Kevins Crate.com/Blog » Windows Tips Crate

How to Run Microsofts Malicious Software Removal Tool at any Time

Kevin — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:19:38 +0000

The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool checks computers running Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software�including Conflicker, Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom�and helps remove any infection found. When the detection and removal process is complete, the tool displays a report describing the outcome, including which, if any, malicious software was detected and removed.

Microsoft releases a new version of the tool on the second Tuesday of every month, and as needed to respond to security incidents. This is by no means meant to be your primary Anti-virus solution, but can be used as a supplement.

Normally this program will run once a month when Microsoft updates Windows on the second Tuesday fo the month, but you can run it whenever you want.

Here’s how.

1. Right click an empty space on your Desktop and choose.

2.Type MRT in the location field for Malicious Removal Tool. Click Next.

3. Name your your shortcut.

4.� Now just double click its icon to start the tool, and click Next

5.� Here’s your chance to choose a type of scan, I recommend the full scan but you can use your own judgement.

6. If you have any infections they will be listed below.

7. You can also click View detailed results of the scan and it will show what files it scanned for.

8. Then just click Finish to exit the program.

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How to Backup your Gmail Account

Kevin — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 12:21:58 +0000

Many people have switched to web mail for the ease of access and Gmail is one of the best, but unlike desktop software like Outlook, Outlook Express or Windows Mail all your messages are now stored on Googles servers and not on your local computer. What happens if Google has a problem or deletes your account. (don’t laugh its happened) Here’a a program I found that will backup all your mail and attachments to your local computer and the backups are able to be opened in many desktop programs. The App is called Gmail Backup you can download it here.

After installing the program enter your Login info and password then choose where you want the backup stored then in the date field choose the date of your oldest email then click Backup, its that easy.

As you can see above you can also restore a backup if need be. Enjoy.

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Use Shell Folders in XP to quickly Navigate System Folders

Kevin — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:39:37 +0000

Remember the last time you needed to access one of your system folders, maybe your Music or Pictures or any other system folder. You had to click My Computer then navigate through all that mess of folders until you found the right one.

Well here�s a way to quickly get to any system folder. Just click the Start button > Run. In the Run dialog box type shell:foldername with foldername being the folder you want to view. Example shell:My Pictures click OK.

Below are some common XP shell folders.

Internet Explorer

shell:Cache
Shows the Temporary Internet Files folder

shell:Cookies
Shows the Internet Explorer Cookies folder

shell:Favorites
Shows the Internet Explorer Favorites folder

shell:InternetFolder
Shows Internet Explorer

Applets and applications

shell:Administrative Tools
Shows shortcuts to the applets in your Control Panel\Administrative Tools folder

shell:Common Administrative Tools
Shows shortcuts to the Public applets in your Control Panel\Administrative Tools folder

Multimedia

shell:My Music
Shows the user Music folder

shell:CommonMusic
Shows the Public Music folder

shell:My Pictures
Shows the user Pictures folder

shell:CommonPictures
Shows the Public Pictures folder

shell:My Video
Shows the user Video folder

shell:CommonVideo
Shows the Public Video folder

System Folders

shell:Common AppData
Shows the Public Application Data folder

shell:Common Desktop
Shows the Public Desktop

shell:Common Documents
Shows the Public Documents folder

shell:CommonDownloads
Shows the Public Downloads folder

shell:Common Programs
Shows the Public Start Menu Programs folder

shell:Common Start Menu
Shows the Public Start Menu folder

shell:Common Startup
Shows the Public Startup folder

shell:Common Templates
Shows the Public Templates folder

shell:Fonts
Shows the Fonts folder

shell:LocalizedResourcesDir
Shows localized Windows Resources

shell:OEM Links
Shows links provided by your PC manufacturer

shell:PrintersFolder
Shows the Printers folder

shell:ProgramFiles
Shows the Program Files folder

shell:ResourceDir
Shows the Windows Resources folder (themes are stored here)

shell:RecycleBinFolder
Shows the Recycle Bin

shell:Windows
Shows the Windows installation folder (usually \Windows)

User Folders

shell:AppData
Shows the user Application Data folder

shell:CD Burning
Shows the folder where files are stored before being burned to disc

shell:CSCFolder
Shows the Client Side Cache Offline Files folder, if supported

shell:Desktop
Shows the user desktop folder

shell:History
Shows the user History folder

shell:Local AppData
Shows the user Application Data folder

shell:NetHood
Shows the user Network Places folder

shell:Personal
Shows the user Documents folder

shell:PrintHood
Shows the user printer shortcuts folder

shell:Profile
Shows the user profile folder

shell:Programs
Shows the user Start Menu Programs folder

shell:Recent
Shows the user’s Recent Documents folder

shell:SendTo
Shows the user Send To folder

shell:Start Menu
Shows the user Start Menu folder

shell:Startup
Shows the user Startup folder

shell:Templates
Shows the user Templates folder

They all can be found in the following registry key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders

After you have the shell folder open you can also add a shortcut of it to your desktop by right clicking the icon in the navigation bar and dragging it to your desktop and choosing create a shortcut.

This post was originally from my Windows Vista site and a few readers asked if I Shell folders could also be used in Window XP so I did some checking and the results are above.

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How to Stop Processes from the Command Line

Kevin — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:18:41 +0000

When troubleshooting computer problems its helpful to see what processes are running and check their memory usage to see if a program or process is using up all your memory. There are quite a few programs out there that have memory leaks, Firefox 2 had a this issue if you left it open too long. Normally you would open the Task manager highlight the offending process and click end process. ( I believe this only works in XP Pro but I’m not sure give it a try and let me know)

But sometimes the task manager won’t open because of a virus an administrator setting or another problem. Here’s a way to view or stop processes from the command line.

Click Start > Run.
In the Run dialog box type cmd to open a command prompt.
At the command prompt type tasklist and hit enter.

Now you can see all your running processes. Find the offending one and note the PID number in the second column. them type tskill a space and the PID number and hit enter and the process will be stopped.

To see the service name also use the /svc switch. Below are more for you to try.

/m [ ModuleName ] : Specifies to show module information for each process. When a module is specified, all the processes using that module are shown. When a module is not specified, all the processes for all the modules are shown. Cannot be used with the /svc or the /v parameter.

/svc : Lists all the service information for each process without truncation. Valid when the /fo parameter is set to TABLE. Cannot be used with the /m or the /v parameter.

/v : Specifies that verbose task information be displayed in the output. Cannot be used with the /svc or the /m parameter.

/? : Displays help at the command prompt.

/s Computer : Specifies the name or IP address of a remote computer (do not use backslashes). The default is the local computer.

/u Domain User : Runs the command with the account permissions of the user specified by User or DomainUser. The default is the permissions of the current logged on user on the computer issuing the command.

/p Password : Specifies the password of the user account that is specified in the /u parameter.

/fo { TABLE | LIST | CSV } : Specifies the format to use for the output. Valid values are TABLE, LIST, and CSV. The default format for output is TABLE.

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Create a Custom Control Panel in XP

Kevin — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 13:40:20 +0000

Windows XP’s control panel is a very useful tool however there are so many options available its easy to loose track of the ones you use most so why not create a custom Control Panel with just your favorites. Here�s how.

Open an Explorer window ( Start > My Computer) Choose My Documents.
Click make a new folder.
Name it what ever you want. I choose Kevins Control Panel.
Right click your new folder and choose Properties. Click the Customize tab > Change Icon. Pick the Icon of your choice them click Ok.
Open your new folder. (Leave this window open.)
Click the Start then choose Control Panel.
Click switch to Classic view.
Now left click items in the Control Panel you want and drag them to your new folder.
When you�re finished drag your new folder to the Start Button, when the Menu appears drop the folder on the top area of the Menu.
Now when you click the Start button you�re new Control Panel will be at the top of your Start Menu.
And all you�re favorite Control Panel items will be in one easy to find place.

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How to Find out What Version of Windows you’re Using

Kevin — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:19:04 +0000

Ever wonder what version of Windows your using, a few people have asked lately how do I tell what version of Windows do I have, or do I need to install the latest Service Pack. Here is an easy way to find out.

Click the Start button then Run.
Type winver in the dialog box and press Ok

An about Windows popup will display your version information.

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How to Setup your Mouse for Left Handed Users

Kevin — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:19:25 +0000

If you�re left handed mouser or would like to setup your mouse for a left handed user here�s a quick tip to do it.

Click Start > Control Panel.
Click Printers and other Hardware.
Click Mouse.
Under the Buttons tab, put a check mark next to Switch primary and secondary buttons.
Click Ok twice.

Now you or your left handed user will be right at home.

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How to Stop Calendar Spam in its Tracks

Kevin — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:46:32 +0000

Just when you thought you finally started to get the upper hand on spam in your inbox the insidious spammers have come with a new twist. Calendar Spam, unwanted meeting requests that popup in your calendar. If it hasn�t happened to you yet, O-boy it will. Here�s what happens.

Calendar spam arrives like all other spam, as an unwanted e-mail. But the problem is it also shows up as a meeting request in your calendar. That means at the time specified in the spam message, time on your calendar will be blocked off, triggering an annoying reminder at the appointed hour.

Your spam filter may still catch it and move it to the junk mail folders. but ignoring calendar spam doesn’t make it go away. Because of the way Microsoft Outlook and Google calendars work, unanswered calendar spam will usually find its way into your calendar.

To stop Microsoft Outlook from automatically accepting meeting requests follow the steps below.

In Outlook click Tools > options.
Calendar options.
Resource scheduling.
Remove the check mark next to Automatically accept meeting requests and process cancellations.
Click Ok 3 times and your set.

Outlook Express users don�t need to worry because Express doesn�t have a calendar.

To Fix Gmail

In Gmail�s calendar go Settings > General tab.
In the �Automatically add invitations to my calendar�, Put a ? in No, only show invitations to which I have responded
Click save.

As much as my Yahoo mail account is a spam magnet I haven�t had that problem yet.
if anyone has drop me a comment and we�ll try and get it fixed.

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Check the Strength of your Passwords

Kevin — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:09:57 +0000

Did you ever wonder how strong that password was you just created for your online bank account, Email address or your favorite new website.Well here�s a free online password checker from the folks at Microsoft, The Microsoft Password Checker. that will let you check the strength of your passwords.

Here are some tips to create a strong password.

