit.exe is automatically installed during setup and is stored in same folder as is Windows.
To start Regedit.exe
1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type Regedit, and then click OK.
Although you can use Registry Editor to inspect and modify the registry, doing so is not recommended, as making incorrect changes can damage your system.
You might need to use Registry Editor, with assistance from a technical support professional, in order to adjust certain system settings.
Regedit.exe is automatically installed during setup and is stored in same folder as is Windows.
To start Regedit.exe
1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type Regedit, and then click OK.
Protecting Your PC Against Identity Theft
The Internet is a scary place these days and just accessing it can put you at great risk. Identity Theft scams that enter your email disguised as mail from eBay or PayPal aren't your only enemy.
Thieves have been trying to get you via your e-mail for many years and you probably know all about antivirus software and how to check for an authentic site.
If you don't have any antivirus software, you need to get one. I recommend Trend Micro. The updates are automatic and timely plus it catches ALL the nasty viruses quickly.
What you may not know is that many sites are depositing some very nasty spyware onto your computer from your browser and your HTML enabled email. This spyware is beginning to get worse than those viruses. Most viruses are trying to use your computer to generate denial of service (DOS) attacks on companies and web sites they may not like.
Most viruses really leave your computer alone, except for storing code that will used in coordinated DOS attacks.
Spyware, on the hand is out to hijack your passwords, your browser, computer and steal your identity.
Unfortunately, if you use Internet Explorer, Outlook or Outlook Express, flaws in them will still allow these spyware agents to infest your computer.
Unfortunately, there's still another way your computer information can be hijacked. Anyone connecting to the internet is at risk and the most at risk are those with the high speed connections we all covet. Hijackers will call random computer addresses and connect to them via protocol ports that your computer needs to access networks. High speed connects are always on and typical have a static address.
Once they have found an unprotected computer's static address, they can send software to run on your computer without your knowledge. This software can be used for example to record every key stroke you make and send it to them. This makes any encryption you may use or relying on secure sites useless.
In order to protect yourself from these attacks, you need to have a firewall on your computer. A firewall can make your computer invisible to these attackers. Being invisible means that they won't be able to find you and they can't attach to something they can't find. Invisible is a good when it comes to the internet.
In conclusion, I want you to be aware that malicious hackers will continue to find ways around any security you or your operating system may implement. However, know that anything you can do is far better than doing nothing.
Computer Security
Ensure that you have established basic security measures for your computer. If possible, do not store information such as banking data and credit card information on your computer, and if you do, encrypt it. This will ensure that, even if someone does access your computer, they can't access the data. Wilders.org maintains a download site where you can obtain free encryption tools.
Use good passwords.
The failure to use good passwords is one of the most common mistakes that people make . It may be easier to remember a password based on a standard English word, pet name or birthdate, but it also means that they are easier to break. It is important to ensure you follow a few basic guidelines when establishing passwords for all of your computer programs, bank cards, e-mail and dial up accounts.
They are as follows:
Do not use passwords based on standard words found in the dictionary. These are the first words that password breaking programs will attempt and with the ability to try 10's to 1000's of words a minute, it may not take long to figure out.
Using both upper and lower case letters and punctuation/shift keys. It is generally recommended that you keep passwords to a minimum 6-8 characters in length. Try to make the characters random, for example: !s2g4$w3 or $barglr33$
Protect your Passwords.
Once you've actually taken the time and effort to protect your programs and information with good passwords, it would be a good idea to keep those passwords safe from prying eyes and fingers.
Don't write your passwords down, if possible. If you must write them down, do it in such a way that you don't give away what the password actually is or what program it is for. Encode it in a way that you and you alone understand.
Do not store passwords on your computer if you intend to retain any measure of security. Often passwords are stored in simple text files that can easily be accessed by people sitting at your computer, or if someone managed to access your system remotely. If you insist on doing so, you may wish to look at file encryption software, such as the free tools offered on this page at Wilders.org.
Personal Information in Programs
This is specifically relating to those programs that you generally plug your name and other personal information into when setting them up.
Follow the tips in the previous sections for e-mail, newsgroups, browsers, and chat to ensure you have maximum online privacy. Ensure that your name and other identifying information is not shown in the set up areas of any of these programs and that you do not enter personal information into websites requesting it if you have any hesitations.
Don't let web sites force you into entering highly personal information (that would include a birth date, etc..); many privacy advocates suggest making information up if it simply isn't required by the website. (E.g. A website for strictly online activities, such as games or e-mail, demanding a street address and telephone number)
In the United States, be absolutely sure to visit the Federal Trade Commission's site discussing the protection of personal information in relation to DMV's, Credit Bureaus and Direct Marketers. The information on this site is vital.
Thieves have been trying to get you via your e-mail for many years and you probably know all about antivirus software and how to check for an authentic site.
If you don't have any antivirus software, you need to get one. I recommend Trend Micro. The updates are automatic and timely plus it catches ALL the nasty viruses quickly.
What you may not know is that many sites are depositing some very nasty spyware onto your computer from your browser and your HTML enabled email. This spyware is beginning to get worse than those viruses. Most viruses are trying to use your computer to generate denial of service (DOS) attacks on companies and web sites they may not like.
Most viruses really leave your computer alone, except for storing code that will used in coordinated DOS attacks.
Spyware, on the hand is out to hijack your passwords, your browser, computer and steal your identity.
Unfortunately, if you use Internet Explorer, Outlook or Outlook Express, flaws in them will still allow these spyware agents to infest your computer.
Unfortunately, there's still another way your computer information can be hijacked. Anyone connecting to the internet is at risk and the most at risk are those with the high speed connections we all covet. Hijackers will call random computer addresses and connect to them via protocol ports that your computer needs to access networks. High speed connects are always on and typical have a static address.
Once they have found an unprotected computer's static address, they can send software to run on your computer without your knowledge. This software can be used for example to record every key stroke you make and send it to them. This makes any encryption you may use or relying on secure sites useless.
In order to protect yourself from these attacks, you need to have a firewall on your computer. A firewall can make your computer invisible to these attackers. Being invisible means that they won't be able to find you and they can't attach to something they can't find. Invisible is a good when it comes to the internet.
In conclusion, I want you to be aware that malicious hackers will continue to find ways around any security you or your operating system may implement. However, know that anything you can do is far better than doing nothing.
Computer Security
Ensure that you have established basic security measures for your computer. If possible, do not store information such as banking data and credit card information on your computer, and if you do, encrypt it. This will ensure that, even if someone does access your computer, they can't access the data. Wilders.org maintains a download site where you can obtain free encryption tools.
Use good passwords.
The failure to use good passwords is one of the most common mistakes that people make . It may be easier to remember a password based on a standard English word, pet name or birthdate, but it also means that they are easier to break. It is important to ensure you follow a few basic guidelines when establishing passwords for all of your computer programs, bank cards, e-mail and dial up accounts.
They are as follows:
Do not use passwords based on standard words found in the dictionary. These are the first words that password breaking programs will attempt and with the ability to try 10's to 1000's of words a minute, it may not take long to figure out.
Using both upper and lower case letters and punctuation/shift keys. It is generally recommended that you keep passwords to a minimum 6-8 characters in length. Try to make the characters random, for example: !s2g4$w3 or $barglr33$
Protect your Passwords.
Once you've actually taken the time and effort to protect your programs and information with good passwords, it would be a good idea to keep those passwords safe from prying eyes and fingers.
Don't write your passwords down, if possible. If you must write them down, do it in such a way that you don't give away what the password actually is or what program it is for. Encode it in a way that you and you alone understand.
Do not store passwords on your computer if you intend to retain any measure of security. Often passwords are stored in simple text files that can easily be accessed by people sitting at your computer, or if someone managed to access your system remotely. If you insist on doing so, you may wish to look at file encryption software, such as the free tools offered on this page at Wilders.org.
Personal Information in Programs
This is specifically relating to those programs that you generally plug your name and other personal information into when setting them up.
Follow the tips in the previous sections for e-mail, newsgroups, browsers, and chat to ensure you have maximum online privacy. Ensure that your name and other identifying information is not shown in the set up areas of any of these programs and that you do not enter personal information into websites requesting it if you have any hesitations.
Don't let web sites force you into entering highly personal information (that would include a birth date, etc..); many privacy advocates suggest making information up if it simply isn't required by the website. (E.g. A website for strictly online activities, such as games or e-mail, demanding a street address and telephone number)
In the United States, be absolutely sure to visit the Federal Trade Commission's site discussing the protection of personal information in relation to DMV's, Credit Bureaus and Direct Marketers. The information on this site is vital.
Antivirus and Security Tips
What is a virus?
