TIPS FOR ALL TIME

You Can Use Boolean Operators When You Search

2009-05-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

Here’s something you might not expect: MSN Search contains a fairly advanced
search engine—more advanced, in some ways, than Google. One of the cool
things about MSN Search is that you can use Boolean operators to fine-tune
your searches. All you have to do is insert the appropriate operators when you
enter your query in the search box and MSN Search will narrow your search
accordingly.

AND

The first Boolean operator you can use with MSN Search is the AND operator.
You use the AND operator to make sure that search results include both (or all)
the words in your query. So, for example, you wanted to search for pages about
Toyota Supras, you’d enter toyota AND supra.
Of course, you don’t actually have to use the AND operator; all MSN searches
are AND searches by default. So the AND is implied, and including it in your
query is superfluous. Sorry.

OR

More interesting is the OR operator. You use the OR operator to conduct
either/or searches. So, for example, if you wanted to search for pages about
either hurricanes or tornadoes, you’d enter hurricanes OR tornadoes. The
search results page will include hurricane pages, tornado pages, and even (but
not exclusively) pages about both hurricanes and tornadoes.

NOT

The third Boolean operator supported by MSN Search is the NOT operator. You
use the NOT operator to exclude specified words from your search results. So,
for example, if you wanted to search for all Presidents of the United States
except for Richard Nixon, you’d enter presidents NOT nixon.

MSN Search also lets you use the non-Boolean “plus” (+) and “minus” (-)
operators to include and exclude words from your search.

Stringing Together Multiple Operators

MSN Search also lets you string together multiple Boolean operators together
in a complex query. The operators work in order from left to right, just as if you
were constructing an algebraic equation.

Here are a few examples:

To search for cowboy movies that don’t star Randolph Scott, enter cow
boy AND movies NOT scott
To search for fashion models that aren’t blondes or redheads, enter
models NOT blondes OR redheads
To search for recipes using either beef or chicken, enter recipes AND
beef OR chicken
And so on.

Exact Phrase Search

There’s one more operator to mention, even if it isn’t technically a Boolean one.
That’s the “exact phrase” operator—the quotation mark. When you want to
restrict your search to an exact phrase, simply enclose the entire phrase in quo
tation marks. So if you’re searching for the play The Taming of the Shrew, enter
“the taming of the shrew”. It’s that simple.

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MSN Search Returns Four Types of Results

2009-05-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

When you conduct a search with MSN Search, the search results page (like the
one shown in Figure 2-5) includes four different types of results. At the very top
of the page is a listing of Popular Topics that you can use to help refine your
search. Next up is a short list of Featured Sites, followed by a longer list of Web
Directory Sites, and then the much longer list of Web Pages. The sum total of all
these results provides a “best of all worlds” search, unique among the major
search sites; you get a blend of high-quality human-edited directory listings
and high-volume automated search index listings.
So how do the four different types of search results differ? Read on to learn this
secret behind the search.

There’s actually a fifth category of results that pop up from time to time—
Sponsored Sites. These listings are paid for by advertisers and are pro
grammed to appear when certain keywords are entered into a search query.

Popular Topics :

The Popular Topics listings at the top of the search results page are searches
related to your query, ideally designed to help you narrow down your results.
Click one of these links to start a new search and display a new search results
page.

Featured Sites :
Featured Sites are sites that are manually assembled by MSN’s team of editors.
MSN’s editors monitor the most popular searches being performed with MSN
Search and hand-pick sites they believe to be most relevant to these searches.
Those sites appear in the Featured Sites section.
Note that the Featured Sites section won’t appear on all search results pages;
the more obscure your query, the less likely that MSN’s editors have researched
the topic. In addition, MSN will sometimes use this section to provide links to
articles in the Microsoft Encarta encyclopedia, related MSNBC news articles, or
related MSN content.

Web Directory Sites :
The next big section on the search results page isWeb Directory Sites. These
results come from the LookSmart directory, which (like the Yahoo! Directory) is
a hand-picked listing of the best sites on the Web. These are quality results that
are definitely worth checking out.

Microsoft has announced that it’s not renewing its deal with LookSmart,
which means that LookSmart directory results are here for the short term
only. Expect the LookSmart results to be replaced by results from Microsoft’s
soon-to-be-announced proprietary search tool.

Web Pages :
The bulk of MSN’s search results fall into the Web Pages category. These results
derive from the Inktomi search index, which lists three billion Web pages. You
can compare Inktomi results to those from Google, which uses similar software-
driven search technology.

While MSN currently uses Inktomi for its search index, that might not be a
long-term relationship. Sources say that Microsoft is developing its own pro
prietary search technology. When the time is right, expect Inktomi to be
kicked out in favor of Microsoft’s home-grown search results—especially
because Inktomi is now owned by Yahoo!, Microsoft’s chief portal rival.

Create Your Own Personal MSN

2009-05-22T06:21:00.000-07:00

As nice as the MSN Home page is, it’s a trifle cluttered. Fortunately, you can
fine-tune MSN’s content to create your own personal version of an MSN start
page, and use it to display both local and personalized information.
MSN’s personalized start page is called My MSN. You get to it by clicking the My
MSN link at the top of the MSN Home page, or by going directly to my.msn.com.
You can customize My MSN to display a variety of different content, as shown in
Figure 2-4. You can also customize the page colors and layout (in a three-column
design), all by clicking the appropriate links at the top of the My MSN page.
Given the wide assortment of content available, you can use My MSN to display
only those items of direct interest, such as your local news and weather.

Once you have your My MSN page set up, configure your Web browser so that
My MSN is your browser’s start page. That way you’ll go to the news and infor
mation you want whenever you launch your browser.

MSN Explorer Is a Great Interface—If You Dial Up

2009-05-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

If you do use MSN Internet access to connect to the Web, you get a nice little
bonus—the use of MSN Explorer. MSN Explorer is meant to be a frontend to the
Internet, much like that provided by America Online to its subscribers. In real
ity, however, MSN Explorer is a customized version of the Internet Explorer
Web browser—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you know how to use IE,
you know how to use MSN Explorer.
As you can see in Figure 2-3, MSN Explorer includes a number of buttons on
top of what would normally be called the browser window. These buttons take
you directly to MSN channels and services; think of them as shortcut links.

The other function of MSN Explorer is to actually connect you to the Internet.
You use MSN Explorer to dial into the MSN service (if you’re connecting via
dial-up), or to perform log in functions if you’re connecting via broadband.

You’re provided with a sign-in screen that displays your different user names;
click a name to connect and sign in.
Of course, you don’t have to use MSN Explorer to access the MSN portal. Even
if you’re using MSN Explorer to connect to the Internet, once you get connected
you can launch Internet Explorer (or any other Web browser) and access the
MSN site from there. Other than the dedicated channel buttons, there’s nothing
special about MSN Explorer that’s necessary to use the MSN site; you can also
access it via the IE, Netscape, or Opera browsers.

Make Yahoo! Safe for Kids

2009-05-22T06:07:00.000-07:00

As you’re well aware, not every page on the Web is suitable for underage view
ing. Fortunately, Yahoo! offers several options that help you protect your chil
dren from inappropriate content online.

Yahoo’s Mature Content Filter
The first line of defense is to filter inappropriate content from Yahoo!’s search
results. Yahoo! offers a Mature Content Filter you can apply when searching;
with this filter activated, Web pages containing sex or language or other bad
stuff are automatically deleted from all search results.

To activate Yahoo!’s Mature Content filter, click the Preferences link next to the
Search button on Yahoo!’s home page. Scroll down the Search Preferences page
to the Mature Content Filter section; you can choose from Strict (filters text and
images) or Moderate (filters images only) filtering, or turn the filter off.

Yahoo! Family Accounts

Another available option is to create a Yahoo! Family Account. This enables you
to create separate Yahoo! IDs for each of your children. You can then control
what information your children give to Yahoo!—and determine which Yahoo!
features your children can and can’t access.
The key to managing your Family Account is to create separate Yahoo! IDs for
each of your children. There are two classes of children’s IDs available with
Yahoo! Family Accounts: Under 13 and 13 to 18. Each age class has its own
unique restrictions as part of a Family Account. Under 13 IDs are prohibited
from entering any personal information online, participating in auctions or per
sonals, or accessing any adult areas. The 13 to 18 IDs are only prohibited from
participating in auctions and accessing adult areas—but they can leave per
sonal information online.
In addition, the primary ID on a Family Account (meaning you!) can log into
Yahoo! under any of the other IDs. This enables you to monitor and make
changes to your child’s account using all of Yahoo!’s various tools—such as
blocklists, buddy lists, and so on.
Creating a Family Account is similar to creating a regular Yahoo! account. The
big difference is that—to establish the age of the primary account member—
you have to enter a credit card number. (The assumption is that no one under 18
has a credit card.) Yahoo! will not make charges to your card; it only uses the
card for age ID purposes.

To create your Family Account, go to family.yahoo.com. You should see the
Welcome to Yahoo! Family Accounts page; click the Sign Me Up link and com
plete the steps as instructed. (If you already have a Yahoo! account, just enter
your Yahoo! ID and Password.)
Once you’ve created an account, you can add a new child ID for each of your
children. From the Yahoo! Family Accounts page, click the Add Child Account
button and follow the onscreen instructions.

Yahooligans!

Even better than filtering your children’s Internet usage, why not give them
their own kids-safe start page to use when they’re surfing? Yahoo! provides just
such a page—called Yahooligans!
Yahooligans! (www.yahooligans.com) is a kids-oriented directory that is part of
the Yahoo! network of sites. Each site listed in the Yahooligans! directory has
been carefully checked by an experienced educator to ensure that the site’s
content is appropriate for children aged 7 to 12.
As you can see in Figure 1-11, Yahooligans! works just like the main Yahoo! Web
directory, which means you can find sites by either browsing through categories
or directly searching. The difference is that this directory includes categories and
sites of particular interest to children and teenagers—as well as additional fea
tures and services.

In addition to all the cool kids-friendly content, Yahooligans! offers a few other
neat features to help protect your children online. For example, when you con
duct a search on Yahooligans!, it searches only the Yahooligans! directory—it
doesn’t back out to the Web for a larger (unsupervised) index search. And the
Yahooligans! directory doesn’t include sites with any content inappropriate for
younger Web surfers, so it’s completely kids-safe.
In other words, Yahooligans! is the perfect start page for your kids.

Yahooligans! is more than just a directory of family-friendly Web sites.
Yahooligans! also includes a variety of fun and informational services, from
downloadable pictures to interactive online games.

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Create Your Own Personal My Yahoo!

2009-05-22T06:03:00.000-07:00

With everything Yahoo! has to offer, it’s not surprising that many users use
Yahoo! as their start page for all their Web travels. While the normal Yahoo!
home page is an okay start page, it’s rather generic. Wouldn’t it be better to cre
ate your own personal version of Yahoo!, comprised of those services that you
use most every day?
Well, Yahoo! makes it easy to create your own personal Yahoo!. It’s called My
Yahoo!, where you can pick and choose what you see—and what you don’t
see—every time you log on.
My Yahoo! is located at my.yahoo.com. Easy to remember, eh? The first time
you visit My Yahoo!, you must register for the service and customize your page.
After that, each time you go to My Yahoo!, you’ll see your Yahoo! page exactly
as you configured it.
After you’ve signed on, you see the generic My Yahoo! page shown in Figure
1-10. This is an okay page—it gives you an idea of what you can do with My
Yahoo!—but the whole point of using My Yahoo! is to create a customized page,
which you can do quite easily.

My Yahoo! can display a variety of different types of content, each in its own
module. It’s up to you to choose which content modules you want to display. To
select which modules are displayed on your My Yahoo! page, click the Choose
Content button. When the Personalize Page Content page appears, put a check
mark next to each module you want to display and uncheck those topics you
don’t want to display.
Most modules let you customize the content that is displayed within; for example,
you can create your own list of stocks to display in the Portfolios module and
choose what types of news are displayed in the My Front Page Headlines module.
Although the specific customization is different for each module, the general
steps you take are the same. Click the Edit button on the module you want to
customize; when the next page appears, read the instructions carefully and
then make the appropriate choices. This may include selecting or deselecting
topics, choosing how many headlines are displayed, entering stock tickers for
your portfolio, and so on.

After you’ve decided on all your content, you need to arrange that content on
your page. By default, My Yahoo! uses a two-column layout, with the left col
umn narrower than the right. You can also choose a three-column layout, with a
big center column; just click the Choose Layout button to make your selection.
You can then assign different content modules to different areas of the page.
If you don’t like the default colors of the My Yahoo! page, you can choose from
a variety of other color schemes. Just click the Change Colors button, then
choose from one of the predefined color themes—or click the Customize Theme
link to choose your own colors for each page element.
Your My Yahoo! is now complete—and ready to be changed again whenever
you feel like it!

