Note: This block is only temporary and expires on April 12, 2005. On that date, Automatic Update will download SP2 come hell or high water, and Windows Update will again start showing SP2 in its list of recommended downloads.

Change your mind? To toggle Automatic Update and Windows Update so that they will download or display SP2, use Internet Explorer to head to this page.

Pentium 4s run up to 3.6 GHz. That means the chip can cycle 3.6 billion times per second. The 3.6 GHz version performs less work per cycle than some other, slower chips.

Its Level 2, or L2, memory cache ranges from 256 kilobytes to 1 megabyte. This memory contains common commands that the chip can call upon. If the command the chip needs is in L2 cache, it speeds up the computing process. If it is not, then the chip must go to system memory (RAM). That slows things. So more L2 cache is better. See, it's all pretty easy stuff.

Celeron processors are geared-down Pentiums. Celerons have 128 or 256 kilobytes of L2 cache--less than most Pentium 4s. Their clock speeds are also slower. Maximum Celeron speed is 2.8 GHz. That's still plenty fast. The reduced L2 cache is a bigger deal.

All Intel consumer chips are 32-bit. That means they can handle 32 bits of data at a time. That's OK, because consumer software today is 32- bit. Intel's Itanium, a business chip, is 64-bit. That is an advantage with some business programs, but is unsuited to consumer applications.

Advanced Micro Devices also makes consumer chips. Its topline chips are called Athlons. AMD has been producing 64-bit chips for consumer computers for about a year. They also run today's 32-bit programs. That's a good thing, because, as I said, there aren't any mainstream 64-bit consumer programs available for it.

These chips have a lower clock speed. My computer has a cutting-edge AMD 64-bit 3800+. (That's a mouthful!) It runs at 2.4 GHz. Although its clock speed is relatively slow, the chip is actually very fast. AMD (and Apple, which I'll get to in a minute) focuses on improving the number of instructions a chip can handle per cycle, rather than pure clock speed. That is why slower chips often defeat chips with higher clock speeds in tests.

AMD's nomenclature carries such numbers as 3000+. You can use them as a comparison with Pentium 4s. A 3000+ has roughly the same capabilities as a Pentium 4 3.0 GHz. The 64-bit Athlon has either 512 KB or 1 MB of L2 cache. The Athlon XP, a 32-bit chip, has 512 KB of L2 cache.

AMD also makes an economy chip, the Sempron. It competes with the Celeron. It has 256 KB of L2 cache, and is a 32-bit chip.

We still have to look at Apple's G5 chips. These guys are made by IBM.

Both Power Macs and iMacs use the G5 chip. Some run at speeds well under 2 GHz. But as with AMD, Apple focuses its efforts on the number of instructions that can be completed per cycle.

If you're interested in the iMac, test it in the store for speed. The iMac's big brothers, the Power Macs, all have dual processors. They're likely to be plenty fast. The cheapest is $2000 without a monitor, so they're plenty expensive, too.

All G5 chips have 512 KB of L2 cache.

So, what's the bottom line? I thought we'd never get here! For a good combination of speed and power, I'd look at Windows machines with Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon chips. Buy three or four steps down from the fastest chip. That means a 2.8 or 3.0 GHz Pentium chip, or a 2800+ or 3000+ AMD Athlon. The AMD 64-bit chips are fine, but there's currently no software that can take advantage of their advanced technology.

Apple's Power Macs are very powerful, but they're also costly. If you want to pay the money, you won't go wrong. The iMacs also are probably OK, but I'd check them in the store first. Again, the 64-bit technology is wasted on today's programs.

The Celeron and Sempron chips also are acceptable. They may be noticeably slower than the Pentium 4 and Athlon chips, though.

Intel offers a slew of chips in laptops. There are the Pentium 4, the Pentium 4-M, the Pentium III-M and the Pentium M chips. Need more? There are also the mobile Celeron and the Celeron-M.

Intel chips support power-saving features, which extend battery life. There are a huge number of clock speeds among these chips.

Here's a quick and dirty rundown: The Pentium 4 variants are quick, but relatively hard on batteries. The Pentium III-M is significantly slower and obsolete. The Celerons run from pretty doggone slow to relatively quick. In every case, the clock speed is a good indicator of the chip's abilities.

The exception is the Pentium M. This chip has a relatively low clock speed, but is nonetheless pretty capable. It is a component of the Centrino technology, which you mentioned in your question.

Centrino is not a chip. It is a technology, including the Pentium M chip, the 855 chipset and wireless capabilities. Intel has always marketed the Centrino as a wireless wonder. But wireless is common in laptops, regardless of whether they have Centrino technology.

Where Centrino really shines is battery life. Laptops typically will run about three hours. But Centrinos will run much longer. I've seen tests in which a Centrino ran six or seven hours. That could be a big deal for road warriors.

When buying Intel, and excellent battery life is important, go with the Centrino setup. Do not worry about clock speed. If I you are power user, and want a desktop replacement, buy a higher-end Pentium 4. Just keep in mind the Pentium 4 runs pretty warm for placing it in your lap. For low price, look at Celeron.

AMD is not big in laptops, but is starting to change that. Clock speed is not a big deal with AMD chips. Any Athlon should do well. See my tip from Friday for comparisons to Intel Pentium chips. Don't pay up for AMD's 64-bit chip; there is no software to run on it at this time.

Apple's PowerBook laptops use the G4 microprocessor, not the newer G5. Clock speeds run up to 1.5 GHz. Again, Apple's chip situation is similar to AMD's--it emphasizes the number of operations per cycle, not just speed. Because Apple uses the older G4 chip, I would check it in the store for satisfactory speed.

[autorun]
open=setup.exe
icon=icon.ico

Replace setup.exe with the program that should launch when the CD is inserted, and replace icon.ico with the file containing the CD's icon. In both cases, be sure to omit the drive letter. If you want to launch a nonexecutable item like an HTML file, precede it with start.exe in the open= line. Note that all file links in the HTML file should be relative ones, omitting the drive letter.

A better way for auto running an HTML "index.html" file:

The index.html file is your main page or "menu/contents" page with clickable links to other html files, just like a typical website setup.

With notepad create a file named cdrun.ini
With these two lines:
0
index.html

With notepad create a file named autorun.ini
With these 3 lines:
[autorun]
icon=cdrun.ico
open=cdrun.exe

You also need:
CDRun.exe
CDRun.ico

You can dowload them here, including the
cdrun.ini and autorun.ini files, in zip format
Download cdrun.zip
Need Winzip to unzip them, get a free trial copy here :
Get Winzip

Along with your other cd file contents, burn all four files to your cd:
cdrun.ini
autorun.ini
CDRun.exe
CDRun.ico

Finished

Windows XP Home Edition does include backup software, but for some reason it is not installed as default with a Windows XP Home Edition installation. To install the software you must do the following steps:

This tool is perfectly adequate for most home users but advanced users may wish to invest in better backup software and business users may even require a hardware based solution.

To run the backup software, go to Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Backup

The technique for forcing Windows XP into Safe mode is, as you've noticed, not the same as for Windows 9x. From the Start menu's Run dialog, enter the command MSConfig. Click on the BOOT.INI tab and check the /SAFEBOOT box. Now when you boot, Windows will go into Safe mode. Naturally, when you no longer need Safe mode, you'll repeat the process and uncheck that box. One caveat: Don't experiment with the other settings on this tab. You could wind up unable to get back into MSConfig to undo your changes.

LiUtilities.com Process Library

Audio restoration tools that address these problems range from simple freeware utilities to kilobuck programs designed for law enforcement and professional multimedia authors. Their features vary considerably, but most include all the tools you'll need to perform the tasks we describe here. In our examples, we use Tracer Technologies' application DC Live/Forensics ($1,399 direct), which offers some of the most advanced audio restoration and forensics tools available. Tracer also offers $59 and $199 versions of the program that perform many of the same functions (www.tracertek.com ). Your restoration job will be much easier if you can control how you record your source material to digital. Avoid degrading quality with unnecessary format conversions by recording at the same sampling rate and bit depth as your final storage medium: 44.1 kHz, 16 bits for an audio CD; 48 kHz, 16 bits for a DVD video soundtrack encoded into Dolby Digital format; and 96/24 or 192/24 for DVD audio content.

Always record to an uncompressed format like WAV or raw PCM, and avoid ripping to lossy formats like MP3, which can play havoc with some noise reduction tools. Most important, watch your recording level. Unlike analog recording, digital sound produces nasty-sounding distortion if your level strays even slightly into the red, and even the best tools may not fix that. Choose a level that places your highest amplitude peaks at -3 dB or -6 dB. Every recording has unique sonic characteristics that you'll need to analyze before deciding on a restoration strategy. Play your sound file over good headphones and listen for distortion, clipping, hiss, pops, and dropouts, then play it again on a speaker system that has enough low-end response to reveal subsonic noise. If your software includes a spectral analyzer, use it to generate a graph that shows fixed-frequency artifacts, like the 60-Hz hum produced by poorly grounded electronics. Once you've identified which flaws you want to correct, tackle them one at a time. Start by filtering out any fixed-frequency noise. Most programs let you do this with a parametric equalizer, which provides definable tone controls that boost or cut any frequency range you choose. Parametric equalizers let you eliminate simple fixed-frequency noise components easily. But if you're trying to eliminate a more complex sound, like ground hum, you may also need to remove its first few (and most prominent) harmonics, which occur at 120 Hz, 180 Hz, and higher multiples of the 60-Hz fundamental frequency. Some programs provide hum and buzz filters that handle this automatically.

Your next target should be impulse noise, which includes short- duration artifacts like clicks, scratches, and crackling. Virtually all audio restoration programs provide declicking tools, with presets for different types of impulse noise, but you'll often need to make several passes, eliminating shorter-duration spikes each time. You may also wind up removing a few persistent clicks manually.