Simply put, a virus is a type of software that "infects" a computer. It's typically inserted into a program, and when that program is executed, the virus activates and attaches itself to other programs in your PC. Viruses can be a simple prank--an annoying pop-up message or blue screen, for instance--but too often a virus is a malicious attempt to outright destroy data and programs.
There are several different types of viruses, but they all have a common thread that you should remember: Viruses aren't actually attached to data; they must be run in some form to infect a PC or its data.
For instance, boot viruses are stored on floppies and infect a PC when the floppy is left in the drive during boot. Upon startup, the virus launches and then spreads to other floppies and wipes out data. Macro viruses are hidden within documents or data, and unleashed when the macro is run. Viruses also commonly come in the form of Web downloads and e-mail attachments, embedded in EXE, VBScript or database files.
But no matter what form it's disguised in, the virus must be triggered in order to run. So if you receive an e-mail attachment with a virus, for instance, as long as you don't open (run) the message, you should be safe. Delete the message immediately if you suspect a virus.
Viruses can infect and destroy immediately, or launch on a specified date. They can affect single desktops, or spread to entire networks, servers and Web sites. While many viruses are simply pranks or annoyances, others are more complex and their effects can be devastating.
Viruses can obliterate data, corrupt programs so that they no longer run, stall servers with e-mail bombs, and--in the case of the "I Love You" worm virus--replace files, steal passwords and infect address books as it propagates itself.
1. Secure your e-mail client against running unwanted scripts.
2. Scan your computers at least weekly to make sure they aren't harboring viruses or worms. Trend Micro's virus scanner, which uses a small "in-the-wild" virus list, will do a quick job of this. If you want a thorough virus scan or virus repairs we suggest Trend Micro for complete safety.
3. Keep your AntiVirus software up-to-date. AntiVirus software vendors update their virus lists on a regular basis. Make sure you visit your vendor's Web site at least once a week to download the update. Most virus software offers an auto-update feature which will grab the updates for you; make sure this feature is enabled (if available) in your software.
4. Avoid running attachments (especially .EXE files) that come in your e-mail, even if they come from your friends, relatives or colleagues. The warped minds now writing e-mail viruses will do their best to lure you into running their viruses and worms by making them look like love letters, jokes or pornography. Once you or one of your friends succumbs to this temptation, the script will mail itself to everyone on that computer's address list.
5. Make frequent backups of your data files, and keep some of your backups out of your computer. We like to burn CD-R backup discs on a regular schedule; CD-RW and Zip discs also work well.
6. Ensure that your operating system and your software is up-to-date with all of the latest security patches. To apply the latest Microsoft Security Patches.
7. Use a software and a hardware firewall: If you have broadband Internet service--even if you have Zone Labs' free ZoneAlarm or some other software firewall active on your PC--you can't be too safe. Belkin, D-Link, Linksys, and other vendors sell inexpensive broadband gateways that bounce back worm attacks that otherwise would reach your computer.
8. Control what starts up with Windows: Many worms place a reference to themselves in a portion of the Windows Registry that defines what programs start up with Windows. The TeaTimer applet that comes bundled with Spybot Search & Destroy 1.3 and with WinPatrol can control what gets added to this list. TeaTimer asks you to verify any program that seeks to be added to that list. Spybot and WinPatrol are free, so why not use both?
Simply put, a virus is a type of software that "infects" a computer. It's typically inserted into a program, and when that program is executed, the virus activates and attaches itself to other programs in your PC. Viruses can be a simple prank--an annoying pop-up message or blue screen, for instance--but too often a virus is a malicious attempt to outright destroy data and programs.
There are several different types of viruses, but they all have a common thread that you should remember: Viruses aren't actually attached to data; they must be run in some form to infect a PC or its data.
For instance, boot viruses are stored on floppies and infect a PC when the floppy is left in the drive during boot. Upon startup, the virus launches and then spreads to other floppies and wipes out data. Macro viruses are hidden within documents or data, and unleashed when the macro is run. Viruses also commonly come in the form of Web downloads and e-mail attachments, embedded in EXE, VBScript or database files.
But no matter what form it's disguised in, the virus must be triggered in order to run. So if you receive an e-mail attachment with a virus, for instance, as long as you don't open (run) the message, you should be safe. Delete the message immediately if you suspect a virus.
Viruses can infect and destroy immediately, or launch on a specified date. They can affect single desktops, or spread to entire networks, servers and Web sites. While many viruses are simply pranks or annoyances, others are more complex and their effects can be devastating.
Viruses can obliterate data, corrupt programs so that they no longer run, stall servers with e-mail bombs, and--in the case of the "I Love You" worm virus--replace files, steal passwords and infect address books as it propagates itself.
1. Secure your e-mail client against running unwanted scripts.
2. Scan your computers at least weekly to make sure they aren't harboring viruses or worms. Trend Micro's virus scanner, which uses a small "in-the-wild" virus list, will do a quick job of this. If you want a thorough virus scan or virus repairs we suggest Trend Micro for complete safety.
3. Keep your AntiVirus software up-to-date. AntiVirus software vendors update their virus lists on a regular basis. Make sure you visit your vendor's Web site at least once a week to download the update. Most virus software offers an auto-update feature which will grab the updates for you; make sure this feature is enabled (if available) in your software.
4. Avoid running attachments (especially .EXE files) that come in your e-mail, even if they come from your friends, relatives or colleagues. The warped minds now writing e-mail viruses will do their best to lure you into running their viruses and worms by making them look like love letters, jokes or pornography. Once you or one of your friends succumbs to this temptation, the script will mail itself to everyone on that computer's address list.
5. Make frequent backups of your data files, and keep some of your backups out of your computer. We like to burn CD-R backup discs on a regular schedule; CD-RW and Zip discs also work well.
6. Ensure that your operating system and your software is up-to-date with all of the latest security patches. To apply the latest Microsoft Security Patches.
7. Use a software and a hardware firewall: If you have broadband Internet service--even if you have Zone Labs' free ZoneAlarm or some other software firewall active on your PC--you can't be too safe. Belkin, D-Link, Linksys, and other vendors sell inexpensive broadband gateways that bounce back worm attacks that otherwise would reach your computer.
8. Control what starts up with Windows: Many worms place a reference to themselves in a portion of the Windows Registry that defines what programs start up with Windows. The TeaTimer applet that comes bundled with Spybot Search & Destroy 1.3 and with WinPatrol can control what gets added to this list. TeaTimer asks you to verify any program that seeks to be added to that list. Spybot and WinPatrol are free, so why not use both?
How To Save Time Booting Your Computer
If you're like me you probably get just as frustrated when you boot up your computer because it just seems to take forever. Most of us develop a routine where we turn our computers on and then knowing it's going to take some time busy ourselves with other things.
Here's a way to put an end to all the waiting. In fact, when you press the power switch your computer can now roar to life in just seconds.
By putting your computrer into hibernation mode all the documents and applications that were opened will be exactly the same as they were when you put it into hibernation.
Bottom line:
Now when you start your PC in the moring it's ready almost instantly - NICE!
To set your computer up for hibernation:
- Go to Control Panel and double-click Power Options.
- Click the Hibernate tab and tick Enable Hibernation. Click OK.
- When you leave your computer, click Start and then Turn Off Computer.
- Hold down SHIFT and a new Hibernate option will appear. Click Hibernate.
- Or, press the sleep button on your keyboard.
- Your computer will save its state to memory and shut down. When you turn on your computer, your files and documents will open on your desktop exactly as you left them.
Trust me - This is one cool feature and saves me a ton of time DAILY!
Here's a way to put an end to all the waiting. In fact, when you press the power switch your computer can now roar to life in just seconds.
By putting your computrer into hibernation mode all the documents and applications that were opened will be exactly the same as they were when you put it into hibernation.
Bottom line:
Now when you start your PC in the moring it's ready almost instantly - NICE!
To set your computer up for hibernation:
- Go to Control Panel and double-click Power Options.
- Click the Hibernate tab and tick Enable Hibernation. Click OK.
- When you leave your computer, click Start and then Turn Off Computer.
- Hold down SHIFT and a new Hibernate option will appear. Click Hibernate.
- Or, press the sleep button on your keyboard.
- Your computer will save its state to memory and shut down. When you turn on your computer, your files and documents will open on your desktop exactly as you left them.
Trust me - This is one cool feature and saves me a ton of time DAILY!
50 Percent Increase In Your Computer Speed In Just Five Minutes
Computer operating speed is of concern to almost everyone. In a recent series of tests PC SPY identified several programs that were responsible for the biggest cause of system performance slow downs.
Number one culprit...
Norton Internet Security which was responsible for slowing down the test computer by a staggering 58 percent.
Here are several other offenders...