Some modules—such as the Portfolio and Headlines modules—include a
Detach button that’s not found on other modules. When you click the
Detach button, the contents of that module are displayed in a separate win
dow on your desktop. This is a great way to display constantly updated
information (such as stock prices) while freeing up your Web browser for
other surfing.

Add a Yahoo! Toolbar to Internet Explorer

2009-05-22T05:56:00.000-07:00

If you’re using Internet Explorer 4.0 for Windows (or a later version), you can
add a special Yahoo! toolbar—called the Yahoo! Companion—to your Web
browser. This toolbar, shown in Figure 1-9, makes using Yahoo! easier by
adding special Yahoo!-specific buttons to your Internet Explorer browser.

Here’s some of what you’ll find on the Yahoo! Companion toolbar:
Y!—Go directly to the Yahoo! home page
Search—Initiates a Web Search (by default); pull down the Search list
to conduct directory, news, Yellow Pages, images, or maps searches
Mail—Accesses your Yahoo! Mail inbox; an alert button will also
appear when you have unread e-mail
My Yahoo!—Go directly to My Yahoo!
To download and install the Yahoo! Companion, go to the companion.yahoo.com
page and click the Get Yahoo! Companion Now button. Follow the onscreen
instructions to download the toolbar to your computer and install it into IE.

click here to download

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Search for Definitions -Yahoo!

2009-05-22T05:46:00.000-07:00

We’re not through with keywords yet. There’s one more keyword you can use in
the Yahoo! search box, this one to display a dictionary definition for just about
any English-language word. Just enter the keyword define followed by the
word, like this: define word.

Search for Maps -Yahoo!

2009-05-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

Another keyword you can use is map, which searches for maps by address, city,
or area code. Just enter this keyword along with information about a location
into the Yahoo! search box; when you click the Search button, Yahoo! displays
a small map like the one Click the View Larger Map link to view
an interactive, full-page version of this map.

To map a specific address, enter map streetaddress city state, like this: map 123
n main st minneapolis mn. To display a city map, enter map city state, like this:
map minneapolis mn. To display a map of a larger area, it’s a little different;
enter zipcode map, like this: 93932 map. You can also display country or
regional maps by entering map country like this: map australia.

Search for News -Yahoo!

2009-05-22T05:09:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! also offers a dedicated keyword you can use to search for the latest
news headlines on a specific topic. When you use the news keyword, Yahoo!
displays the top three current headlines, Click any
headline link to display the full story.

To use this keyword, enter the following into the Yahoo! search box: news topic.
For example, to display the latest headlines about Iraq, enter news iraq.

Search for the Weather Forecast

2009-05-22T05:06:00.000-07:00

In addition to the advanced search operators discussed in Secret #2, Yahoo!
includes a number of keywords you can use to conduct specific types of
searches directly from the search box on the Yahoo! home page. The first one
we’ll look at is the keyword weather, which you use to search for local weather
forecasts.
To use this keyword, enter the keyword followed by the city and state that
you’re interested in, like this: weather city state. For example, if you want to
display the weather forecast for Chicago, enter weather chicago il into the
search box, then click the Search button. (You can also enter weather zipcode
to display the forecast for a larger area.) Yahoo! will dipslay a Yahoo! Weather
box, like the one shown in Figure 1-5, with the current conditions and forecast,
along with a link to a five-day forecast.

Expand Your Search Results

2009-05-22T05:05:00.000-07:00

Just because you conduct one type of Yahoo! search doesn’t mean you can’t
expand your query into other types of searches. It’s as easy as clicking a new
tab on your search results page.
As you can see in Figure 1-4, there are a series of tabs at the top of each search
results page. These tabs are:

Web—The default Web search using Google’s search index

Images—Finds related photographs and images

Directory—Finds related sites listed in the Yahoo! directory

Yellow Pages—Finds related businesses

News—Searches Yahoo! News for related stories

Products—Searches Yahoo! Shopping for matching products

Access All of Yahoo!’s Searches from a Single Page

2009-05-22T05:02:00.000-07:00

As you’re discovering, Yahoo! offers a variety of search options. There’s Yahoo!
Web Search (via Google) and the Yahoo! directory, as well as separate news,
image, map, product, and Yellow Pages searches.
While you can go to each of these search pages separately, they’re all easily
accessed from the Yahoo! Search page (search.yahoo.com), shown in Figure
1-3. Just click the icon for the type of search you want to conduct, and then start
searching!

Search for Images (Using Google Image Search)

2009-05-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, here’s another function Yahoo! shares with Google—image search. When
you access Yahoo!’s Search for Images page (img.search.yahoo.com) you’re
actually accessing Google Image Search. That’s not a bad thing; Google Image
Search is one of the best search indexes on the Web for photographs, pictures,
and other graphics. If you want to find a picture of something, this is the search
to use.
I won’t go into how to use Yahoo!’s image search function, as it’s virtually iden
tical to that of Google Image Search. Read the section on Google Image Search
in Chapter 6 to learn more.

Yahoo!’s Advanced Search Page

2009-05-22T04:59:00.000-07:00

As you just learned, Yahoo!’s Web Search is powered by Google, which means
you can use all of Google’s advanced search operators to construct your search
queries. If that sounds too complicated, you can perform most of the same oper
ations using Yahoo!’s Advanced Search page. The nice thing about using
Advanced Search is that you don’t have to remember those fancy operators.
Just select the options you want from those listed and click the Search button;
Yahoo! does the rest.
You access the Advanced Search page by clicking the Advanced link next to a
particular page’s Search button. Each type of Yahoo! search has its own specific
Advanced Search page; for example, the Advanced Web Search page (shown
in Figure 1-2) includes options specific to Web searching, while the Advanced
Directory Search page includes options for finding categories in the Yahoo!
directory.

When You Search Yahoo!, You’re Searching Google

2009-05-22T04:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, Yahoo! is known for its high-quality and well-organized Web directory.
But when you use Yahoo!’s Web Search feature, you bypass the directory
entirely and instead retrieve results supplied by a third-party search engine.
That’s right. When you use the search box on Yahoo!’s home page, you’re not
searching Yahoo!—you’re searching Google.

For some time now, Yahoo! has supplemented its directory listings with results
from a partner search engine. Early on, Yahoo! offered results from the Inktomi
search engine. Today, Yahoo! uses results provided by Google.

The contract that Yahoo! has with Google is not open-ended, which means
that when the current contract expires, it’s possible that Yahoo! might go
with a different search index provider—such as Inktomi, which Yahoo! pur
chased in March of 2003, or AllTheWeb or AltaVista, which Yahoo! acquired
later the same year. So it wouldn’t take a great stretch of the imagination to
envision Yahoo! delivering some blend of Inktomi/AllTheWeb/AltaVista
results sometime in the future, either in place of or in addition to the current
Google results.

Do your own comparison. Enter a query into the Yahoo! search box, then go to
Google (www.google.com) and enter the same query. The results should look
familiar.
Since searching with Yahoo! is the same as searching with Google, you can use
Google’s advanced search operators when you conduct a Yahoo! Web Search.
These operators help you fine-tune your search by including or excluding spe
cific words, searching for exact phrases, and narrowing your search to certain
sites or domains. There’s no point in repeating those operators twice in the
same book, so turn to Chapter 6 to learn more—then utilize those advanced
search operators the next time you construct a query on Yahoo!.

In addition to using Google’s advanced search operators, Yahoo! also has a
few special keywords of its own you can use in the home page search box.
Read Secrets #8 through #12 to learn more.

The Yahoo! Directory Has Higher Quality Results than Yahoo! Web Search—but Fewer of Them

2009-05-22T04:50:00.001-07:00

Yahoo! was created as a hand-picked directory of Web sites. Over the past
decade, however, the Yahoo! directory has become a less and less important
part of the Yahoo! pantheon of services—to the point where many users don’t
even know the directory exists. After all, if you use the search box on the
Yahoo! home page—which Yahoo! obviously wants you to do—you pass over
the directory entirely.
That’s too bad, because the Yahoo! directory is actually a pretty good assem
blage of what’s out there on the Web. It’s also arguably the easiest search site
for Web surfers to use.
It all boils down to the basic difference between a directory and a search index.
You see, there are two approaches to organizing all the information on the
World Wide Web. One approach is to use a special type of software program
(called a spider or crawler) to roam the Web automatically, feeding what it finds
back to a massive bank of computers. These computers hold indices of the
Web—in some cases, entire Web pages are indexed; in other cases, only the
titles and important words on a page are indexed. This approach is the one
taken by the big search engines, such as Google, AltaVista, and HotBot—and
by Yahoo!’s Web Search feature.

The other approach—the one taken by the Yahoo! directory—is to have actual
human beings physically look at each Web page and stick each one into a
hand-picked category. After you get enough Web pages collected, you have
something called a directory.
Unlike a search engine, a directory doesn’t search the entire Web—in fact, a
directory catalogs only a very small part of the Web. But a directory is very
organized, and very easy to use, and lots and lots of people use Web directories
(such as Yahoo!) every day.
Of course, that’s not to say that the Yahoo! directory is perfect. Far from it. For
starters, it’s small—only 2 million pages, versus 3 billion or so in Yahoo!’s Google
supplied Web Search index. (That means that Yahoo!’s directory content repre
sents less than 1⁄10 of 1 percent of the total number of pages currently published on the Web—not very comprehensive at all.)
Fortunately, you don’t have to limit yourself to the listings in the Yahoo! direc
tory; Yahoo! supplements its directory listings with search results from a third-
party search engine. Read on to learn another little secret about Yahoo!’s search
capabilities.

Go Directly to Almost Any Yahoo! Page - No Clicking Necessary

2009-05-22T04:26:00.000-07:00

Use the Direct Address :-

Even better, almost every Yahoo! service has its own unique URL that you can enter directly into your browser’s address box, or bookmark as necessary. You might think that remembering dozens of unique URLs would be difficult. And, of course, you’d be right—if you actually had to memorize the URLs. Fortunately, Yahoo! uses an address scheme that’s easy on the old memory, thanks to its common-sense nature. Yahoo!’s address scheme is simple. Just take the yahoo.com domain and add the service name in front of it, like this: service.yahoo.com. So, for example, if you want to go to Yahoo! News, you enter news.yahoo.com. If you want to go to Yahoo! Mail, enter mail.yahoo.com.

Yahoo! home page	www.yahoo.com
Yahooligans!	www.yahooligans.com
My Yahoo!	my.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Address Book	address.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Astrology	astrology.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Auctions	auctions.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Autos	autos.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Banking Center	banking.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Bookmarks	bookmarks.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Briefcase	briefcase.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Buzz Index	buzz.yahoo.com
Yahoo! by Phone	phone.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Calendar	calendar.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Chat	chat.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Classifieds	classifieds.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Companion (toolbar)	companion.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Education	education.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Entertainment	entertainment.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Fantasy Sports	fantasysports.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Finance	finance.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Games	games.yahoo.com
Yahoo! GeoCities	geocities.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Get Local	local.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Greetings	greetings.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Groups	groups.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Health	health.yahoo.com
Yahoo! HotJobs	hotjobs.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Insurance	Center insurance.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Launch (music)	launch.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Loan Center	loan.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Lottery Results	lottery.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Mail	mail.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Mail Plus	mailplus.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Maps	maps.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Message Boards	messages.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Messenger	messenger.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Mobile	mobile.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Movies	movies.yahoo.com
Yahoo! News	news.yahoo.com
Yahoo! PayDirect	paydirect.yahoo.com
Yahoo! People Search	people.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Personals	personals.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Pets	pets.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Photos	photos.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Picture Gallery	gallery.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Products Search	products.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Real Estate	realestate.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Shopping	shopping.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Small Business	smallbusiness.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Sports	sports.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Store	store.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Tax Center	taxes.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Travel	travel.yahoo.com
Yahoo! TV	tv.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Wallet	wallet.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Weather	weather.yahoo.com
Yahoo! Web Hosting	webhosting.yahoo.com

How to Get Windows XP SP3 Via Windows Update

2009-05-09T01:18:00.000-07:00

Not a Windows XP SP3 beta tester, but can't wait for the official release? Or just like to stay on the bleeding edge? There's a way you can get access to it via Windows Update.

