10 tricks for Windows Vista

Tip #1: Shrink a partition

If you have created one or more partitions on your hard drive and a few months later you think "mmmmh this partition has to be a bit smaller", it is possible in Vista to shrink them. You can do this even with a 'system partition'.
How to shrink a partition?

Step 1:
Click with your right mouse button on 'Computer' and then click 'manage'.
The next screen is shown.



In this screen you click in the left pane on 'Disk Management' below 'Storage'.
Then the next screen is shown.



Now you see all your partitions which you have created. To shrink a partition you simple right click on the partition and in the menu which appears you click 'Shrink Volume'.
The next screen is then shown.



Here you can enter the amount of space to shrink in MB.

If there is empty space available behind the partition there is also the possibility to extend the the partition using the option 'Extend Volume'.
There one thing you can not do. You can not move a partition or extend it with an empty space which is in front of a partition.

Tip #2: Use ReadyBoost to speed up your system!


SPEED IT UP NOW!
Click here to run a Free Performance scan


What is ReadyBoost and what is SuperFetch?
Microsoft introduces, using Windows, these new techniques, which have to speed up your computer which is used for daily usage.

How do these technologies work?
Do you really get a super system when you extend the memory using a USB stick?
The memory in computers increased dramatically since a few years ago. This is logical because there is nothing what makes a computer more stable and faster than extra memory. Microsoft wants to use that new memory maximum and equipped Windows Vista with a few techniques which have to take care of this.

The memory manager of Windows Vista can change the grouping of the memory any time, which decreases the chance of overloading a part of the memory. Microsoft calls this 'dynamic kernel address space'.

The possibility to assign memory dynamically is also used to decide which data have to be loaded into the memory and which data is mend for the virtual memory. Previous versions of Windows did not make any difference between data which is used much and which is used less. Windows Vista does it on another way. SuperFetch doesn't look at the data which is unused the longest, but it predicts which data will be needed as first again and keeps this data stored in the memory.If there will be any free space in the RAM-memory then SuperFetch will fill these spaces with the data of which it predicts it will be needed as first again.

Read more about ReadyBoost and SuperFetch...

Tip #3: How to disable User Account Control?






To keep your computer safe and clean of viruses that's one thing which is very important for your computer. But you don't want to get bothered with annoying warnings from Windows Vista each time you install a program or when you make a change in Vista's settings?
Without any doubt is Vista's most irritating tool the User Account Control (UAC). The User Account Control takes care that Windows asks permission to several system sources over and over again.
I have to admit that this standard setting helps you to keep your computer clean, but do you really want to give permission for every small setting change, like changing the Windows' standard font?

I think your answer is NO!

Read more about User Account Control...

Tip #4: How to make screenshot quick and easy in Vista?



Vista has a great tool to make screenshots very easily. This tool is called the 'Snipping tool'.
Using this tool you can make screenshots of your screen or a selection of it very easily.

This tool can be found at:

Start
Programs
Accessories
Snipping Tool
Using this tool you can make screenshots in several ways, for example you can make a:
Free-form snip
Rectangular snip
Window snip
Full screen snip
Below you find a screenshot I made using the 'free-form snip'. So if you need to make a screenshot of something on your screen you can use this tool for it.



Tip #5: Enable hidden built in administrator account

Select cmd prompt run as Administrator
Type: 'net user administrator /active:yes', press enter
To disable type: 'net user administrator /active:no'
This Windows Vista Trick was written by Jinish Kg from India



Tip #6: Display multiple clocks

With huge popularity of social websites there is huge possibility that you have found some friends which are spread across the planet? With Windows Vista, you can display up to 3 clocks, each representing a different time zone. You know immediately what time is in your friend's country. This can help you to know in what time you can contact your friend. Of course these clocks can also have other purpose but this with social website was a simple example. To display multiple clocks in windows vista fallow steps below:

1. In Windows Vista, click the clock in the notification area, right of the taskbar.

2. The clock and a complete schedule appear. Click Change settings of the date and time.

3. Open Additional Clocks tab.

4. Then check the Show this clock, select a new time zone and then give a name to the clock.

5. You can then repeat the operation for a third clock. Click OK when you are finished.

6. Now when you spend a few moments with mouse pointer on the clock your other clocks will be displayed.

7. The time your friends will also be displayed after double clicking the clock.



Tip #7: How to disable unnecessary features in Windows Vista

Windows Vista is automatically installed with many features, not always useful for the use of your computer. You can optimize your system and win a few seconds to start disabling the functionality you're not using. Here is how:

1. Click the Start button and then click Control Panel.

2. Click on the Programs icon.

3. Then click the Enable or disable Windows features of the Programs and Features heading.

4. Click the Continue button.

5. The list of features of the system is displayed. Uncheck the boxes just before the features you do not and you want to disable. For example, you can uncheck the box in front of optional components for Tablet PC if you do not have a Tablet PC, before games if you do not use Windows games before DFS Replication Service Windows if you do not need to synchronize files between multiple computers, etc..

6. Finally, click on the OK button at any time you can re-checking features and return them in their previous state.



Tip #8: How to create a self extracting self installing program, a setup file

I know a very cool trick...

First Go to start and then run and then type "iexpress" without the quotations. This will open a window which will let you create a self extracting self installing program. Just complete it and there we are!!! Your done!!!

This Windows Vista Trick was written by Adam Devey from United Kingdom





Tip #9: Increase performance easily

The real performance hit in Windows Vista is within its power management settings. In the advanced settings, there are spots to set the minimum and maximum CPU speed. Even on "high performance" the minimum isn't set to 100%, so to fix the problem, either create a custom profile or just edit the "high performance" profile to have a minimum and maximum CPU speed of 100%. This will cause Vista not to slow the CPU down, so you will have ultimate performance. Vista runs better and there is a noticeable responsiveness to it when the CPU setting is fixed. This setting is good for desktops and laptops on plugged in power. Adjust as needed for laptops on batteries, but that should be on a separate power profile, anyway.

This Windows Vista Trick was written by Jason from United States



Tip #10: Set the Run option in the Windows Vista Start menu

The Run option in the menu of Windows XP is a handy way to access various features of the operating system. Windows Vista Versions do not have that option because it have a search box on the Start menu, where you just enter the name of the desired option or for the results to appear.

In general, the option to search in Windows Vista is more practical, but it does not record a history of words, terms and commands searched. Therefore, many users do not like to use the menu of modern and sophisticated operating system from Microsoft.

The good news is that you can add a much desired option Run in the Start menu of Windows Vista and best of all is that you will not need to change registration or administrative settings. Follow the instructions below and see how easy it is.

1) Clicking the right mouse button over the symbol of the Start menu, choose "Properties."



2) In the properties window that opens, go to the "Start Menu" and click "Customize ...".

3) Now just check the option "Run Command" to implement the changes made, click "OK" and on "Apply" then



4) There, the Run command is within reach of your mouse.

If you from some reason need to remove this Run command from start menu simply repeat above steps but at the last step you have to uncheck file "Run Command".

Smart Ways To Keep DLL Errors At Bay

Smart Ways To Keep DLL Errors At Bay

Anyone who has been working with computers for some time can tell you that computer errors are inevitable. However, this does not mean that you cannot reduce the frequency of these errors and ensure that they do not happen again. In fact, by taking good care of your computer and by practicing safe computing techniques you can avoid as many as 90% of software and application related errors such as DLL errors and EXE errors. Imagine the amount of time and money you will be able to save if you are able to keep most of the computer errors at bay. In order to prevent such errors from happening or recurring, all you need to do is to understand what causes these errors and how to prevent them.

DLL errors form a major part of computer errors that you may face. These errors are related to DLL or Dynamic Link Library Files which are present in large numbers on all Windows computers. These files were originally created by Microsoft, the manufacturer of Windows Operating Systems. The idea behind these files was to create a library of common files that can be used by several different applications in order to simplify processes, save space and speed up applications. However, these critical files are just like other computer problems and are equally vulnerable to errors.