- 1000 installed fonts
- Kaspersky Internet Security
- Yahoo Messenger
- AOL Instant Messenger
- McAfee Security Center
Removing or disable these programs and you could see a dramatic increase in speed, without spending any money.
Our suggestion
Remove them.
In the case or Norton, replace it with the Free AVG anti Virus security.
Download here
Number one culprit...
Norton Internet Security which was responsible for slowing down the test computer by a staggering 58 percent.
Here are several other offenders...
- 1000 installed fonts
- Kaspersky Internet Security
- Yahoo Messenger
- AOL Instant Messenger
- McAfee Security Center
Removing or disable these programs and you could see a dramatic increase in speed, without spending any money.
Our suggestion
Remove them.
In the case or Norton, replace it with the Free AVG anti Virus security.
Download here
Steps To Dealing With Windows Errors 616
Windows errors are a fact of life for most computer users. Although with each new version, Windows has become a more stable operating system, errors may still occur due to one reason or another. Most of the time, it is not the error, but the complex language of the error message that is most frustrating for the user.
However, even though these error messages may be difficult to understand, in reality, they are the first step to help you identify the cause of the error. You can use these error messages to search for troubleshooting and resolution steps in the Microsoft Knowledgebase and several other third-party websites and message forums. The main goal of these web sites is to help users understand the cause of a particular error and what should be done to resolve the issue. This article covers a few common errors that you may come across while working on your Windows computer and the resolution methods.
Windows Update Error Message: “Error 0x80072EE2”
You may encounter this error message while trying to update your Windows operating system by accessing the Microsoft Windows Update Web site. This error message usually occurs if a program running on your computer is conflicting with the update process. You may also come across the error in case of a network problem. To resolve this issue you may need to do the following:
- Access a website other than Windows update to ensure that your Internet connection is working fine—if your computer is part of a network, you may need to ensure that your computer is able to access the network and your system administrator has provided your user account the permissions needed to access the Internet and download Windows updates.
- If you have a personal firewall installed, check its settings to ensure that they are not preventing the updates from being downloaded and installed.
- Disable download accelerator programs to prevent them from interfering with update downloads.
- Add “Microsoft Update” and “Windows Update” Web sites to the Trusted Sites list in Internet Explorer.
- Remove “Windows Update” and “Microsoft Update” from %windir%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file.
- Clear the configuration information of the WinHTTP proxy.
Error Message: “Setup is unable to proceed due to the following error(s):
The 2007 Microsoft Office system does not support upgrading from a prerelease version of the 2007 Microsoft Office system. You must first uninstall any prerelease versions of the 2007 Microsoft Office system products and associated technologies.
Correct the issue(s) listed above and re-run setup.”
This error message may be displayed when you attempt to install the release version of Office 2007 on your computer. To resolve this issue, you must ensure that you do not have:
- An Office 2007 beta release version on the PC.
- A single component of 2007 beta release version on the PC.
- A single add-on of 2007 beta release version on the PC.
If you find any of these, you must completely remove office 2007 beta release version components before proceeding with Office 2007 release version installation. To get rid of components of the beta release version, you may either use the Add or Remove Programs utility or a reliable third-party program removal tool.
At times, no error message may be displayed and your computer may slow down dramatically making it very difficult for you to work. For instance, users often report svchost.exe vista 100% CPU usage problems. The best way to identify high CPU usage problems is to use the Task Manager. This tool will enable you to identify the process that is consuming large amounts of system resources. You may just need to address issues related to this process to resolve your issues and speed up your PC.
However, even though these error messages may be difficult to understand, in reality, they are the first step to help you identify the cause of the error. You can use these error messages to search for troubleshooting and resolution steps in the Microsoft Knowledgebase and several other third-party websites and message forums. The main goal of these web sites is to help users understand the cause of a particular error and what should be done to resolve the issue. This article covers a few common errors that you may come across while working on your Windows computer and the resolution methods.
Windows Update Error Message: “Error 0x80072EE2”
You may encounter this error message while trying to update your Windows operating system by accessing the Microsoft Windows Update Web site. This error message usually occurs if a program running on your computer is conflicting with the update process. You may also come across the error in case of a network problem. To resolve this issue you may need to do the following:
- Access a website other than Windows update to ensure that your Internet connection is working fine—if your computer is part of a network, you may need to ensure that your computer is able to access the network and your system administrator has provided your user account the permissions needed to access the Internet and download Windows updates.
- If you have a personal firewall installed, check its settings to ensure that they are not preventing the updates from being downloaded and installed.
- Disable download accelerator programs to prevent them from interfering with update downloads.
- Add “Microsoft Update” and “Windows Update” Web sites to the Trusted Sites list in Internet Explorer.
- Remove “Windows Update” and “Microsoft Update” from %windir%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file.
- Clear the configuration information of the WinHTTP proxy.
Error Message: “Setup is unable to proceed due to the following error(s):
The 2007 Microsoft Office system does not support upgrading from a prerelease version of the 2007 Microsoft Office system. You must first uninstall any prerelease versions of the 2007 Microsoft Office system products and associated technologies.
Correct the issue(s) listed above and re-run setup.”
This error message may be displayed when you attempt to install the release version of Office 2007 on your computer. To resolve this issue, you must ensure that you do not have:
- An Office 2007 beta release version on the PC.
- A single component of 2007 beta release version on the PC.
- A single add-on of 2007 beta release version on the PC.
If you find any of these, you must completely remove office 2007 beta release version components before proceeding with Office 2007 release version installation. To get rid of components of the beta release version, you may either use the Add or Remove Programs utility or a reliable third-party program removal tool.
At times, no error message may be displayed and your computer may slow down dramatically making it very difficult for you to work. For instance, users often report svchost.exe vista 100% CPU usage problems. The best way to identify high CPU usage problems is to use the Task Manager. This tool will enable you to identify the process that is consuming large amounts of system resources. You may just need to address issues related to this process to resolve your issues and speed up your PC.
Guidelines For Working With The Windows Registry
Your Windows operating system is dependent on the Windows registry because it contains vital information that is required by your software and hardware to carry out various operations. The registry also contains information on how the system should appear and what should be available to different user accounts on the system.
Configuration data is stored in the form of keys and their values in a hierarchical structure. Registry problems start arising when the registry database gets filled up with too many unwanted, obsolete, orphan, and empty registry keys. A bloated registry gets damaged and fragmented easily. As a result, data access from your registry slows down and you may also start receiving registry errors.
To prevent these issues, there a few simple guidelines that you need to follow while working on your Windows computer.
Backup your Registry
The registry works constantly the entire time your PC is operational. This is the reason why there can be several things that may cause irreversible damage to it and prevent your PC from working normally. To avoid this situation, it is important that you make regular registry backups. When you do this, you can easily restore your registry from the last backup of the working registry. There are many ways in which a registry backup can be made. Let us take a look at some of the most common ways:
- You can use the File > Export command of the Registry Editor tool to export and save registry backup in a .reg file.
- Your Windows makes automatic registry backups daily, when the system restore point is created by the System Restore Vista tool. You can use this tool to make manual restore points before making any major changes to your computer.
- You can opt to use a Windows registry cleaner tool to easily create backups in just a few mouse clicks.
Tweak the Registry Entries
By default, there are several entries in the registry that are configured for a base performance. You can change these settings to speed up various processes, such as display time of menus and modify the prefetch settings. Information about registry tweaks is available on various Windows help sites. So, if you want to speed up your computer, you can search for and implement the tweaks that you can use. However, before making any changes, remember to make a registry backup.
Scan and Clean the Registry
To ensure that your registry stays healthy and error free, it is important that you keep it free from unwarranted entries. To do this, you need to regularly scan and clean the registry. A registry cleaner Vista or XP tool can be used to easily perform these tasks. These tools are designed to perform a thorough and deep scan of the registry database and to weed out all unwanted errors from it. You can also use a good registry tool to defrag the registry. Defragging helps in speeding up the registry by reindexing and compressing its files. And, finally as we have already discussed earlier, these tools can be used to perform easy registry backup and restore.
Configuration data is stored in the form of keys and their values in a hierarchical structure. Registry problems start arising when the registry database gets filled up with too many unwanted, obsolete, orphan, and empty registry keys. A bloated registry gets damaged and fragmented easily. As a result, data access from your registry slows down and you may also start receiving registry errors.
To prevent these issues, there a few simple guidelines that you need to follow while working on your Windows computer.
Backup your Registry
The registry works constantly the entire time your PC is operational. This is the reason why there can be several things that may cause irreversible damage to it and prevent your PC from working normally. To avoid this situation, it is important that you make regular registry backups. When you do this, you can easily restore your registry from the last backup of the working registry. There are many ways in which a registry backup can be made. Let us take a look at some of the most common ways:
- You can use the File > Export command of the Registry Editor tool to export and save registry backup in a .reg file.