Your passwords should be 8 or more characters in length; 14 characters or longer is ideal.
Combine letters, numbers, symbols and punctuation marks.
Use upper and lower case letters.
Use spaces or underscores.
Think of a sentence or a phrase that’s easy to remember, then substitute some numbers and symbols for some the letters.
Use the name of your favorite sports team, then the number of you favorite player then add the last 3 letters of the website you will use the password on. That way you can have an easy to remember password that will change with each use.

Example: steelers35kevinscrate = sTe_3#ate

I have been using a similar phrase for sometime now and its. It easy for me to remember and it changes with every place I use it

Or you can use a password generator like the one from GRC.com Very secure but just try to remember it. Or you can choose a Password Manager and there are hundreds of them on the web. I like RoboForm and KeePass

Password strategies to avoid:

Avoid using your login name.
Avoid sequences or repeated characters. “12345678,” “222222,” “abcdefg,”
Avoid using Birthday�s of you family.
Avoid dictionary words in any language.
Avoid using the same password everywhere.

And one more thing keep your passwords SECRET

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Use Microsofts Baseline Security Advisor to Scan your XP Computer for Vulnerabilities

Kevin — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:03:25 +0000

Microsoft�s Baseline Security Advisor is is free download from Microsoft that will scan your computer for vulnerabilities and identifying common security misconfigurations in your operating system and present you with a detailed report for what if anything it finds and how to fix it. It will also scan computers across your network.

Here are a few of the areas it checks.

Incomplete Updates
Administrators accounts
Windows Firewall
Local Account Password Test
Automatic Updates
File System
Guest Accounts
Restrict Anonymous access
Autologon
Password Expiration

It�s simple to setup and run. After installing just click Scan a computer.

The next screen lets you choose which computer to scan if you have more than 1 on a network and the options you want to include. Using the default is fine.

The scan will take a few minutes then you will be presented with the results. The Red, Orange, Blue and Green shields will give you an idea of the severity of any problems.

Click on the Blue test for more info and how to fix any issues it finds.

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How to Move an off Screen Window Back into View in Windows XP

Kevin — Thu, 29 May 2008 22:51:08 +0000

This can be very frustrating when using multiple monitors or sometimes just by dragging windows around your screen, you get one to the edge of your display and then can’t seem to grab it in the right place to move it back where you want it. Then after 15 minutes of cussing you give up and reboot.Well here’s a way to prevent you from rebooting to get that sucker back inline.

Right click the applications tab in the Task-bar and select Move, then use your arrow keys to get the window back into view.

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How to Add your Own Custom Logo and Support Info in the System Properties Screen in XP

Kevin — Wed, 21 May 2008 23:45:55 +0000

PC vendors often customize the System Properties screen to show off their logo and to add support info you can readily see,but if you built your own computer or build them for other people you can customize your System Properties screen to show your logo and support information or anything else you want. Here’s how.

To Create the Logo:

Fire up your favorite photo editing program and create a 180 x 114 pixel image.
Customize it however you like, add a graphic, text or whatever.
Name it oemlogo.bmp Make sure you save it as a .bmp and not anything else.
Save it in the C:WindowsSystem32 folder.

To create the Support information:

Create a new Notepad file in the same folder.
Name it oeminfo.ini make sure the extension is .ini and not .txt
Using the below format write anything you want after the = sign.

[General]
Manufacturer=
Model=

[Support Information]
line1=
line2=

If you need to add an extra line just type line3= then your message. (make sure you save the file as an .ini or this won’t work.

Here is an example:

Before:

After:

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Enable the Hibernation Button in the Shut-Down Dialog Box

Kevin — Sun, 18 May 2008 14:33:34 +0000

When you go to shut down your computer you are given the options to Standby, Restart and Turn off. Putting you computer into Standby mode reduces your power consumption. The amount of electricity used by the computer in standby mode is just a trickle, just enough to keep the memory alive so that open programs and documents are stored without data loss. The primary power saving is achieved by turning off the system drives, monitor, and other items.

The Downside is that information that is currently in computer memory is not saved to your hard disk. If you have an interruption in power, information in memory will be lost. Because of this, you may want to Put your computer into Hibernation instead, but your not given that option when you click Start > turn off computer. Here’s a way to add it to your Shutdown Dialog box.

Putting your computer into The hibernate feature has several benefits. When you use the hibernate feature, your programs and open windows do not have to be shut down or closed. The state of your computer is preserved while the computer is in hibernation. Additionally, the startup time to resume from hibernation is typically about 30 percent less than when you start the computer from the shutdown state. After the computer resumes from hibernation, your Windows desktop, data, and programs are restored. You can quickly return to where you left off. Additionally, because all your data is saved to the computer�s hard disk drive when you put the computer in hibernation, you reduce the risk of losing your work in progress.

When you use the hibernate feature, the computer does not use additional power. A desktop computer typically draws a small amount of power when it is shut down or when it is in hibernation. This amount is typically about 3 watts. A portable computer does not draw additional power from the computer’s battery when the computer is in hibernation or when it is shut down. (From Microsoft)

First make sure Hibernation is enabled on your system.

Click Start >Control panel > Performance and Maintenance > Power Options. Click the Hibernate tab and put a check mart in enable Hibernation and click ok.

This tip does require a Registry edit so if your uncomfortable in the Registry, simply pressing the “Shift key” while in the Shutdown Dialog box will give you the option of entering Hibernation, but will remove the Standby option.

If your ready to edit the Registry here’s the steps. First create a restore point to back up the Registry.

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows
3. Right-click Windows, point to New, and then click Key.
4. In the New Key #1 box, type System if it’s not already there, and then press ENTER.
5. Right-click System, point to New, and then click Key.
6. In the New Key #1 box, type Shutdown, and then press ENTER.
7. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
8. In the New Value # 1 box, type ShowHibernateButton, and then press ENTER.
9. Right-click ShowHibernateButton, and then click Modify.
10. In the Value data box, type 1, leave the default Hexadecimal option selected, and then click Ok.
11. Quit Registry Editor.

Here’s what your Shutdown Dialog will look like after the fix.

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Find Out Useful Info on your XP Computer

Kevin — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:31:20 +0000

Here’s a quick way to find out some useful info on your XP computer. Did you ever wonder how long its been since your last reboot, probably not too long but this little tip will tell you. It will also tell you the date when your operating system was installed, Your bios version and more. Here’s how.

Click Start > Run and type cmd to open a command window.
At the command prompt, type systeminfo and press enter.
Scroll down and have a look see.

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Sync Your XP’s Computer Clock to the Internet Via the Command Prompt

Kevin — Sat, 10 May 2008 13:38:49 +0000

You can synchronize your computer clock with an Internet time server. This means that the clock on your computer is updated to match the clock on the time server, which can help ensure that the clock on your computer is accurate. Your clock is typically updated once a week and needs to be connected to the Internet for the synchronization to occur. but sometimes problems occur and your computer won�t sync, but you can update it manually 1 of 2 ways.

The Quick way.

Click the Start button.
Click Run.
Type cmd in the run box.
Type w32tm /resync dialog box and press enter and your done.

Now the longer way.

Right click your Clock in the system tray.
Choose adjust Time and Date.
Click the Internet Time tab.
Choose the server you want to use.
Click the Update Now button and hope you don’t get a timeout error.
Click Ok to finish.

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Send a Message to Another User on your Computer

Kevin — Mon, 05 May 2008 09:16:54 +0000

If you have two or more users accounts on your computer you can send send a message to one or more of them the next time they log on. Here’s how.

Right click the TaskBar and choose Task Manager
Highlight the user you want to message to and click Send Message.
Type in the message you want then click Ok
Now when that person logs on your message will popup.

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Scan your Systems files for Corruption

Kevin — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 21:29:23 +0000

If your computer is running a little wonkly lately, or your getting Blue screens of death (BSOD’s) you may have some System files that are corrupted. If so checking your system files may be a good idea.

To open the System File Checker follow the directions below, have your Windows install CD ready, you may be asked for it.

Click the Start button.
Choose Run.
Type sfc /scannow in the Run box.
Sit back and relax for a while, this may take an hour or more.

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How to Change your Desktop Background Picture to One of your Own

Kevin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:44:21 +0000

I know this may seem like an easy tip to some, but a few people have asked how to change their desktop background picture to one of their very own pictures. Here’s how to do it.

Open the folder where the picture you want to use resides, normally its in.
C:\Documents and Settings\your name\Documents\My Pictures\
Your name being your logon name.
Right click the picture you want to use and choose Set as desktop background.
Enjoy…

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How To Create Custom Screensaver With Your Own Pictures

Kevin — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 23:34:53 +0000

Here’s a way to showoff your precious pictures with your very own screensaver. First decide what picture you want to use, this will be the hardest part. Then copy then to a different folder of your choice. The reason I say copy them to a different folder is so you can display only the picture you want instead all the thousands you have.

So here we go.

Right click an empty space on your desktop and choose Properties.
Click the Screensaver tab.
Use the drop down menu under screensaver’s to choose My Pictures Sideshow.
Click the setting tab and browse to where you copied your picture to. you can also setup the other options.
Click Ok, then back on the display Properties page you can preview your masterpiece and choose your wait time.
Click OK when your finished.

Customize XP By Adding your Name To The TaskBar

Kevin — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:37:59 +0000

Here’s a quick way to customize you computer by adding your name to the TaskBar

Before. After.

Click Start > Control Panel.
Click Date Time Language and Regional Options.
Click Region and Language Options.
Click Customize.
Click the Time tab.
Enter what ever you want in the AM symbol and the PM symbol. You have up to 12 letters.
Click Ok a few times and check next to your clock for your Name or whatever else you typed in.

Hide Your Recent Documents From Showing Up In Your Start Menu

Kevin — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:23:36 +0000

If you have several people accessing your computer you may want to prevent your recently opened documents from showing up in the start menu. Here’s how.

Right click the Start button.
Choose properties.
In the Start menu tab choose Customize.
In the Advanced tab uncheck List my most recently opened documents. then click Ok twice.

Before: After:

Google Hack For finding MP3 songs

Kevin — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 02:30:29 +0000

Here’s a quick tip for finding mp3 music using Google search.

Paste this text in Google to find the song or artist your looking for.

intitle:index.of �mp3? +�name� -htm -html -php -asp �last modified�

All you need to do is replace name with the song or artist you want to find. In many cases you can download the song to your computer and bam free music. ( always scan the files before you open them with a good anti-virus first.) You can also change �mp3? to avi to find movies.

To download the files:

In IE7 right click and choose > Save target as.

In Firefox right click and choose > Save link as.