It does involve editing the registry, but it's not that difficult.Here's all you need to do. You need to create the following

key:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\WindowsUpdate\XPSP3

Then create the string value RCPreview below that key, and give it the

value:1c667073-b87f-4f52-a479-98c85711d869

If you had previously had a version of SP3 earlier, you might already have the registry key; just make sure only the string value RCPreview exists in the key when you're done.

Once the key is in your registry, if you go to Windows Update, you'll see you can download SP3 RC1, as above. I've tried it (obviously, since that's my screenshot) and it works.Of course, your mileage may vary, and changes to your registry should be made with care.

Naturally I recommend you back up your registry before trying this, and there's also no guarantee Microsoft won't change things with RC2 or even tomorrow so that this no longer works.If you want you can also download and run the batch file

here

Creating PDF Files without Acrobat

2009-05-09T00:25:00.000-07:00

The Tech Report posted an article on 7/13/2006 on how to create PDF files without Acrobat. It's detailed, but I have to wonder why they make you jump through so many hoops, when you can simply download free software at PDF995.com which will do everything The Tech Report wants you to do, but without all the manual labor. Interestingly, The Tech Report wants you to use GhostScript, and a partial version of that is used in PDF995's software. What's the drawback of PDF995's software? You are "subjected" to an ad in your web browser each time you run the programs. That's little to "pay" for such a useful suite, though.

Converting a Linux PC to Windows (Not as Easy as it Sounds)

2009-05-09T00:19:00.000-07:00

My friend purchased a cheap Linux PC. Of course, the idea was to reformat and place Windows on it. However, after starting the install, Windows XP reboots ... at this point the message "Disk Boot Error" is displayed. So the install cannot complete.At this point he was lost. I decided to take a look.

I had a feeling there was a Linux boot record that was causing a problem. The reformat wasn't taking care of it.What I did was use the Ultimate Boot CD 4 Windows.

You create this using a set of freeware tools and your Windows XP CD. I used this to boot the system, and used MBRWiz (Master Boot Record Wizard) to wipe the Master Boot Record.

Crossing my fingers, I started up the Windows XP install again. It went through the first pass, booting from the CD, then it rebooted. At this point in the install XP has to boot from the HD.

Here's where it was failing previously.And it worked. So the problem was indeed that Linux had mucked with the Master Boot Record. Makes sense, though.So, if you want to convert a cheap Linux PC into a Windows PC, don't forget to clear the MBR. It's not enough to reformat. Remembering this will save you a lot of time and effort.

Choosing an Anti-Virus Program

2009-05-09T00:16:00.000-07:00

Viruses, trojans, spyware. All of these fit under the general term of malware, software designed to damage a user's computer. But how to choose a package? There are many antivirus vendors; which one should you use?

Note: most vendors have a subscription model nowadays ... you buy the software and have to renew either the program, or the virus update subscription ... or both, after a year for a fee.

Do You Need a Firewall? Well, Windows XP has a firewall built-in ... it's simple, but it works. I wouldn't think you need to buy a different firewall. Also, if, like many people, you use a router with your broadband connection, you shouldn't need to use a firewall as hackers won't be able to get past the router ... unless you open up a lot of ports, that is.

The Big 2

The safe (?) choices would be the biggest companies ... the ones that most people have heard of. Those would be McAfee VirusScan and Symantec Antivirus. Both of these vendors offer security suites that include spyware detection and firewalls. Since these are considered the big 2, they are the safe choice. And, in fact, both do a good job of securing your system.

Negatives? Symantec Antivirus is notoriously heavy. It uses a lot of resources, and will bog down slower systems. Additionally, Symantec requires activation of its products ... personally, aside from Windows XP, which leaves me little choice, I refuse to buy products that require activation. The initial problems Symantec had with activation shows why.

As far as McAfee goes, I used to use it, and it was very light on resources. But I don't like its use of ActiveX technology. Obviously the use of ActiveX in an antivirus product shouldn't open vulnerabilities, but since ActiveX has such a bad rep ...

One other negative of buying the biggest: many hackers consider getting around Symantec and McAfee to be a challenge ... and, as outlined in this Business Week article, many are successful.

Choosing From the Rest

Just because they're the biggest vendors doesn't mean Symantec and McAfee are your best choices. Quite a few people use other software. How should you make your choice?

One thing I would do is check for a) reviews (not that easy to find), b) test results.

Virus Bulletin awards the VB100% Award to products that a) detect all "In the Wild" viruses during both on-demand and on-access scanning in Virus Bulletin's comparative tests, b) generate no false positives when scanning a set of clean files. You have to register at the site but it's free. Note: they do not test every month, and they usually test only one platform (OS) each time.

ICSA Labs certifies antivirus products. A list of the currently certified products is here.

AV-Test.org also tests antivirus products. One interesting spreadsheet on the site indicates how quickly vendors reacted to the Zotob virus that spread earlier this year. It also indicates which products detected the virus proactively, using heuristics. More on this later.

Now, the failure or success of one product over another in the tests does not necessarily mean a product is good or bad. What does count is if a product succeeds or fails consistently.

Now, heuristics. I like to look for antivirus products that have good heuristics, that is, they don't rely just on virus signatures but also analyze files to determine if the file could possibly be a virus which does not have a signature yet. Of course, this can lead to occasional false positives, but I'd rather have a few (note the emphasis on few) false positives than have a new virus slip by.

There are quite a few second-tier vendors that can be relied on to provide a reliable, effective scanner (I use one of them) ... for me, the final decision was based on effectiveness combined with light use of resources (I am a gamer and, although I could turn off a heavy antivirus program during gaming, I prefer not to).

Spyware

I don't feel it's necessary to have a background spyware scanner running. I'm just careful and make sure I don't opt-in or install anything I don't want. Also, many antivirus products look for spyware by default. I do occasional standalone scans using both Spybot - Search & Destroy and a-squared free edition. Both are free. Both are effective. Usually all I find are some tracking cookies.

Trojans

A Trojan (short for Trojan Horse) differs from a virus in that it cannot replicate itself. Frequently Trojans log your keystrokes or open backdoors to your PC so that the writer can turn your computer into a zombie. I prefer a stand-alone antitrojan program. This limits me, as there aren't that many vendors. You can look at BOClean (which has saved me more than once!), Trojan Hunter, ewido ... and there are a few more. But it's a smaller, tougher biz than antivirus, TDS-3 recently dropped out of the business.

What Have We Learned?

Honestly, if you don't go with the big 2 (and you don't have to) you need to do research at the sites I mentioned, as well as look for reviews. Determine if you can live with a heavier program or if you want a light one. There are even free antivirus programs (such as Avast and AVG) also, with limitations, usually on number of virus definition updates / day. Just be sure you have some protection. The amount of time an unprotected system can be connected to the Internet without infection has dropped to below 20 minutes.

Adding a External Hard Drive (the Hard Way)

2009-05-08T23:58:00.000-07:00

Adding an external hard drive the EASY way would be to just buy an external HD and attach it to a USB port (or Firewire, but these days it's mostly USB 2.0).

The hard way ... buy your own enclosure and HD, hook them up and attach it to a USB port.

Doesn't sound THAT hard. But in my case ...

I found a Maxtor 300 GB HD on sale (with rebate) for $89.99. I found a nice looking aluminum external enclosure for about $30. I also received a rebate of 4% from one of my rebate sites (MrRebates or Fatwallet, can't recall which). Or I could have purchased a 250 GB HD for $149 + tax. I'd never tried this before (I'd hooked up new internal drives, though) so I thought it would be easy.

Well, first thing I did after getting the parts was was hook up the drive to the real hardware of the enclosure ... the part that had the USB hardware + the power connection and IDE port ... and I noticed the HD was making a clunking noise when I powered it up. Uh, oh.

Connected it, and as I figured, nothing. HD was bad. Sigh. Returned it (they gave me a credit of $8 for shipping and it cost me $7.80 for shipping and insurance ... whew).

All right, just got the new HD. Hooked it up. No clunking. Put things together. Oops, I screwed everything in but did not put the panel on top (side) of the enclosure. Unscrew things. Let's try it again.

All right, connect it to the PC. It's recognized. Open up Windows Explorer. Hey, where is it?!

I figured I knew what it was, but I wasn't 100%. I opened up the Disk Manager (Start, Settings, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Computer Management, Disk Management). I could see the drive, but no drive letter and no partition. Figured it was the partition that was missing that was screwing it up.

Well, I'd never partitioned a HD in XP. I actually had to look it up. I used the DiskPart command line tool ... didn't even know about this. After partitioning it using the a) List Disk, b) Select Disk (2 in this case), Create Primary Partition commands, I could see in Disk Management that the partition was there, but still no drive letter.

Right clicked on it ... and viola, I could NOW select a drive letter.

Now all I have to do is format it ... then comes the fun part ... hooking it up to the Linksys NSLU2 NAS device I have already purchased. I might wait until tomorrow for that one!

Set the Search Screen to the Classic Look

2009-04-30T20:36:00.001-07:00

When I first saw the default search pane in Windows XP, my instinct was to return it to its classic look; that puppy had to go. Of course, I later discovered that a doggie door is built into the applet. Click "Change preferences" then "Without an animated screen character." If you'd rather give it a bare-bones "Windows 2000" look and feel, fire up your Registry editor and navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ CabinetState.

You may need to create a new string value labeled "Use Search Asst" and set it to "no".

New Sound Blaster Drivers

2009-04-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

With the loads of problems reported by users with Soundblaster cards on Windows XP Creative has stepped up and offered drivers for at least some models of their Sound Blaster cards, but check your particular model closely. I have downloaded the SB128 drivers and my sound problems have been resolved..! So they do work.

http://www.creative.com/support/winxp/

Upgrading to Windows XP

2009-04-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

You can upgrade a computer that runs Windows 98, 98SE, or Me to Windows XP Home Edition. Those same versions, along with Windows NT Workstation 4.0 and Windows 2000 Professional, can be upgraded to Windows XP Professional.

(1).To ensure a smooth upgrade and avoid networking problems, follow these tips before starting the upgrade:

(2)Install all network cards. XP will detect them and automatically install the right drivers.

(3)Have your Internet connection available. The XP setup process will connect to a Microsoft server to download the latest setup files, including changes that have been made since XP was released.

Some programs are incompatible with XP and can cause networking problems. Un-install these programs. After the upgrade is complete and the network is working, re-install XP-compatible versions of these programs: Internet Connection Sharing, NAT, Proxy Server Anti-Virus Firewall.

How to Upgrade Windows 98

2009-04-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

Windows Millennium Edition Profiles to Windows XP Domain User Profiles

This guide describes how to upgrade a Microsoft Microsoft Windows 98-based, or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition-based client that has user profiles to a Microsoft Windows XP-based client.

The following steps enable the Windows 98 and Windows Millennium Edition (Me) profiles to be retained throughout the process.

Your best method to retain the profiles is to join the domain during the upgrade installation process.
Otherwise, you must use a workaround method to transfer the profile information over to the Windows XP profile.

During the upgrade installation process, at the networking section, the administrator is offered the choice to join a domain or a workgroup.
If you join the domain at this juncture, you ensure that all the existing profiles are migrated successfully to the Windows XP-based installation.

If you did not join the computer to the domain during the upgrade process, you must use the following workaround method:

Join the upgraded computer to the target domain.

All applicable users must log on and log off (which generates a profile).

Copy the appropriate Application Data folder from the Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me profiles to the newly created user profiles.

Speed up your browsing of Windows 2000 & XP machines

2009-04-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a great tip to speed up your browsing of Windows XP machines. Its actually a fix to a bug installed as default in Windows 2000 that scans shared files for Scheduled Tasks. And it turns out that you can experience a delay as long as 30 seconds when you try to view shared files across a network because Windows 2000 is using the extra time to search the remote computer for any Scheduled Tasks. Note that though the fix is originally intended for only those affected, Windows 2000 users will experience that the actual browsing speed of both the Internet & Windows Explorers improve significantly after applying it since it doesn't search for Scheduled Tasks anymore. Here's how :

Open up the Registry and go to :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace

Under that branch, select the key :

{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}

and delete it.

This is key that instructs Windows to search for Scheduled Tasks. If you like you may want to export the exact branch so that you can restore the key if necessary.

This fix is so effective that it doesn't require a reboot and you can almost immediately determine yourself how much it speeds up your browsing processes.

Set up and Use Internet Connection Sharing

2009-04-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

With Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) in Windows XP, you can connect one computer to the Internet, then share the Internet service with several computers on your home or small office network. The Network Setup Wizard in Windows XP Professional will automatically provide all of the network settings you need to share one Internet connection with all the computers in your network. Each computer can use programs such as Internet Explorer and Outlook Express as if they were directly connected to the Internet.
You should not use this feature in an existing network with Windows 2000 Server domain controllers, DNS servers, gateways, DHCP servers, or systems configured for static IP addresses.