- Your Windows makes automatic registry backups daily, when the system restore point is created by the System Restore Vista tool. You can use this tool to make manual restore points before making any major changes to your computer.
- You can opt to use a Windows registry cleaner tool to easily create backups in just a few mouse clicks.
Tweak the Registry Entries
By default, there are several entries in the registry that are configured for a base performance. You can change these settings to speed up various processes, such as display time of menus and modify the prefetch settings. Information about registry tweaks is available on various Windows help sites. So, if you want to speed up your computer, you can search for and implement the tweaks that you can use. However, before making any changes, remember to make a registry backup.
Scan and Clean the Registry
To ensure that your registry stays healthy and error free, it is important that you keep it free from unwarranted entries. To do this, you need to regularly scan and clean the registry. A registry cleaner Vista or XP tool can be used to easily perform these tasks. These tools are designed to perform a thorough and deep scan of the registry database and to weed out all unwanted errors from it. You can also use a good registry tool to defrag the registry. Defragging helps in speeding up the registry by reindexing and compressing its files. And, finally as we have already discussed earlier, these tools can be used to perform easy registry backup and restore.
Windows Vista Editions--there's only one real choice
ack in February, I explored the rumor that Microsoft was planning on releasing nine editions of Windows Vista. Now that we're on the eve of Microsoft's official release, it turns out that there will actually be only eight editions of Windows Vista. But, for most of us serious Windows users there will only be one choice.
In this edition of the Windows Vista Report, I'll sift through the eight editions of Windows Vista. As I do, I'll explain why I'm of the opinion that there is only one real choice when it comes to the Windows Vista editions. The eight editions are:
Windows Vista Starter
Windows Vista Home Basic N
Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Business N
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows Vista Ultimate
You can't touch this
Right off the bat, you can remove Windows Vista Home Basic N and Windows Vista Business N from your list of choices. These two editions of the operating system will only be available in the European Union and are stripped of all Windows Media-related technologies by decree of an antitrust ruling. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find any mention at all of the so called "N" editions on Microsoft's site.
You can also remove Windows Vista Starter because, according to Microsoft, "Windows Vista Starter is not currently scheduled to be available in the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, or other high income markets as defined by the World Bank."
You can even remove Windows Vista Enterprise from your list of choices. This edition will only be available through volume licensing deals for large organizations participating in Microsoft's Software Assurance program--it will not be available via the retail chain. As such, if you work at a large organization, chances are you'll be using Windows Vista Enterprise.
The final four
As you can see, we're now quickly down to four choices. And in fact, when you go to the store on January 30, 2007 these are the four editions that you will see on the shelves. These four editions are shown in Table B along with suggested retail pricing information.
Table B: The four primary editions
Windows Vista Edition Full Package Price Upgrade Package Price
Home Basic $199.00
$99.95
Home Premium $239.00
$159.00
Business $299.00
$199.00
Ultimate $399.00
$259.00
I'm going to follow through with my target audience of serious Windows users and assume that you already own a copy of Windows XP and will be purchasing the upgrade package. I'm also going to assume that as a serious Windows user, your current system can be considered Windows Vista Premium Ready:
1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) CPU
1 GB RAM
128 MB video card w/support for DirectX 9 WDDM driver, Pixel Shader 2.0, and 32 bits per pixel
40 GB hard disk
DVD-ROM Drive
Let's focus on the price jumps as we move from the lowest to the most expensive of the four remaining Windows Vista editions. While getting a brand new operating system for under $100 may sound like a good deal, it costs just $59.05 to move up one level to Home Premium. It costs only $40.00 to move up from Home Premium to Business. To move from Business to Ultimate costs $60.00.
(Keep in mind that right now I'm just looking at the base price differences here--I'm not talking about the costs associated with the Windows Anytime Upgrade feature. At this time, the Windows Anytime Upgrade pricing structure is still under wraps.)
The elimination round
At this point, I'm going to throw Windows Vista Business out of the mix, for the simple fact that it has a very precise target audience. If you're going to be rolling out Windows Vista in a small- to medium-sized business and aren't participating in Microsoft's Software Assurance program, then you're going to use Windows Vista Business because it has everything you need for business computing and comes at a very reasonable price for a business.
Since Home Basic is the cheapest and Ultimate is the most expensive--and if the old adage "you get what you pay for" holds true--we can safely assume that Home Basic has nothing when it comes to the cool Vista features and that Ultimate has everything. In fact, this holds true when you look at the feature sets. Home Basic doesn't include Windows Aero, Flip 3D, or Live Taskbar Thumbnails, just to name a few, and Ultimate includes everything. Using that reasoning, we can throw out Home Basic.
So now it comes down to a choice between Home Premium and Ultimate editions. Here, the feature sets are very closely matched. In fact, Home Premium includes Windows Aero, Flip 3D, Live Taskbar Thumbnails and most of the cool Windows Vista features found in Ultimate. However, Home Premium doesn't include the Complete PC Backup imaging tool nor does it include the BitLocker drive encryption feature. While I'm only naming two here, these are highly prized Vista features that you definitely will want to take advantage of. And when it comes right down to it, for $100 more than the cost of Home Premium, you can get Ultimate and have everything that Windows Vista has to offer.
Conclusion
As I see it, when it comes to the feature set and the price, the Windows Vista Ultimate edition is the only choice for serious Windows users.
In this edition of the Windows Vista Report, I'll sift through the eight editions of Windows Vista. As I do, I'll explain why I'm of the opinion that there is only one real choice when it comes to the Windows Vista editions. The eight editions are:
Windows Vista Starter
Windows Vista Home Basic N
Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Business N
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows Vista Ultimate
You can't touch this
Right off the bat, you can remove Windows Vista Home Basic N and Windows Vista Business N from your list of choices. These two editions of the operating system will only be available in the European Union and are stripped of all Windows Media-related technologies by decree of an antitrust ruling. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find any mention at all of the so called "N" editions on Microsoft's site.
You can also remove Windows Vista Starter because, according to Microsoft, "Windows Vista Starter is not currently scheduled to be available in the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, or other high income markets as defined by the World Bank."
You can even remove Windows Vista Enterprise from your list of choices. This edition will only be available through volume licensing deals for large organizations participating in Microsoft's Software Assurance program--it will not be available via the retail chain. As such, if you work at a large organization, chances are you'll be using Windows Vista Enterprise.
The final four
As you can see, we're now quickly down to four choices. And in fact, when you go to the store on January 30, 2007 these are the four editions that you will see on the shelves. These four editions are shown in Table B along with suggested retail pricing information.
Table B: The four primary editions
Windows Vista Edition Full Package Price Upgrade Package Price
Home Basic $199.00
$99.95
Home Premium $239.00
$159.00
Business $299.00
$199.00
Ultimate $399.00
$259.00
I'm going to follow through with my target audience of serious Windows users and assume that you already own a copy of Windows XP and will be purchasing the upgrade package. I'm also going to assume that as a serious Windows user, your current system can be considered Windows Vista Premium Ready:
1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) CPU
1 GB RAM
128 MB video card w/support for DirectX 9 WDDM driver, Pixel Shader 2.0, and 32 bits per pixel
40 GB hard disk
DVD-ROM Drive
Let's focus on the price jumps as we move from the lowest to the most expensive of the four remaining Windows Vista editions. While getting a brand new operating system for under $100 may sound like a good deal, it costs just $59.05 to move up one level to Home Premium. It costs only $40.00 to move up from Home Premium to Business. To move from Business to Ultimate costs $60.00.
(Keep in mind that right now I'm just looking at the base price differences here--I'm not talking about the costs associated with the Windows Anytime Upgrade feature. At this time, the Windows Anytime Upgrade pricing structure is still under wraps.)
The elimination round
At this point, I'm going to throw Windows Vista Business out of the mix, for the simple fact that it has a very precise target audience. If you're going to be rolling out Windows Vista in a small- to medium-sized business and aren't participating in Microsoft's Software Assurance program, then you're going to use Windows Vista Business because it has everything you need for business computing and comes at a very reasonable price for a business.
Since Home Basic is the cheapest and Ultimate is the most expensive--and if the old adage "you get what you pay for" holds true--we can safely assume that Home Basic has nothing when it comes to the cool Vista features and that Ultimate has everything. In fact, this holds true when you look at the feature sets. Home Basic doesn't include Windows Aero, Flip 3D, or Live Taskbar Thumbnails, just to name a few, and Ultimate includes everything. Using that reasoning, we can throw out Home Basic.