How To Disable The Desktop Cleanup Wizard

Kevin — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 00:45:58 +0000

Are you as tired as I am with the Desktop Cleanup wizard popping up every 60 days asking if I want to remove unused Desktop Icons. Hey if I want them removed I’ll do it myself I used to say.

Here’s how to get rid if it for good.

Click a empty space on your desktop and choose Properties.
Click the Desktop tab.
Choose Customize Desktop.
Remove the check mark next to Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days.

That’s all there is to it.

Add An Onscreen Keyboard to Win XP

Kevin — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:11:25 +0000

Windows XP comes with a virtual onscreen keyboard that you can use in an emergency if your regular one fails, but only if you have a shortcut to it that you can click with your mouse. This has saved my bacon once already so I thought I�d pass it along. Now I�m not saying its a pleasure to use but in an emergency it will do. To check it out do the following:

Click the Start button > Run
Type OSK into the Run dialog box.

To make a shortcut icon on your desktop to the on�screen keyboard:

Right�click the desktop.
Point to New, and then click Shortcut.
Type osk, click Next.
Type a name for the shortcut, and then click Finish.

That’s it! When you need it, the shortcut to the on�screen keyboard utility is right on your desktop. Now if your keyboard goes kaput you can just click the Keyboard icon and finish what you were working on.

How To Remove Orphaned Entries In The Add and Remove Programs List

Kevin — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:18:48 +0000

It happens to almost everyone, you use Add and Remove programs to uninstall a program and next time you go back the deleted program is still listed. The most likely cause is a incomplete uninstall or a badly written uninstaller. Here’s a way to get rid of that entry for good. All you need to do is a quick Registry edit.

Always create a System Restore Point before editing the Registry, as a save guard.

Click the Start Button and choose Run.
In the Run Dialog type in Regedit and click Ok.
In the Registry editor Navigate to the following key.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Uninstall
In the uninstall folder is all the programs that are listed in the Add and Remove programs utility. Click each entry and look in the right hand pane for the Display Name and under Data value will be the name of the program.
Search for the offending program and and right click its folder and choose delete.
Close the Registry editor and your done.

To see Screen shots for the process, Click the Read the rest of this entry link.

SCREEN SHOTS:

Click the Start Button and choose Run.
In the Run Dialog type in Regedit and click Ok.
In the Registry editor Navigate to the following key.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Uninstall
In the uninstall folder is all the programs that are listed in the Add and Remove programs utility. Click each entry and look in the right hand pane for the Display Name and under Data value will be the name of the program.
Search for the offending program and and right click its folder and choose delete.
Close the Registry editor and your done.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate Available For Download

Kevin — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 11:51:01 +0000

Service pack 3 is now available for download form Microsoft, get it here if you dare, is it a craps shoot, probably, I don’t think I’d install it on a production machine but that’s up to you. its about a 340 mb download. I have it installed on one of my test machines and haven’t found any problems associated with the install yet. Some people are reporting a 10 to 15% boost in performance,but jury is still out on that one, more testing is required.

If you have problems and want to uninstall it just use the Add and Remove Programs utility from the Control panel. Happy computing.

Change The BSOD or Blue Screen Of Death To A Different Color

Kevin — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 17:59:57 +0000

Everyone’s seen them before the dreaded BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) Hopefully they don’t happen too often. But did you know that you can change the background color and the text color, so if you wanted you could have RSOD (Red Screen Of Death) or a GSOD (Green Screen Of Death) or many other colors.

Here’s how: First create a System Restore Point
Then.

Open My computer and navigate to the folder where you have Windows installed (Normally C: Windows)
Scroll down to you find system.ini
Right click system.ini and choose open with > notepad.
Look in the [386enh] section for the following text.MessageBackColor=
MessageTextColor=

If there not in there go ahead and add them.
Here are the color codes to use after the = sign

0 = black
1 = blue
2 = green
3 = cyan
4 = red
5 = magenta
6 = yellow/brown
7 = white
8 = gray
9 = bright blue
A = bright green
B = bright cyan
C = bright red
D = bright magenta

EXAMPLES:MessageBackColor=C Background color will be bright red.
MessageTextColor=2 Text color will be green.
Save the system.ini file to the same location as you opened it from.
Restart your computer, and wait for the next crash.

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How To Pin A Folder To Your Start Menu In Win XP

Kevin — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 22:21:38 +0000

Windows XP let you Pin a Program to your Start Menu for quick access. Just right click the program and choose Pin to Start Menu. But you can’t Pin a folder to the Start Menu unless you edit the Registry. If your ready here’s how.

First backup your Registry before you make any changes. Creating a System Restore Point will work.
Click the Start button then Run, and type regedit.exe
Navigate to the following location.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Folder \ shellex \ ContextMenuHandlers
Right click ContextMenuHandlers and choose New > Key
Right click the New Key and choose rename.
Rename the key {a2a9545d-a0c2-42b4-9708-a0b2badd77c8} Be sure to leave the Data vale to Not Set.
Close the Registry editor.

Now when you want to Pin a Folder to the Start Menu, press and hold the SHIFT key down, and then right-click a folder and choose Pin to Start Menu.

How To Hide All Your Desktop Icons

Kevin — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 03:27:51 +0000

Do you like the minimalists look on your desktop or maybe you want to play a joke on someone here’s a way to remove all your icons from your desktop.

Right click an empty area on your desktop and choose Arrange Icons by, then remove the check mark next to Show Desktop icons.

Before.

After.

Use Microsoft’s New Network Diagnostics Tool For Win XP To Trouble Problems

Kevin — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:32:52 +0000

The Network Diagnostics for Windows XP tool can help troubleshoot some of the most common connection problems that you may encounter in a home networking environment.

The Network Diagnostics for Windows XP tool analyzes information about your network connectivity to help you troubleshoot network-related problems with your computer.
To diagnose network connectivity status, the Network Diagnostics for Windows XP tool analyzes the following tests:

IP configuration test.
Default gateway test.
Winsock test.
DNS test.
Firewall test.
Internet connectivity validation test.

How to obtain the Network Diagnostics for Windows XP tool

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:
Network Diagnostic Tool (KB914440):

How to run the Network Diagnostics for Windows XP tool
You can use the Network Diagnostics for Windows XP tool to test network connectivity and to determine whether your network-related programs and services are working correctly. To start the tool, use one of the following methods:

In Microsoft Internet Explorer, click Diagnose Connection Problems on the Tools menu.
Click Start, click Run, type %windir%\network diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe, and then click OK.
Run Guided Help for Microsoft Knowledge Base article 326155. For more information about how to download Guided Help for Microsoft Knowledge Base article 326155, click the proceeding article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

(Source Microsoft.com)

What Is A RSS Feed And What Do I Do With It

Kevin — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 15:33:16 +0000

RSS (formally “RDF Site Summary”, known colloquially as “Really Simple Syndication”) is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines or podcasts. An RSS document, which is called a “feed”, “web feed”, or “channel”, contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that’s easier than checking them manually.

RSS content can be read using software called an “RSS reader”, “feed reader” or an “aggregator”. The user subscribes to a feed by entering the feed’s link into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. The reader checks the user’s subscribed feeds regularly for new content, downloading any updates that it finds. ( From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

In a nutshell.Subscribing to RSS feeds allows you to view the contents of all your favorite web sites in one place without having to visit each site, and when new content is added, your reader will automatically update the feed, so no more visiting a site to see if it was updated.

RSS Readers:

There are hundreds of readers available on the web, but I recommend Google Reader & My Yahoo! for web based readers. With web bases readers you can access your feeds from any online computer. (Google recently made their reader available off line to with Google Gears)

Thunderbird for desktop based readers. (Thunderbird is also a great free Email program.) With desktop readers you are only able to read your feeds from your personal computer, but you can read your feeds offline too.

Subscribing to RSS feeds in IE7

Click the RSS icon.

Click subscribe to this feed.

Here you can decide what to name your new feed and where to put it. ( The defaults work Ok if your not sure.)

Now just click the Star to see all your feeds.

Subscribing to a RSS feed in Firefox:

Look for the RSS icon in the address bar and click it.

Here you can choose what program to use.

I prefer Google reader here but you can choose any one you like. (Google requires an account with them. which is not a bad idea)

Now all your feed are in one convenient location.

Subscribing in an Email program, You will need to check to see if your Email program supports RSS feeds.

Here are some I found that do. If you know of more please leave a comment and I will add them to the list.

Thunderbird
Windows Live Mail
Outlook 2007

Many Blogs and website’s make it easy to subscribe to their feeds by providing a convenient location to choose many different readers. Like mine. Just click the one you prefer.

I hope this help everybody understand to power and convenience of RSS feeds.

Change My Computer’s Default View To Folder List

Kevin — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:35:24 +0000

When you click My Computer on your desktop you can see your drives on the right side and some options and details on the left side.

But you can also view it in a folder view that makes it easier to move or copy files around between different drives or folders, all you need to do is click the Folders tab in the toolbar to change the view.

If you like the Folder view and would like to set it as the default do the following.

Click My Computer to open it. Then click Tools > Folder Options
Click the File Types tab. Then in the list of file types, highlight (NONE) Folders and click the Advanced button.
In the Actions box, highlight “Explore” Then click Set Default. Click Ok twice. Now the next time you open My Computer it will open in the Folder view. To change it back follow the same steps and choose open then click Set Default.

Disable Or Enable Automatic Updates in Firefox

Kevin — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:18:00 +0000

If you are using Firefox as your browser you know automatic updates are turned on by default and sometimes when a new version comes out it breaks some of your extensions, so I normally wait to install an update until my extensions will all work with the latest version. Unless a major security issue is present. So here’s how you can disable auto updates.

In Firefox click Tools > Options.
Click the Advanced tab > Update, Then I usually choose Ask me what I want to do When updates to Firefox are found.

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Enable Or Disable Fast User Switching

Kevin — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:21:49 +0000

Fast user switching allows multiple user accounts to log on to a computer simultaneously and quickly switch between them with out restarting the computer.

Enable or Disable Fast User Switching.

Log on to the computer as an administrator.
Click Start, click Control Panel.
Click User Accounts.
Click Change the way users log on or off.
If it is not already selected, click to select the Use the Welcome screen check box. (NOTE: The Use Fast User Switching check box is unavailable until you click to select the Use the Welcome screen check box.)
Click to select the Use Fast User Switching check box, and then click Apply Options. Quit the User Accounts tool.
To disable Fast user switching just remove the check mark next to Fast user switching and click apply.

To Switch Users with Fast user switching enabled.

Click Start then Log Off.
Click Switch User then choose the account you want to switch to. (If you choose Switch User as apposed to log Off, when you return to the previous user everything will be like you left it.)