The trickiest part of most restoration jobs is eradicating continuous broadband noise, like tape hiss. The filters provided for this usually produce only modest results with default settings, and learning how to set each parameter takes a lot of experimentation. Don't try to operate a broadband-noise filter without reading the manual, and make sure your program has real-time preview capabilities. Many broadband-noise tools try to determine optimal settings automatically by analyzing a short sample of your recording's noise. If your package offers this feature, select a sample that contains no sound other than the noise itself and is long enough to give the filter enough data (at least half a second). Even if the filter can't suggest perfect settings, a well-chosen noise sample should get you close.

If you've gotten this far, your sound file should be relatively noise-free. Don't be discouraged if it still isn't perfect. Cleaning up noise sometimes exposes difficult-to-remove types of distortion that weren't evident at the outset. Today's audio restoration tools excel at removing artifacts and noise, but they can rarely replace lost detail. Nonetheless, with the right tools and a little experimentation, you should be able to improve even the most severely compromised recordings.

###Return

So, first thing, I would turn off the automatic restart. To do that, click Start. Right-click My Computer and click Properties. Select the Advanced tab. Under Startup and Recovery, click Settings. In the System Failure section, clear the check mark from Automatically Restart. Click OK>>OK.

This will give you time to read the error message. Copy any likely phrases or error numbers and hunt for them in Microsoft's Knowledge Base: http://support.microsoft.com/

There have been a few shutdown problems in XP. At least one was repaired in a Windows Update. Be sure that your copy of Windows is updated. In Internet Explorer, click Tools>>Windows Update. Follow the prompts.

If you are using an old Nvidia video card, that could be the problem. There may be a driver available on the Windows Update page. Also, check Nvidia's site at: http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

According to Microsoft, processes that take too long to close also can cause this problem. By default, running processes are given 20 seconds to close. (Processes are parts of Windows and other programs.) If necessary, you can give the processes more time.

Doing that requires a change in the Registry. That is the super- critical part of Windows. Before making changes there, you should back it up then run "regedit", with caution.

To make the change, click Start>>Run. Enter "regedit" (without the quotes) in the box and click OK. Drill down to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. In the right panel, find WaitToKillAppTimeout. Double-click it. In Value Data, you will find the number 20000. That is 20 seconds, expressed in milliseconds. Change that to 25000. Click OK and close Registry Editor. Reboot.

If the problem continues, add more time in two-second increments.

After all of this, if you still have a problem, broaden your Knowledge Base search. For example, Windows XP shutdown issues are addressed at: http://snipurl.com/shutdown_XP

###Return

If you don't yet have the very latest Internet Explorer, you can fix many problems by visiting http://www.microsoft.com/, search for "Internet Explorer", and updating to the latest version. If you're already up to date, however, the site won't let you reinstall the program.

You need to fool the system into thinking you don't have the latest version. Launch REGEDIT from the Start menu's Run dialog and navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{89820200-ECBD-11cf-8B85-00AA005B4383}.

In the right-hand pane, double-click on the DWORD value IsInstalled and change it from 1 to 0 (no matter whether you choose Decimal or Hexadecimal). Close REGEDIT and go to the Windows update site again.

Now it should let you "update" IE and, with luck, fix the problems. By the way, you can do the same thing if you need to repair Outlook Express, but at the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{44BBA840-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}.

Return

###

Return

Click here

Click to view writing to CD with Windows XP

###Return

When a key combination saves you time and mouse clicks, it's a beautiful thing. Here are some favorites.
Click here to view the shortcuts

###Return

Perl: (Practical Extraction Report Language), program language on Unix servers

Pine: Program for Internet News & Email

In using Outlook Express to receive your e-mail various problems can arise . . . one such problem, Outlook Express will occasionally hang on a certain message and stop receiving mail before all mail is received. Upon trying again the same thing happens. In this case you keep receiving the same messages repeatedly. The cause can be various things, a virus, corrupted message, excessively large message etc. But the bottom line, you can not receive all your messages and empty your inbox.

If you are fortunate enough to have Telnet access to your Unix mail server you can easily correct the problem by deleting the problem message(s). Use Windows "Run" command and type and Enter "telnet yourdomain.com" of course without the quotes. Login with your username and password. Now you must use some "Perl" commands. Enter "pine" and a menu will come up. Use the menu item "I" for Index and your messages will line up in numerical order. Find the number giving you the problem.

Enter "D" for "Marked for deletion". You can select more messages for deletion if you want to. When ready have the curser on a message marked "D" and Enter "X", you will be asked if you want to expunge those messages. Answer "Y" for Yes and they will be deleted.

Enter "Q" to Quit Pine and "Exit" to close Telnet.

###Return

###Return

This is also good for those times when you leave an Internet service provider and don't want to look at that company's logo and name any longer.

Using any standard photo-editing software, save the your logo as a bitmap (BMP). The size can be 22 by 22 or 38 by 38 pixels.

Once you have that done, here's how to make the change:

First, sign on to the computer with an account that has Administrator privileges. Then:

1. Click Start>>Run. In the open box, type "Gpedit.msc" without the quotes. Click OK.
2. This opens the Group Policy Editor. Double-click User Configuration on the right side.
3. Double-click Windows Settings. Double-click Internet Explorer Maintenance. Double-click Browser User Interface.
4. There are three settings: Browser Title, Custom Logo and Browser Toolbar Customizations. Double-click the settings to make your changes. You can also remove the logos within IE here.

When you are done, click the Close box. Your changes will be saved.

###Return

###Return

By default, Windows XP remembers the last 400 folder settings. After 400, it's supposed to discard the oldest settings, so that it always remembers the most recent 400. In some cases, however, it just stops remembering new settings when the number of settings hits 400. Note that the steps that follow will clear all your old folder settings so Windows XP can remember more, and this method also raises the limit higher than 400.

1. Launch REGEDIT from the Start menu's Run dialog.
2. Navigate to the Registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell. If this key is not present, skip to step 8.
3. If a subkey named BagMRU is present, delete the entire subkey.
4. If a subkey named Bags is present, delete the entire subkey.
5. Look for a value named BagMRU Size (with a space between BagMRU and Size).
6. If this value is not present, select New | DWORD Value from the Edit menu and name the new value BagMRU Size. 8. Navigate to the Registry key HKEY_ CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\ShellNoRoam. If present, repeat steps 3 through 7.

That should cure Windows XP's faulty memory. The OS will "forget" all existing folder settings, but from this point onward, it should remember them correctly.

###Return

Hardware information is typically found in the Device Manager. For a more detailed view of certain hardware elements, launch "DXDIAG" from the Start menu's Run dialog. Although it's designed to diagnose DirectX problems, the System, Sound, and Display tabs of the dialog provide useful information about the CPU, memory, sound card, and display adapter—including the amount of video memory

###Return

Since at least version 3.0, Windows programs have created temporary files which serve no purpose once the programs are finished (exited). Early versions of Windows could place the files anywhere and they forever took up space on the hard drive. Later versions (Windows 95, 98, 98Se, NT, 2000, Me, and XP) at least placed them in a specific location, the "C:\Windows\Temp\" (change to appropriate drive letter if not C) directory (now called a folder). If you open the Windows Explorer and locate the "C:\Windows\Temp\" directory you will probably find a few, if not hundreds, of files. All of those files can be deleted, except for ones in use which will not delete, don't worry about these, delete them next time.

Depending on many variables the Temp folder when containing a large number of files can cause unpredictable problems. Thus it is wise to empty it often, weekly or at least monthly. Navigate to it with Windows Explorer, use the upper "Edit" menu and "Select all", then the upper "File menu" and "Delete". You can also use the "right" mouse button context menus.

As always make certain you are in the correct folder. Deleting items in Windows folders other than Temp and Prefetch can be disasterous.

###Return

Windows XP's prefetch feature is new added feature which improves system performance. However, after a period of time, just like the T emp folder, obsolete entries begin to build up. You can safely clear these invalid files and regain system performance by doing the following.

Navigate to Windows\Prefetch folder with Windows Explorer and delete all files. As always make certain you are in the correct folder. Deleting items in Windows folders other than Temp and Prefetch can be disasterous.

What Prefectch Does

This is a unique technique for Windows XP operating system. Following is a definition given by Microsoft on prefetching technique.

Windows XP monitors the files that are used when computer starts and also when you start applications. By monitoring these files, Windows XP can prefetch them. Prefetching data is the process whereby data that is expected to be requested is read ahead into the cache. Prefetching boot files and applications decreases the time needed to start Windows XP and start applications.

This information is logged and stored on your hard drive taking up space and requires a process to be kept running monitoring which applications are being run often. This has a performance impact on your PC. Disabling the prefetch function or atleast only enabling it for the boot files will allow you to freee up some system resources and preserve some disk space. (I have not got tip on how to disable prefetch, I will update this article once I get the tip)

However, it is recomended to clear your prefetch directory often atleast monthly once. You could use the following script or manually go and empty the contents of c:\windows\prefetch. If you are using the script, you can add it to your task scheduler.

[clearprefetch.vbs]
Dim fso
Set fso = Createobject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
'Dim MyVar
'MyVar = MsgBox ("Deleting C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch. This is a typical maintenance job, does not affect the stability of the system", 0, "Note: Deleting Prefetch")
fso.DeleteFile("C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch\*.*")

###

Pentnt
Detects floating point division error (if present) in the Pentium chip, disables floating point hardware, and turns on floating point emulation.

Syntax
pentnt [-c] [-f] [-o] Command Line Parameters
-c: Enables conditional emulation.
-f :Enables forced emulation.
-o :Disables forced emulation and reenables floating-point hardware if it is present

###Return

Start a registry editor (e.g., regedit.exe).
Navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion registry subkey.
Change the Sourcepath value to point to the installation media's new location (e.g., D:\i386).
Navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Setup registry subkey.
If the Sourcepath value is listed, change the value here also to point to the installation media's new location.

To use System File Checker, perform the following steps:
Insert the Windows CD-ROM installation media.
From the Start menu, select Run.
Enter "sfc /scannow" to start the System File Checker process and check all core files. The utility will replace any missing core files and make sure all the files are up-to-date.