So now it comes down to a choice between Home Premium and Ultimate editions. Here, the feature sets are very closely matched. In fact, Home Premium includes Windows Aero, Flip 3D, Live Taskbar Thumbnails and most of the cool Windows Vista features found in Ultimate. However, Home Premium doesn't include the Complete PC Backup imaging tool nor does it include the BitLocker drive encryption feature. While I'm only naming two here, these are highly prized Vista features that you definitely will want to take advantage of. And when it comes right down to it, for $100 more than the cost of Home Premium, you can get Ultimate and have everything that Windows Vista has to offer.
Conclusion
As I see it, when it comes to the feature set and the price, the Windows Vista Ultimate edition is the only choice for serious Windows users.
10+ tweaks, tricks, and hacks to make Windows Vista fly
1: Add the Run command to the Start Menu
Beginning way back with the release of Windows 1.0, Microsoft has been all about the GUI interface (more or less effectively). But sometimes you just want to run a program without having to navigate the GUI maze of menus and folders. Windows Vista, by default, does not include the Run command on the Start Menu. This was a common and favorite feature of Windows XP.
To add the Run command back to the Vista Start Menu, follow these steps:
Right click the Taskbar in an open area
Click on Properties
Click on the Start Menu tab
Click the Customize button to get to the Customize Start Menu
Scroll down the list until you find the Run command checkbox and check it
Click OK and the Run command will now appear on the Start Menu
Disable the Welcome Center and Sidebar
The Windows Vista default setting is to show the Welcome Center on startup. While the Welcome Center is mildly interesting the first time you see it, you will quickly tire of it appearing every time you boot your Vista PC. This behavior is easily changed by unchecking the Run a Startup button located at the bottom of the Welcome Center.
Welcome Center
Similarly, the Vista Sidebar is also on by default. While some users will find the Sidebar and its widgets useful, many will desire the desktop real estate and underlying resources for other more productive uses. You can turn the Sidebar off by:
Right clicking the Windows Sidebar icon in the system tray
Click Properties
Uncheck the Start Sidebar when Windows starts checkbox
Click OK
Change the Product Key
A Windows Vista installation disk essentially has all of the various editions of Vista included on that one disk. Which version gets installed is dependent on what product key you enter during the installation process. At some point you may want to upgrade your current version to a version with more bells and whistles, which would require a new Product Key.
Or you may want to Activate your Windows Vista under a different Product Key for some reason. The easiest way to change your Product Key is through the System applet in the Control Panel.
System applet
Under the Windows Activation section there is a link: Change Product Key. Clicking that link brings up the screen where you can enter in a different Product Key.
Windows Activation
4: Start Windows Explorer at somewhere other than documents
While Windows Vista has desktop search that will theoretically allow you the option of merely typing in a location on your hard disk to get an Explorer view, some users will undoubtedly prefer to use Windows Explorer. By default, Windows Explorer in Vista shows you the files located in the user Documents folder. Follow these steps to have Windows Explorer start in a different folder:
Copy the Windows Explorer shortcut, usually found in the Start Menu under Accessories, to the Desktop.
Right click the shortcut and click properties.
Click on the Shortcut tab to get the window
Windows Explorer Properties
Change the Target filed to the desired location.
For example, to have Windows Explorer start at C:\ type in"
C:\Windows\explorer.exe /n, /e, c:\
Click OK
5: Privacy tweak
As a convenience, Windows Vista by default saves and displays a list of recently opened files and programs on the Start Menu. Ostensibly, this is supposed to make it easier to find a file or program. However, many users would prefer that information to remain hidden. Here is how to turn it off:
Right click the Taskbar and click Properties on the resulting menu
Click the Start Menu tab
Uncheck the checkboxes under Privacy
Click OK
Privacy settings
6: Smaller icons on Start Menu
The icons located on the Windows Vista Start Menu default to large
Large icons
For many users, the personal preference will be for those icons to be much smaller. Here is how:
Right click the Taskbar and click on Properties
Click the Start Menu tab
Click the Customize button
Scroll down to the bottom of the list
Uncheck the Use large icons checkbox
Click OK twice
No more large icons
7. Add Internet Explorer to the Vista Desktop
For some reason known only to the Windows Vista development team, there is no easy option to add the Windows Explorer icon to the Vista Desktop. You can add Computer, Recycle Bin, and the Control Panel --- perhaps someone can explain that to us. In the meantime, if you want to add Internet Explorer you can do it with a Registry hack. Before editing the Windows Registry it is always advisable to make a backup of the Registry file.
Click the Start button
Open the Run dialog box (or type regedit in to the search box on the Start Menu)
Type in regedit and press Enter
Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel
Create a new DWORD 32-bit by right clicking in the key area
Copy this as the key name including the brackets:
{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}
Close regedit
Right click on the Desktop and click the Refresh menu entry --- Internet Explorer should now appear.
Regedit Internet Explorer
8: Change Security Center notifications
One of the most often leveled criticisms of Windows has been its lack of security. To overcome that perception Microsoft had programmed Vista to complain loudly and often if it discovers your malware, firewall or virus protection software is off or requires maintenance. For many users, the constant badgering to update your virus definitions is more annoying then effective. To calm Vista down a bit you can change the way you are notified of potential lax security.
Open the control panel and click the Windows Security Center
Windows Security Center
Click the link Change the way Security Center alerts me to reach the dialog box.
Choose you preference for notification
Chose your preference
9: Set Folder options
One of the first things experienced users change when they get a new Windows computer is change the Folder View options to a preferred setting. Windows Vista is no exception to this rule.
Open the Control Panel and click on the Folder Options icon
Click on the View tab
Folder options
Check or uncheck your folder preferences --- some suggestions:
Check show hidden files and folders
Uncheck Hide extensions for known file types
Uncheck protected operating system files
10: Adjust power settings
By default, Windows Vista sets the power options to what it calls a "Balanced" plan. While for many users this plan will be adequate, there are many who will want to make adjustments. For laptop users specifically, settings can vary greatly when operating on battery power versus plugged into an outlet. To adjust power settings:
Open the Control Panel and then click the Power Options icon
Power Options
Click on the Change Plan Settings under one of the default plans to make changes(See Power settings)
For additional fine tuning click Change advanced power settings
Advanced power settings
11: Reduce Desktop Icons
By default, the Windows Vista Aero GUI uses what it classifies as "Medium" icons on the Desktop. Medium in this case is really quite large. (There is also a Large icon setting, but we won't go there.) To bring the icons back to a less eye-popping size:
Right click on the Desktop
Choose the View menu item
Change to Classic Icons
Classic
12 Add another time zone
For many of us working away from home offices at satellite offices, home or on the road, knowing the time across various time zones can be a necessary evil. Windows Vista will allow you to keep time in two additional time zones to the machine time.
Right click on the time display located in Taskbar System Tray
Select the Adjust Date/Time menu item
Click on the Additional Clocks tab
Add clocks
Choose a time zone
Click the checkbox next to Show this clock
Click OK
Now when you mouse over the time in the Taskbar System Tray you will get the time in your chosen time zones.
Beginning way back with the release of Windows 1.0, Microsoft has been all about the GUI interface (more or less effectively). But sometimes you just want to run a program without having to navigate the GUI maze of menus and folders. Windows Vista, by default, does not include the Run command on the Start Menu. This was a common and favorite feature of Windows XP.
To add the Run command back to the Vista Start Menu, follow these steps:
Right click the Taskbar in an open area
Click on Properties
Click on the Start Menu tab
Click the Customize button to get to the Customize Start Menu
Scroll down the list until you find the Run command checkbox and check it
Click OK and the Run command will now appear on the Start Menu
Disable the Welcome Center and Sidebar
The Windows Vista default setting is to show the Welcome Center on startup. While the Welcome Center is mildly interesting the first time you see it, you will quickly tire of it appearing every time you boot your Vista PC. This behavior is easily changed by unchecking the Run a Startup button located at the bottom of the Welcome Center.
Welcome Center
Similarly, the Vista Sidebar is also on by default. While some users will find the Sidebar and its widgets useful, many will desire the desktop real estate and underlying resources for other more productive uses. You can turn the Sidebar off by:
Right clicking the Windows Sidebar icon in the system tray
Click Properties
Uncheck the Start Sidebar when Windows starts checkbox
Click OK
Change the Product Key
A Windows Vista installation disk essentially has all of the various editions of Vista included on that one disk. Which version gets installed is dependent on what product key you enter during the installation process. At some point you may want to upgrade your current version to a version with more bells and whistles, which would require a new Product Key.
Or you may want to Activate your Windows Vista under a different Product Key for some reason. The easiest way to change your Product Key is through the System applet in the Control Panel.