To see Screen shots for the process, Click the Read the rest of this entry link.

1. Log on to the computer as an administrator. 2. Click Start, click Control Panel.

3. Click User Accounts.

4. Click Change the way users log on or off.

5. If it is not already selected, click to select the Use the Welcome screen check box. (NOTE: The Use Fast User Switching check box is unavailable until you click to select the Use the Welcome screen check box.)

6. Click to select the Use Fast User Switching check box, and then click Apply Options. Quit the User Accounts tool.

7. To disable Fast user switching just remove the check mark next to Fast user switching and click Apply Options.

To Switch Users with Fast user switching enabled.

1. Click Start then Log Off.

2. Click Switch User then choose the account you want to switch to. (If you choose Switch User as apposed to log Off, when you return to the previous user everything will be like you left it.)

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A Few Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Kevin — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 01:47:42 +0000

Here are a few Windows shortcut I use to make my computing life easier.

Alt-Tab switches to a different active application
Alt-Shift-Tab moves backward through the active applications
Alt-Space opens the active window’s Control menu
Ctrl-Esc opens the Start menu
Ctrl-Shift-Esc opens Task Manager
Windows-M minimizes all windows and gives you immediate access to the desktop
Windows-Shift-M undoes the minimize
Windows-Tab cycles through the taskbar buttons

How To Change The Look Of The Command Prompt

Kevin — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 08:59:03 +0000

If you do a lot of work with the command line wouldn’t it be nice to customize it the way you want. change the size, the color and the fonts with ease.

First lets open the Command Processor window.

Click Start > Run.
Type CMD into the Run dialog box.

Now that the Command Processor window is open right click the title bar. To change the settings for all command prompt windows, click Defaults. To change the settings for the current command prompt window only, click Properties.

Click the Options tab. Here you can adjust the cursor size, Display and edit options along with the Command history.

Click the Font tab. In the Font box, click a font.
If you click a TrueType font, the Size menu displays a list of point sizes to choose from, or you can enter a size by typing the number in the Size box. To use bold with TrueType fonts, select the Bold Fonts check box.
If you click Raster Fonts, the sizes that are listed in the Size box are the window size choices.
The Window Preview box displays how the current window’s size will change based on the font and font size you selected.
The Selected Font box shows how characters will appear with the specified font settings. Bold is not available with Raster fonts.

Click the Layout tab.
Under Screen Buffer Size, specify settings for the width and height of the screen, based on the number of characters that are entered in the buffer.
Under Window Size, specify settings for the width and height of the window.
Under Window Position, specify settings for the initial left and top position of the window.(NOTE: you can resize the window up to the maximum size listed on the Layout tab. It is a good idea to select a size from one-fourth to no more than half the desktop size for reading and usability.)

Click the Colors tab. choose colors for the screen text, screen background, pop-up text, or pop-up background by clicking the element you want to change.
Click the color you want. The Selected Screen Colors box shows how the text and background colors you selected will appear on the screen. The Selected Popup Colors box shows how the text and background colors you selected will appear in a pop-up window.

Click Ok and restart the Command Processor window.

Create A Desktop Icon To Lock You Computer With One Click

Kevin — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 01:01:05 +0000

When you leave your computer to do something else but don’t want others to see or have access to your desktop you can create a shortcut icon to quickly lock the keyboard and display without using CTRL+ALT+DEL or a screensaver. Here’s how.

Right-click the desktop.
Click New, and then click Shortcut.
The Create Shortcut Wizard opens. In the text box, type the following:
rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
Click Next.
Enter a name for the shortcut. You can call it “Lock Computer” or choose any name you like.
Click Finish.

Now we need to change that plain icon to something snazzier.

Right click the Lock Computer Icon and choose Properties. Then click Change Icon.
In the browse box type in %SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll
Select the icon you want from the selection and click Ok twice.

To see Screen shots for the process, Click the Read the rest of this entry link.

1. Right-click the desktop.

2. Click New, and then click Shortcut.

3. The Create Shortcut Wizard opens. In the text box, type the following:
rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation

4. Click Next.

5. Enter a name for the shortcut. You can call it “Lock Computer” or choose any name you like.

6. Click Finish.

Now we need to change that plain icon to something snazzier.

1. Right click the Lock Computer Icon and choose Properties. Then click Change Icon.

2. In the browse box type in %SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll

3. Select the icon you want from the selection and click Ok twice.

Now when you click the lock icon you will be sent to the logon screen.

Get Rid Of Windows XP’s Low Disk Space Nag

Kevin — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 23:30:58 +0000

Almost everybody runs into this situation at some time or another, your happily computing away and all of a sudden up pops a warning that one of your hard drives is running out of space and offers to run disk cleanup. That all well and fine you run disk cleanup and free up some space, but its never enough and up pops the low disk space nag again. Here’s away to turn it off ether for good or until you can get another hard drive installed. (This tip requires a Registry change so be sure to create a Restore Point first)

Open the Registry Editor. Click Start > Run Then type Regedit in the run dialog box.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Policies\ Explorer.
Right click Explorer and choose create a DWORD value and call it NoLowDiskSpaceChecks.
Double-click on NoLowDiskSpaceChecks, and enter the value 1, and press OK.
Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Delete Your Hibernation File To Regain Disk Space

Kevin — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 11:45:49 +0000

If you don’t use the Hibernation option in Windows XP you can turn it off and free up some disk space. ( Up to your amount of ram)

Here’s how.

Click the Start button.
Choose Control Panel.
Click Performance and Maintenance.
Choose Power Options.
Click the Hibernate tab.
Remove the check mark next to enable hibernation, click OK when finished.

Windows should automatically delete the file called hiperfil.sys

To see Screen shots for the process, Click the Read the rest of this entry link.

1. Click the Start button.

2. Choose Control Panel.

3. Click Performance and Maintenance.

4. Choose Power Options.

5. Click the Hibernate tab.

6. Remove the check mark next to enable hibernation, click Ok when finished.

Close All Your Open Programs At One Time

Kevin — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:37:10 +0000

Here’s a quick tip that will show you how to close all your open programs at one time.

Hold down the CTRL key and click all the open programs in the task bar. (Notice they all stay selected) now right click any of the tabs and choose Close Group. Now all the programs you selected will close.

Alphabetize The Programs In Your Start All Programs Menu

Kevin — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 11:48:35 +0000

When you click Start > All Programs to view all your installed programs you will see that as you add new programs they get added to the bottom of the list and they get harder and harder to find, but its easy to sort them Alphabetically. Here’s how.

Click the Start button.
Choose All Programs.
Right click anywhere in the programs list and choose Sort By Name.

Now all your Programs will be Alphabetized

How To Keep Your Programs Menu From Stretching Off Your Screen

Kevin — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:47:03 +0000

If you’ve been using XP for a long time and have a but load of programs installed sometimes your programs menu will extend past the edge of your screen. To solve this problem all you have to do is enable scrolling for your Start > Programs folder, here’s how

Right-click Start, select Properties.
Select the Start Menu tab, and then click Customize.
Click on the the Advanced tab.
Look under Start menu items, scroll down to the Scroll Programs listing and place check in the box. Click Ok then apply

Now when you click Start > Programs. you will be able to scroll through all your Programs.

To see Screen shots for the process, Click the Read the rest of this entry link.

1. Right-click Start, select Properties.

2. Select the Start Menu tab, and then click Customize.

3. Click on the the Advanced tab.

4. Look under Start menu items, scroll down to the Scroll Programs listing and place check in the box. Click Ok then apply

Now when you click Start > Programs. you will be able to scroll through all your Programs.

Get More Info From Windows Explorer

Kevin — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:23:32 +0000

When navigating through your files with windows explorer you normally see Name, Size, Type and Date modified as your column headings. As shown below for my C drive.

But you can easily add more columns of info, just right click in any column heading for more options.

Put a check in the one you want and the change is instant.

Its great for Music or Video files.

Quickly View Your System Information

Kevin — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 13:45:36 +0000

Are you looking for a quick way to view your computers system information in one handy place. Check out what you’ll get with this handy tip.

Host Name	System Up Time	Time Zone
OS Name	System Manufacturer	Total Physical Memory
OS Version	System Model	Available Physical Memory
OS Manufacturer	System Type	Virtual Memory: Max Size
OS configuration	Processors	Virtual Memory: Available
OS Build Type	Bios Version	Virtual Memory: In Use
Registered Owner	Windows Directory	Page File Location
Registered Organization	System Directory	Domain
Product ID	Boot Device	Logon On Server
Original Install Date	System Locale	Hotfixs and Network Cards

1. Select Start > Run
2. In the Open: box type cmd and click OK
3. At the command prompt type systeminfo and press Enter

To see Screen shots for the process, Click the Read the rest of this entry link.

1. Select Start > Run

2. In the Open: box type cmd and click OK

3. At the command prompt type systeminfo and press Enter.

How To Avoid Reactivating XP After A Reinstall

Kevin — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 12:07:30 +0000

We’ve all had to do it at least once, I routinely do it every 6 months. What am I talking about. Reformatting and reinstalling Windows XP. Whether you’re having problems with crashes, errors, spyware or viruses or just need to clean out the junk that accumulates over time. After you reinstall you will need to reactivate your copy of XP, but you can skip that step by following the instructions below. You will need to backup 2 files to a floppy disk, CD or external drive.

Open My Computer or an Explorer window.
Navigate to your “C” drive > windows > system32.
Scroll down to you get to WPA.DBL and WPA.BAK
Right click WPA.DBL and choose “send to” then pick where you want to copy it to.
Do the same for WPA.BAK

Now you can perform your format and reinstall of XP. When you get to the Activation screen, decline to activate it and let the install finish. ( don’t forget to backup your data before reformatting)

Now restart Windows in “Safe Mode” (keep hitting F8 at start-up then when the Advanced Boot Options menu appears choose Safe Mode) your computer will boot into safe mode and it will look very different from what your used to.

Now you will need to navigate back to where you stored the WPA.DBL and WPA.BAK

In My Computer or an Explorer window navigate to where you stored the WPA.DBL and WPA.BAK.
Right click WPA.DBL and drag it to your “C” drive > windows > system32 folder and choose copy here. You will replace the existing file.
Do the same for WPA.BAK and restart your computer.
Now all you need to do is reinstall all your programs and backed up files.