###Return

Specifically, OE 6 blocks attachments having any of these extensions: .asp, .bas, .bat, .chm, .cmd, .com, .exe, .hlp, .hta, .inf, .isp, .js, .jse, .lnk, .msi, .mst, .pcd, .pif, .reg, .scr, .url, .vbe, .vbs, .ws, and .wsh. You can't remove items from this list, as it's hard-coded in the file Shdocvw.dll. Other file types that have the box Confirm open after download checked in Windows Explorer's Edit File Type dialog may also be blocked.

To turn off this feature in Outlook Express, select Options from the Tools menu, click on the Security tab, and uncheck the box that says Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus. Once you click on OK, you should also be able to open attachments that arrived while this feature was on.

###Return

A computer with no operating system installed will usually boot from the Windows XP CD. For that rare system that won't, Microsoft offers downloadable programs to create the necessary set of bootable floppy disks. Navigate to http://support.microsoft.com and search for article 310994. Find the download link for your Win XP version and language. The downloaded program will create six setup disks, which can be used to start your system up and begin installing the OS from a CD in a nonbootable drive.

If something goes wrong with the boot drive, you may be able to recover the system using a bootable floppy disk. Don't just format a disk with the box Create an MS-DOS Startup disk checked; you want to boot Windows XP, not MS-DOS. Start by formatting the disk without checking that box. Then copy the three files
Boot.ini,
Ntdetect.com,
and Ntldr
from the root directory of the boot drive (C:\) to the floppy disk. Boot the computer from this disk and verify that Windows XP starts (this may require that you change BIOS settings to boot from a floppy disk). Label the disk clearly and store it in a safe place.

If you ever forget your password, a password reset floppy disk can save the day. This isn't the same as writing down your password and storing it in a safe. The password reset disk lets you reset your password without revealing The precise technique for creating and using a password reset disk varies by account type and log-on type. Search on password reset disk in the Help and Support applet for details specific to your situation.

###Return

To install the Recovery Console on your system, put your Windows XP installation CD in your CD drive, click on Start Run, and type d:\ 1386\winnt32.exe/cmdcons, where d is your CD-ROM drive letter. Press OK and you will be asked whether you want to install the Recovery Console. Click on Yes. Once this application is installed, it will add Microsoft Windows Recovery Console as an option on the boot menu. To start the Recovery Console using the Windows XP CD, boot your system from the CD (be sure your BIOS is set to boot from CDROM before the hard drive). Once you're past the welcome screen, press R and the Recovery Console will start.

Inside the Recovery Console you can obtain a list of possible commands by typing recovery console commands or help at the command prompt and pressing Enter. For more information about a specific command, type help commandname. From here, you can copy important data off your hard drive or, if you are a more advanced user, troubleshoot and replace corrupt files that are preventing your system from booting properly.

###Return

###Return

In the command line path, if your operating system is Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows ME, type the following exactly:

C:\windows\rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindows

Please note that there is a space between "exe" and "user". There are no other spaces.

Click Next, name the shortcut and click Finish. Now, to shutdown Windows, just double-click this shortcut.

###Return

For Windows XP, in the command line path, type the following exactly:

For a shortcut to SHUT DOWN Windows XP:
SHUTDOWN -s -t 01

For a shortcut to RESTART Windows XP:
SHUTDOWN -r -t 01

Please note the spaces before the hyphens and after "r", "s" and "t"

Click Next, name the shortcut and click Finish. Now, to shutdown Windows, just double-click this shortcut.

###Return

1. Select File>>Page Setup from within Internet Explorer
2. Look at the Headers and Footers section. You might see several codes
in those boxes. These codes tell you what will be printed whenever you
print a Web page. Some are:
    Window title  &w
    Page address (URL)  &u
    Date in short format  &d
    Date in long format  &D
    Time  &t
    Time in 24-hour format  &T
    Current page number  &p
    Total number of pages  &P

You can put codes together. For example, if you looked at the first
page of a four-page printout, "Page &p of &P" will print "Page 1 of 4"
in the bottom margin. Experiment with the codes until you have it set
up exactly the way you want it.
 

###Return

 

###Return

###Return

Return

###Return

###Return

Viewing hidden files with Cuteftp Pro
Such as .htaccess

To specify a server side parameter to the UNIX ls program
Select your site in the Site Manager.
Right-click and select Site Properties.
Go to the Actions tab
Select Filter.
Check Enable server side filtering.
Type the parameter into the remote filter box ( such as -a ).
(-a is the symbol for showing hidden files
) Click OK or CONNECT.

###Return

On the computer running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000, insert the Windows XP Professional compact disc into your CD-ROM drive. When the Welcome page appears, click Perform additional tasks, and then click Set up Remote Desktop Connection. Follow the directions that appear on your screen.

Note . . . it may already be installed in Windows XP:
Look in Start, Programs, Accessories, Communication, Remote Desktop Connection

Using Remote Desktop Connection
With Remote Desktop Connection, you can easily connect to a terminal server or to another computer running Windows. All you need is network access and permissions to connect to the other computer. Optionally, you can specify special settings for your connection and then save the settings for the next time you connect.

Notes:
To enable your computer to accept remote connections, check Help for your operating platform. To open Remote Desktop Connection, click Start, point to Programs or All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, and then click Remote Desktop Connection. To view a list of available computers on the domain, click the Computer arrow and select .

###Return

Install Spell Checker in Internet Explorer - Spell check On Line Forms
Microsoft Word Must be Installed In Order To Function

Spell-checkers are built into most e-mail programs, but if you post messages in forums or fill out on line forms, spell-checking may not be available. Copy the following script then paste it into Notepad and save it as spellcheck.js. Save it in any folder such as C:\Temp or C:\Work
Script begins here
oShell= new
ActiveXObject("WScript.Shell");
oShell.SendKeys( "^c" ); // copy
oWord= new ActiveXObject("Word.Application");
oWord.Visible= true;
oWord.Documents.Add();
oWord.Selection.Paste();
oWord.ActiveDocument.CheckSpelling();
oWord.Selection.WholeStory();
oWord.Selection.Copy();
oWord.ActiveDocument.Close(0);
oWord.Quit();
var nRet= oShell.Popup(
"Apply changes?\nClick OK to replace all selected text.",
0,
"Spell Check Complete",
33 );
if ( nRet == 1 ) {
oShell.SendKeys( "^v" ); // paste
}
Script ends here

Drag the file from your folder with Windows Explorer to the Links bar in IE to create a shortcut to the script. Right-click the shortcut, choose Rename, and name it Spell Check. Now when you're entering text in any Web page, you can highlight the text and click the Spell Check button. Word comes up and does a normal, interactive spell check, closing when finished.

###Return

How to Reinstall or Repair
Internet Explorer and Outlook Express in Windows XP (Q318378)

Method 1: Reinstall or Repair Windows XP
To repair or reinstall Internet Explorer and Outlook Express in Windows XP, complete the following procedure while you are logged on as an administrator: Use the System File Checker tool to scan all of the protected files on your computer:

Click Start , and then click Run .

In the Open box, type sfc /scannow , and then click OK . Note that you may be prompted to insert the Windows XP installation CD-ROM.

Test to determine if the issue is resolved. If the issue is resolved, skip the remaining steps. If the issue is not resolved, continue to the next step.

Complete an in-place upgrade of Windows XP, a repair of Windows XP, or reinstall Windows XP.

For additional information about how to complete an in-place upgrade or repair of Windows XP, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP

Important . . . have all personal data backed up before proceeding

Method 2: Reinstall Windows XP by Starting Your Computer from the Windows XP Compact Disc To reinstall Windows XP by starting your computer from the Windows XP compact disc or from MS-DOS mode, or by starting your computer from a Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me) or Microsoft Windows 98 startup disk, follow these steps:
Do one of the following:

If you want to reinstall Windows XP by starting your computer from the Windows XP compact disc, insert the Windows XP compact disc into your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer.

When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message is displayed on the screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP compact disc.

NOTE : Your computer must be configured to start from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. For more information about how to configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, please see your computer's documentation or contact your computer manufacturer.

-or-

If you want to reinstall Windows XP from MS-DOS mode by starting your computer from a startup disk, follow these steps:

Insert the Windows XP compact disc into your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.

Insert the Windows Me or Windows 98 startup disk into your computer's floppy disk drive, and then restart your computer.

When the Windows Startup menu appears, select Start Computer with CD-ROM Support .

Make a note of the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive -- for example, E.

NOTE : Before you proceed to the next step, you may want to run SMARTDrive (Smartdrv.exe). If you do not use SMARTDrive, the portion of Windows XP Setup that copies files to the hard disk may perform very slowly.

Setup Stops Responding (Hangs) During File Copy
At the command prompt, type the following lines, and be sure to press ENTER after each line

e:
cd i386
winnt.exe
where E is the drive letter of the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive that contains the Windows XP compact disc.

Type the path to the Windows XP installation files, and then press ENTER. For example, type e :\i386 , where E is the drive letter of the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive that contains the Windows XP compact disc.

When you see following message displayed on your screen, remove the startup disk from your computer's floppy disk drive, and then press ENTER:

The MS-DOS based portion of the Setup is complete. Setup will not restart your computer. After your computer restarts, Windows XP Setup will continue.

If there is a floppy disk in drive A; remove it now.

Press ENTER to restart your computer and continue Windows XP Setup. The computer restarts and Setup resumes. The following message is displayed on the Welcome to Setup screen that appears:

This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft Windows XP to run on your computer:

To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.

To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.

To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.
Press ENTER to set up Windows XP.

On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.

Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.

Follow the instructions on the remaining screens to reinstall Windows XP.

After you repair Windows XP, you may be required to reactivate your copy of Windows XP.

---

Method 2: Edit the Registry and Install Internet Explorer 6 While you are logged on as an administrator, click Start , and then click Run .

In the Open box, type regedit , and then click OK .

Locate the appropriate registry subkey, right-click the IsInstalled (REG_DWORD) value, and then click Modify . To reinstall only the Internet Explorer 6 browser component on Windows XP, use the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{89820200-ECBD-11cf-8B85-00AA005B4383}

To reinstall only Outlook Express 6 on Windows XP, use the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{44BBA840-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}

Change the value data from 1 to 0, and then click OK .