Enabling ICS

The ICS host computer needs two network connections. The local area network connection, automatically created by installing a network adapter, connects to the computers on your home or small office network. The other connection, using a 56k modem, ISDN, DSL, or cable modem, connects the home or small office network to the Internet. You need to ensure that ICS is enabled on the connection that has the Internet connection. By doing this, the shared connection can connect your home or small office network to the Internet, and users outside your network are not at risk of receiving inappropriate addresses from your network.
When you enable ICS, the local area network connection to the home or small office network is given a new static IP address and configuration. Consequently, TCP/IP connections established between any home or small office computer and the ICS host computer at the time of enabling ICS are lost and need to be reestablished. For example, if Internet Explorer is connecting to a Web site when Internet Connection Sharing is enabled, refresh the browser to reestablish the connection. You must configure client machines on your home or small office network so TCP/IP on the local area connection obtains an IP address automatically. Home or small office network users must also configure Internet options for Internet Connection Sharing. To enable Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) Discovery and Control on Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Edition computers, run the Network Setup Wizard from the CD or floppy disk on these computers. For ICS Discovery and Control to work on Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Edition computers, Internet Explorer version 5.0 or later must be installed.

To enable Internet Connection Sharing on a network connection

You must be logged on to your computer with an owner account in order to complete this procedure.
Open Network Connections. (Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double–click Network Connections.)

Click the dial–up, local area network, PPPoE, or VPN connection you want to share, and then, under Network Tasks, click Change settings of this connection.

On the Advanced tab, select the Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection check box.
If you want this connection to dial automatically when another computer on your home or small office network attempts to access external resources, select the Establish a dial–up connection whenever a computer on my network attempts to access the Internet check box.

If you want other network users to enable or disable the shared Internet connection, select the Allow other network users to control or disable the shared Internet connection check box.

Under Internet Connection Sharing, in Home networking connection, select any adapter that connects the computer sharing its Internet connection to the other computers on your network. The Home networking connection is only present when two or more network adapters are installed on the computer.

To configure Internet options on your client computers for Internet Connection Sharing

Open Internet Explorer. Click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Internet Explorer.)

On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.

On the Connections tab, click Never dial a connection, and then click LAN Settings.

In Automatic configuration, clear the Automatically detect settings and Use automatic configuration script check boxes.

In Proxy Server, clear the Use a proxy server check box.

Set Processes Priority

2009-04-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

Follow this tip to increase the priority of active processes, this will result in prioritisation of processes using the CPU.

CTRL-SHIFT-ESC

1.Go to the second tab called Processes, right click on one of the active processes, you will see the Set Priority option

2.For example, your Run your CDwriter program , set the priority higher, and guess what, no crashed CD’s

Set Permissions for Shared Files and Folders

2009-04-30T14:34:00.000-07:00

Sharing of files and folders can be managed in two ways. If you chose simplified file sharing, your folders can be shared with everyone on your network or workgroup, or you can make your folders private. (This is how folders are shared in Windows 2000.) However, in Windows XP Professional, you can also set folder permissions for specific users or groups. To do this, you must first change the default setting, which is simple file sharing. To change this setting, follow these steps:
•Open Control Panel, click Tools, and then click Folder Options.
•Click the View tab, and scroll to the bottom of the Advanced Settings list.
•Clear the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) check box.
•To manage folder permissions, browse to the folder in Windows Explorer, right–click the folder, and then click Properties. Click the Security tab, and assign permissions, such as Full Control, Modify, Read, and/or Write, to specific users.

You can set file and folder permissions only on drives formatted to use NTFS, and you must be the owner or have been granted permission to do so by the owner.

Search For Hidden Or System Files In Windows XP

2009-04-30T14:33:00.001-07:00

The Search companion in Windows XP searches for hidden and system files differently than in earlier versions of Windows. This guide describes how to search for hidden or system files in Windows XP.

Search for Hidden or System Files By default, the Search companion does not search for hidden or system files. Because of this, you may be unable to find files, even though they exist on the drive.

To search for hidden or system files in Windows XP:
Click Start, click Search, click All files and folders, and then click More advanced options.

Click to select the Search system folders and Search hidden files and folders check boxes.

NOTE: You do not need to configure your computer to show hidden files in the Folder Options dialog box in Windows Explorer to find files with either the hidden or system attributes, but you need to configure your computer not to hide protected operating system files to find files with both the hidden and system attributes. Search Companion shares the Hide protected operating system files option (which hides files with both the system and hidden attributes) with the Folder Options dialog box Windows Explorer.

Restricting Logon Access

2009-04-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

If you work in a multiuser computing environment, and you have full (administrator level) access to your computer, you might want to restrict unauthorized access to your "sensitive" files under Windows 95/98.
One way is to disable the Cancel button in the Logon dialog box.
Just run Regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Network/Logon

Create the "Logon" subkey if it is not present on your machine: highlight the Network key -> right-click in the left hand Regedit pane -> select New -> Key -> name it "Logon" (no quotes) -> press Enter. Then add/modify a DWORD value and call it "MustBeValidated" (don't type the quotes). Double-click it, check the Decimal box and type 1 for value.
Now click the Start button -> Shut Down (Log off UserName) -> Log on as a different user, and you'll notice that the Logon Cancel button has been disabled.

How to Remove Windows XP's Messenger

2009-04-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

Theoretically, you can get rid of it (as well as a few other things). Windows 2000 power users should already be familiar with this tweak.

Fire up the Windows Explorer and navigate your way to the %SYSTEMROOT% \ INF folder. What the heck is that thingy with the percentage signs? It's a variable. For most people, %SYSTEMROOT% is C:\Windows. For others, it may be E:\WinXP. Get it? Okay, on with the hack! In the INF folder, open sysoc.inf (but not before making a BACKUP copy first). Before your eyes glaze over, look for the line containing "msmsgs" in it. Near the end of that particular line, you'll notice that the word "hide" is not so hidden. Go ahead and delete "hide" (so that the flanking commas are left sitting next to one another). Save the file and close it. Now, open the Add and Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel. Click the Add / Remove Windows Components icon. You should see "Windows Messenger" in that list. Remove the checkmark from its box, and you should be set. NOTE: there are other hidden system components in that sysoc.inf file, too. Remove "hide" and the subsequent programs at your own risk.

Remove the Recycle Bin from the Desktop

2009-04-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

If you don't use the Recycle Bin to store deleted files , you can get rid of its desktop icon all together.

Run Regedit and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/explorer/Desktop/NameSpace

Click on the "Recycle Bin" string in the right hand pane. Hit Del, click OK.

Provide Remote Assistance When Using a NAT Device

2009-04-30T14:26:00.001-07:00

You can provide Remote Assistance to a friend who uses a Network Address Translation (NAT) device by modifying the Remote Assistance invitation using XML. Network Address Translation is used to allow multiple computers to share the same outbound Internet connection. To open a Remote Assistance session with a friend who uses a NAT device:

1. Ask your friend to send you a Remote Assistance invitation by e–mail.

2. Save the invitation file to your desktop.
3. Right–click the file, and then click Open With Notepad. You'll see that the file is a simple XML file.
4.Under the RCTICKET attribute is a private IP address, such as 192.168.1.100.
5. Over–write this IP address with your friend's public IP address. Your friend must send you his or her public IP address: they can find out what it is by going to a Web site that will return the public IP address, such as http://www.dslreports.com/ip.
6. Save the file, and then double–click it to open the Remote Assistance session.

Now, you'll be able to connect and provide them with the help they need. So that your inbound IP connection is routed to the correct computer, the NAT must be configured to route that inbound traffic. To do so, make sure your friend forwards port 3389 to the computer they want help from.

Ports That Are Used by Windows Product Activation

2009-04-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

Windows Product Activation uses the following ports:

80 - HTTP
443 - HTTPS

NTFS vs. FAT

2009-04-30T14:24:00.001-07:00

To NTFS or not to NTFS—that is the question. But unlike the deeper questions of life, this one isn't really all that hard to answer. For most users running Windows XP, NTFS is the obvious choice. It's more powerful and offers security advantages not found in the other file systems. But let's go over the differences among the files systems so we're all clear about the choice. There are essentially three different file systems available in Windows XP: FAT16, short for File Allocation Table, FAT32, and NTFS, short for NT File System.

FAT16
The FAT16 file system was introduced way back with MS–DOS in 1981, and it's showing its age. It was designed originally to handle files on a floppy drive, and has had minor modifications over the years so it can handle hard disks, and even file names longer than the original limitation of 8.3 characters, but it's still the lowest common denominator. The biggest advantage of FAT16 is that it is compatible across a wide variety of operating systems, including Windows 95/98/Me, OS/2, Linux, and some versions of UNIX. The biggest problem of FAT16 is that it has a fixed maximum number of clusters per partition, so as hard disks get bigger and bigger, the size of each cluster has to get larger. In a 2–GB partition, each cluster is 32 kilobytes, meaning that even the smallest file on the partition will take up 32 KB of space. FAT16 also doesn't support compression, encryption, or advanced security using access control lists.

FAT32
The FAT32 file system, originally introduced in Windows 95 Service Pack 2, is really just an extension of the original FAT16 file system that provides for a much larger number of clusters per partition. As such, it greatly improves the overall disk utilization when compared to a FAT16 file system. However, FAT32 shares all of the other limitations of FAT16, and adds an important additional limitation—many operating systems that can recognize FAT16 will not work with FAT32—most notably Windows NT, but also Linux and UNIX as well. Now this isn't a problem if you're running FAT32 on a Windows XP computer and sharing your drive out to other computers on your network—they don't need to know (and generally don't really care) what your underlying file system is.

The Advantages of NTFS
The NTFS file system, introduced with first version of Windows NT, is a completely different file system from FAT. It provides for greatly increased security, file–by–file compression, quotas, and even encryption. It is the default file system for new installations of Windows XP, and if you're doing an upgrade from a previous version of Windows, you'll be asked if you want to convert your existing file systems to NTFS. Don't worry. If you've already upgraded to Windows XP and didn't do the conversion then, it's not a problem. You can convert FAT16 or FAT32 volumes to NTFS at any point. Just remember that you can't easily go back to FAT or FAT32 (without reformatting the drive or partition), not that I think you'll want to.

The NTFS file system is generally not compatible with other operating systems installed on the same computer, nor is it available when you've booted a computer from a floppy disk. For this reason, many system administrators, myself included, used to recommend that users format at least a small partition at the beginning of their main hard disk as FAT. This partition provided a place to store emergency recovery tools or special drivers needed for reinstallation, and was a mechanism for digging yourself out of the hole you'd just dug into. But with the enhanced recovery abilities built into Windows XP (more on that in a future column), I don't think it's necessary or desirable to create that initial FAT partition.

When to Use FAT or FAT32
If you're running more than one operating system on a single computer (see Dual booting in Guides), you will definitely need to format some of your volumes as FAT. Any programs or data that need to be accessed by more than one operating system on that computer should be stored on a FAT16 or possibly FAT32 volume. But keep in mind that you have no security for data on a FAT16 or FAT32 volume—any one with access to the computer can read, change, or even delete any file that is stored on a FAT16 or FAT32 partition. In many cases, this is even possible over a network. So do not store sensitive files on drives or partitions formatted with FAT file systems.

Make your Folders Private

2009-04-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

•Open My Computer
•Double-click the drive where Windows is installed (usually drive (C:), unless you have more than one drive on your computer).
•If the contents of the drive are hidden, under System Tasks, click Show the contents of this drive.
•Double-click the Documents and Settings folder.
•Double-click your user folder.
•Right-click any folder in your user profile, and then click Properties.
•On the Sharing tab, select the Make this folder private so that only I have access to it check box.

Note

•To open My Computer, click Start, and then click My Computer.
•This option is only available for folders included in your user profile. Folders in your user profile include My Documents and its subfolders, Desktop, Start Menu, Cookies, and Favorites. If you do not make these folders private, they are available to everyone who uses your computer.
•When you make a folder private, all of its subfolders are private as well. For example, when you make My Documents private, you also make My Music and My Pictures private. When you share a folder, you also share all of its subfolders unless you make them private.
•You cannot make your folders private if your drive is not formatted as NTFS For information about converting your drive to NTFS

IP address of your connection

2009-04-30T14:22:00.001-07:00

Go to start/run type 'cmd'

then type 'ipconfig'

Add the '/all' switch for more info.