Adjust Your AutoPlay Settings In XP

Kevin — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 14:42:41 +0000

Windows XP makes it easy to adjust what happens when you want to transfer media file to your computer or just play or view them, be it Music, Pictures, Video or DVD’s. The secret is in the AutoPlay settings. Lets take a look at how to adjust them. First

Open My Computer or an Explorer window.
Right click your CD or DVD drive and choose Properties.
Click the AutoPlay tab.
Use the drop down box to choose what you want to control.
Make sure the Select an option to perform is checked.
In the Options section Choose what you want to happen when you insert media into your computer.
If you want to be prompted each time choose Prompt me each time to choose an action.
If you make a mistake you can always click the Restore Defaults button.
Click Apply and your all set.

To see Screen shots for the process, Click the Read the rest of this entry link.

1. Open My Computer or an Explorer window.

2. Right click your CD or DVD drive and choose Properties.

3. Click the AutoPlay tab.

4. Use the drop down box to choose what you want to control.

5. Make sure the Select an option to perform is checked.

6. In the Options section Choose what you want to happen when you insert media into your computer.

7. If you want to be prompted each time choose Prompt me each time to choose an action.

8. If you make a mistake you can always click the Restore Defaults button.

9. Click Apply and your all set.

___________________________________________________________

Turn Off Auto Reboot In XP

Kevin — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 23:41:51 +0000

When Windows XP crashes with the Blue Screen, notice I said when it crashes. It will automatically reboot, sometimes too fast to read any error message it displays. So if you want to turn it off to see if you can figure out what happened, follow the directions below.

Right click My Computer.
Choose Properties.
Click the Advanced tab from the systems properties page.
In the Startup and Recovery portion choose Settings.
Under system failure remove the checkmark next to Automatically restart.
Click Ok twice.

To see Screen shots for the process, Click the Read the rest of this entry link.

1. Right click My Computer.

2. Choose Properties.

3. Click the Advanced tab from the systems properties page.

4. In the Startup and Recovery portion choose Settings.

5. Under system failure remove the checkmark next to Automatically restart.

6. Click Ok twice. And that’s all there is to it .

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Create An Invisible Folder To Hide Your Secret Files

Kevin — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 23:26:44 +0000

Here’s a trick I’ve been using for quite awhile to hide folders and files from the casual snooper. (Caution before you do this remember where you put the folder if you create it on your desktop, it will be hard to find.

Create a new folder, whether on your Desktop or in an existing folder.
Right click the new folder and choose rename.
Hold down the Alt key and on your number pad press 255. It will only work if you use the number pad. So its Alt255 and the Icon name will disappear.
Now we need to make the folder disappear also. Right click the folder and choose Properties.
Click the Customize tab then the Change icon button.
Click the slider to the right till you come to one of the blank icons and click it. (It will just be a blank space between the other icons) then click Ok twice.
Now you just created an Invisible folder.

You can only create 1 Invisible folder per directory cause you can only have 1 folder named Alt255. Now you can store whatever you want in it. Just don’t forget where you put it. To find it again if you have it on your desktop when you hover your mouse over it your curser will change or press Ctrl+A to highlight everything on your desktop and you’ll see it as a small vertical line.

To see Screen shots for the process, Click the Read the rest of this entry link.

1. Create a new folder, whether on your Desktop or in an existing folder.

2. Right click the new folder and choose rename.

3. Hold down the Alt key and on your number pad press 255. It will only work if you use the number pad. So its Alt255 and the Icon name will disappear.

4. Now we need to make the folder disappear also. Right click the folder and choose Properties.

5. Click the Customize tab then the Change icon button.

6. Click the slider to the right till you come to one of the blank icons and click it. (It will just be a blank space between the other icons) then click Ok twice.

7. Now you just created an Invisible folder. Just don’t forget where you put it.

___________________________________________________________

Unhide Operating System files And File Extensions in XP

Kevin — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:05:22 +0000

Many people may not realize that the operating system files and extensions are hidden in XP by default, but many people like to see all the files on their computer. Also I’ll show you how to unhide your file extensions. Its always good to know what the file extension is for unknown downloaded files before clicking on them as many malware or virus files have a double extension, (Example clickonme.txt.exe clickonme.txt is a text file while clickonme.txt.exe is an executable program that may infect your computer.)

Open My Computer or an Explorer window.
In Windows Explorer, select Tools.
Click Folder Options.
Click the View tab.
Scroll down to Hidden Files and Folder, click the option button to show hidden files and folders.
Uncheck the option button for hide extensions for known file types.
Uncheck the option for Hide protected operating system files.
Click Ok when your finished.
A warning dialog box will popup, just click Ok.
Now you’re finished. You’ll be able to see your System files and file extensions.

To see Screen shots for the process, Click the Read the rest of this entry link.

1. Open My Computer or an Explorer window.

2. In Windows Explorer, select Tools.

3. Click Folder Options.

4. Click the View tab.

5. Scroll down to Hidden Files and Folder, click the option button to show hidden files and folders.

6. Uncheck the option button for hide extensions for known file types.

7. Uncheck the option for Hide protected operating system files.

8. Click Ok when your finished.

9. A warning dialog box will popup, just click Ok.

10. Now you’re finished. You’ll be able to see your System files and file extensions.

Speed Up Your Start Menu

Kevin — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 23:26:27 +0000

Here’s a tip you can use if your Start Menu seems a little slow when you click it. This tip involves editing the Registry so its a good idea to create a System Restore point first. Ok here it go’s.

Click the Start Button.
Click Run.
In the Run box type regedit and click Ok.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \.
Scroll down to MenuShowDelay, right click it and select Modify.
Change the Value data (0 is fastest, 400 is default. I recommend setting it around 200. (The time is expressed in milliseconds).
When you’re finished click Ok, then Restart your computer for the settings to take effect.

To see Screen shots for the process, Click the Read the rest of this entry link.

Click the Start Button.
Click Run.

3. In the Run box type regedit and click Ok.

4. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \.

5. Scroll down to MenuShowDelay, right click it and select Modify.

6. Change the Value data (0 is fastest, 400 is default. I recommend setting it around 200. (The time is expressed in milliseconds).

7. When you’re finished click Ok, then Restart your computer for the settings to take effect. You should notice a marked improvement in your Start Menu speed.

Take Control Of Your Start Menu

Kevin — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 02:34:21 +0000

When you click the Start button you can see many useful items that appear in the Start Menu to make your computing easier and faster.

This tip will show you how to add or remove items from your Start Menu.

Right click the Start button.
Choose Properties.
Click the Start menu tab.
Click Customize.
Click the Advanced tab.
Scroll thru the Start menu items.

Now you can scroll thru the Start menu items and check the items you want to add to your Start menu, then you choose how they will appear, As a link, As a menu or not at all. When your finished click Ok twice and your all set.

To see Screen shots for the process, Click the Read the rest of this entry link.

Right click the Start button.
Choose Properties.
Click the Start menu tab.
Click Customize.

5. Click the Advanced tab.

6. Scroll thru the Start menu items.

Adjust How Icons Are displayed In Your System Tray

Kevin — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 13:17:10 +0000

The System tray is the area next to your clock where Windows displays icons of programs that startup when you boot into Windows.

Sometimes this area can stretch half way across your monitor and display every icon in it, or other times it only displays a few items. This tip will show you how to control what icons get displayed and for how long.

Click Start and choose Properties.
Select the Taskbar tab.
Choose Customize in the Notification area.
Select the Item you want to change and use the drop down box to change the way its displayed. ” Hide when inactive, always hide or Always show.
After making your adjusting click Ok.

Now you’re System tray will behave the way you want.

To see Screen shots for the process, Click the Read the rest of this entry link.

Click Start and choose Properties.

2. Select the Taskbar tab.

3.Choose Customize in the Notification area.

4. Select the Item you want to change and use the drop down box to change the way its displayed. ” Hide when inactive, always hide or Always show.

5. After making your adjusting click Ok.

Speed Up Your Computer When Right Clicking A File

Kevin — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 12:04:12 +0000

Did you ever notice when you right click a file in Windows Explorer your computer slows down to a crawl for a few seconds, If so there’s an easy fix.

Right click an open area of your desktop and choose Properties. Then choose the Appearance tab and click Effects.

Now uncheck ” Use the following transition effect for menus and tooltips check box” Then click Ok twice, and the next time you right click a file you won’t see a slow down.

Change The Size Of Your Scrollbars

Kevin — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 14:02:39 +0000

If you’re like me, getting a little older, eyes not as good as they used to be, sometimes trying to grab that little scrollbar gets difficult. Well here’s a way to make it bigger.

Right click an empty place on your desktop and choose “Properties” then click the Appearance Tab > and Advanced.

Click inside the Item box, and scroll down and click “Scrollbar”

In the Size box, change the size and watch the Scrollbar get bigger or smaller. Click Ok. Then Apply in the next screen and your finished.

Note: you will need to close and reopen any window for the changes to take effect.

Before:

After:

While your in the Advanced Appearance screen look around there are many things you can adjust.

Create Icons To Shutdown,Logoff Or Reboot Your Computer With 1 Click

Kevin — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 23:57:27 +0000

Do you want a quick way to Shutdown, Logoff or Reboot your XP computer using Icons on your desktop. Imagine only 1 click to shut it down instead of 3. Here’s how.

Right click an empty area of your desktop. Choose > New > shortcut.

The Create a Shortcut Wizard will appear. Type “shutdown -s -t 00″ without the quotes in the location box. This will create the Shutdown Icon. Click next

Now type in whatever you want to name it. Most likely Shutdown. Click Finish.

Now you have your Shutdown Icon on your desktop.

To create an icon for Restart Type follow the same instructions but type “shutdown -r -t 00″ in the Create shortcut wizard and then name the icon Restart.

To create an icon for Logoff Type follow the same instructions but type “shutdown -l -t 00″ in the Create shortcut wizard and then name the icon Logoff.

Now we need to change those plain icons to something snazzier.

Right click the Shutdown Icon and choose Properties. Then click Change Icon.

Then choose the one you like and click OK.

Now do the same for the other 2 and your finished. Now just 1 click will set you free. Here are the codes one more time.

shutdown -s -t 00 (for shutdown)
shutdown -r -t 00 (for restart)
shutdown -l -t 00 (for logoff)

To add the same icons in Windows Vista visit my other blog at VistaRevisited.

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Stop A Forced Reboot After A Windows Update

Kevin — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 01:11:22 +0000

If you’re like me and leave your computer all the time and have Windows updates set to auto download and install. I’m sure you saw this message before. “Windows recently downloaded and installed an important security update to help protect your computer. This update required an automatic restart.” Hopefully you saved any important things you were working on, If not your S.O.L. Or if your in front of your computer after an install you get the nag message pop-up window with a countdown that wants to reboot your computer in 15 seconds. Now you can stop that with a quick Registry edit. ( Always backup your Registry before making any changes.)