Quit Registry Editor, and then download and install Internet Explorer 6. For information about how o download and install Internet Explorer 6, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

###Return

WINDOWS XP
SHUTDOWN & RESTART TROUBLESHOOTING

REBOOT INSTEAD OF SHUTDOWN

Direct CD. Many Easy CD users (but not all) found that installing Easy CD 5.0 does not cause the shutdown problem, provided they do not install the Direct CD component.

CDRALW2K.SYS. Correspondent Larry Blumette identified the CDRALW2K.SYS file (version 1.0.0.1048) as the Roxio file causing his shutdown problems and error conditions. When he deleted or renamed this one file, his problems went away. (Of course, you lose your CD functionality that way, too.)

SHUTDOWN HANGS ON "SAVING YOUR SETTINGS"
During shutdown or reboot, Win XP may hang (stop responding) at the "saving
your settings" screen. During such a hang, there is no response to Ctrl+Alt+Del; the mouse may or may not work. The problem may be intermittent. This is a known bug in Windows XP, for which Microsoft has a supported fix. Because this patch is scheduled for further quality assurance testing in the future, Microsoft only recommends that you install it if you have a serious problem; otherwise, they recommend waiting for Service Pack 1, which will include the more permanent version of the fix. To learn how to get this patch, see MSKB Q307274.
NOTE: The article says the patch may only be obtained by contacting Microsoft. However, it is now available on the Windows Update site under "Recommended Updates" for Win XP Professional, titled "Restarting Windows XP." As a workaround, newsgroup correspondent "lou" resolved this problem by dismantling the Windows XP logon Welcome screen. In the Control Panel, click User Accounts, then click "Change the way users log on or off." Uncheck the box that says "Use the Welcome screen." This removes the initial logon screen with individual icons for each user and, instead, pops up the classic logon prompt that requires each user to type a user name and password.

SBLive: DEVLDR32.EXE PROBLEMS
In the early days of Win ME, one of the biggest culprits for shutdown issue was the Creative Labs SoundBlaster Live. History repeated itself in the Beta phase of Win XP. SOLUTION: The SBLive drivers in the released version of Win XP solved the shutdown problem for most (but not all) SBLive users.
Here's the commonly reported problem scenario people encountered: On attempting shutdown, nothing at all appears to happen for a prolonged period of time. Eventually, an "End Task" window appears, wanting to terminate DEVLDR32.EXE. No matter what one does, one ultimately is locked out of shutting down other than by a power switch shutoff. (NOTE: This problem exists with the SBLive in Windows 2000 also.) You may have to do a couple of extra steps to get rid of old files so that the new drivers will install correctly (especially if you installed the final version of Win XP on top of one of the Beta versions), or to remove troublesome support software. Correspondent Sean Caldwell summarized his steps: Shutdown Windows. Remove the Creative card. Reboot in Safe Mode. In the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 folder, delete the DEVLDR file. Fully shutdown the computer before rebooting.
Some users report that the DEVLDR problem continues to plague them even with the new drivers. If installing the new drivers doesn't solve your shutdown problem, try these solutions that people used prior to the release of the new drivers:
Correspondent Martin Sladek provided another solution: "I've ran into the very same problem with SBLive Value drivers. The problem was so severe I ran without the software all together. Since then, SBLive 5.1 came out, and I had installed the 5.1 version of the software in Windows 2000 Pro. I've not had a single problem since."

But updating your drivers in Win XP may not be as easy as one would hope. Some problems especially appear where multiple users are enabled on the system and one switches between users during a single Windows session. There may be numerous files with the same name (but different version numbers!) variously located in the I386, SYSTEM32, and SYSTEM32\REINSTALLBACKUPS\0000 folders. These may conflict with each other. If you rename DEVLDR32 (ver 1.0.0.22) in SYSTEM32, another one will replace it. (First, you need to press Ctrl+Alt+Del and end DEVLDR in Task Manager). But if you use DEVLDR32 (ver 1.0.0.17) from the I386 folder, this problem doesn't occur. Reboot when finished to reinaugurate the disabled service. (Tip from Terence Shortt, aka tbone8200 on dellTalk.)

###Return

More Computer System Information

###Return

Step One: You need to have a program that can create you an icon image. You can download and use IconEdit Pro for free! : Download IconEdit Pro, or use your own.

Step Two: Open up the program and make your company image with the size of 16 X 16 pixels. The image must be 16 colors or it will not work. The above icon editor does this great.

Step Three: Once you have created your company image, you need to save the file as favicon.ico and upload it to your home directory on your server. The url to the file should be: http://www.yourname.com/favicon.ico

Now you are all set and if you have the Internet Explorer 5.0 browser or higher, you may view your icon image in your web site's bookmark. Visit: http://www.favicon.com for images and explanations to where your icon images will be viewed in the browser.

###Return

Place the Control Panel in the "Start" menu

You then can just click on "Start", then "Control Panel" and select your function. Much quicker than opening the complete Control Panel folder.

Control Panel, Windows 95 or 98, can be activated with cascading menu in:
"Start" Menu or "Programs" Menu:
Create new "Folder" in "Start" or "Programs", name it:
Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
Note . . . you can just "Copy and Paste" the above line.

The registry code will transfer to the Registry, and the proper name "Control Panel", and icon will appear in the "Start" or "Programs" menu, as applicable. Spaces, only one, between the words Control and Panel. If the long code remains you have made an error, delete and try again.

Note for Windows XP . . . expand the Control panel and other functions: Right click the Task bar, then click "Properties", then the upper "Start Menu" tab, followed by clicking the "Customize" button. Click your selections. "Expand" means list all the clickable icons in a vertical row rather than actually opening the folder. It, as is the upper method for older Windows versions, very convenient.

###Return

The Windows Registry

The Windows registries are the storage places for all the operating system's control files. Through Windows 3.1 and 3.11, the main control files for Windows were the .ini (initializing) files, win.ini and system.ini. The Windows versions still have .ini riles, but only for backwards compatibility with older software. These newer Windows versions rely almost exclusively on their registries for operating instructions.

Even in the old .ini files an error could keep Windows from starting. This is equally true in the modern registries. The big difference is the .ini files could easily be corrected using MS-DOS Edit. The registeries can be repaired from MS-DOS, but with much more difficulty. They can not actually be edited and corrected. They can only be replaced with backup copies, which Windows automatically creates.

In Windows 95, the registry consists of two files, the System.dat and the User.dat. The backup copies are named System.da0 and User.da0. All these files have, read only, system, and hidden attributes. As are the .ini files, they are found in the Windows folder. The attributes can be removed in MS-DOS with the attrib -r -s -h filename.ext command. the attrib +r +s +h filename.ext will restore the attributes. User.dat is an example of filename.ext.

Windows 98 makes five registry backups named rb001.cab through rb004.cab and stores them In /windows/sysbckup. Each file is unzippable with Winzip and contains the system.dat, user.dat, win.ini , and system. ini files. Windows automatically restores the registry as needed from these backups. It is not really practical to manually restore them as you can not run Winzip except from Windows.

In Windows 95 and 98, registry backups can be user exported and stored in any folder of your choice. They can also be restored using the "Import" command. These backups can be useful in restoring certain features and functions, but they will not help in the event of a Windows crash because they can only be run from Windows.

Thus in all windows a registry backup can be useful but in most serious non start situations they do little good. But understanding how to make changes to the registry can be very useful, such as the folowing method of modem configuration. To access the registry simply use the "Run" command typing in "regedit", with out the quotes, and pressing "Enter". You will find that it is made up of a number of sections called "HKEYs". Each HKEY breaks down into a large number of folders and sub folders. The folders appear in the left pane and the functions appear in the right pane. There are menus for deleting and modifying folders and functions.

If you printed the registry it would require a few hundred pages, giving you an idea of the number of functions it contains. As Windows is developed by a large group of persons it is quite possible there is no one person with total knowledge of Windows or the registry. So it is not necessary to assume you can learn all there is to know about the registry. But it is quite helpful to have the necessary knowledge to explore it using the upper menu "File" function, then "Find", looking for certain functions, and usually following your exisiting knowledge or specific instructions.

It has always been very common for computer users to have a fear of working with the .ini files and even more so in working with the registry. This fear is a great obstacle in the way of truly understanding the Windows operating system. It is only common sense to use caution when working with any thing you don't understand, making note of any settings before changes, etc. It doesn't really make sense to forever have a fear making any Windows changes, when quite possibly with care you will never have a problem.

The number one rule (at all times), with computer files that can not be replaced, have them backed up or copied to an external source (floppy disk, Zip or Jazz disk, tape back up, CD-ROM disk, etc.) for safe keeping. What files can not be replaced? Your personally created data files, word processor files, graphical image files, e-mail, etc. The types of files that exist no where in the world except for where you have placed them. The actual program files, such as Windows or any software program, no problem, just re-install them, then restore your data from backups or copies.

An example of the value in knowing something about the registry . . . better software when installed places an uninstall function in the Control Panel, "Add/Remove Programs" section. Such as when WinZip is installed, the title "Winzip" is placed there for possible un-installation need. If Winzip (or any program listed there) were jusy deleted rather than un-installed, their un-install title would remain in the Control Panel Add/Remove Programs section, and you could not simply delete it.

An example image of the Control Panel, "Add/Remove Programs" section where an un-needed remove function may remain . . .

Registry HKEY example where the un-needed remove function can be deleted . . .

Then find "Winzip" or the appropriate title, use the "Delete" menu, and it will no longer appear in the Control Panel section.

The worst scenario for any mistake you might make (considering you have proper backups or copies), a crash or two, a reformat or two, and a few Windows reinstallations, very educational, and might remove your fear forever.

Windows is forever improving. The Windows 95 registry was quite basic, and the Windows 98 registry is quite sophisticated, and much larger. Windows 2000 is yet more improved and advanced.

###Return

There are software programs available that will make these changes for you, such as "Netsonic", an excellent browser caching program that will really speed up your general browsing. The free standard version will only cache, it's main purpose. The professional version, at a modest cost will change these subject settings and provide other options. Check it out at Web3000

From the "Run" function, run Regedit, backup (Export) the registry, then edit:
A. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrrentControlSet\Services\Class\NetTrans Find each numbered key with with network protocol, a DriverDesc value of TCP/IP

B.
In each key, Edit, New, String Value, add MaxMTU (NT use MTU). Default is 1,500, start with value of 576, try 1024 if later necessary. Do this with "Edit", Modify".