How to use Windows Update Properly

2009-04-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

If you want to save your files to your hard drive, so after a format you dont have to download them all again, here's How:

- Logon to Windows Update

- Choose Windows Update Catalogue (left hand pane)

- Choose Find updates for Microsoft Windows operating systems (right hand pane)

- Choose your version and language then Search

- Choose one the following:

- Critical Updates and Service Packs
- Service Packs and Recommended Downloads
- Multi-Language Features (0)

- Once chosen simply click on what you want to download and then back at the top click Review Download Basket

- You are taken to the next page where at the top you can specify where the downloads are to be saved.

- Click Download now. Each patch will make a directory under the root of the folder you saved them to.
Once finished you need to go to where you saved the file (s) to and then simply install all your patches.

Install/Enable NetBEUI Under WinXP

2009-04-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

If for some reason you need to install NetBEUI then follow these instructions.

**Note - You will need the WinXP CD in order to to this!

Support for the NetBIOS Extended User Interface protocols (also called NetBEUI or NBF) in Windows XP has been discontinued. If your configuration requires temporary use of NetBEUI for Windows XP, follow these steps:

To install the NETBEUI protocol:

- Locate the Valueadd/msft/net/netbeui directory on your Windows XP CD.Copy nbf.sys into the %SYSTEMROOT%SYSTEM32DRIVERS directory.

- Copy netnbf.inf into the %SYSTEMROOT%INF directory.

- In Control Panel, click Network and Internet Connections and then click Network Connections.

- Right-click the connection you want to configure, and then click Properties.

- On the General tab, click the INSTALL button to add the NetBEUI protocol

How to remove the Default Picture and Fax Preview Action

2009-04-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Go To Start > Run and type `Regedit` and press `ok`

Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Classes/CLSID/{e84fda7c-1d6a-45f6-b725-cb260c236066}/shellex

Deleted the MayChangeDefaultMenu key.

How to Convert FAT to NTFS file system

2009-04-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

To convert a FAT partition to NTFS, perform the following steps.

Click Start, click Programs, and then click Command Prompt.

In Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type cmd and then click OK.

At the command prompt, type CONVERT [driveletter]: /FS:NTFS.

Convert.exe will attempt to convert the partition to NTFS.

NOTE: Although the chance of corruption or data loss during the conversion from FAT to NTFS is minimal, it is best to perform a full backup of the data on the drive that it is to be converted prior to executing the convert command. It is also recommended to verify the integrity of the backup before proceeding, as well as to run RDISK and update the emergency repair disk (ERD).

AVI File Fix in Windows XP

2009-04-30T13:14:00.001-07:00

If you have any AVI files that you saved in Windows 9x, which have interference when opened in Windows XP, there is an easy fix to get rid of the interference: Open Windows Movie Maker. Click View and then click Options. Click in the box to remove the check mark beside Automatically create clips. Now, import the movie file that has interference and drag it onto the timeline. Then save the movie, and during the re-rendering, the interference will be removed.

Mustek 600 CP scanner or other software unable to install on XP

2009-04-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

If you have a piece of software that refuses to install because it says that you are not running Windows 2000 (such as the Win2K drivers for a Mustek scanner!!) you can simply edit

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/ProductName

to say Microsoft Windows 2000 instead of XP and it will install. You may also have to edit the version number or build number, depending on how hard the program tries to verify that you are installing on the correct OS. I had to do this for my Mustek 600 CP scanner (compatibility mode didn't help!!!) and it worked great, so I now have my scanner working with XP (and a tech at Mustek can now eat his words). BTW, don't forget to restore any changes you make after you get your software installed.

How do I enable advanced security settings like found in Windows 2000

2009-04-30T13:12:00.001-07:00

Open windows explorer then click on Tools->Folder Options

Click on the View Tab.

Scroll to the bottom and deselect (uncheck) the option that reads 'use simple file sharing'

This will allow you to see the security tab when viewing the properties of a file/folder.

Hide 'User Accounts' from users

2009-04-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

Go to Start/Run, and type:

GPEDIT.MSC

Open the path

User Config > Admin Templates > Control Panel

doubleclick "Hide specified Control Panel applets"

put a dot in 'enabled', then click 'Show"

click Add button,

type "nusrmgt.cpl" into the add box

Force users to press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to Logon

2009-04-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

(XPPro only)

Go to start/run,

and type control userpasswords2

Fix your Slow XP and 98 Network

2009-04-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

You can run "wmiprvse.exe" as a process for quick shared network access to Win98/ME machines. Stick it in Startup or make it a service.

"On the PC running XP, log in as you normally would, go to users, manage network passwords.
Here is where the problem lies. In this dialog box remove any win98 passwords or computer-assigned names for the win98 PCs. In my case , I had two computer-assigned win98 pc names in this box (example G4k8e6). I deleted these names (you may have passwords instead). Then go to My Network Places and -- there you go! -- no more delay!

Now, after I did this and went to My Network Places to browse the first Win98 PC, I was presented with a password/logon box that looked like this: logon: G4k8e6/guest (lightly grayed out) and a place to enter a password. I entered the password that I had previously used to share drives on the Win98 PCs long before I installed XP. I have the guest account enabled in XP.

This solves the problem for Win98 & XP machines on a LAN; I can't guarantee it will work for Win2K/ME machines as well, but the whole secret lies in the passwords. If this doesn't solve your slow WinXP>Win98 access problems, then you probably have other things wrong. Don't forget to uncheck 'simple file sharing,' turn off your ICS firewall, enable NetBIOS over TCP/IP and install proper protocols, services & permissions."

How to Convert a FAT Partition to NTFS

2009-04-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

To convert a FAT partition to NTFS, perform the following steps.

Click Start, click Programs, and then click Command Prompt.

In Windows XP, click Start, and then click Run.

At the command prompt, type CONVERT [driveletter]: /FS:NTFS.

Convert.exe will attempt to convert the partition to NTFS.

NOTE: Although the chance of corruption or data loss during the conversion from FAT to NTFS is minimal, it is best to perform a full backup of the data on the drive that it is to be converted prior to executing the convert command. It is also recommended to verify the integrity of the backup before proceeding, as well as to run RDISK and update the emergency repair disk (ERD).

Convert.exe will attempt to convert the partition to NTFS.

Copy Files and Folders to CD

2009-04-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

To copy files and folders to a CD

•Insert a blank, writable CD into the CD recorder.

•Open My Computer.

•Click the files or folders you want to copy to the CD. To select more than one file, hold down the CTRL key while you click the files you want. Then, under File and Folder Tasks, click Copy this file, Copy this folder, or Copy the selected items.

•If the files are located in My Pictures, under Picture Tasks, click Copy to CD or Copy all items to CD, and then skip to step 5.

•In the Copy Items dialog box, click the CD recording drive, and then click Copy.

•In My Computer, double–click the CD recording drive. Windows displays a temporary area where the files are held before they are copied to the CD. Verify that the files and folders that you intend to copy to the CD appear under Files Ready to be Written to the CD.

•Under CD Writing Tasks, click Write these files to CD. Windows displays the CD Writing Wizard. Follow the instructions in the wizard.

Notes:

•Do not copy more files to the CD than it will hold. Standard CDs hold up to 650 megabytes (MB). High–capacity CDs hold up to 850 MB.

•Be sure that you have enough disk space on your hard disk to store the temporary files that are created during the CD writing process. For a standard CD, Windows reserves up to 700 MB of the available free space. For a high–capacity CD, Windows reserves up to 1 gigabyte (GB) of the available free space.

•After you copy files or folders to the CD, it is useful to view the CD to confirm that the files are copied. For more information, click Related Topics.
To stop the CD recorder from automatically ejecting the CD

•Open My Computer.

•Right–click the CD recording drive, and then click Properties.

•On the Recording tab, clear the Automatically eject the CD after writing check box.

Create a Password Reset Disk

2009-04-30T13:07:00.001-07:00

If you’re running Windows XP Professional as a local user in a workgroup environment, you can create a password reset disk to log onto your computer when you forget your password. To create the disk:

1.Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click User Accounts.
2.Click your account name.
3.Under Related Tasks, click Prevent a forgotten password.
4.Follow the directions in the Forgotten Password Wizard to create a password reset disk.
5.Store the disk in a secure location, because anyone using it can access your local user account.

Disable CD Autorun

2009-04-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

1) Click Start, Run and enter GPEDIT.MSC

2) Go to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, System.

3) Locate the entry for Turn autoplay off and modify it as you desire.

20 things you didn't know about Windows XP

2009-04-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

You've read the reviews and digested the key feature enhancements and operational changes. Now it's time to delve a bit deeper and uncover some of Windows XP's secrets.

1. It boasts how long it can stay up. Whereas previous versions of Windows were coy about how long they went between boots, XP is positively proud of its stamina. Go to the Command Prompt in the Accessories menu from the All Programs start button option, and then type 'systeminfo'. The computer will produce a lot of useful info, including the uptime. If you want to keep these, type 'systeminfo > info.txt'. This creates a file called info.txt you can look at later with Notepad. (Professional Edition only).

2. You can delete files immediately, without having them move to the Recycle Bin first. Go to the Start menu, select Run... and type 'gpedit.msc'; then select User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Explorer and find the Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin setting. Set it. Poking around in gpedit will reveal a great many interface and system options, but take care -- some may stop your computer behaving as you wish. (Professional Edition only).

3. You can lock your XP workstation with two clicks of the mouse. Create a new shortcut on your desktop using a right mouse click, and enter 'rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation' in the location field. Give the shortcut a name you like. That's it -- just double click on it and your computer will be locked. And if that's not easy enough, Windows key + L will do the same.

4. XP hides some system software you might want to remove, such as Windows Messenger, but you can tickle it and make it disgorge everything. Using Notepad or Edit, edit the text file /windows/inf/sysoc.inf, search for the word 'hide' and remove it. You can then go to the Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Windows Components and there will be your prey, exposed and vulnerable.

5. For those skilled in the art of DOS batch files, XP has a number of interesting new commands. These include 'eventcreate' and 'eventtriggers' for creating and watching system events, 'typeperf' for monitoring performance of various subsystems, and 'schtasks' for handling scheduled tasks. As usual, typing the command name followed by /? will give a list of options -- they're all far too baroque to go into here.

6. XP has IP version 6 support -- the next generation of IP. Unfortunately this is more than your ISP has, so you can only experiment with this on your LAN. Type 'ipv6 install' into Run... (it's OK, it won't ruin your existing network setup) and then 'ipv6 /?' at the command line to find out more. If you don't know what IPv6 is, don't worry and don't bother.

7. You can at last get rid of tasks on the computer from the command line by using 'taskkill /pid' and the task number, or just 'tskill' and the process number. Find that out by typing 'tasklist', which will also tell you a lot about what's going on in your system.

8. XP will treat Zip files like folders, which is nice if you've got a fast machine. On slower machines, you can make XP leave zip files well alone by typing 'regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll' at the command line. If you change your mind later, you can put things back as they were by typing 'regsvr32 zipfldr.dll'.

9. XP has ClearType -- Microsoft's anti-aliasing font display technology -- but doesn't have it enabled by default. It's well worth trying, especially if you were there for DOS and all those years of staring at a screen have given you the eyes of an astigmatic bat. To enable ClearType, right click on the desktop, select Properties, Appearance, Effects, select ClearType from the second drop-down menu and enable the selection. Expect best results on laptop displays. If you want to use ClearType on the Welcome login screen as well, set the registry entry HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType to 2.

10. You can use Remote Assistance to help a friend who's using network address translation (NAT) on a home network, but not automatically. Get your pal to email you a Remote Assistance invitation and edit the file. Under the RCTICKET attribute will be a NAT IP address, like 192.168.1.10. Replace this with your chum's real IP address -- they can find this out by going to www.whatismyip.com -- and get them to make sure that they've got port 3389 open on their firewall and forwarded to the errant computer.

11. You can run a program as a different user without logging out and back in again. Right click the icon, select Run As... and enter the user name and password you want to use. This only applies for that run. The trick is particularly useful if you need to have administrative permissions to install a program, which many require. Note that you can have some fun by running programs multiple times on the same system as different users, but this can have unforeseen effects.

12. Windows XP can be very insistent about you checking for auto updates, registering a Passport, using Windows Messenger and so on. After a while, the nagging goes away, but if you feel you might slip the bonds of sanity before that point, run Regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/Advanced and create a DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips with a value of 0.