Usually, it is not possible to remember what each DLL error stands for, given the strange naming system and the fact that there are thousands of different DLL files on a single computer. In this scenario, it is best to research the error to find its origin. For example, if you get a hcwutl32.dll error, you can perform a Google search to reveal that this error occurs in applications or drivers which have been created by Hauppauge Computer Works. Similarly, you may not be able to decipher much from an error message like:

“stlang.dll could not be loaded”

This is an error which is related to C-Major Audio of SigmaTel, Inc.

Reasons behind DLL errors:

There are numerous reasons behind DLL errors. The most common reasons include:

• Missing DLL file which could be due to deletion of the file by mistake or by incorrect program removal.


• Virus or spyware infection


• Conflict between two DLL files


• Hard disk problems that may corrupt one or more DLL files


• Overwriting of a working file with an invalid file


• Device driver issues


• Hardware problems

Preventing DLL Errors

Resolving DLL errors may be a time-consuming process. Therefore, it is recommended that you take all possible precautions to keep these DLL errors at bay and reduce your computer downtime. Following these steps will help in the prevention of such errors:

• Be vigilant while installing and uninstalling any program. Never delete or overwrite a DLL file which is being shared with another application.


• Never use or install any software in which the genuineness of the software is not guaranteed. Fake software may not only contain malware, but may also cause conflicts with other applications and make your life miserable.


• Update your operating system and all other programs installed on your PC regularly to take care of any bugs or loop holes in their code. This will reduce the chances of DLL application errors.


• Make it a point to use a reliable anti-malware tool to prevent attacks from spyware and virus.


• Maintain the health of your registry by using a good pc registry cleaner tool.

How to: visit password-protected websites without registering

We all know how annoying it is when we search Google for something and the result we are looking for leads to a password protected forum or site. You have to register to view content, but who likes doing that?

Fortunately there is a solution to save your time and email account from spam – pretending to be Googlebot. For those of you that don’t know, Googlebot is Google’s “spider” that crawls sites and indexes them for Google’s search results. More about Googlebot. The owner of a password protected site also wants their site to be on Google, so they make a separate account on their site for Googlebot.

We can use this small security hole and visit a website pretending to be Googlebot. This way you are automatically logged into the site or forum and don’t need to enter any password or login info. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Here’s how:

Step 1. If you’re not using it already, get Firefox! It’s a lot better than Internet Explorer and here’s why.

Step 2. Download and install the User Agent Switcher plugin for Firefox.



Step 3. Restart Firefox to complete the installation and go to Tools -> User Agent Switcher -> Options -> Options. In the window that opens, select the User Agents tab and press Add.



Step 4. Add a new user agent. Write Googlebot for the description and Googlebot/2.1+(+http://www.google.com/bot.html)” in the User Agent box as shown above. Press OK and you’re good to go!

Now you can visit most password protected sites and forums that appear on Google’s search results. Here are a few to try:

1) http://www.portaliz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=17780

2) http://www.h4cky0u.org/


Another (worst) solution may be BugMeNot http://www.bugmenot.com/

How To: Make Your XP Look Like Mac OSX In 3 Simple Steps

Alright. After I showed you how to make your XP look like Vista, some people asked me to post a guide to making your XP look like Mac OSX. Leopard, to be precise. There are two ways to accomplish the OSX look: the easy way - with a transformation pack, and the hard way - manually. I will, of course, show you how to do this the easy way, but if it for some reason doesn’t work for you, email me or comment and I’ll teach you to do it all manually. So here’s how it’s done the easy way:

Step 1: Get a transformation pack.
The best Mac OSX transformation pack for Windows XP is probably FlyakiteOSX. The creator’s website itself is worth the visit, but if it doesn’t load in your browser, get Firefox, and here’s a download link.

Step 2: Install
Run the installer and when you get to the following screen, MAKE SURE you check the box Create System Restore Point. The transformation pack will change a lot of system files and settings and although you should be able to uninstall easily later, you might find yourself in a mess if something goes wrong. This way you can always do a System Restore. Check any other options you want and you’re ready!