C.
Then Edit the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrrentControlSet\Services\\VxD/MSTCP,
if necessary add string DefaultRcvWindow with value of 2,144 . If this setting works well, try increasing it to 2,680.

Note this procedure's success depends upon your computer's prior set up and configuration. You can check the appropriate register settings prior to making any changes. If you use caution and make note of old settings for possoble replacement you will have no problem.

###Return

As you may know, when you want to shut down Windows® 95, you have to go through several steps. First you have to click the Start button and select the Shut Down command. When the Shut Down Windows dialog box appears, you have to select the Shut Down The Computer option and then click Yes. That's four steps. Fortunately, we've discovered a way to shut down Windows 95 with one simple double-click. To implement this technique, launch the Create Shortcut wizard by right clicking on the desktop and selecting the New/Shortcut command from the shortcut menu. Once the Create Shortcut wizard loads, type . . .

Create a "Restart" button using same procesure . . . the command:
rundll.exe user.exe,exitwindowsexec

###Return

###Return

###Return

This method is for Windows 95 and Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows XP use other methods as found here . . . here

###Return

If you're always coming up with new ideas-big or little-as you work on other projects, don't reach for your pad of Post-It notes to capture the thought. Take advantage of Windows' document scraps instead. Using any program that supports drag-and-drop (Wordpad, Word, WordPerfect, Excel, etc.), type out your idea and then select the text. Drag the selected text to your desktop and drop. Windows creates a shortcut containing the text and, when double-clicked, opens the "scrap" in the originating program. Later, you can organize your scraps by rearranging them on your desktop or by moving them to other folders.

###Return

###Return

###Return

Note all shortcuts are independent. Changing default settings on one will not effect another.

###Return

###Return

Quickly access the Properties sheet of a file (document or program) from My Computer, Windows Explorer, or the Desktop by holding down the Alt key as you double-click the file or shortcut. This method provides an alternative to right-clicking the file and choosing Properties from the context menu.

###Return

###Return

Getting tired of the same old icons on your desktop? Pre-made icons are often embedded in the DLL and EXE files that Windows and other programs install on your hard drive. Peek into these files to see whether they contain any icons, and if so, use them on your desktop shortcuts. To change a desktop icon, right-click on the shortcut and choose Properties from the context menu. Click the Shortcut tab and then click the Change Icon button. The filename in which the current icon is found is shown at the top of the dialog box, while a gallery of the icons available in that file is shown below it. To use one of those icons, select it and click OK.

To search for more icons, click the Browse button. Select a DLL, EXE, or ICO file and click Open to display the icons available in that file (if there are no icons, you'll receive a prompt). To get you started, check out "pifmgr.dll" and "shell32.dll" in the \windows\system folder on your hard drive (where "windows" is the folder in which Windows is installed). These files contain dozens of attractive icons to liven up your desktop.

And . . . you can always create your own icons. All you need is an icon editor. Try one of the best as shareware, "IconEasel 98" w/ "EasyIcons 98" from easyapps.com. "EasyIcons 98" is an icon storage library.

###Return

###Return

Ever wish you could create your own desktop icons? Sure, you can install a proper icon editing program, but if you're just looking to have a little fun, try this shortcut: Use a graphics editing program, such as PhotoShop, CorelDRAW, or even Windows' Paint to create an image 16x16 pixels in size. (You can create a larger image, but keep in mind that Windows will resize it to 16x16). Save the image in BMP (bitmap) format. Use a file manager to locate that image file and rename its extension to "ico" (e.g., if you saved the file as "smiley.bmp", rename it to "smiley.ico"). To use your new icon, right-click the shortcut you want to change and choose Properties. Select the Shortcut tab, and then click the Change Icon button. Click Browse, then locate and select your icon image file; click Open, and finally, click OK twice. That's it! (Keep in mind that, depending on your computer's display settings, Windows may reduce the number of colors in the icon to as few as 16, thus altering the quality of the image you created).

###Return

Quick View is a terrific utility that lets you view the contents of a file without having to open-or even install-its originating program. You can access Quick View by right-clicking a file and selecting it from the context menu. Another way to access it, however, is to add a shortcut to Quick View on your desktop for drag-and-drop access. To create the desktop shortcut, right-click on a blank area of the desktop and choose New, Shortcut from the context menu.

Type X:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\VIEWERS\QUIKVIEW.EXE in the Command Line (where "X:\WINDOWS" is the drive letter and folder where Windows is installed on your system), and click Next. Give your shortcut a meaningful name (such as "Quick View") and click Finish. Then, to view a file in Quick View, simply drag the file to the new shortcut and drop.

###Return

Are your Control Panel or desktop icons acting funny? They're displayed incorrectly or they're just plain black? Don't panic. It just means your ShellIconCache file is damaged (not as bad as it sounds). The quickest solution? Delete this file.

First, start Windows in Safe mode--turn on your computer, hold down the Ctrl key until the Startup menu appears, select Safe Mode, and press Enter. Next, make sure that you can see hidden files--open any Explorer window, select View, Folder Options, click the View tab, and under Advanced Settings, select Show All Files. Now open the Windows folder and locate the ShellIconCache file. Right-click this file, select Delete, and if necessary, click Yes to confirm. Restart Windows 98 (ShellIconCache will be re-created automatically), and your icons should be back to their old selves.

###Return

Here's an Easter Egg you might want to check out:

Older Windows versions: Right-click the desktop, select Properties, and click the Screen Saver tab. Under Screen Saver, select 3D Text, then click the Settings button. Type: volcano

On the Text line and click OK. Watch the preview screen (on the Screen Saver tab) or click Preview, and you'll see the names of famous volcanos!

###Return

Restoring Windows 95 Registry backup from MS-DOS

Note . . . this procedure is for Windows 95, Windows 98 uses a different procedure

Windows 95 keeps one backup copy of your System Registry, created each time you launch Windows. If you install software or hardware that creates a problem on your PC, you may need to restore this backup in order to return your PC to its previous working condition. Follow these steps to accomplish that: Click the Start button, point to Shut Down and select Restart The Computer In MS-DOS Mode (do not restart Windows, otherwise Windows will overwrite your good registry backup with a copy of your bad registry). From DOS, change to your Windows directory. For example, if your Windows directory is C:\Windows, you would type "cd c:\windows" (excluding quotation marks) and press Enter.

Now type the following DOS commands, one after another, pressing Enter after each one:

attrib -h -r -s system.*
copy system.dat system.bak
copy system.da0 system.dat
attrib -h -r -s user.*
copy user.dat user.bak
copy user.da0 user.dat
attrib +h +r +s system.*
attrib +h +r +s user.*

Restart your computer to put the restored registry in effect.

###Return

Ever try to establish a DUN (dial-up networking) connection, only to wind up with a message telling you the line is busy? Frustrating, to say the least, but what's even more frustrating is that you have to keep trying the connection manually. By default, DUN's Redial option is turned off.

If you want DUN to keep dialing the number for you, in the event that a connection cannot be made, open My Computer, double-click Dial-Up Networking, and select Connections, Settings. On the General tab of the resulting dialog box, select Redial and set the corresponding options (number of retries, and so on). Click OK, and say good-bye to all that unnecessary redialing.

While you're there, check out the settings at the top of this dialog box. Tired of having to click the "Connect" button every time you establish a connection manually? Assuming you always want to connect using the username and password from the last successful connection, deselect "Prompt For Information Before Dialing" and click OK. The next time the dialler will auto connect.

###Return

It is suggested that you defragment your hard drive on a regular basis to ensure that your system runs efficiently. If you have more than one drive (or partitions) on your system, defragment all of them in one operation. Start the Defragmenter as usual by clicking the Start button, pointing to Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and selecting Disk Defragmenter. Then, instead of selecting one drive, scroll down to the bottom of the list (in the Select Drive dialog box) and select All Hard Drives. Click OK, and let the defragmenter do its thing. Check occasionally as it is possible for certain situations to cause defrag to prompt for an approval. Defrag time varies depending upon drive size and data content.

###Return

Battery life is critical to the use of a notebook computer, so it's important to keep track of how much power remains in the battery. To show the battery meter in the system tray on the taskbar, click the Start button, point to Settings, and choose Control Panel. Double-click the Power Management icon, click the Advanced tab, then check the Show Battery Meter on Taskbar box. Click OK to apply the change. To view the remaining charge in your battery, hold your mouse pointer over the battery icon.

###Return

Such files as My Computer, Briefcase, Network Neighborhood, My Documents, Recycle Bin, etc.

The easiest way to hide individual desktop icons is to use the Tweak UI PowerToy, "Desktop" tab. There are several other tabs and user options. (Quick review: The Tweak UI PowerToy is on your Windows 98 installation CD, in the tools\reskit\powertoy folder. To install it, right-click tweakui.inf and select Install. To open Tweak UI, double-click its icon inside the Control Panel.)

Later editions of Windows 98 did not include the utility. If you don't have it, you can download Tweak UI-98 from Microsoft at Microsoft/TweakUI for all Windows versions except XP.

For older Windows 95, Tweak UI was one feature among a host of others in the unsupported "Power Toys" functions. This file can also be obtained from Computer Ease. Download powertoy.exe

Open Tweak UI and click the Desktop tab. Deselect the icon(s) you want to remove from the desktop, click OK, and the icons disappear. Of course, if you ever want them back, just follow these same steps and reselect the icons.

You can remove all icons from your desktop in one operation, that is, assuming your desktop is viewed as a Web page: Right-click the desktop and select Properties, click the Effects tab, select Hide Icons When Desktop Is Viewed As A Web Page, then click OK.

TweakUI and more for Windows XP
Powertoys for Windows XP

###Return

Looking for a quick way to access a Find window? From the desktop or any Explorer window, press F3. It's the same as selecting Start, Find, Files or Folders.