13. You can start up without needing to enter a user name or password. Select Run... from the start menu and type 'control userpasswords2', which will open the user accounts application. On the Users tab, clear the box for Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer, and click on OK. An Automatically Log On dialog box will appear; enter the user name and password for the account you want to use.

14. Internet Explorer 6 will automatically delete temporary files, but only if you tell it to. Start the browser, select Tools / Internet Options... and Advanced, go down to the Security area and check the box to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.

15. XP comes with a free Network Activity Light, just in case you can't see the LEDs twinkle on your network card. Right click on My Network Places on the desktop, then select Properties. Right click on the description for your LAN or dial-up connection, select Properties, then check the Show icon in notification area when connected box. You'll now see a tiny network icon on the right of your task bar that glimmers nicely during network traffic.

16. The Start Menu can be leisurely when it decides to appear, but you can speed things along by changing the registry entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop/MenuShowDelay from the default 400 to something a little snappier. Like 0.

17. You can rename loads of files at once in Windows Explorer. Highlight a set of files in a window, then right click on one and rename it. All the other files will be renamed to that name, with individual numbers in brackets to distinguish them. Also, in a folder you can arrange icons in alphabetised groups by View, Arrange Icon By... Show In Groups.

18. Windows Media Player will display the cover art for albums as it plays the tracks -- if it found the picture on the Internet when you copied the tracks from the CD. If it didn't, or if you have lots of pre-WMP music files, you can put your own copy of the cover art in the same directory as the tracks. Just call it folder.jpg and Windows Media Player will pick it up and display it.

19. Windows key + Break brings up the System Properties dialogue box; Windows key + D brings up the desktop; Windows key + Tab moves through the taskbar buttons.

20. The next release of Windows XP, codenamed Longhorn, is due out late next year or early 2003 and won't be much to write home about. The next big release is codenamed Blackcomb and will be out in 2003/2004.

Adding Programs To Stay On The Start Menu

2009-04-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

Right click on any .exe file in Explorer, My Computer, Desktop and select 'Pin to Start Menu', the program is then displayed on the start menu, above the separator line. To remove it, click the file on the start menu and select 'Unpin from Start Menu'. Below you can check the before and after shots.

Boot Defragment

2009-04-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

A very important new feature in Microsoft Windows XP is the ability to do a boot defragment. This basically means that all boot files are placed next to each other on the disk drive to allow for faster booting. By default this option is enabled but some upgrade users have reported that it isn't on their setup.

1. Start Regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction
3. Select Enable from the list on the right.
4. Right on it and select Modify.
5. Change the value to Y to enable and N to disable.
6. Reboot your computer.

For a Safer, faster XP Close Unwanted Services

2009-04-30T00:08:00.000-07:00

To disable unneeded startup services for a safer, faster XP, use the "Services" Admin Tool (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services). If you are a single user of a non-networked machine, you can disable the following items, with no ill effect.

Alerter
Clipbook
Computer Browser
Fast User Switching
Human Interface Access Devices
Indexing Service (Slows the hard drive down)
Messenger
Net Logon (unnecessary unless networked on a Domain)
Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing (disabled for extra security)
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)
Remote Procedure Call Locator
Remote Registry (disabled for extra security)
Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)
Server
SSDP Discovery Service (this is for the utterly pointless "Universal P'n'P", & leaves TCP Port 5000 wide open)
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telnet (disabled for extra security)
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Upload Manager
Windows Time
Wireless Zero Configuration (for wireless networks)
Workstation

Getting an Older Program to Run on Windows XP

2009-04-30T00:06:00.000-07:00

1.Right–click the executable or the program shortcut to the executable, and then click Properties.

2.Select the Run this program in compatibility mode check box.

3.From the list, select an operating system that the program runs in comfortably.

If necessary, also change the display settings and/or resolution, or disable the Windows XP visual themes.
Run the program again when you’re finished changing the settings. Adjust the compatibility settings again if the program is still not running smoothly: a program that’s unhappy on Windows 2000 may flourish on Windows 98.

Changing The Internet Time Update Synchronisation

2009-04-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

To change the interval that Windows updates the time using the internet time servers via regedit, navigate to:
1. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services \W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient
2. Select "SpecialPollInterval"
3. Change decimal value from 604800 to a different value in seconds. i.e.: 172800 (2 Days) or 86400 (1 Day) and so on.

We don't recommend changing this unless you are on a broadband connection.

Using Remote Desktop

2009-04-30T00:04:00.002-07:00

You must first enable the Remote Desktop feature on your office computer so that you can control it remotely from another computer. You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group to enable Remote Desktop on your Windows XP Professional-based computer.

To setup your office computer to use Remote Desktop:

Open the System folder in Control Panel. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click the System icon.

On the Remote tab, select the Allow users to connect remotely to this computer check box, as shown below.

Ensure that you have the proper permissions to connect to your computer remotely, and click OK.

Leave your computer running and connected to the company network with Internet access. Lock your computer, and leave your office.

The Remote Desktop Connection client software allows a computer running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 to control your Windows XP Professional computer remotely. The client software is available on the installation CD for Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition. The client software is installed by default on computers running Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition.

To install Remote Desktop Connection software on a client computer

Insert the Windows XP compact disc into your CD-ROM drive.

When the Welcome page appears, click Perform additional tasks, and then click Setup Remote Desktop Connection as shown below.

When the installation wizard starts, follow the directions that appear on your screen.

Once you have enabled your Windows XP Professional computer to allow remote connections, and installed client software on a Windows-based client computer, you are ready to start a Remote Desktop session.

To create a new Remote Desktop Connection

Open Remote Desktop Connection. (Click Start, point to Programs or All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, and then click Remote Desktop Connection.)

In Computer, type the computer name for your computer running Windows XP Professional that has Remote Desktop enabled and for which you have Remote Desktop permissions

Click Connect.

The Log On to Windows dialog box appears.

In the Log On to Windows dialog box, type your user name, password, and domain (if required), and then click OK. The Remote Desktop window will open and you will see the desktop settings, files, and programs that are on your office computer. Your office computer will remain locked.

Nobody will be able to work at your office computer without a password, nor will anyone see the work you are doing on your office computer remotely. Note: To change your connection settings, (such as screen size, automatic logon information, and performance options), click Options before you connect.

To open a saved connection

In Windows Explorer, open the My DocumentsRemote Desktops folder.

Click the .Rdp file for the connection you want to open. Note: A Remote Desktop file (.rdp) file contains all of the information for a connection to a remote computer, including the Options settings that were configured when the file was saved. You can customize any number of .rdp files, including files for connecting to the same computer with different settings. For example, you can save a file that connects to MyComputer in full screen mode and another file that connects to the same computer in 800×600 screen size. By default, .rdp files are saved in the My DocumentsRemote Desktops folder. To edit an .rdp file and change the connections settings it contains, right-click the file and then click Edit.

To log off and end the session

In the Remote Desktop Connection window, click Start, and then click Shut Down.

The Shut Down Windows dialog box appears.

In the drop-down menu, select Log Off , and then click OK.

User Accounts and Fast User Switching

2009-04-30T00:04:00.001-07:00

Introduction

Windows XP represents Microsoft's big push to get the largely Windows 9X-based user community to an operating system family based on the Windows NT-kernel. In Windows XP, new client services not only blend the ease of use of familiar Windows 9X profiles with the robustness of Windows NT (and Windows 2000) user management, but significantly improve on the combination. While the majority of these advancements will be appreciated most by home users, enterprise customers that share assets-for instance, with shift workers and telecommuters or with users who access e-mail from multiple machines while roaming-will also see improvements.

Many computers are shared between multiple users, particularly in the home environment where studies have shown that 80% of computers are used routinely by multiple people. In previous versions of Windows NT, user account management-which could be strictly enforced across the enterprise by administrators-was a somewhat tricky process that was beyond the abilities of most non-computing professionals. Simple-to-use Windows 9X profiles, however, were not enabled by default and were largely ignored: The cost of actually using the profiles, which required that users log off before allowing other users to access the system, meant that the vast majority of machines made do with a single shared profile, with all of the corresponding security, configuration, and data-loss risks.
In Windows XP, user profiles are always enabled and even non-enterprise users are encouraged to create accounts during the Setup process. These accounts are based on Windows NT profiles and allow Windows XP to provide strong isolation and protection of users' data and settings. If multiple user accounts are configured on a machine, then users are presented with a Welcome screen that appears featuring separate-and customizable-graphics for each user. Users of Windows XP machines that are members of an NT-style domain do not see this screen, since presenting a list of machine users could be considered a security violation. A new control panel applet replaces the familiar Windows NT User Manager and Windows 2000 Computers and Users snap-in, providing a simple interface that allows almost anyone to set up a new user and give them appropriate rights and privileges.

Fast User Switching

Windows XP introduces fast user switching. Undoubtedly, fast user switching is the single most important feature that makes sharing Windows-based computers workable. Using fast user switching, it is not necessary for a user to log off the computer before allowing a second user to access their own account. Instead, the first user's account is "disconnected," which leaves all the programs running; the second user can then log on, and then the users can switch quickly between logged-on accounts. Many accounts can be open simultaneously on one computer, though only one account at a time will be able to interact with the keyboard, screen, and input devices.

In the home environment, for instance, fast user switching allows a parent working on a personal finance program to yield the computer to a child to work on homework by browsing the Internet, without requiring the parent to shut down and restart the finance program and without exposing the child to the parent's financial information. In the business environment, fast user switching can allow multiple users in a common environment, such as a research lab, to share a single machine.
Fast user switching is just one of two mechanisms that allow multiple users to work with a single system. Remote desktop, another built-in Windows XP feature, allows users to interact with machines remotely across a network and to access data and applications on those remote machines. While fast user switching is aimed principally at the home market, remote desktop enables business users to access their corporate desktops from remote computers-and vice versa, enabling them to operate home machines while at work.

Programming Issues

Both fast user switching and remote desktop use Windows XP's updated terminal services technology. Improvements have been made to both the server and client components of terminal services. Windows XP now features support for both local and remote sound, 24-bit video, performance optimizations, and the mapping of the local drives and printers.
Fortunately, most applications don't have to be rewritten to work with terminal services and, thus, fast user switching and remote desktop. Rather, they need to respect basic user settings management guidelines. These guidelines are not new: Most are covered in the Windows 2000 Certified for Windows Application Specification, which has been available on Microsoft's Web site for some time. The Data and Settings Management section of this specification includes several topics that are particularly important when supporting multiple users on a single machine:

· Default to the My Documents folder for storage of user-created data;
· Classify and store application data correctly;
· Degrade gracefully on "Access denied" messages.
Mostly, this means isolating data and settings for each user. And an important step in this direction is to ensure that you are using the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry key rather than HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for storing settings in the system registry. You should also be careful to install programs correctly and to classify and store data correctly. You can use the ShGetFolderPath API to obtain the path of a specific named folder-such as "My Documents" or even "Program Files"-as well as the appropriate directories for storing Roaming, Non-Roaming, and Shared application data. The following are some general guidelines for locating data:
· Profiles\username\Application Data\appname
- Roaming, auto-created user files (e-mail DB, custom dictionaries…)
· Profiles\username\Application Data\Local Settings\appname
- Discardable/local-only user data files (e.g., offline stores)
· Profiles\All Users\Application Data\appname
- Last-resort for local-only, common dynamic data (e.g., log files)

A notable exception to the isolation rule is that you should support "All Users" installations: It is extremely frustrating for users to install the same application repeatedly for multiple user accounts.
By carefully locating user data, user settings, and computer settings, applications can make it easier for users to backup individual documents and settings, share a computer among multiple users, and even to work with the same documents and settings on multiple computers. By handling data and settings properly, you can enable your application to run in both the home (fast user switching) and business enterprise (remote desktop) marketplaces.

Controlling Running Instances

It is common for applications to control their startup so that only a single instance may be running on a machine at any given time. There are many valid reasons for doing this: licensing restrictions, required dedicated access to specific hardware resources, and perhaps even enforcing data integrity. However, with multiple users on the same machine, it might be desirable to allow multiple users-each with their own instance-to work with (for example) a personal finance program as long as their data remains isolated. At this point, the commonly used mechanisms for controlling running instances may exhibit some unwanted side effects when operating under Windows XP's fast user switching or remote desktop.
The most common method for discovering whether another instance is running is to use the FindWindow or FindWindowEx APIs to search for a window that, if your application is running, you know to be open. Somewhat unexpectedly, both of these APIs work in a single user session only. So using this method won't prevent another instance of your application from being started by another user.
A more robust method for controlling multiple instances is to use one of the NT kernel objects: events, semaphores, mutexes, waitable timers, file-mapping objects, and job objects can all be used with Global\ or Local\ prefixes on Windows 2000 and Windows XP. By default, each user (terminal service) session will have its own namespace for kernel objects. By creating a Global\ object-for instance, a mutex or semaphore-when your application is started (and closing it upon exit), your application can detect running instances across multiple user (terminal service) sessions. Of course, you can't just switch to the previous instance: It may be in another session! What typically happens in that case is the user clicks on an icon and then nothing appears to happen (since the app thinks it's located another running instance). At a minimum, you should warn the user that there's another instance running.