Step 3: Enjoy!
After the restart, you should be able to convince all, but the most die-hard Mac lovers that you have an OSX. This is what your desktop should look like now: Like other good transformation packs, this also leaves you a nice Mac OSX shutdown screen: …And a Mac OSX logon screen:

I’ll give FlyakiteOSX an excellent 5 stars. Note: The transformation pack might trigger your anti-virus protection as it changes some system files, but this is probably a false positive. Be careful though, and remember to back up!

How to: Make 4 fake computer viruses!

Why not have some fun and prank your friends? There are several kinds of fake virus messages you can make. I will discuss 4 of them:

1. Fake error message



This one is by far, the easiest one to make and all you have to do is to make a new text document with notepad, type msg * YOUR MESSAGE and save as anything.bat. As always, make sure that you select All files instead of Text Document.

2. Forced shutdown


This will display a custom error message and start a countdown which will shut down the computer.

Right-click your desktop and create a new shortcut.
Paste the following code into the Location box in the Create Shortcut menu:
shutdown -s -t 30 -c “Your message here“

Replace 30 with the length of the countdown you want (in seconds) and place your custom error message between the quotes. Click next and name the shortcut to something the victim would be likely to click on such as “Internet explorer” or “My Documents”, etc.

Next you’d want to change the icon. Right-click on the shortcut you made and click properties. Find the Change Icon button and click it. Choose a suitable icon for the name you chose earlier.

And that’s all! Now you just have to sneak the shortcut onto the victim’s desktop and run!

Note: to stop it, open Run from the start menu and type shutdown-a.

3. Endless Command prompt windows

This will open up a series of command prompt windows that will never end.
The basic idea is that there are two .bat files that open the other one when opened, so the other one opens the first one again and the windows just won’t stop coming.

How to do this:
1. Fire up notepad and type: start 2.bat
2. Save it as 1.bat (make sure you choose all files when saving it)
3. Make another new text document and type: start 1.bat
4. Save it as 2.bat into the same folder as the other one.

All you have to do to start it is to click on either of them.

The only way to stop it is to wait for the windows to become so numerous that they are a group on the taskbar. Then you can use Close group to get rid of the bastards.

4. Fake Command prompt viruses

These are also a good way to make the victim believe that a worm is gnawing at their hard drive and that they can’t do anything to stop it.

Open up notepad and type @echo off

To make text appear, type it after an echo tag.
To have the the commands wait for the user to press any key type pause
(Note: if you write pause >nul it won’t display Press Any key to continue…)

To have a complete high-speed description of files in the drive of the .bat file, type dir /s
You can also initiate any other command we covered earlier, such as shutdown, error message, etc.
And why no include all of these in one fake virus?

For example:



I can’t post the batch files here, as sharing .bat files over the internet is illegal.
And remember, everything here is for informational purposes.

How to: speed up your wireless internet connection on Windows XP

If you have a slow wireless internet connection that often crashes, then there’s probably something wrong with it. (Duh!) Here are some tips and tricks to fix some of the most common wireless problems on Windows XP. Before you start “fixing” anything, make sure your wireless connection isn’t already at it’s best.

1. Move the wireless router to a better location
The first thing you want to do is to make sure your wireless router is in the best location possible. If you have a laptop that you move around all the time or if you have several computers, the router should be in the centre of your home and office. Don’t hide it into cupboards, or under chairs and tables.

But if you only have one stationary computer, use a cable connection to the router or move the router as close to the computer as possible.



You can check the signal strength from the Wireless connection menu, accessible from Start -> Connect To -> Wireless Connection. You can also access it by clicking the wireless icon at the bottom right corner of the screen if you are connected.

2. Upgrade the wireless router firmware
Sometimes the problem is with the router firmware. Make sure you update your router firmware as often as possible to avoid incompatibility with newer systems. You can update your router firmware from the wireless router control panel. Type your router’s IP address into the browser to access the CP.

The default IP of routers is normally 192.168.1.1 for Linksys, 192.168.0.1 for D-Link and Netgear, some US Robotics routers use 192.168.123.254 and some SMC routers have 192.168.2.1. The router’s default IP address is always in the documentation of the router.