(Note: When you press F3, Find will open with its focus on your current location. For example, if you're using Windows Explorer and are on C:\Drive , the Look In box will point to C:\Drive.)

If you're more of a mouse person, another way to open Find is to right-click the folder or drive you want to search and select Find . . . again, Find will open with the focus on that folder.

###Return

How is Win98 going to handle dates after 1999? Take a peek at the date settings to get the general idea. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and select Control Panel. Double-click the Regional Settings icon and select the Date tab. In the Calendar panel, the setting "When a two digit year is entered, interpret as a year between:" indicates the date span that is Y2K compliant (the default is 1930 and 2029). You can change one of the values to adjust the time span; Windows will convert the other value to reflect a 100-year time span.

###Return

(For older Windows versions) Are you ever curious to know what's going on behind the colorful Windows logo while Windows is loading? Depending upon your configuration, several operations may be taking place. For example, one common function, any good Anti Virus program such as Norton Anti Virus is checking your boot files for any sign of viruses.

Press the Esc key when Windows starts loading to view the goings-on behind the pretty pictures (Windows splash screen). This feature also comes in handy if you are trouble-shooting startup errors and need to track what's happening.

An option for the splash screen be turned on/off is included in "Tweak UI". Find it on the "Boot" tab.

###Return

One way to access them quickly from outside your browser is to create shortcuts to their URLs on your desktop. To create the shortcuts for later use, drag a URL or hyperlink from the browser window to the desktop. You can also use the "right" click menu while using the browser and choose "Create Shortcut". Then, next time around, double-click the shortcut to launch your default browser and load the page you want. By having a selection of your favorite sites, you can quickly decide which site you want to visit first thing each day without having to navigate through your browser bookmarks.

New for Internet Explorer 6 . . . first go to your desired website then simply click the "right" mouse button and choose "Create Shortcut".

If you have a number of such web sites, to avoid desktop clutter, place these shortcuts in a separate folder, on the desktop or in the "Start" menu.

###Return

Problem with your mouse, temporarily use the keyboard.

Press Alt-Spacebar and then press:

N to minimize the active window
X to maximize it
R to restore it (from maximized view)
C to close it

You can also press Alt-F4 to close the active window

###Return

This Can Be Changed . . .

Many programs register the file extensions they use for their files. Microsoft Word, for example, registers .DOC as the default file extension for Word files. When you double-click a file with a .DOC extension, the file automatically opens in Word (or Wordpad if you don't have Word). Sometimes, however, you want to open the file in a program other than the one it's registered to. You can do this quickly by selecting the file in Windows Explorer, then pressing and holding the Shift key while you right-click the file. Select Open With from the context menu and choose the program you want, or if not listed, navigate to it by clicking "Other".

A permaent change can be made from the Windows Explorer Menu, "View", then the "File Types" tab.

###Return

When moving files from the right side of Explorer's dual pane view to a subfolder on the left, you can quickly expand a contracted folder by dragging the file to the left pane and hovering over the top level folder for a couple of seconds. The contracted folder expands and you can continue drilling down to the folder you want, using the hover technique until you find the folder you need. Then drop the file in place.

###Return

Windows isn't the only program that dumps icons in your Control Panel. Other software applications, especially office suites, sometimes add icons to their own utilities in the Control Panel. As a result, over time your Control Panel windows can become a cluttered mess.

If there are icons in the Control Panel that you never use, you can clean it up. In your c:\windows\system folder (where c:\windows is the folder where Windows is installed), there will be one CPL file for every Control Panel item. Identify the item's CPL file (you can usually tell by the filename) and move it to a safe place (a diskette or another folder on your hard drive). Do not simply delete the file; you may want or need it in the future. Moving the CPL file is sufficient to remove the icon from the Control Panel.

###Return

Here's an alternative to the click-pause-click method of renaming a file in Windows Explorer or My Computer. First, select the file with a single click and press F2. Your insertion point is now active in the filename box and you can type a new one. When using Windows Active Desktop's single-click mode, hover over the file to select it and then press F2.

###Return

To display the volume icon if it's missing from the system tray -- or, conversely, to remove it -- do the following: click the Start button, point to Settings, select Control Panel, double-click Multimedia, or depending on your Windows version, Sounds, and click the Audio tab (if it doesn't already have the focus). Select -- or deselect -- the option Show Volume Control on the Taskbar. Click OK to save the change and close the Control Panel.

###Return

###Return

###Return

You don't need a fancy graphics program in order to get a screenshot of what's on a computer screen. Using any windows-based program, just hit the Print Screen key on your Keyboard and then paste the clipboard into any Windows-based program like WordPad or Word.

The only disadvantage, you must capture the whole screen when often you only want a small section. There is also a work around for this. Instead of pasting into Wordpad or Word, paste into Windows Paint. You then can use the Paint tools, select your small section, copy it, then paste it into a new blank .bmp file (Windows Paint default file type).

Another work around to capturing the entire screen . . .
If you want to capture just one window, highlight it on the desktop and hit Print Screen while holding down the ALT key. This captures only that one window--instead of the entire desktop--to the clipboard.

###Return

If you have a DVD drive attached to and properly configured in your computer, try this Registry trick that allows you to play your DVD movies using the Media Player. First, run Regedit and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\ MediaPlayer\Player\Settings

Right-click in the right-hand pane and select New, String Value. Name the value EnableDVDUI, then double-click on it and type Yes in the Value data box. Click OK. Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows.

From now on, you can open Media Player the easy way: Click File, Open, then select DVD and hit the Play button. Remember, changing the Registry changes Windows. BE CAREFUL! Back up your registry before changing anything!

###Return

If you would like to simply alphabatize any folder, press Start (left click", select Programs, then desired folder, and right-click on the "folder name" and choose Sort By Name. This will sort folders first, then shortcuts--alphabetically by name. Note: you can use this process on all submenus as well.

###Return

###Return

###Return

###Return

Sometime when you're on the Internet, right-click on a .gif or .jpg image and choose "Save Picture As" with MS Internet Explorer or "Save Image As" with Netscape Navigator. This will show you the image type and name. You CAN choose the Set as Wallpaper setting, but saving the file gives you more control over the file's location. Save the image by whatever name you wish. If you plan to use it as "WallPaper", be sure you change the file name extension from .gif or .jpg to .BMP . You also can now view it with Windows 95/98/2000 Paint. To use it as Wallpaper . . .

Right-click on the desktop and choose Properties. Select Background if not already up and click the Browse Button. Find your file name and select it. Now you can play with the image by choosing Center, Tile, or Stretch. When you're finished, click Apply and enjoy your new wallpaper.

###Return

Windows 95/98

Sometimes it's necessary to check your hard drive to make sure everything is in working order. To do this, you can run Scandisk, which will automatically check your hard drive for errors.

To run Scandisk, click Start, then select Programs, choose Accessories and then System Tools, and finally select Scan Disk. You can also use Explorer to access ScanDisk. First, right-click on Start and bring up Explorer. Then, right-click on the drive you want to check, select Properties, and click the Tools tab. This screen even shows you how long ago you ran ScanDisk, under 'Error checking status.'

When you click the button to check for errors, you can either select a Standard scan, which does file and FAT (File Allocation Table) checking, or select Thorough, which also does a Surface Scan and takes considerably more time to finish. You can also choose to have Windows fix errors automatically, which is a third choice under the ScanDisk screen.

Windows 2000

Windows 2000 works essentialy the same, with different terminology and tools location. You will not find Scandisk in "Accessories, System Tools". In fact you will not find the word "Scandisk" at all.

Use the "right click", "Explore" method described above. In Windows Explorer choose the drive you want to check, "right" click again and choose "Properties", then "Tools". The name Scandisk is not there, simply a button described as "Check Now". After clicking "Check Now", you can also choose "Automatically fix system errors" and/or "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors", which means the same as "Thorough" for Windows 95/98.

Windows XP

No scandisk . . . use the chkdsk command, which enables you to create and display a status report for a disk based on the file system. Chkdsk also lists and corrects errors on the disk. Although Windows XP is suposedly "DOS Free", chkdsk is one of the oldest MS-DOS utilities (and numerous other MS-DOS commands do work from the XP promptline).

Like many Windows functions there is more than one way to run chkdsk in Windows XP. A very direct way:

Use Start, Run and type in checkdsk c: (or desired drive letter)

Why is the term "Scandisk" dropped and the other terminology changed and yet virtually still means the same thing? Probably just to emphasize that Windows 2000 and XP is different and infer also "better".

###Return

###Return

But this is not so commonly known, how to restore all applications at once.To restore all your windows, hold down Shift and again click Show Desktop.

###Return

Assuming you've deleted it by mistake: Open the Windows\System folder and locate a file named Show Desktop; then create a shortcut to this file in the Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch folder. Don't see a file named Show Desktop in your System folder? Then you'll need to create one.

Open Notepad--select Start, Programs, Accessories, Notepad--and type the following:

[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop

Select File, Save, then navigate your way to the Windows\System folder and name the file Show Desktop.scf. Finally, click Save and close Notepad.

Now just create a shortcut to this file in the Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch folder, as described previously, and a Show Desktop item will appear on your Quick Launch toolbar.

###Return

From the task bar, one left click on the speaker icon will bring up the slider for volume control. A "double-click" will launch the full volume control.

###Return

Occasionally it is more convenient to use the keyboard instead of the mouse.

The next time you need to right-click the desktop, an active window, or a highlighted shortcut, press Shift-F10 instead.

Use the keyboard "arrow keys" to naviagate the shortcut icons.

###Return

###Return

###Return

Type: .LOG

at the top of a Notepad file, and it becomes a log file, just like a journal. From then on, every time you make an entry in the file, Notepad adds a time and date stamp. You'll see the stamp the next time you open the file.