System applet
Under the Windows Activation section there is a link: Change Product Key. Clicking that link brings up the screen where you can enter in a different Product Key.
Windows Activation
4: Start Windows Explorer at somewhere other than documents
While Windows Vista has desktop search that will theoretically allow you the option of merely typing in a location on your hard disk to get an Explorer view, some users will undoubtedly prefer to use Windows Explorer. By default, Windows Explorer in Vista shows you the files located in the user Documents folder. Follow these steps to have Windows Explorer start in a different folder:
Copy the Windows Explorer shortcut, usually found in the Start Menu under Accessories, to the Desktop.
Right click the shortcut and click properties.
Click on the Shortcut tab to get the window
Windows Explorer Properties
Change the Target filed to the desired location.
For example, to have Windows Explorer start at C:\ type in"
C:\Windows\explorer.exe /n, /e, c:\
Click OK
5: Privacy tweak
As a convenience, Windows Vista by default saves and displays a list of recently opened files and programs on the Start Menu. Ostensibly, this is supposed to make it easier to find a file or program. However, many users would prefer that information to remain hidden. Here is how to turn it off:
Right click the Taskbar and click Properties on the resulting menu
Click the Start Menu tab
Uncheck the checkboxes under Privacy
Click OK
Privacy settings
6: Smaller icons on Start Menu
The icons located on the Windows Vista Start Menu default to large
Large icons
For many users, the personal preference will be for those icons to be much smaller. Here is how:
Right click the Taskbar and click on Properties
Click the Start Menu tab
Click the Customize button
Scroll down to the bottom of the list
Uncheck the Use large icons checkbox
Click OK twice
No more large icons
7. Add Internet Explorer to the Vista Desktop
For some reason known only to the Windows Vista development team, there is no easy option to add the Windows Explorer icon to the Vista Desktop. You can add Computer, Recycle Bin, and the Control Panel --- perhaps someone can explain that to us. In the meantime, if you want to add Internet Explorer you can do it with a Registry hack. Before editing the Windows Registry it is always advisable to make a backup of the Registry file.
Click the Start button
Open the Run dialog box (or type regedit in to the search box on the Start Menu)
Type in regedit and press Enter
Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel
Create a new DWORD 32-bit by right clicking in the key area
Copy this as the key name including the brackets:
{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}
Close regedit
Right click on the Desktop and click the Refresh menu entry --- Internet Explorer should now appear.
Regedit Internet Explorer
8: Change Security Center notifications
One of the most often leveled criticisms of Windows has been its lack of security. To overcome that perception Microsoft had programmed Vista to complain loudly and often if it discovers your malware, firewall or virus protection software is off or requires maintenance. For many users, the constant badgering to update your virus definitions is more annoying then effective. To calm Vista down a bit you can change the way you are notified of potential lax security.
Open the control panel and click the Windows Security Center
Windows Security Center
Click the link Change the way Security Center alerts me to reach the dialog box.
Choose you preference for notification
Chose your preference
9: Set Folder options
One of the first things experienced users change when they get a new Windows computer is change the Folder View options to a preferred setting. Windows Vista is no exception to this rule.
Open the Control Panel and click on the Folder Options icon
Click on the View tab
Folder options
Check or uncheck your folder preferences --- some suggestions:
Check show hidden files and folders
Uncheck Hide extensions for known file types
Uncheck protected operating system files
10: Adjust power settings
By default, Windows Vista sets the power options to what it calls a "Balanced" plan. While for many users this plan will be adequate, there are many who will want to make adjustments. For laptop users specifically, settings can vary greatly when operating on battery power versus plugged into an outlet. To adjust power settings:
Open the Control Panel and then click the Power Options icon
Power Options
Click on the Change Plan Settings under one of the default plans to make changes(See Power settings)
For additional fine tuning click Change advanced power settings
Advanced power settings
11: Reduce Desktop Icons
By default, the Windows Vista Aero GUI uses what it classifies as "Medium" icons on the Desktop. Medium in this case is really quite large. (There is also a Large icon setting, but we won't go there.) To bring the icons back to a less eye-popping size:
Right click on the Desktop
Choose the View menu item
Change to Classic Icons
Classic
12 Add another time zone
For many of us working away from home offices at satellite offices, home or on the road, knowing the time across various time zones can be a necessary evil. Windows Vista will allow you to keep time in two additional time zones to the machine time.
Right click on the time display located in Taskbar System Tray
Select the Adjust Date/Time menu item
Click on the Additional Clocks tab
Add clocks
Choose a time zone
Click the checkbox next to Show this clock
Click OK
Now when you mouse over the time in the Taskbar System Tray you will get the time in your chosen time zones.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
10 things you'll miss when you upgrade to Vista (and how to get some of them back)
Windows Vista has lots of cool new features, eye candy, and security enhancements we didn't have with Windows XP. But as with any software upgrade, there are also some missing pieces--features or capabilities you may find yourself wishing for after the upgrade. Luckily, in many cases you can get back what's missing with a simple download, a registry edit, or an "undocumented" technique.
After I switched to Vista fulltime as my primary operating system, I missed several things. Here's how I got some of them back and worked around others.
#1: Why can't I separate my toolbars anymore?
One of the first things I do when I set up a new operating system for daily use is configure the desktop to suit my working habits. For years, that has included dragging the Quick Launch bar off of the main taskbar and docking it vertically on one side of my screen. That gives me more room for the open program icons on the taskbar and more room to place program icons on the Quick Launch bar for easy and fast access.
In the first few Vista betas, I found that I was unable to move the taskbar or separate its sections, even after unlocking it. I figured it was a "beta thing" and would be fixed in the final version. Imagine my surprise to discover, after installing the RTM, that I could now move the entire taskbar to the side of the screen, but there was no way to detach the Quick Launch bar, no matter how hard I tried. A little research revealed that this was no oversight, but instead is a new "feature" designed to prevent the problem of people inadvertently separating the toolbars. Ouch! Apparently the thinking at Microsoft is that the Start Menu Search box substitutes for the QL bar. Well, not for me.
Thank goodness I found a way to get my Quick Launch bar back where it's supposed to be:
In Windows Explorer, browse to the Quick Launch folder (typically Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer). Vista's Start menu search feature makes it easy to find: Just type Quick Launch in the box.
Drag the Quick Launch folder to the edge of your desktop. It creates a toolbar there. You'll probably want to right-click and select View | Small Icons to make it look better.
You can do this with any folder to create a toolbar of its contents. Figure A shows my Vista desktop, with the detached QL bar holding shortcuts to my favorite programs. I closed the QL bar on the Vista taskbar and created a custom toolbar there for accessing frequently used folders and drives.
You can create a separate Quick Launch toolbar by dragging the folder to the edge of the desktop.
#2: Text-based Setup is gone
Okay, this isn't something anyone's likely to spend a lot of time mourning, but for those of us who have been installing Windows operating systems for years, the lack of "part one" of the Setup process, featuring white text on a blue background, is definitely a difference. The Vista installation program is graphical from the very beginning--and it's pretty, in keeping with the visual "wow" factor that Microsoft was aiming for with Vista.
#3: What's happened to my favorite third-party programs?
I created the custom toolbar for my folders and drives because I found I wasn't able to use the PowerDesk 5.0 toolbar I'd been using in Windows XP, which had a section for such shortcuts. PowerDesk itself installed on Vista and worked fine, but when I tried to create or open a toolbar, I got the error message shown in Figure B.
Some programs, or parts of programs, such as the PowerDesk toolbar, don't work in Vista.
Older versions of many programs won't work in Vista, but many software vendors are bringing out new versions that do, or releasing updates to make their programs Vista-capable.
In some cases, you can get the old programs to install or run by running the installation file or the installed program in Compatibility mode. To do so:
In Windows Explorer, navigate to the installation file or the program executable.
Right-click and select Properties.
Click the Compatibility tab.
Select the Run This Program In Compatibility Mode For check box and choose the operating system you were previously running it on from the drop-down list (for example, Windows XP (Service Pack 2).
You may also need to check the box to run the program as an administrator.
If it still doesn't work, you can try adjusting the settings for running the program (color depth and resolution) or disable visual themes, desktop composition, and/or display scaling.
Another program you might have been running in XP that has problems with Vista is the Diskeeper defragmentation software. This brings us to the next MIA feature, which is the reason some of you might want to run a third-party defrag utility.
#4: Where did the Defrag progress bars go?
The Vista Defrag utility now has a scheduler feature, something users have been asking for, but not everyone likes the simplicity of the new Defragmenter interface and the fact that there are no progress indicators. (See the view of a defragmentation in progress in Figure C.)
The new Disk Defragmenter GUI does away with the progress indicators.
Figure D shows the old XP Defragmenter interface, which some folks are longing for.