What about sound? Well, the terminal services in Windows XP have been designed to configure sound to both the interactive and disconnected sessions. While it may be difficult to imagine at first, there may be valid scenarios where it would desirable to output multiple audio streams. For instance, what if you used a sound card in one user session to output audio to the home stereo system and at the same time the active user wanted to hold an interactive meeting with sound? In this case, you certainly would not want to blend the two streams. And neither would you want to suspend the audio stream in the disconnected session. Getting this right can be particularly important when working with shared media devices like DVD players.

One general guideline is to do "as little as possible, as much as necessary" when you are the disconnected session. To do this, it can be helpful to know when a session switch occurs. While most applications won't need to be notified, if your application accesses a shared resource-such as a serial port or other hardware device-you may want to know when the machine switches between user sessions. To be notified when a session switch occurs, you must register to receive the WM_WTSSESSION_CHANGE message by calling the WTSRegisterConsoleNotification API. Using this function, you can choose to be notified for a single session or for all sessions, and when either local or remote sessions connect or disconnect. When you no longer require notification, you should unregister using the WTSUnRegisterConsoleNotification API.

Summary

If you isolate access to your application's data and settings and take care not to tie up shared resources, your application should work well with Windows XP's terminal services. By developing your application to assume it's not the only thing running on the machine, your users are likely to have a much better experience when they start using it with Windows XP's new fast user switching and remote desktop features.

Rename a Series of Files

2009-04-30T00:04:00.000-07:00

When you download photos from your digital camera, they often have unrecognizable names. You can rename several similar files at once with the following procedure. This also works for renaming other types of files.

1.Open the My Pictures folder. (Click Start, and then click My Pictures.) Or open another folder containing files that you want to rename.
2.Select the files you want to rename. If the files you want are not adjacent in the file list, press and hold CTRL, and then click each item to select it.
3.On the File menu, click Rename.
4.Type the new name, and then press ENTER.

All of the files in the series will be named in sequence using the new name you type. For example, if you type Birthday, the first will be named Birthday and subsequent files in the series will be named Birthday (1), Birthday (2), and so on. To specify the starting number for the series, type the starting number in parentheses after the new file name. The files in the series will be numbered in sequence starting with the number you type. For example, if you type Birthday (10), the other files will be named Birthday (11), Birthday (12), and so on.

Licensing Issues

2009-04-29T22:42:00.000-07:00

Here you can find a Description of the things which are done by the Program or you can manually change the following settings to have the same effect:

- MediaPlayer: Don't Acquire licenses automatically - Open the MediaPlayer-Extras - Options... Click the tab 'Player', look at the groupbox 'Internetsettings' and uncheck 'Acquire licenses automatically'.

- MediaPlayer: No identification by internetsites - Open the MediaPlayer-Extras-Options... Click the tab ‘Player’, look at the groupbox 'Internet settings' and uncheck 'Allow identification by internet sites'

- MediaPlayer: don't download codecs automatically - Open the MediaPlayer-Extras-Options... Click the tab 'Player', look at the groupbox 'Automatic Updates' and uncheck 'Download Codecs Automatically'

- Error report: Don't report errors - Open the Explorer, right-click on 'My Computer' and select 'Properties', click on the Tab 'Advanced' and click the button 'Errorreports', in the upcoming dialog uncheck all 3 items and select 'Disable Errorreports'

To change drive letters

2009-04-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

To change drive letters (useful if you have two drives and have partitioned the boot drive, but the secondary drive shows up as "D")

Go to Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management, Disk Management, then right-click the partition whose name you want to change (click in the white area just below the word "Volume") and select "change drive letter and paths."
From here you can add, remove or change drive letters and paths to the partition.

My Computer Won't Shut Down Itself After Installing XP

2009-04-29T22:39:00.000-07:00

There are a number of users who are noticing that their PC will no longer automatically power down/shut off without pressing the power off button on the computers unlike in Windows Me/95/2000. There could be a number of reasons for this - but the main one seems to be that ACPI is not enabled on the computer or in Windows XP. Here is how to try that out:

Click - Start - Control Panel - Performance and Maintenance - Power Options Tab

Then click APM - Enable Advanced Power Management Support

How To Enable Hibernation

2009-04-29T22:37:00.000-07:00

Under Windows 98, Me, or 2000 there was an option in the shutdown dialog box to enter the computer into hibernation (where all the content of the RAM is copied to the hard disk). The shutdown dialog box of Windows XP doesn't offer any longer the hibernation button. Some users may get confused about how to enable the hibernation mode. If this mode is supported by your motherboard (ACPI) you have to do the following:

Click Start and Shut Down,

Point the standby button and maintain the shift key pushed,

A new hibernation button appears: click it while still holding the shift key: voila your PC will hibernate.

How to Write a Windows XP Driver

2009-04-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

Source: Microsoft Corporation July 2001

Summary: This document describes the steps you should take to create a Microsoft® Windows® XP driver for your device. To create a Windows XP device driver:

Install the current Windows DDK. Read the system requirements and installation instructions in the stand-alone Getting Started HTML file supplied with the DDK.

Read Getting Started with Windows Drivers. This document guides you through the planning and decision-making process involved in making a Windows device driver from design through distribution. You should also look through the DDK documentation for device-type-specific information.

The DDK documentation set has the following device-type-specific nodes:

Battery Devices

Display and Print Devices

IEEE 1284.4 Devices

Interactive Input Devices

Modem Devices

Multifunction Devices

Network Devices and Protocols

Parallel Ports and Devices

Serial Ports and Devices

Smart Card Devices

Still Image Devices

Storage Devices

Streaming Devices (Video and Audio)

Devices Requiring VDDs

IDE bus are described in System Support for Buses. Driver development for most device types also requires a strong understanding of Windows operating system fundamentals, which are described in Kernel-Mode Driver Architecture.

Look through the driver source code provided with the DDK for a sample that represents your device type. Use the sample code where possible, modifying it for your device's specifics.

The sample code can enhance your understanding of Windows XP driver implementation requirements and speed your development time.

Compile and build your driver. This should be done using the Build utility and not some other compiler, because the Build utility has certain features that are necessary for driver development.

Obtain a checked build of Windows XP, so that you can test and debug your driver using free and checked system builds.

The checked build of Windows XP provides extensive kernel-mode debugging capabilities not available in the free build.

Create an INF file so that you can install and test your driver.

Test and debug your driver. You should use Driver Verifier, a program that puts your driver through a variety of tests, stresses, and deliberate failures in order to test its response and reliability in many extreme situations. You should also use a debugger. Microsoft provides several powerful debuggers that can monitor and debug kernel-mode and user-mode drivers.
Using Driver Verifier in conjunction with these debuggers, on both the checked and free versions of the operating system, can be a powerful way to test your driver.

Provide an installation package so that customers can install devices that use your driver.

Submit your driver and installation package to Microsoft so that it can be digitally signed.

There are many resources available to you while developing your driver. The following sites describe some of the support available to you:

http://www.microsoft.com/ddk describes how to obtain the current DDK and provides other information, such as a driver development reading list.

http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev provides information, such as device-type-specific white papers and late-breaking news, and a list of resources available to driver developers.

http://support.microsoft.com/support/ddk contains DDK product support information.

How to create a boot disk

2009-04-29T22:34:00.000-07:00

This is quite simple.
1: Go into MY COMPUTER
2: Have a floppy disk in your drive and then RIGHT click on on the floppy drive and then click on FORMAT
3: You will be greeted with a number of options. The one you need to select is "Create an MS-DOS start up disk".
4: Click ok

Note: This requires up to 5 floppy disks and DOES NOT contain ANY CD-ROM drivers to boot from. A proper CD-ROM boot up disk is going to be release by Microsoft after the Windows XP public release. You can however use you old Windows Me start-up disk if you would prefer, as long as you have not upgraded to an NTFS drive.

Music and Audio with XP

2009-04-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

Great Digital Media with Windows XP includes everything you need to know to play digital music stored on your PC, on audio CDs, Internet radio stations, and through Web-based streaming audio. But it doesn't end there: With Windows XP, you can almost endlessly configure Microsoft Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP), manage digital music directly from the Windows shell and through MPXP, copy music from audio CDs to your PC, and create your own audio "mix" CDs and data CD backups. And best of all, these capabilities are all built into Windows XP... for free!
Here are some tips for working with digital music and audio in Windows XP.

Copy CD Audio in MP3 format with an MP3 Encoding Add-on Pack
Microsoft Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP) can record CD audio in Windows Media Audio (WMA) 8 format natively, but if you want to use the more common MP3 format, you will need one of several MP3 Encoding Add-on Packs, which will be available for download by the time Windows XP is widely released on October 25. The add-on packs will cost less than $10, and will be available from Cyberlink, InterVideo, and Ravisent.

Use transcoding to save space on portable audio devices.

When copying music from an audio CD to your hard drive, you will probably want to use a decent encoding rate (128 Kbps WMA or 160 Kbps MP3 format) to ensure that the resulting files are as close to CD-quality as possible. But such files are pretty large, and if you're going to be copying them to a portable audio device--such as an Iomega HipZip or a Pocket PC--you won't be able to bring very many songs with you on the road. To overcome this problem, Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP) supports a feature called transcoding, which will let you downsize files on the file as you copy them to a portable device. So you might transcode 128 Kbps WMA files down to 64 Kbps, for example, to fit twice as many songs in the same amount of space, with only a small loss in sound quality. To configure this feature, open MPXP and navigate to Tools, Options, Devices. Then, choose the appropriate device and click Properties. This dialog will allow you to set a custom quality level for music copied to that device.

Use audio CD artwork in your digital media folders.
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 (WMA 8 format by default). 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 Windows 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, you can save a smaller-sized image albumartsmall.jpg if you'd like: This file is used to store the album art thumbnails you see in folder icons.

How to make My Computer' open in Explore mode with folder list

2009-04-29T22:30:00.001-07:00

In My Computer click Tools menu, and then click Options.

Click the File Types tab.In the list of file types, highlight "(NONE) Folders"

Click Advanced button, In the Actions box, highlight "Explore" Click "Set Default"

XP to directly access WebDAV "internet disks"

2009-04-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

Windows XP can directly access WebDAV "internet disks" such as Apple's iDisk.

In Internet Explorer, use the "Open..." command, type the name of the WebDAV server you want to access (e.g., http://idisk.mac.com/username) and select the "Open as Web Folder" checkbox. Enter the password when prompted and you're in!

This trick also works on Windows Me and Windows 2000. Interestingly, Windows XP doesn't seem to support iDisk via the "Add a Network Place" command, possible with these other operating systems.

Once set up using the "Open" command, however, the idisk can be accessed by simply double-clicking its icon in the Network Places folder.

Get rid of Windows Messenger

2009-04-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

Start->Run->"gpedit.msc""
-Computer Configuration
-Administrative Templates
-Windows Components
-Windows Messenger

Here you can enable
"Do not allow Windows Messenger to be run"
and
"Do not automatically start Windows Messenger initially"

Remove Shared Documents

2009-04-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

Open Regedit(Start- Run- Regedit) and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SOFTWARE Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Explorer My Computer NameSpace DelegateFolders

There will see a sub-key named {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}. By Deleting this you can remove the 'Other Files stored on This Computer' group.

Change the text in Internet Explorers title bar to anything you want

2009-04-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

In regedit navigate to this key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerMain

change the value of the string "Window Title" to whatever you want on the title bar of Internet Explorer - to have no title except the title of the web pages you are browsing do not enter anything for a value.

Reduce Temporary Internet F ile Space

2009-04-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

The temporary internet files clutter your hard drive with copies of each page visited. These can build up over time and take up disk space. Even more bothersome is that instead of getting new pages each time IE often takes the page out the temp internet files. This can be a problem if you are viewing a website that is updated all the time. If you are on a slow connection such as a 56K or lower then this can be good but if you are on a fast broadband connection, like me, then you can get away with decreasing the size of your temp internet files to just one meg without any performance decrease.