###Return

Do you notice your system periodically stalling while the hard drive thrashes? This phenomenon is often caused by the Windows virtual cache feature. Like onboard caching, this cache is designed to reduce disk access, but it can easily grow large enough to put a dent in your performance. If you've got 32MB of RAM or more, try setting the cache size at a fixed number. We recommend 4MB for systems with less than 48MB of RAM and 8MB for those with 48MB or more. Here's how to set it up:

1. Run SysEdit. (Select Run in your Start menu, type
SysEdit in the text box, and press Enter.)
2. Click the system.ini window.
3. Scroll down to the [vcache] section. If you don't see one, type in [vcache] as a new heading.
4. If you have 48MB of RAM or less, enter these two lines:

MinFileCache=0
MaxFileCache=4096

5. If you have more than 48MB of RAM, enter these two lines:

MinFileCache=0
MaxFileCache=8192

6. Close SysEdit, saving changes on the way out, and restart Windows.

###Return

Did your PC come with Windows 98 preinstalled? Do people snicker that your Office documents are stamped with an author name like "Valued Gateway Customer," which brands you as a clueless newbie? This can be changed. Here's how:

1. Back up your Registry and launch RegEdit.
2. Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, select Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion.
3. Double-click the RegisteredOrganization or RegisteredOwner options and type in your real name (or an interesting pseudonym, if you prefer).
4. Exit and restart Windows.
Warning: Tweaking the Registry is risky; you're taking your system into your own hands. To be safe, manually back up the Registry before you make any changes

###Return

So you uninstalled a program the Windows way--using Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs. And yet, the listing is still there and when you try to uninstall it, you get an error message. Or, perhaps you want to prevent someone from uninstalling a program somewhere down the line. One Registry edit can take care of both of these contingencies:

1. Make sure you have a current backup of the Registry.
2. Launch RegEdit.
3. Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, locate Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall.
4. Under Uninstall, locate any keys you don't want and press Delete to remove them.
5. Save your changes as you quit RegEdit and restart Windows.

Sure enough, Add/Remove Programs now doesn't list the item or items you've deleted.

Caution: Tweaking the Registry is risky; you're taking your system into your own hands. To be safe, manually back up the Registry before you make any changes.

###Return

To use a bitmap image as a 16-color icon, rename the .bmp file to a file with an .ico extension. To do so, follow these steps:

1. In Windows Explorer, click Options on the View menu.
2. Click the "Hide MS-DOS extensions for file types that are registered" check box to clear it and click OK.
3. Locate the .bmp file you want to use as an icon.
4. Use the right mouse button to click the .bmp file and click Rename on the menu that appears. Rename the file with an .ico extension.

Windows automatically recognizes that you want to use the bitmap image as an icon. The image is resized to icon size and converted to 16 colors.

Think of the other possibilities, your custom images designed in Windows Paint, and better yet, .gif and .jpg images converted to .bmp images with PaintShop Pro.

To use the .ico file as an icon for a shortcut, follow these steps:

1. Use the right mouse button to click the shortcut and click Properties on the menu that appears.
2. On the Shortcut tab, click Change Icon.
3. Type the name of the .ico file in the File Name box or click Browse and locate the .ico file.
4. Click OK and then click OK once more.

###Return

###Return

###Return

###Return

Using your keyboard, you can access shortcut menus without right-clicking. In all Windows versions, hit Shift-F10 to simulate the right-click action.

###Return

SYMPTOMS

When you install Windows Millennium Edition (Me), the Microsoft Backup tool is missing from the list of available system tools during Setup. Also, after you install Windows Me, the Backup tool is missing from the list of installed system tools.

CAUSE

This issue occurs because Windows Me does not install the Backup tool.

RESOLUTION

There are two ways to work around this issue.

You can install the Microsoft Backup tool in Windows Me by running msbexp.exe from the \add-ons\MSBackup folder on the Windows Me CD-ROM.

Or if the Backup tool was installed in your previous operating system and you upgraded to Windows Me, create a shortcut on the desktop to the Msbackup.exe file in the Program Files\Accessories\BACKUP folder by following these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Search, and then click For Files or Folders.

2. In the Look in box, click Local Hard Drives, type msbackup.exe in the Search for files or folders named box, and then click Search Now.

3. When the search finishes, right-click the Msbackup.exe file, and then click Create a Shortcut. When you are prompted to place the shortcut on the desktop, click Yes.

###Return

Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect Feature May Be Disabled After Windows Me Upgrade

SYMPTOMS

After you upgrade your computer to Windows Millennium Edition (Me) from Windows 98 or Windows 98 Second Edition, the Norton AntiVirus 2000 Auto-Protect feature may not work. This behavior occurs even if the feature was working before the upgrade.

The NAV Auto-Protect icon does not appear in the taskbar or in the list of running tasks (as NAVAPW32) when you press CTRL+ALT+DELETE.

RESOLUTION

To run the Auto-Protect feature in the background, restart the computer:

1.Click Start, click Shut Down, click Restart from the list, and then click OK.

2.If the NAV Auto-Protect icon does not appear in the taskbar after you restart the computer, repeat step 1.

###Return

Before running defrag, make sure to close ALL programs. There are many ways to do this, but the easiest is to make sure your taskbar is clear of running programs. You should also right-click all those little icons over to the right and close them out, too, if possible. If your virus program is running, this is usually where you can turn it off.

Another way is to press Ctrl-Alt-Del, and one by one, end tasks until the only one left is Explorer. After closing all programs, deactivate your screen saver and run defrag. You should be able to complete the defrag with minimal delays.

###Return

Even if you know how Windows 95/98 is using its Virtual Cache memory, it would be nice to control how much of your memory is actually dedicated to cache. Well, you can control how much Cache Windows will use. Edit the System.INI file, and find the [vcache] section. Add the following two lines (substitute the correct number for the formula):

MinFileCache=0 4)*1024]

For example, if you have 96 Megabytes of RAM, then the formula would look like this: ((96 / 16)*4)*1024) which would give you 24576.

So, using the above example, you would enter the following:

MinFileCache=0
MaxFileCache=24576

###Return

[options]

drvspace=0

dblspace=0

BootWarn=0

Since hard drive space is readily available in today's PCs, these drivers can uselessly take up conventional memory. Using the above three entries will give you much more conventional memory.

###Return

If you are working at a DOS Prompt (command line) from within Windows, you can easily switch between full-screen and Window mode by simply holding down the Alt key and pressing Enter at the same time.

###Return

###Return

Note for some Windows XP systems, all you will get is a strange message, meaning that part of the old code is still there, but not complete, is it a bug? Depending upon how Windows XP was installed you might get a "file not found".

###Return

###Return

To change this value, select the Printers from the Start menu's Settings option. Right-click the printer you want to change and select the 'Properties' option. Now, select the 'Details' tab. At the bottom, there is an option called 'Not Selected' -- this is the value you need to change. Why they named it 'Not Selected' is probably beyond logic, but there it is. Change this value and click the 'Apply' button.

###Return

System Restore is a handy method you can use to put your system back to the way it was at any given point that you choose. The System Restore doesn't change data files such as emails and documents, but will change the registry and installed components to their original configuration from the point of the last restore save.

- To create a checkpoint, Click Start then go to Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and System Restore. - Now, select Create a Restore Point and click next. - Type in any name for this checkpoint and click Next, then click OK.

###Return

###Return

While in Explorer and examining folders, the detail view gives the most information, as well as the most flexibility while displaying data. A drawback is that it may display more data than you need. You can "eliminate" a column by clicking the column's header just at its edge and dragging the column so that its width is reduced down to almost nothing. This will allow more room for another column that you may need.

###Return

If you're the creative type of individual and want to create your own personal touch on your desktop, one avenue you may wish to pursue is creating your own icons. To do this, open Paint and before doing any creating, do this:

Click Image, Attributes, and make the height 32 pixels, click OK.
Click View, Zoom and select the "Show Grid" option.
Click View, Zoom, Custom, and go to 800%, click OK.

Now, you can create to your heart's content. Save the file as .BMP, and then in Explorer, rename it to an .ICO file. Use this icon wherever you wish.

Tip . . . if you would rather not start from scratch, find an image you like from any source, maybe the Internet, and probably a .gif or .jpg file, load it into PaintShop Pro (shareware available from jasc.com), resize as desired, and "Save as" a .bmp file type. Then load it into Paint and use "Copy and Paste" followed with modifying the image to suit in the 32 pixel size as described above.

###Return

If you're having Windows problems, another resource that might help: click the Start Button and select Run. Type MSINFO32.EXE and Windows will run a program that gives you complete background information about your system.

###Return

If you have ever opened 'My Computer' and Windows Explorer, you may wonder about the difference between the two. Well, there is a major difference. The difference is Windows Explorer has a left pane that contains folders within a tree structure so that you can easily locate folders and see the hierarchy in the right pane. Click any drive or folder in the left pane and the contents will appear in the right pane. My Computer does not have this functionality. You can alter it, but why? Windows Explorer already does it.

All functions served from within My Computer can be duplicated, and usually more easily, from within Windows Explorer. Except for a few selected functions skip My Computer, and get used to Windows Explorer. One such funtion is formatting a diskette in A:\drive, the real advantage is it takes only one mouse click to arrive at A:\drive from My Computer. On the other hand, to copy files to A:\drive it can be done quicker from Windows Explorer because the files and A:/drive can be visible at the same time.

###Return

Webster says "default" means failure to do something required by duty or law. But this doesn't even relate when using the word "default" in computer jargon. "Default " simply means "original setting". You might even refer to it as a "factory" setting. Although any computer or program function may have several possible settings, it's state when originally installed is the "default".

###Return

Some Handy Keyboard Shortcuts

###Return

Call Waiting Can Create Modem Connection Problems!

###Return

You can turn off this autorun feature in two ways within Windows Me:

The first is to hold down the Shift key while inserting the disk. You will need to continue holding down the disk until disk activity stops. This deactivation is temporary only for each CD you insert following the above method.

The second is to permanently turn off this feature. You can do this within the Control Panel and selecting the System icon. Select the Device Manager tab and press the [+] symbol next to where your CD is listed. Right click the CD's name that appears and select Properties. Select the Settings Tab and remove the check next to Auto Insert Notification. You will need to reboot for the changes to become active. To restore autorun simply reverse this procedure.

###Return

IExpress
Have you ever wanted to make a customized self-extracting executable? You already have the tool. IExpress' wizard will step you through the process, and in a matter of minutes, you'll have something ready for download. To use IExpress, open the Run box and type, "iexpress.exe".