Step 1. Click Start, then Run. Then type regedit and press Enter.

Step 2. With the Registry Editor opened, click and expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies and finally Microsoft\Windows.

Right-click on Windows and select New\Key with your left mouse.

Type WindowsUpdate and press Enter. This will create a new folder. Now right-click on that folder and create another new key, this one named AU, and press Enter. AU stands for Auto Update.

Turn to the right-hand pane, where the entry reads (Default); right-click in the empty space and select New DWORD Value. Enter the string NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers, and press Enter.

Now double-click that entry and change the Value Data to a 1, with the Base button of Hexadecimal selected.

Click on File > Exit, after which the Registry autosaves. Now reboot, and you won’t need to worry about your computer auto rebooting after installing an update.

Firefox Keyboard Shortcuts

Kevin — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 22:05:57 +0000

Ok, here’s a list of keyboard shortcuts for you Firefox users. If I missed any please leave a comment.

/ Quick find text as you type
Alt Enter Save link target as
Alt F4 Close window
Alt Home key Goto browsers home page
Alt Left arrow Go back
Alt Right arrow Go forward
Ctrl – Decrease screen font size
Ctrl 0 Restore screen font to default
Ctrl + Increase screen font size
Ctrl 1 to 9 Select a tab by number 1 to 9
Ctrl B Opens Bookmarks
Ctrl C Copies highlighted text
Ctrl D Add to bookmarks
Ctrl Down arrow Selects next search engine in the search bar
Ctrl F Find text on a page

More after the break

Ctrl F5 Clear the page cache and reload the page
Ctrl G Find Text again
Ctrl H Opens the history pane
Ctrl J Opens downloads dialog box
Ctrl K Highlights web search bar
Ctrl L Highlights address bar
Ctrl Link Click Opens link in a new tab
Ctrl M Opens new message in Mail
Ctrl N Opens new browser session
Ctrl O Open file dialog box
Ctrl P Opens print dialog box
Ctrl P Print
Ctrl R Reloads the page
Ctrl S Saves the page
Ctrl Shift Del Clears your private data
Ctrl Shift I Dom inspector
Ctrl Shift Tab Goto previous tab
Ctrl Shift W Close the window
Ctrl T Opens a new tab
Ctrl Tab Goto next tab
Ctrl U View page source code
Ctrl Up arrow Selects previous search engine in the search bar
Ctrl V Paste
Ctrl W Close a tab
Ctrl X Cut
Ctrl Z Undo
End Go to bottom of page
Enter Adds .com to address bar
Esc Stop
F1 Help
F3 Find Text on a page
F5 Reload page
F7 Caret browser. Will put a cursor on the page. To be moved by the arrow keys
F11 Turn on full screen view
Home Go to top of page
PgUp / Pg Down Moves a pager up or down
Shift Enter Adds .net to address bar
Shift F3 Find previouse text

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IE 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

Kevin — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 20:59:43 +0000

This tip is very popular on my Windows Vista site so I thought I’d share it with you guys.

Turn Full Screen Mode on or off F11
Find a word or phrase on a page CTRL+F
Open the current webpage in a new window CTRL+N
Print the page CTRL+P
Select all items on the page CTRL+A
Zoom in CTRL+PLUS
Zoom out CTRL+MINUS
Zoom to 100% CTRL+0

Navigation shortcuts
Go to home page ALT+HOME
Go backward ALT+LEFT
Go forward ALT+RIGHT
Refresh page F5
Refresh page and the cache CTRL+F5
Stop downloading page ESC

Favorites Center shortcuts
Open Favorites CTRL+I
Open Favorites in pinned mode CTRL+SHIFT+I
Organize Favorites CTRL+B
Add current page to Favorites CTRL+D
Open Feeds CTRL+J
Open Feeds in pinned mode CTRL+SHIFT+J
Open History CTRL+H
Open History in pinned mode CTRL+SHIFT+H

ab shortcuts
Open link in new background tab Middle mouse button or CTRL+left mouse button
Open link in new foreground tab CTRL+SHIFT+left mouse button or CTRL+SHIFT+middle mouse button
Close tab (closes window if only one tab is open) Middle mouse button on the tab or CTRL+W
Open Quick Tab view CTRL+Q
Open new tab CTRL+T
View list of open tabs CTRL+SHIFT+Q
Switch to next tab CTRL+TAB
Switch to previous tab CTRL+SHIFT+TAB

Address Bar shortcuts
Select the Address Bar ALT+D
Add “http://www.” to the beginning and “.com” to the end of text in Address Bar CTRL+ENTER
Add “http://www.” to the beginning and the website address suffix you have specified to the end of text in the Address Bar* CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER
Open the website address that is typed in the Address Bar in new tab ALT+ENTER
View list of previously typed addresses F4

Instant Search Box
Select the Instant Search Box CTRL+E
View list of search providers CTRL+DOWN
Open search results in new tab ALT+ENTER

Using A Win XP Password Reset Disk

Kevin — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:12:38 +0000

So, now that you created the disk, how do you use it when you forget your password.

1. On the Windows XP logon screen, click the user name that you want to use. The Type your password box appears. Press ENTER or click the right-arrow button. You receive the following error message:

Did you forget your password?
You can click the “?” button to see your password hint.
Or you can use your password reset disk.
Please type your password again.
Be sure to use the correct uppercase and lowercase letters.

2. Click use your password reset disk. The Password Reset Wizard starts. The Password Reset Wizard permits you to create a new password for your user account.

3. Click Next.

4. Insert the password reset disk into drive A, or insert your USB thumb drive and choose the option in the drop down box, and then click Next.

5. Type a new password in the Type a new password box.

6. Type the same password in the Type the password again to confirm box.

7. In the Type a new password hint box, type a hint to remind you of your password if you forget the new password.

8. Click Next, and then click Finish. The Password Reset Wizard quits, and you return to the Windows XP logon screen.

Note The password reset disk is automatically updated with the new password information. You do not have to create a new password reset disk.

Create a Win XP Password Reset Disk

Kevin — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 01:23:51 +0000

Windows XP will let you create a password reset disk in case you forget your login password you can just pop in the disk and reset it no fuss no muss. Here’s how

Click Start > Control Panel and double click User Accounts.

Click the account name under which you’re logged on.

Under Related Tasks in the top box on the left, click Prevent a forgotten password.

On the first page of the wizard, click Next.

On the next page, choose the drive letter of the disk on which you want to create the reset disk (typically a:). or if you don’t have a floppy drive anymore just plug in a USB thumb drive like I did.

Enter your current password.

Click Next.

Click Finish.
This places an encrypted copy of your password on the disk. Now if you forget the password, you can use your reset disk to start the Password Reset Wizard and create a new password.

Tune in tomorrow for how to use your newly created reset disk.

Speed Up XP By Turning Off Disk Indexing

Kevin — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 23:45:30 +0000

Windows XP by default indexes all your files so when you do a windows search the results appear faster but this service is a major resource hog. If you don’t use the search function alot you can disable this service and speed up your computer. Here’s how.

Step 1. This will delete your index file.

Click “My Computer.”
Right-click on your hard drive (usually “C:”) and choose “Properties.

Uncheck the box at the bottom that reads “Allow Indexing Service to Index this disk to allow for fast file searching. Then click Ok. This may take a few minutes to complete.

Step 2.

Click “Start” then choose “Run.”

Type “services.msc” and press Enter.

Scroll-down to “Indexing Service” and double-click it.

If the service status is “Running”, then stop it by pressing the “Stop” button.

To make sure this service doesn’t run again, under “Startup Type”, choose “Disabled.”

Turning Off the New Programs Installed Message

Kevin — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 13:21:27 +0000

Are you getting tired of the “New Programs Installed” message, every time you install a program.Here’s how to get rid if it for good. Right click the Start menu and select Properties. Click the Start Menu tab. Click the Customize button, then click the Advanced tab. Now just uncheck the box that says Highlight newly installed programs, and you’re done.

Disable the Desktop Cleanup Wizard

Kevin — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 22:55:24 +0000

If you dislike the annoying Desktop Cleanup Wizard as much as I do here’s how to turn it off. I mean if I didn’t want an icon on the desk I’d delete it myself right.

1.Right click a blank space on the desktop and select Properties.
2.Click the Desktop tab.

3.Click the Customize Desktop button.

4.Clear the check box labeled Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard Every 60 Days.
5.Click OK and then OK again to close the dialog boxes.

You can still run the wizard manually by clicking the Clean Desktop Now button after steps 1 and 2.

How to Get Your "Show Desktop" Icon Back

Kevin — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 22:28:08 +0000

The “Show Desktop” icon is a big help if you have many programs or windows open and want to quickly get to your desktop. It should show up as the first icon in your quick launch toolbar next to the Start Button.

Sometimes after a crash or many other reasons the “Show Desktop” icon goes missing. First make sure the Quick Launch toolbar is on . Right click in an empty area of the Taskbar and choose Toolbar – Quick Launch

If the Quick Launch tool bar is on lets move to the next step.

What you’ll need to do is create a file in Notepad and save it to where Show Desktop should be.

Go to Start – Run and type in “notepad” (without the quotes)

Click Ok to open Notepad then type in or copy and paste.

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

Next, save the file with the name “Show Desktop.scf” in the folder C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\ Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ Quick Launch. Your actual user account name goes where it says “username”.

The Show Desktop icon should reappear next to your Start button and you can close out Notepad.

Stop Startup Programs from Launching

Kevin — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 21:09:03 +0000

It seems like every program you install these days wants to run when you start your computer, is your system tray overflowing with icons. This can lead to system instability, low resources and generally sluggish computing experience. But all is not lost you can easily disable the unneeded ones with the System Configuration Utility or msconfig

To get to Msconfig

Click Start- Run the type msconfig in the Run dialog box.

2. Click the Startup tab

Here you can see what processes are starting with your computer, some need to running but many can be safely disabled. You want your Anti-virus to start but do you really need iTunesHelper or QuickTime, hell no, all you have to do is remove the check mark next to the item you want to disable, if your not sure of a process just Google the name.

Then click apply and close then restart the computer. Nothing you disable in this section will prevent your computer from restarting and you can always enable it if you find something not working.

When your computer restarts you will see this screen. Put a check mark in the box and click Ok. Your computer will most likely startup much faster now.