The XP Defragmentation interface graphically indicates the progress of the process.
The good news is that for those who want to use a third-party defrag utility, there's now a free update for Diskeeper 2007 that's compatible with Vista. See the January 22 post on the Diskeeper Weblog for information about how to get it. Other third-party defragmenters also work with Vista. Raxco's PerfectDisk has a free trial of its Vista-compatible beta (version 8).
#5: Why is it so much harder to use multiple monitors?
It took me longer than it otherwise would have to embrace Vista wholeheartedly because of problems I had with multiple monitor support. I started using multiple monitors regularly back with Windows 2000, although it was sometimes a bit of a hassle to get it configured on a new computer.
Windows XP perfected multi-monitor support. It became truly plug and play; I could throw two or three video cards into a computer's PCI slots, plug in my monitors, and XP recognized them almost every time.
Then along came Vista. When I installed it on my XP machine that was running four monitors, two off an ATI x600 PCIe card and two off a Matrox 450G PCI card, I got the Aero Glass interface on the first two (ATI), and nothing--black screen--on the second pair (Matrox). Research showed the Matrox card wasn't Vista capable, so I bought a card that, according to advertising, was: a GeForce 5200. Still no joy; still no third screen.
Finally, documentation became available on the Microsoft site indicating that to run Aero Glass on multiple video cards, they must use the same WDDM driver. If you have two Aero-capable cards that use different WDDM drivers (e.g., an ATI card and an nVidia card), Vista will disable one of them. It turns out that it is possible to use the cards together with the older XPDM drivers, but you don't get the Glass interface and associated Vista eye candy. Now I have three monitors working fine on my Vista machine, with a GeForce 7900 card paired up with the GeForce 5200. Figure E shows my setup.
Vista still supports multiple monitors, but it's not the no brainer it was in XP.
Multiple monitor support still isn't as stable in Vista as it was in XP. Even with the RTM, I occasionally turn on my system to find that my monitors have mysteriously "switched places" in the operating system's eyes. That is, my taskbar and sidebar have moved from my middle monitor to the right side monitor, which now thinks it's the primary monitor. It's a quick fix in the Display Properties dialog box, shown in Figure F, but it's an annoyance. I miss XP's user-transparent support of multiple monitors.
Vista occasionally "forgets" which monitor I've designated as the main monitor.
#6: Where's Windows Messenger?
XP came with Windows Messenger installed. Vista doesn't--but the Start menu does contain a link to the download page for Windows Live Messenger. Some folks may be annoyed at having to download and install the program (especially those who are restricted from installing programs), but this is probably a good idea for a couple of reasons:
It makes it easier for network administrators to keep users from chatting online, if your company's policies don't allow that.
It ensures that you'll get the most updated version of the Messenger program no matter when you install the operating system.
#7: Why is the new security system nagging me all the time?
Probably the most-missed characteristic of XP is its more demure behavior. If you were logged on as an administrator and you decided to install a program or perform some other administrative task, XP didn't question your decision. Vista's security is more in your face--even admins will encounter the User Account Control "nag box," shown in Figure G.
XP didn't argue when you wanted to install a program.
Vista's best-kept secret: It's possible to turn off the User Account Control feature--but it's not recommended. UAC takes some of the risk out of logging on with an administrative account, and if you regularly do so, you should let Vista protect you. That said, if you really want to get rid of those nag screens, here's how:
In the Administrative Tools menu of Control Panel, select Local Security Policy.
When prompted, click Continue.
In the left pane, expand Local Policies and click Security Options.
In the right pane, scroll down to User Account Control: Behavior Of The Elevation Prompt For Administrators In Admin Approval Mode and double-click it.
In the drop-down box on the Local Security Settings tab, select Elevate Without Prompting, as shown in Figure H.
Click OK.
You can configure Vista not to prompt administrators for permission when performing admin tasks.
Tip
You can modify a number of security behaviors via the Local Security Settings console. For example, I had to disable the policy User Account Control: Switch To The Secure Desktop When Prompting For Elevation to get a screenshot of the elevation prompt dialog box shown in Figure G. By default, the secure desktop prevents any other programs from interacting when this dialog box is being displayed.
#8: Windows Explorer looks different
The first time you open Windows Explorer, you may be a little disconcerted by the new look. In particular, you're likely to miss the old familiar menu bar, the one that says File, Edit, View, Favorites, Tools, Help. In fact, you may find it a little difficult to get around without it. Figure I shows the new Explorer.
The top menu bar in Windows Explorer appears to have gone missing.
This one is an easy fix: Just click the down arrow on the Organize button, select Layout, and then click Menu Bar. A check mark there means your old friend the menu bar is back at the top of the window, right where it belongs, as shown in Figure J.
You can get the menu bar back with a few quick clicks of your mouse.
#9: What's up with the Up button?
Another difference in Windows Explorer is the missing Up button. This has been replaced by the Back button--but that takes you back to where you started, not necessarily to the top level of the path you're in. It would have been nice to have both.
In most cases, you can work around this by using the new clickable folder path. Now you can click at any level of the path shown in the top address/navigation bar. You can also click the down arrows beside each level and see a clickable list of all the files and folders contained at that level.
In addition, you can use the Recent Pages button, which is a small down arrow located between the back and forward buttons and the address bar, to display locations to or through which you've recently navigated. This is a great help in finding your way around the file system.
#10: Vista requires too many clicks
Many new Vista users have complained that some operations now require more clicks to complete than they did in XP. For example, in XP you could right-click the Network icon on the desktop and select Properties to see a list of your network connections.
In Vista, that same right-click selection displays the Network And Sharing Center, shown in Figure K. An extra click is required to get to the list of network connections. You must select Manage Network Connections in the left Tasks pane.
Some users miss being able to access the list of network connections with two clicks.
If getting to the network connections list quickly is an issue, you can easily create a shortcut to it by dragging its icon to the desktop (Figure L) or Quick Launch bar, giving you access with one click instead of two.
After I switched to Vista fulltime as my primary operating system, I missed several things. Here's how I got some of them back and worked around others.
#1: Why can't I separate my toolbars anymore?
One of the first things I do when I set up a new operating system for daily use is configure the desktop to suit my working habits. For years, that has included dragging the Quick Launch bar off of the main taskbar and docking it vertically on one side of my screen. That gives me more room for the open program icons on the taskbar and more room to place program icons on the Quick Launch bar for easy and fast access.
In the first few Vista betas, I found that I was unable to move the taskbar or separate its sections, even after unlocking it. I figured it was a "beta thing" and would be fixed in the final version. Imagine my surprise to discover, after installing the RTM, that I could now move the entire taskbar to the side of the screen, but there was no way to detach the Quick Launch bar, no matter how hard I tried. A little research revealed that this was no oversight, but instead is a new "feature" designed to prevent the problem of people inadvertently separating the toolbars. Ouch! Apparently the thinking at Microsoft is that the Start Menu Search box substitutes for the QL bar. Well, not for me.
Thank goodness I found a way to get my Quick Launch bar back where it's supposed to be:
In Windows Explorer, browse to the Quick Launch folder (typically Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer). Vista's Start menu search feature makes it easy to find: Just type Quick Launch in the box.
Drag the Quick Launch folder to the edge of your desktop. It creates a toolbar there. You'll probably want to right-click and select View | Small Icons to make it look better.
You can do this with any folder to create a toolbar of its contents. Figure A shows my Vista desktop, with the detached QL bar holding shortcuts to my favorite programs. I closed the QL bar on the Vista taskbar and created a custom toolbar there for accessing frequently used folders and drives.
You can create a separate Quick Launch toolbar by dragging the folder to the edge of the desktop.
#2: Text-based Setup is gone
Okay, this isn't something anyone's likely to spend a lot of time mourning, but for those of us who have been installing Windows operating systems for years, the lack of "part one" of the Setup process, featuring white text on a blue background, is definitely a difference. The Vista installation program is graphical from the very beginning--and it's pretty, in keeping with the visual "wow" factor that Microsoft was aiming for with Vista.
#3: What's happened to my favorite third-party programs?
I created the custom toolbar for my folders and drives because I found I wasn't able to use the PowerDesk 5.0 toolbar I'd been using in Windows XP, which had a section for such shortcuts. PowerDesk itself installed on Vista and worked fine, but when I tried to create or open a toolbar, I got the error message shown in Figure B.
Some programs, or parts of programs, such as the PowerDesk toolbar, don't work in Vista.
Older versions of many programs won't work in Vista, but many software vendors are bringing out new versions that do, or releasing updates to make their programs Vista-capable.
In some cases, you can get the old programs to install or run by running the installation file or the installed program in Compatibility mode. To do so:
In Windows Explorer, navigate to the installation file or the program executable.