3. Change the wireless broadcast channel

If there are several wireless networks in your area, they can begin to distract each other. Most routers use the wireless channel 6 by default and the channel can slow down if full of signals coming from many routers. You can change the wireless channel from the Wireless Control Panel.

If changing the channel didn’t speed up your wireless connection, change it back to 6. It’s better not to play with them too much because this can distract your firewall.

4. Update your computer’s wireless network drivers
You can search for driver updates from the Windows Update site or your manufacturers website.

If none of the above tips helped, contact your wireless router manufacturer or just go back to a wired internet connection.

A Faster Way To Shut Down And Log Off Your Windows XP

If you’re experiencing slow shutdowns and log offs on your Windows XP, this trick will help you.

Instead of accessing the shutdown menu via Start->Turn Off Computer, open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

Press “Shut Down” at the top of the Task Manager and choose what you want your Windows XP to do:

Stand By
Hibernate
Turn Off
Restart
Log off
Switch User
The task will be performed in a matter of seconds.

How To Speed Up Your Windows XP By Disabling File Indexing

File indexing is a Windows service that like many others, is totally useless - unless you do a lot of searching on your computer. As most users don’t, it’s a good idea to disable it to speed up actions like opening and closing files and folders on your Windows XP.

To disable the Indexing Service:

Go to “My Computer” and right click on your hard drive. At the bottom of the window that opens, you should see a check box titled “Allow Indexing Service to index the disk for fast file searching.” Uncheck it.

Press OK and you’re done! Your computer should be a little faster after a restart.

How to: change the start button text on Windows XP

Tired of the boring old “start” button at the bottom left corner of your Windows XP’s monitor? Want something new to replace iit? Well here’s how to change it.

With a few modifications in the Windows Registry, you can replace the “start” text with anything you like. Great for achieving a new, custom look for your Windows XP. So let’s get started.



Warning: this tutorial is more for advanced users, and I'm not
responsible if your system gets messed up. Only attempt the following
at your own risk.
Step 1: Modify explorer.exe
If the warning didn’t scare you enough, then the title of this step probably did. Yes, we are going to change Explorer, the backbone of your Windows XP, but don’t worry. Everything should be safe as long as you follow the steps closely.

As explorer is a binary file, we need a special tool to modify it. One of the best ones for this purpose is Resource Hacker. There are of course others that will get the trick done, but we will be using RH this tutorial so I recommend installing it to avoid making mistakes. Install it and let’s continue.

As always before changing anything. you want to back up. So open My Computer and navigate to and look for explorer. Copy paste it to a safe location on your hard drive.

Now that you’ve backed it up, fire up Resource Hacker and find the same explorer.exe.



When you’ve found and opened explorer in RH, navigate to String Table -> 37 -> 1033. The “start” value is on line 4, after the 578. Change the text “start” to anything you want, making sure you keep the quotes. In this example. I changed the text to xptricks.net.



Press the Compile Script button to make Resource Hacker put together the code. Now click File and Save the script as explorer.exe. into C: \WINDOWS\inf or another C: \WINDOWS subfolder.
Note: make sure you choose Save AS, NOT just save!!

And that’s all for the first step! Now let’s move onto the second one -modifying the registry.

Step 2: changing the registry.

By now, you have a modified explorer sitting in the /inf/ subfolder, so we need to tell Windows to use that one, instead of the original one still resting untouched.

To do this, we need to make just one simple registry modification. To open up the registry, press start (something else soon ) -> run and type regedit.

In the registry editor window that opens, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\ Winlogon and look for the registry entry “shell”. Click it.



Change the explorer.exe to inf/explorer.exe or whereever you saved the modified explorer.

And believe it or not, you’re done! All you have to do now is reboot or log out and bacö in to see the changes. Enjoy your new custom Windows XP start button!

10 Tricks With A USB Thumb Drive

Any ordinary USB memory device can do a lot more than you probably thought it could. It can carry programs, encryption and even a full installation of Windows XP! Here is our tenlist for the coolest things you can do with a USB thumb drive:


Take your programs with you

We all know how frustrating it is when we take your files to another computer just to discover that the software required to read the files is not installed.