Use Alt-Tab to Quickly Switch Between Applications

Kevin — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 18:47:09 +0000

You can quickly switch between applications that you have opened by holding down the the Alt key and repeatedly pressing the Tab key.

Chkdsk and checking your hard drive for problems

Kevin — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 21:22:48 +0000

If you’re like me you’ve come across this screen before. It mostly happens when your computer has been shut down improperly, maybe a power failure, a Blue screen of Death or the most likely cause, a stray Cosmic Particle slamming into your hard drive. What ever the cause Windows wants to check your hard drive for errors. That�s Chkdsk�s sole job. Let it run its course.

I run this program monthly with my other utilities, and should be one of the first steps in troubleshooting a failing hard drive. Let�s face it drives fail everyday and if your computer is more than a few years old� well better have a good backup in place.

Here�s how to run Chkdsk from inside Windows.

Open My computer
Right click the C drive or any drive you want to check
Choose Properties
Click the tools tab
Choose Check Now in the Error checking section
In the box that pops-up put a check mark in both boxes
Click Start Now

A message will pop up saying Error Checking will run after you restart the computer, you can do it now or wait till its bed time then reboot, a better choice because it will take awhile. Let it work while you sleep. If it encounters problems it will try to fix them.

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Uninstalling Vista From A Dual Boot Machine

Kevin — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 13:29:27 +0000

Uninstalling Vista from a dual boot machine is relatively straightforward – most of the time. Nonetheless, I recommend that you back up everything before you start. Then follow these steps:

1. Put your Windows XP installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and reboot the computer (be sure the BIOS is set to boot from CD).

2. Start the Recovery Console from the CD (see “How to Start the Recovery Console in XP” above).

3. Run Fixboot from the Recovery Console.

4. Run Fixmbr to reset the master boot record.

5. Exit the Recovery Console and reboot the computer.

6. Edit the boot.ini file to remove the Vista entry.

7. Format the partition on which Vista was installed.

I�d like to announce the launch of my new site Vista Revisited at http://www.vistarevisited.com Stop by and have a look. I�ve copied all the Vista content from here to my new site and from now on I will only post Vista content to Vista Revisited. Thanks for visiting and be sure to check out my new site.

Firefox Keyboard Shortcut To Restore Closed Tabs

Kevin — Sat, 26 May 2007 02:33:30 +0000

If you ever closed a tab in Firefox only to find you made a mistake and wished you could get it back, just use this keyboard shortcut to get it back.

CTRL-Shift-T and Bam its back.

Increase The Font Size In Web Pages

Kevin — Sat, 26 May 2007 01:21:54 +0000

You can easily change the font size in web pages by just perssing the CTRL key and using the scroll wheel on your mouse. Works in both IE7 and Firefox.

Restoring Outlook Express Part 2

Kevin — Mon, 21 May 2007 22:57:35 +0000

Part # 2 How to restore Outlook Express items

Note To restore items when you use multiple identities in Outlook Express,
you may have to re-create the identities before you follow these steps. Repeat each step as needed for each identity.

Step 1: Import messages from the backup folder

1. On the File menu, point to Import, and then click Messages.
2. In the Select an e-mail program to import from box, click Microsoft Outlook Express 5 or Microsoft Outlook Express 6, and then click Next.
3. Click Import mail from an OE5 store directory or Import mail from an OE6 store directory, and then click OK.
4. Click Browse, and then click the Mail Backup folder.
5. Click OK, and then click Next.
6. Click All folders, click Next, and then click Finish.

Step 2: Import the Address Book file
1. On the File menu, click Import, and then click Other Address Book.
2. Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Import.
3. Click Browse.
4. Select the Mail Backup folder, click the address book backup.csv file, and then click Open.
5. Click Next, and then click Finish.
6. Click OK, and then click Close.

Step 3: Import the mail account file
1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2. On the Mail tab, click Import.
3. In the Look In box, select the Mail Backup folder.
4. Click the mail account that you want to import, and then click Open.
5. Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to import.
6. Click Close.

Step 4: Import the newsgroup account file
1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2. On the News tab, click Import.
3. In the Look In box, select the Mail Backup folder.
4. Click the news account that you want to import, and then click Open.
5. Repeat these steps for each news account that you want to import.
6. Click Close.

Source http://support.microsoft.com/kb/270670

Backing Up Outlook Express Part 1

Kevin — Sun, 20 May 2007 12:43:13 +0000

Part # 1 How to back up Outlook Express items

Step 1: Copy message files to a backup folder
Step A: Locate the Store folder

1. Start Outlook Express.
2. Click Tools, and then click Options.
3. On the Maintenance tab, click Store Folder.
4. In the Store Location dialog box, copy the store location. To do this, follow these steps:
a. Put the mouse pointer at one end of the box under the Your personal message store is located in the following folder box.
b. Press and hold the left mouse button, and then drag the mouse pointer across the Your personal message store is located in the following folder box.
c. Press CTRL+C to copy the location.
5. Click Cancel, and then click Cancel again to close the dialog box.

Step B: Copy the contents of the Store folder

1. Click Start, click Run, press CTRL+V, and then click OK.
2. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
3. On the Edit menu, click Copy, and then close the window.

Step C: Create a backup folder

1. Right-click any empty area on your desktop, click New, and then click Folder.
2. Type Mail Backup for the folder name, and then press ENTER.

Step D: Paste the contents of the Store folder into the backup folder

1. Double-click the Mail Backup folder to open it.
2. Right-click inside the Mail Backup folder window, and then click Paste.

Step 2: Export the Address Book to a .csv file

Important Make sure that you follow this step if you use multiple identities in Outlook Express.
Microsoft Outlook Express 5.x and Microsoft Outlook Express 6.0 use a Windows Address Book (.wab) file to store Address Book data. The individual data for each identity is stored in a folder by user name within the .wab file that is used.
The only way to separate the Address Book data for different identities is to export the data to a .csv file while you are logged in as a specific identity. If the .wab file becomes dissociated from the user identities, the data can be exported only as one total. In this case, the data cannot be exported folder by folder.
There is another reason to export the .wab file to a .csv file. If the .wab file not exported to a .csv file, but the .wab file is shared with Microsoft Outlook, the addresses are stored in the personal folders (.pst) file in Outlook. When you export the file to a .csv file by using the File menu in Outlook Express, the correct contacts are exported. However, if the Address Book is shared with Outlook, you cannot use the File menu option to export from the Address Book. This option is unavailable.
To export the Address Book to a .csv file, follow these steps:

1. On the File menu, click Export, and then click Address Book.
2. Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Export.
3. Click Browse.
4. Select the Mail Backup folder that you created.
5. In the File Name box, type address book backup, and then click Save.
6. Click Next.
7. Click to select the check boxes for the fields that you want to export, and then click Finish.
8. Click OK, and then click Close.

Step 3: Export the mail account to a file
1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2. On the Mail tab, click the mail account that you want to export, and then click Export.
3. In the Save In box, select the Mail Backup folder, and then click Save.
4. Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to export.
5. Click Close.

Step 4: Export the newsgroup account to a file
1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2. On the News tab, click the news account that you want to export, and then click Export.
3. In the Save In box, select the Mail Backup folder, and then click Save.
4. Repeat these steps for each news account that you want to export.
5. Click Close

Step 5: Burn the file to a CD or DVD for safe keeping or upload it to your favorite off site backup location.

Source http://support.microsoft.com/kb/270670

Windows Vista Software Compatibility List

Kevin — Tue, 15 May 2007 01:29:33 +0000

Here is a great Wiki on what programs are compatible with Vista. There are 3 major categories with hundreds of programs (Works, Somewhat works, & Heavy problem\doesnt work). Check it out it may save you a lot of time and grief.

http://www.iexbeta.com/wiki/index.php/Windows_Vista_Software_Compatibility_List

Tweak Your Processes To Increase Your Programs Speed

Kevin — Sun, 06 May 2007 16:00:48 +0000

You can tweak how your programs run in Windows XP by changing the priority at which they are run. This can dramatically increase the speed of the program in question

Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del )
Go to the Processes tab
Right Click the Program- SetPriority
Now you can set the program to the priority of your choice.
Keep in mind you can speed up your system or slow it down so be careful.

If you have a Dual Core or Hyper-Threaded Processor like the P4 you can set the Affinity or how many cores each program uses

Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del)
Go to the Processes tab
Right Click the Program- Set Affinity
Here you can choose which Processor gets used

Resize Your Recycle Bin To Free Up Space

Kevin — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 11:50:19 +0000

Are your drives or partitions running out of space? The Recycle Bin routinely reserves 10% on your space for itself.

On a 500 gig drive that�s 50 gig�s. It�s easy to change this to a more realistic value, and gain back some space. First check the Recycle Bin for important files then empty it.

You need to right-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop, and then choose Properties from the shortcut menu. You will see the Properties dialog box of the Recycle Bin.

The Properties dialog box contains a Global tab, plus a tab for each hard drive or partition on your system. If you want to change the maximum size setting for all the hard drives at once, set the new maximum size of the Recycle Bin (as a percentage of total drive space) by moving the slider on the Global tab. Then click OK. Skip the remaining steps.

You may want to reset the maximum Recycle Bin size for only a single hard drive, and leaving the others the same, you need to select the Configure Drives Independently radio button on the Global tab.

Click on the tab for the drive you want to change. Set the slider on that tab. Then click OK. Or if your real brave you can turn it off

Get Back to Your Desktop Quickly

Kevin — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 15:02:40 +0000

It doesn�t matter how many windows you have open, you can always minimize them all at once by clicking the Show Desktop button in the Quick Launch part of the taskbar in Windows XP. You can click the Show Desktop button again to restore all of your windows.

Note: If you don’t see the Show Desktop button, right�click an empty part of the taskbar, point to Toolbars, and make sure Quick Launch is checked. If it�s not, then click it. The show Desktop icon is normally located to the right of the Start button. In this case it�s the 4^th icon to the right of the Start button

Want more tips click below.

http://www.kevinscrate.com/blog/windows-tips-crate/

Adjust The Size And Spacing Of Your Desktop Icons

Kevin — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 14:07:05 +0000

Adjust the size and spacing of your Desktop icons

For Windows XP

By default, icons are 32×32 pixels in size and occupy 43×43 pixel space. You can easily adjust these settings by right clicking on the Windows Desktop and selecting “Properties | Appearance” tab. | Advanced Tab |�Icon size can be changed by selecting “`Icon`” from the “`Item`” drop-down list and the icon spacing can be changed by selecting “Icon spacing (horizontal)” / “Icon spacing (vertical)” items. You can also change the size, font and color.