Microsoft Word Script Editor
You know how annoying it can be when, in the middle of typing a document, suddenly a paragraph's formatting changes. Argh! I didn't want to do that! How can I stop this from happening? Look no further than the built-in script editor. Open it by pressing Alt + Shift + F11 on your keyboard. Newer Word documents are done in XML, so you can easily edit the source to your heart's content.

Vintage Windows Media Player
If you're like some, you hate the new Windows Media Player. Sure, it's skinable, but it also sucks up a lot of resources. Did you know the old one is still there? Yep, it's now called "mplayer2.exe". Just type the name in the Run box.

On-screen keyboard
Keyboard stuck? Don't wanna reboot? Use the on-screen keyboard. It's an accessibility tool, but it'll work just as well for anybody. To get to it, open the Windows folder, then open the System32 folder. The application is in this folder, and it's called, "osk.exe". You can also use "Run"

Winchat
Instant messaging is fun, but what if you don't want to install any of that kind of software on your machine? Launch Winchat, and then connect with another buddy on your network (your buddy also has to run Winchat). It's not incredibly useful, but still, it's there. To use Winchat, open the Run box and type, "winchat.exe".

Get more processing power
In the Run box, type, "Rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks". This frees up any idle tasks running in the background so that XP devotes its full attention to what you want it to do.

Pagefile.sys And Hiberfil.sys
[XP] A computer user installed XP on a 6Gb hard drive and wants to remove Pagefile.sys and Hiberfil.sys from that hard drive, since the files are 500MB and 400MB respectively. She wanted to know what these files are, whether she can safely remove them, and if she does, will they be rebuilt?

Let's look at Pagefile.sys first. The paging file is space reserved on the hard drive for Windows to use as virtual memory. This file is a hidden and protected operating system file, so if you try to delete it, Windows XP will prevent you from doing so by displaying an 'Error Deleting File or Folder' message box.

However, you can change to size and/or location of the paging file.

1. Click the 'Start button.'
2. Highlight 'Control Panel' and click on 'System.'
3. Click on the 'Advanced' tab.
4. Under the "Performance" section click on the 'Settings' button.
5. In the "Performance Options" window, click on the 'Advanced' tab.
6. At the bottom of the window, you will see a "Virtual memory" section. Click on the 'Change' button.
7. You can click on the hard drive you want to use for the paging file in the Drive List box. You can also set a custom size of the file, allow Windows to manage the file, or use no paging file at all. I strongly suggest that unless you are an expert power-user, you allow Windows to manage your page file size.
8. Click the 'OK' button on all open windows.
9. When you are back to your desktop, reboot your computer for the new settings to take place.

Hiberfil.sys is the hibernation file. By default, this file is stored on the same drive as the paging file, and it is roughly the same size as the amount of RAM your PC contains. This is due to Windows writing the contents of RAM to the hibernation file before entering hibernation mode. RAM does not store information when it's powered down.

To be rid of the hibernation file, all you need do is turn off Hibernation mode.

1. Right-click on any empty space on your desktop.
2. Click on 'Properties' in the pop-up window.
3. Click on the 'Screen Saver' tab.
4. At the bottom of the window under "Monitor power" section click on the 'Power' button.
5. At the bottom of this window, where it says "System hibernates:" click on the chevron (down-arrow) at the right of the listing box.
6. Select "Never" from the drop-down list.
7. Click the 'OK' button.
8. Click the 'OK' button again.

To compress:

1. Right-click on a file or folder.
2. Highlight "Send To."
3. Click on "Compressed (zipped) Folder."
4. A compressed folder will be created containing the same name as the file you compressed. It will be represented by a zipper icon.

Drag-n-drop to a compressed folder:

1. Right-click on any empty space on the desktop.
2. Highlight "New."
3. Click on "Compressed (zipped) Folder"
4. Type in a name for your compressed folder and press the Enter key.

While in Windows Explorer, you only need to click and drag a file to your newly created compressed folder to store that file.

Add Your Photo To Your User
[XP] If you have a digital image of yourself stored on your computer, you can display it as an icon next to your User Account. You can use photos from digital cameras, Web cams, even scanned photos. Just store the photo in 'My Pictures' folder as a JPG file.

Then follow these steps:

1. Click on the 'Start' button.
2. Highlight "Control Panel" and click on 'User Accounts.'
3. Click on "Change My Picture."
4. You may select an existing picture from the display window, or you can click on "Browse for More Pictures." You may even have the option to "Get a picture from a camera or scanner" if you have either device attached to your PC.
5. If you select the 'Browse for More Pictures' option, you will be shown the contents of the "My Pictures" folder. Locate the photo you wish to use and click on it.
6. Click the 'Open' button.

XP will reduce your photo to thumbnail size and place it next to your User Account. Pretty nifty, eh?

Disable StickyKeys
[XP] Have you been playing your favorite game, and in the course of conquering all, you had reason to hit the shift key five or more times rapidly? If so, you have seen the game crash and the 'StickyKeys' menu pop up.

StickyKeys is part of the Keyboard Accessibility Options in Windows XP. This feature lets you enter key combinations using the Shift, Ctrl, or Alt keys one key at a time. This cancels the need to hold down a modifier key while pressing subsequent keys.

You can turn off StickyKeys by:

1. Rapidly press the shift key 5 times.
2. Click on the 'Settings' button. This brings up the Accessibility Options Menu.
3. You will see the StickyKeys section at the top of the "Keyboard" tab. Click on the 'Settings' button.
4. Uncheck the box next to "Use shortcut."
5. Click the 'OK' button.
6. Click the 'Apply' button and then the 'OK' button on the same menu.

You have just disabled the key sequence that activates StickyKeys. You may now play your games without fear of interference from your operating system.

XP Easter Eggs
[XP] You won't see any. I have been informed by a source inside Microsoft that Easter eggs have been forbidden. It is due to government regulations that don't allow "undocumented code" in programs used by government offices. Appears the government must be a big customer of Microsoft...

Shut Off Error Reporting
[XP] A user asked if it is possible to turn off the error reporting routine. She finds it a bit annoying to have Windows XP ask if she would like to send an error report to Microsoft every time an error occurs.

You sure can, it's easy to do. Just follow the steps below:

1. Click on the 'Start' button.
2. Highlight 'Control Panel.'
3. Click on 'System.'
4. Click on the 'Advanced' tab in the "System Properties" window.
5. Click on the 'Error Reporting' button located at the bottom right of this window.
6. Click on the radius button next to "Disable error reporting."
7. Click the 'OK' button.
8. Again, click the 'OK' button.

Disable XP AutoDial
[XP] By default, Windows XP AutoDial connects your PC to the Internet automatically when a site is accessed on the PC.

This is fine for most users, yet if you use the only phone line in the house, you may wish to have manual control over this feature.

1. Click on the 'Start' button.
2. Highlight 'Administrative Tools.' (If not visible, then try 'Control Panel,' and 'Performance and Maintenance'-then 'Administrative Tools').
3. Click on 'Services.'
4. In the window listing, click on "Remote Access Auto Connection Manager."
5. Click on 'Stop' in the upper left of the window to shut down this service.
6. Right-click on "Remote Access Auto Connection Manager" listing.
7. Click on 'Properties' in the pop-up menu.
8. Click on the chevron (down-arrow) to the right of the list box next to "Startup type:" and select 'Disabled.'
9. Click the 'OK' button.
10. Exit the 'Services' Window.

From now on your PC will never attempt to dial up an Internet connection unless you initiate the process.

###Return

Windows XP - One Operation - Maximize, Minimize & Close All Windows

Including . . .

Hardware
Desktops, Notebooks, Motherboards, ...

Software
Operating Systems,
Business and Productivity,
Graphics and Multimedia, ...

Consumer Electronics
Handhelds/Palmtops, Game Systems,

Digital Cameras, ...

Games
Action, Adventure, RPG, ...

Internet
Browsers, ICQ@, Email, ...

Web Building
Development, Production, Web Design,

Pending

Websites etc. - Password box for Internet Explorer will not come up
Information Bar in Internet Explorer, Service Pack 2 - How to turn it off
Customize Windows XP Professional to "Your Way
NTLDR Windows XP No Boot Message
Windows XP Servcie Pack 2, Temporarily Block It
Understandong Computer Chip Speeds
Diagnose DirectX problems, the System, Sound, and Display tabs
Creating (burning) AutoRun CD
Windows XP Backup Software
Starting Windows XP In Safemode
Memory Use - Windows XP
Transferring music tapes, etc. to Digital Media and Cleaning It Up
Windows XP Will Not Shutdown
Reparing Internet Explorer in Windows XP
Writing to Roxio's CD with Easy CD Creator
How to write files to a CD with Windows XP (No additional software required)
Windows and Office Keyboard Shortcuts
Solving E-Mail Problem with Telnet, Perl and Pine
Using Windows XP Expand Your Workspace With Multiple Monitors and Dualview
Customize Internet Exploer with your own logo
NetMeeting - Unique Teaching and Conferencing Method
Remember Folder Settings - Windows XP
More Detailed Hardware Information
Maintenance - Windows Temp Folder
Maintenance - Windows XP Prefetch Folder
Floating Point in Windows
Blocking or Not Blocking" Outlook Express E-mail Attachments
Retrieve Important Windows Files (core files) that are Missing or Corrupt ?
Windws XP Recovery Console
Create Windows XP Startup Disk
Restart Windows - Fast
Shutdown/Restart Windows XP - Shortcut
Shutdown Windows 95, 98, Me - Shortcut
Printing Options for Webpages
Scandisk ended With Windows Me, the Windows XP Alternative
Stop Screen PopUps
Fast Mail, Sites and Foders
Tips, Tricks, and Other Information Including Some Undocumented
Selected Windows XP Undocumented Functions
Cuteftp Pro - Viewing Hidden Files
Install Spell Checker in Internet Explorer
Repair Internet Explorer or Outlook Express - Windows XP
Windows XP Shutdown Problems
More System Information
Attachments in Oulook Express Greyed Out