Right-click and select Properties.
Click the Compatibility tab.
Select the Run This Program In Compatibility Mode For check box and choose the operating system you were previously running it on from the drop-down list (for example, Windows XP (Service Pack 2).
You may also need to check the box to run the program as an administrator.
If it still doesn't work, you can try adjusting the settings for running the program (color depth and resolution) or disable visual themes, desktop composition, and/or display scaling.
Another program you might have been running in XP that has problems with Vista is the Diskeeper defragmentation software. This brings us to the next MIA feature, which is the reason some of you might want to run a third-party defrag utility.
#4: Where did the Defrag progress bars go?
The Vista Defrag utility now has a scheduler feature, something users have been asking for, but not everyone likes the simplicity of the new Defragmenter interface and the fact that there are no progress indicators. (See the view of a defragmentation in progress in Figure C.)
The new Disk Defragmenter GUI does away with the progress indicators.
Figure D shows the old XP Defragmenter interface, which some folks are longing for.
The XP Defragmentation interface graphically indicates the progress of the process.
The good news is that for those who want to use a third-party defrag utility, there's now a free update for Diskeeper 2007 that's compatible with Vista. See the January 22 post on the Diskeeper Weblog for information about how to get it. Other third-party defragmenters also work with Vista. Raxco's PerfectDisk has a free trial of its Vista-compatible beta (version 8).
#5: Why is it so much harder to use multiple monitors?
It took me longer than it otherwise would have to embrace Vista wholeheartedly because of problems I had with multiple monitor support. I started using multiple monitors regularly back with Windows 2000, although it was sometimes a bit of a hassle to get it configured on a new computer.
Windows XP perfected multi-monitor support. It became truly plug and play; I could throw two or three video cards into a computer's PCI slots, plug in my monitors, and XP recognized them almost every time.
Then along came Vista. When I installed it on my XP machine that was running four monitors, two off an ATI x600 PCIe card and two off a Matrox 450G PCI card, I got the Aero Glass interface on the first two (ATI), and nothing--black screen--on the second pair (Matrox). Research showed the Matrox card wasn't Vista capable, so I bought a card that, according to advertising, was: a GeForce 5200. Still no joy; still no third screen.
Finally, documentation became available on the Microsoft site indicating that to run Aero Glass on multiple video cards, they must use the same WDDM driver. If you have two Aero-capable cards that use different WDDM drivers (e.g., an ATI card and an nVidia card), Vista will disable one of them. It turns out that it is possible to use the cards together with the older XPDM drivers, but you don't get the Glass interface and associated Vista eye candy. Now I have three monitors working fine on my Vista machine, with a GeForce 7900 card paired up with the GeForce 5200. Figure E shows my setup.
Vista still supports multiple monitors, but it's not the no brainer it was in XP.
Multiple monitor support still isn't as stable in Vista as it was in XP. Even with the RTM, I occasionally turn on my system to find that my monitors have mysteriously "switched places" in the operating system's eyes. That is, my taskbar and sidebar have moved from my middle monitor to the right side monitor, which now thinks it's the primary monitor. It's a quick fix in the Display Properties dialog box, shown in Figure F, but it's an annoyance. I miss XP's user-transparent support of multiple monitors.
Vista occasionally "forgets" which monitor I've designated as the main monitor.
#6: Where's Windows Messenger?
XP came with Windows Messenger installed. Vista doesn't--but the Start menu does contain a link to the download page for Windows Live Messenger. Some folks may be annoyed at having to download and install the program (especially those who are restricted from installing programs), but this is probably a good idea for a couple of reasons:
It makes it easier for network administrators to keep users from chatting online, if your company's policies don't allow that.
It ensures that you'll get the most updated version of the Messenger program no matter when you install the operating system.
#7: Why is the new security system nagging me all the time?
Probably the most-missed characteristic of XP is its more demure behavior. If you were logged on as an administrator and you decided to install a program or perform some other administrative task, XP didn't question your decision. Vista's security is more in your face--even admins will encounter the User Account Control "nag box," shown in Figure G.
XP didn't argue when you wanted to install a program.
Vista's best-kept secret: It's possible to turn off the User Account Control feature--but it's not recommended. UAC takes some of the risk out of logging on with an administrative account, and if you regularly do so, you should let Vista protect you. That said, if you really want to get rid of those nag screens, here's how:
In the Administrative Tools menu of Control Panel, select Local Security Policy.
When prompted, click Continue.
In the left pane, expand Local Policies and click Security Options.
In the right pane, scroll down to User Account Control: Behavior Of The Elevation Prompt For Administrators In Admin Approval Mode and double-click it.
In the drop-down box on the Local Security Settings tab, select Elevate Without Prompting, as shown in Figure H.
Click OK.
You can configure Vista not to prompt administrators for permission when performing admin tasks.
Tip
You can modify a number of security behaviors via the Local Security Settings console. For example, I had to disable the policy User Account Control: Switch To The Secure Desktop When Prompting For Elevation to get a screenshot of the elevation prompt dialog box shown in Figure G. By default, the secure desktop prevents any other programs from interacting when this dialog box is being displayed.
#8: Windows Explorer looks different
The first time you open Windows Explorer, you may be a little disconcerted by the new look. In particular, you're likely to miss the old familiar menu bar, the one that says File, Edit, View, Favorites, Tools, Help. In fact, you may find it a little difficult to get around without it. Figure I shows the new Explorer.
The top menu bar in Windows Explorer appears to have gone missing.
This one is an easy fix: Just click the down arrow on the Organize button, select Layout, and then click Menu Bar. A check mark there means your old friend the menu bar is back at the top of the window, right where it belongs, as shown in Figure J.
You can get the menu bar back with a few quick clicks of your mouse.
#9: What's up with the Up button?
Another difference in Windows Explorer is the missing Up button. This has been replaced by the Back button--but that takes you back to where you started, not necessarily to the top level of the path you're in. It would have been nice to have both.
In most cases, you can work around this by using the new clickable folder path. Now you can click at any level of the path shown in the top address/navigation bar. You can also click the down arrows beside each level and see a clickable list of all the files and folders contained at that level.
In addition, you can use the Recent Pages button, which is a small down arrow located between the back and forward buttons and the address bar, to display locations to or through which you've recently navigated. This is a great help in finding your way around the file system.
#10: Vista requires too many clicks
Many new Vista users have complained that some operations now require more clicks to complete than they did in XP. For example, in XP you could right-click the Network icon on the desktop and select Properties to see a list of your network connections.
In Vista, that same right-click selection displays the Network And Sharing Center, shown in Figure K. An extra click is required to get to the list of network connections. You must select Manage Network Connections in the left Tasks pane.
Some users miss being able to access the list of network connections with two clicks.
If getting to the network connections list quickly is an issue, you can easily create a shortcut to it by dragging its icon to the desktop (Figure L) or Quick Launch bar, giving you access with one click instead of two.
Use check boxes to select files
When you want to select multiple files in Windows Explorer, you can hold down the [Ctrl] key as you click on each file. If the files are in consecutive order, you can select the first file, hold down the [Shift] key and select the last file. However, when using either of these techniques, it’s easy to slip up and have to start all over. In Windows Vista there’s a way to put check boxes next to each file in Windows Explorer. As such, you can select files for regular file management operations just like you would select files in many backup programs.
To enable this feature, launch Windows Explorer, press the [Alt] key to toggle the Menu Bar on, pull down the Tools menu, and select Folder Options. When you see the Folder Options dialog box, select the View tab. Then, under the Advanced Settings scroll down to the bottom of the list and select the Use Check Boxes To Select Items check box. Click OK to complete the operation.
Now, when you hover your mouse pointer over the files in Windows Explorer, a check box will momentarily appear next each file as you move past it. If you select the check box, it will remain next to the file and the file will be selected. You can continue selecting files in this manner until you’ve selected all that you want, as shown in Figure E. You’ll also notice that there is a check box in the Name column header. If you select that particular check box, all the files in that folder will be selected.
To enable this feature, launch Windows Explorer, press the [Alt] key to toggle the Menu Bar on, pull down the Tools menu, and select Folder Options. When you see the Folder Options dialog box, select the View tab. Then, under the Advanced Settings scroll down to the bottom of the list and select the Use Check Boxes To Select Items check box. Click OK to complete the operation.
Now, when you hover your mouse pointer over the files in Windows Explorer, a check box will momentarily appear next each file as you move past it. If you select the check box, it will remain next to the file and the file will be selected. You can continue selecting files in this manner until you’ve selected all that you want, as shown in Figure E. You’ll also notice that there is a check box in the Name column header. If you select that particular check box, all the files in that folder will be selected.
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