Look around in these screens many things can be adjusted or changed. You can change the whole look of your desktop and programs.

Too see all the Tips visit the Windows Tips Crate.

http://www.kevinscrate.com/blog/windows-tips-crate/

Disable The Notification Area Balloon Tips In Win XP

Kevin — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 20:01:55 +0000

3-24-07

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Kevinscrate cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk

1.Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then press ENTER.

2.Navigate to the following subkey:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

3.Right-click the right pane, create a new DWORD value, and then name it EnableBalloonTips.

4.Double-click this new entry, and then give it a hexadecimal value of 0.

5.Quit Registry Editor. Log off Windows, and then log back on.

These steps disable all Notification Area balloon tips for this user. There is no way to disable balloon tips for specific programs only.

Want more tips click below.

http://www.kevinscrate.com/blog/windows-tips-crate/

Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Kevin — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 14:34:20 +0000

3-17-07
This week we explore keyboard shortcuts for the Windows Tips Crate.

Windows keyboard shortcuts

General keyboard shortcuts

CTRL+C (Copy)

CTRL+X (Cut)

CTRL+V (Paste)

CTRL+Z (Undo)

DELETE (Delete)

SHIFT+DELETE (Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin)

CTRL while dragging an item (Copy the selected item)

CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item (Create a shortcut to the selected item)

F2 key (Rename the selected item)

CTRL+RIGHT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word)

CTRL+LEFT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word)

CTRL+DOWN ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph)

CTRL+UP ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph)

CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Highlight a block of text)

SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document)

CTRL+A (Select all)

3 key (Search for a file or a folder)

ALT+ENTER (View the properties for the selected item)

ALT+F4 (Close the active item, or quit the active program)

ALT+ENTER (Display the properties of the selected object)

ALT+SPACEBAR (Open the shortcut menu for the active window)

CTRL+F4 (Close the active document in programs that enable you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)

ALT+TAB (Switch between the open items)

ALT+ESC (Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened)

F6 key (Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop)

F4 key (Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer)

SHIFT+F10 (Display the shortcut menu for the selected item)

ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the System menu for the active window)

CTRL+ESC (Display the Start menu)

ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name (Display the corresponding menu)

Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu (Perform the corresponding command)

F10 key (Activate the menu bar in the active program)

RIGHT ARROW (Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu)

LEFT ARROW (Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu)

F5 key (Update the active window)

BACKSPACE (View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer)

ESC (Cancel the current task)

SHIFT when you insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive (Prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing)

CTRL+SHIFT+ESC (Open Task Manager)

Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

CTRL+TAB (Move forward through the tabs)

CTRL+SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the tabs)

TAB (Move forward through the options)

SHIFT+TAB (Move backward through the options)

ALT+Underlined letter (Perform the corresponding command or select the corresponding option)

ENTER (Perform the command for the active option or button)

SPACEBAR (Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box)

Arrow keys (Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons)

F1 key (Display Help)

F4 key (Display the items in the active list)

BACKSPACE (Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box)

Microsoft Internet Explorer navigation

CTRL+B (Open the Organize Favorites dialog box)

CTRL+E (Open the Search bar)

CTRL+F (Start the Find utility)

CTRL+H (Open the History bar)

CTRL+I (Open the Favorites bar)

CTRL+L (Open the Open dialog box)

CTRL+N (Start another instance of the browser with the same Web address)

CTRL+O (Open the Open dialog box, the same as CTRL+L)

CTRL+P (Open the Print dialog box)

CTRL+R (Update the current Web page)

CTRL+W (Close the current window)

Use System Restore to Undo Changes if Problems Occur

Kevin — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 18:57:11 +0000

3-10-07

Use System Restore to Undo Changes if Problems Occur

Every time you download or install a new game, application, or software update, you make changes to your computer. Sometimes that change may make your system unstable. Have you ever wanted to go back to the way it was? With System Restore, you can.

System Restore works a lot like the Undo command in Microsoft Word. You can use System Restore to remove any system changes that were made since the last time you remember your computer working correctly. System Restore does not affect your personal data files (such as Microsoft Word documents, browsing history, drawings, favorites, or e�mail) so you won’t lose changes made to these files.

To undo changes you�ve made to your computer

Before you open the System Restore console, you may want to save your work and close all programs since System Restore requires you to restart your computer.

Click Start.
Point to All Programs.
Point to Accessories.
Point to System Tools.
Click System Restore.
From the Welcome to System Restore screen of the System Restore Wizard select Restore my computer to an earlier time. Then select the date you created the restore point from the calendar in the Select a Restore Point screen. All of the restore points you created and you computer created on the selected date are listed by name in the list box to the right of the calendar.

Note: System Restore does not replace the process of uninstalling a program. To completely remove the files installed by a program, you must remove the program using Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel or the program’s own uninstall program. To open Add or Remove Programs, click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs.

TweakUi Microsoft’s PowerToy

Kevin — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 14:55:29 +0000

TweakUi

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Tweak Ui from Microsoft is a PowerToy that lets you change system settings in Windows XP default user interface, including mouse settings, Explorer settings, taskbar settings, and more. Customize your Windows user interface.

Tweak UI gives you access to a number of settings that are hidden away in Windows. It is part of the oddly named PowerToys utilities that are provided by Microsoft itself (although it doesn�t support them).

Tweak UI allows you to change the way Windows looks and works. For instance, you can change things like the speed at which the mouse wheel scrolls and if a specific user should be automatically logged in whenever you start up Windows (a big timesaver if you are the only person to use a PC, and hate having to type your password every time you reboot).

So what can you do with this wonderful Toy? All types of things, actually. You can configure various UI effects, such as menu fading, error beeping, cursor shadow, and the like. You can configure the mouse, the taskbar, and the desktop. You can edit common dialogs boxes, and determine the location of special shell folders, such as My Music, My Pictures, and the CD Burning cache. The list goes on and on, all of it extremely useful.

I strongly recommend that all Windows XP users get this PowerToy and experiment with its myriad of features. And check out the other Toys that are also available.

Tweak UI Version 2.10 requires Windows XP Service Pack 1 or above / Windows Server 2003. If you have a Windows XP system without any Service Packs installed, download Version 2.00.

http://www.kevinscrate.com/blog/windows-tips-crate/

Save Time Entering In Web Addresses

Kevin — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 15:03:08 +0000

Reduce keystrokes by pressing CTRL key while entering in web addresses

If you just type CNN and press CTRL+ENTER, it is as good as entering www.cnn.com!
IMPORTANT NOTE: To best of my knowledge it only works for .com addresses!

http://www.kevinscrate.com/blog/windows-tips-crate/

Add Album Art To Any Music Folder

Kevin — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 18:39:45 +0000

Adding Album art to any Music folder is easy.

2-25-07

Tip # 2

Add Album Art to any folder

This is easily my favorite tip! One of the coolest new features in Windows XP is its album thumbnail generator, which automatically places the appropriate album cover art on the folder to which you are copying music (generally in WMA format). But what about those people that have already copied their CDs to the hard drive using MP3 format? You can download album cover art from sites such as cdnow.com or amguide.com, and then use the new Windows XP folder customize feature to display the proper image for each folder. But this takes time�you have to manually edit the folder properties for every single folder�and you will lose customizations if you have to reinstall the OS. There�s an excellent fix, however.

When you download the album cover art from the Web, just save the images as folder.jpg each time and place them in the appropriate folder. Then, Windows XP will automatically use that image as the thumbnail for that folder and, best of all, will use that image in Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP) if you choose to display album cover art instead of a visualization. And the folder customization is automatic, so it survives an OS reinstallation as well. Your music folders never looked so good!

Also, In addition to the folder.jpg file mentioned above, you can also optionally create a smaller version of the image called albumartsmall.jpg, if desired. This is the image used to display album art in MPXP when its sized so that the display area is smaller than 200 x 200 pixels, and in the folder thumbnails for folders that contain album folders. If you don�t create albumartsmall.jpg, however, Windows XP will automatically scale folder.jpg in these cases.http://www.kevinscrate.com/blog/windows-tips-crate/

Kevin — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 01:22:17 +0000

2-24-07

Tip # 1

3 Simple Tips To Make Your Computer Run Faster

First of all, there are two ways to make your computer run faster: hardware and software. Hardware boosting involves upgrading and adding new components to the computer to increase its speed and performance. Typical upgrades include installing more memory, purchasing a better motherboard, or getting a better processor.

Software optimization, on the other hand, does not require purchasing anything; it only requires that you optimize and fine tune your software set up and installation to make your computer run faster. Here are a few ways to accomplish this type of optimization.

1. Uninstall unneeded applications: Over the course of your computer�s lifetime you may have installed a bevy of applications, many of which you do not need anymore. If this is the case, then now is the time to get rid of them. This will make your computer run faster, and more efficiently.

Start off by going through your uninstall menu and look for applications that you do not need anymore. These programs will usually have their own uninstall routines that will remove all files and services they may have installed.

Most applications install applications that eat up not only disk space, but valuable RAM. As you computer starts up, these programs start up too, eating precious processor time as well.

Some programs do not have their own uninstall routines. You may have to use custom uninstall applications to remove these files from your computer. Make sure these applications remove both the program and the supporting files it is packaged with. Also make sure that registry entries regarding this application are also removed.

2. Defrag at all costs: Run a defragmenter application regularly. Data in a hard disk is not necessarily stored in a contiguous manner. This means that when your hard disks read data, it has to jump from platter to platter, sector to sector just to get a file in its entirety.

If your data is located contiguously, then this problem could be avoided, saving your hard disk valuable read time. And as a result of this effort, your computer could experience faster disk reads and an improvement in computer speeds from 30% up to 100%.

3. Check for viruses and Spyware: Install a handy anti-virus and anti-spyware to help weed out those pesky codes that could seriously compromise your data�s security, integrity while slowing your computer at the same time. A well-infested computer will typically grind to halt as malicious code use and abuse precious computer resources.

There are many antiviral agents around, aside from installing such, avoid the spread of viruses by making sure you only use removable media that is from verified sources. Also, be careful of the sites you visit as they could contain online malicious code. Check the Programs Crate for Free anti-virus and anti-spyware apps.

This tip provided by Lockergnome

A New Crate Added To The Site

Kevin — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 12:08:21 +0000

I added a new Crate to the site. The Windows Tips Crate. Here you will find tips and tricks to make your Windows experience better. You can find it over with the other Crates in the My Crates section. or click below

http://www.kevinscrate.com/blog/windows-tips-crate/