Here’s the simplest solution – take your programs with you – on your USB thumb drive. Here’s how to do it with Portable Apps:

1. Go to the Portable Apps website and download the installer, choosing the software you want to carry along.

2. Run the installer and install the software to the root of your USB thumb drive.

And you’re done! As soon as you connect your thumb drive into a computer, Portable Apps will open up automatically.



Surf anonymously

With Portable Apps and Firefox, you can surf the web without leaving any trace on the computer you are using. If you want extra security, install a Firefox security plugin such as FoxyProxy. To iput Firefox onto the drive, just copy-paste the Firefox folder from you computer, or install Firefox onto the thumb drive.



Set a program to run automatically (autorun)

Using autorun, you can set a program to start up automatically when you connect the drive to a computer. You can also use the same script for a data CD-ROM. Note that some computers have autorun disabled for security purposes. [Here's how to disable autorun.]

Open up notepad and paste the following script:

[autorun]

ShellExecute=filename

Label=description

UseAutoPlay=1

Make sure you replace filename with the full path to the file. For example, a file called program.exe in a folder called “programs” on the thumb drive would be /programs/program.exe

Replace description with a short description of the program, for example, My Jukebox or Mozilla Firefox.

Save the file as autorun.inf, making sure you select “All Programs” from the save menu, not “Text document”!



Help! I’m lost!

Ever lost a USB drive? Even if you haven’t, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll lose a few during your life. And with all the important information on it, it could be a disaster to have it fall into someone’s hands.

A good idea is to encrypt all the information on the drive, but you would still want it back, wouldn’t you? Luckily, the folks at the Daily Cup Of Tech have come up with a solution.



Save a program called “Help! I’m Lost!” on the drive, that a finder just can’t get around opening. The program opens a message box with your personal “I’m lost” message. It’s a good idea to offer the finder a bigger reward than the drive itself, so that they’ll be interested in contacting you.



Hide the drive inside something

Why not surprise your friends and co-workers by sticking something that looks like a broken USB cable into the computer’s USB drive?

You’ll be sure to get a few shocked faces when you start to play a movie from it.

The guys from Technobuzz.net show us how to do it. (You are gonna need an unbelievably small thumb drive for this…)

Secure your PC

Just like with an RFID badge, you can use a USB drive to lock and unlock a PC. Insert it to begin working and pull it out when you’ve finished, locking the computer. There are several programs for this . Rohos, a commercial program and WiKID, a semi-open source one.

If you really need to secure your computer with a USB drive, I suggest you give Rohos a try, as WiKID is rather complicated.

Portable jukebox

Don’t just carry the music with you, also carry the player! You can install audio programs such as WinAmp and CoolPlayer+ on your thumb drive. Just unextract the ZIP folders to the USB drive.

If you want the jukebox to start up automatically when you connect the memory stick to the computer, use the autorun feature shown tip 3 and point it to the exe of your audio player.

Encrypt your data

If you carry any sensitive indormation on your USB memory stick, a good idea is to encrypt it. Hardware-level encryption will help, but it will cost extra. You can get a free program to encrypt your data just as securely. For this I recommend TrueCrypt, but most others will also do.

You will need admin access on the computer you want to use your encrypted thumb drive on, so this it’s usability a little.

Run a standalone OS for dedicated tasks

The easiest OS to boot from a USB drive is probably Linux. There are many small capacity Linux versions out there that will fit on your drive. The best 3 are Puppy Linux, Damn Small Linux and Webconverger.

Make sure you select a version that needs less space than your USB drive’s maximum, so you have room for files and software.

And this leads us nicely to the final tip…

Run Windows itself from a USB thumb drive
Modifying Windows to work on a USB drive is quite difficult, but luckily there are some tools that will do it for us. Note that you will need a separate Windows license for this, as Microsoft only lets you use one for each single computer, and a USB drive is treated by them like a computer…

What you’ll need:

A licensed copy of Windows
A USB device, min. 1GB (We recommend a USB hard disk, as a flash memory stick will become unusable after 100000 writing processes. Assuming that only 2 processes are used per second, the drive will last only 60 days with 8 hours of work each day… A hard disk doesn’t have this problem.)