Launch Internet Explorer.
Select the Tools from the menu bar.
Then select Internet Options... from the drop down menu.
Once the internet options has loaded click on the general tab.
Under the temporary internet files section click the settings button.
A settings window will load. Slide the slider all the way to the left so the size indicated in the text box on the right is one.
Click OK
Click Ok

Enable / Disable Firewall

2009-04-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

Open Control Panel and double click on Network Connections. In the new box that appears right click on the Connection and click on the Advanced tab. Check or uncheck the box according to your desire.

Win XP Won’t Completely Shutdown

2009-04-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

- Goto Control Panel, then goto Power Options.
- Click on the APM Tab, then check the "Enable Advanced Power Management support."
- Shut down your PC. It should now successfully complete the Shut Down process.

WinXP Clear Page file on shutdown

2009-04-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

Go to Control panel Administrative tools, local security policy. then goto local policies ---> security options.
Then change the option for "Shutdown: Clear Virtual Memory Pagefile"

Adjust various visual effects

2009-04-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

1. Open up the control panel
2. Go under system and click on the advanced tab
3. Click settings under Performance options
4. You can now change various graphical effects (mainly animations and shadows)

Disable Error Reporting

2009-04-29T22:20:00.001-07:00

1. Open Control Panel
2. Click on Performance and Maintenance.
3. Click on System.
4. Then click on the Advanced tab
5. Click on the error-reporting button on the bottom of the windows.
6. Select Disable error reporting.
7. Click OK
8. Click OK

Remove shortcut arrow from desktop icons

2009-04-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

Here's how you can remove those shortcut arrows from your desktop icons in Windows XP.

1. Start regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTlnkfile
3. Delete the IsShortcut registry value.

You may need to restart Windows XP.

Easy sendto menu modification

2009-04-29T22:16:00.000-07:00

first open - X:\Documents and Settings\username\SendTo (it is hidden) where X is your drive letter and username is your username make and delete shortcuts to folders and devices at will

Enable Clear Type

2009-04-29T22:13:00.000-07:00

Easy way- Click on or cut and paste link below:

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartype/cleartypeactivate.htm?fname=%20&fsize=
or
- Right click on a blank area of the Desktop and choose Properties
- Click on the Appearance Tab; Click effects
- Check the box: Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts
- In the drop down box select: Clear Type

Getting MP3 ripping to work in Windows Media Player 8 in XP

2009-04-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

Enter the following in the registry :

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftMediaPlayerSettingsMP3Encoding]
"LowRate"=dword:0000dac0
"MediumRate"=dword:0000fa00
"MediumHighRate"=dword:0001f400
"HighRate"=dword:0002ee00

This corresponds to 56, 64, 128 and 192 Kbps.

You can change this to your liking using the following dword hex values :

320 Kbps = dword:0004e200
256 Kbps = dword:0003e800
224 Kbps = dword:00036b00
192 Kbps = dword:0002ee00
160 Kbps = dword:00027100
128 Kbps = dword:0001f400
112 Kbps = dword:0001b580
64 Kbps = dword:0000fa00
56 Kbps = dword:0000dac0

Internet Broadband

2009-04-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

this ones simple:
this is for broad band connections. I didn’t try it on dial up but might work for dial up.
1.make sure your logged on as actually "Administrator". do not log on with any account that just has administrator privileges.
2. start - run - type gpedit.msc
3. expand the "local computer policy" branch
4. expand the "administrative templates" branch
5. expand the "network branch"
6. Highlight the "QoS Packet Scheduler" in left window
7. in right window double click the "limit reservable bandwidth" setting
8. on setting tab check the "enabled" item
9. where it says "Bandwidth limit %" change it to read 0
reboot if you want to but not necessary on some systems your all done. Effect is immediate on some systems. some need re-boot. I have one machine that needs to reboot first, the others didn't. Don't know why this is.

This is more of a "counter what XP does" thing. In other words, XP seems to want to reserve 20% of the bandwidth for its self. Even with QoS disabled, even when this item is disabled. So why not use it to your advantage. To demonstrate the problem with this on stand alone machines start up a big download from a server with an FTP client. Try to find a server that doesn't max out your bandwidth. In this case you want a slow to medium speed server to demonstrate this. Let it run for a couple of minutes to get stable. The start up another download from the same server with another instance of your FTP client. You will notice that the available bandwidth is now being fought over and one of the clients download will be very slow or both will slow down when they should both be using the available bandwidth. Using this "tweak" both clients will have a fair share of the bandwidth and will not fight over the bandwidth.

Add Album Art to any Music Folder

2009-04-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

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 Windows 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!

Album cover art makes music folder thumbnails look better than ever!

Change the location of the My Music or My Pictures folders

In Windows 2000, Microsoft added the ability to right-click the My Documents folder and choose a new location for that folder in the shell. With Windows XP, Microsoft has elevated the My Music and My Pictures folders to the same "special shell folder" status of My Documents, but they never added a similar (and simple) method for changing those folder's locations. However, it is actually pretty easy to change the location of these folders, using the following method.
Open a My Computer window and navigate to the location where you'd like My Music (or My Pictures) to reside. Then, open the My Documents folder in a different window. Drag the My Music (or My Pictures) folder to the other window, and Windows XP will update all of the references to that folder to the new location, including the Start menu.

Add/Remove optional features of Windows XP

I first mentioned this technique in an old Technology Showcase for Windows 2000, but it still works in Windows XP, and can be quite useful: For some reason, Microsoft has removed the ability to specify which Windows components you want to install during interactive Setup, and when you go into Add/Remove Windows Components in the Control Panel, you still don't have the full list of applications and applets you can add and remove. Thankfully, this is easy to fix.
To dramatically expand the list of applications you can remove from Windows XP after installation, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf (substituting the correct drive letter for your version of Windows) and open the sysoc.inf file. Under Windows XP Professional Edition RC1, this file will resemble the following by default:
[Version] Signature = "$Windows NT$"
DriverVer=06/26/2001,5.1.2505.0

[Components]
NtComponents=ntoc.dll,NtOcSetupProc,,4
WBEM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wbemoc.inf,hide,7
Display=desk.cpl,DisplayOcSetupProc,,7
Fax=fxsocm.dll,FaxOcmSetupProc,fxsocm.inf,,7
NetOC=netoc.dll,NetOcSetupProc,netoc.inf,,7
iis=iis.dll,OcEntry,iis.inf,,7
com=comsetup.dll,OcEntry,comnt5.inf,hide,7
dtc=msdtcstp.dll,OcEntry,dtcnt5.inf,hide,7
IndexSrv_System = setupqry.dll,IndexSrv,setupqry.inf,,7
TerminalServer=TsOc.dll, HydraOc, TsOc.inf,hide,2
msmq=msmqocm.dll,MsmqOcm,msmqocm.inf,,6
ims=imsinsnt.dll,OcEntry,ims.inf,,7
fp_extensions=fp40ext.dll,FrontPage4Extensions,fp40ext.inf,,7
AutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,au.inf,hide,7
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
msnexplr=ocmsn.dll,OcEntry,msnmsn.inf,,7
smarttgs=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,msnsl.inf,,7
RootAutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,rootau.inf,,7
Games=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,games.inf,,7
AccessUtil=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,accessor.inf,,7
CommApps=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,communic.inf,HIDE,7
MultiM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,multimed.inf,HIDE,7
AccessOpt=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,optional.inf,HIDE,7
Pinball=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,pinball.inf,HIDE,7
MSWordPad=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wordpad.inf,HIDE,7
ZoneGames=zoneoc.dll,ZoneSetupProc,igames.inf,,7

[Global]
WindowTitle=%WindowTitle%
WindowTitle.StandAlone="*"

The entries that include the text hide or HIDE will not show up in Add/Remove Windows Components by default. To fix this, do a global search and replace for , hide and change each instance of this to , (a comma). Then, save the file, relaunch Add/Remove Windows Components, and tweak the installed applications to your heart's content.

Cool, eh? There are even more new options now under "Accessories and Utilities" too.

Remove Windows Messenger

It seems that a lot of people are interested in removing Windows Messenger for some reason, though I strongly recommend against this: In Windows XP, Windows Messenger will be the hub of your connection to the .NET world, and now that this feature is part of Windows, I think we're going to see a lot of .NET Passport-enabled Web sites appearing as well. But if you can't stand the little app, there are a couple of ways to get rid of it, and ensure that it doesn't pop up every time you boot into XP. The best way simply utilizes the previous tip:
If you'd like Windows Messenger to show up in the list of programs you can add and remove from Windows, navigate to C:\WINDOWS\inf (substituting the correct drive letter for your version of Windows) and open sysoc.inf (see the previous tip for more information about this file). You'll see a line that reads:
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
Change this to the following and Windows Messenger will appear in Add or Remove Programs, then Add/Remove Windows Components, then , and you can remove it for good:
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,7

Kiss Windows Messenger goodbye!

Display the Sharing Tab in Folder Properties NEW!

In Windows 2000, getting to the Sharing options for a folder was simple: Just right-click, choose Properties, and you'd see a Sharing tab. In Windows XP, this seems to be missing, and the Beta 2 trick to displaying it (hold down CTRL as you right-click) no longer works.
But fear not, you can still cause your Windows XP RC1 or RC 2 system to display the Sharing tab if desired. Simply open up Folder Options (My Computer, then Tools, Folder Options) and navigate to the View tab. In the Advanced Settings section, scroll down to the bottom and uncheck Use simple file sharing (Recommended), a Mickey Mouse feature if there ever was one. Now share your folders on the LAN as you would in Windows 2000.

Use the Windows Sound Scheme

Windows XP RC1 and RC2 ship with a nice new sound scheme, but it's not loaded by default for some reason. So once you've installed Windows XP, one of the first things you should do is get that new sound scheme loaded.
To do so, open up Control Panel and navigate to Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices. Then, choose the task titled Change the sound scheme. In the dialog that appears, choose Windows Default for the sound scheme. Windows will ask you whether you want to save the previous scheme, which is usually a brain-dead questions, since no scheme was previously loaded. So choose No, and then click OK to exit the dialog.

Use the ultimate configuration tool

One of the most full featured Windows XP configuration tools available is hidden right there in your system, but most people don't even know it exists. It's called the Local Group Policy Editor, or gpedit for short. To invoke this editor, select Start and then Run, then type the following:
gpedit.msc
After you hit ENTER, you'll be greeted by gpedit, which lets you modify virtually every feature in Windows XP without having to resort to regedit. Dig around and enjoy!

Keyboard Shortcuts

2009-04-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

When speed counts, the keyboard is still king. Almost all the actions and commands you can perform with a mouse you can perform faster using combinations of keys on your keyboard. These simple keyboard shortcuts can get you where you want to go faster than several clicks of a mouse. You'll work faster on spreadsheets and similar documents, too, because you won't lose your place switching back and forth between mouse and keys.

Here are some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts:

Copy. CTRL+C
Cut. CTRL+X
Paste. CTRL+V
Undo. CTRL+Z
Delete. DELETE

Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin. SHIFT+DELETE
Copy selected item. CTRL while dragging an item
Create shortcut to selected item. CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item
Rename selected item. F2
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word. CTRL+RIGHT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word. CTRL+LEFT ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph. CTRL+DOWN ARROW
Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph. CTRL+UP ARROW
Highlight a block of text. CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document. SHIFT with any of the arrow keys
Select all. CTRL+A
Search for a file or folder. F3
View properties for the selected item. ALT+ENTER
Close the active item, or quit the active program. ALT+F4
Opens the shortcut menu for the active window. ALT+SPACEBAR
Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously. CTRL+F4
Switch between open items. ALT+TAB
Cycle through items in the order they were opened. ALT+ESC
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop. F6
Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer. F4
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item. SHIFT+F10
Display the System menu for the active window. ALT+SPACEBAR
Display the Start menu. CTRL+ESC
Display the corresponding menu. ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name
Carry out the corresponding command. Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu
Activate the menu bar in the active program. F10
Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu. RIGHT ARROW
Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu. LEFT ARROW
Refresh the active window. F5
View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer. BACKSPACE
Cancel the current task. ESC
SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive Prevent the CD from automatically playing.

Use these keyboard shortcuts for dialog boxes:

Move forward through tabs. CTRL+TAB
Move backward through tabs. CTRL+SHIFT+TAB
Move forward through options. TAB
Move backward through options. SHIFT+TAB
Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option. ALT+Underlined letter
Carry out the command for the active option or button. ENTER
Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box. SPACEBAR
Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons. Arrow keys
Display Help. F1
Display the items in the active list. F4
Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box. BACKSPACE

If you have a Microsoft Natural Keyboard, or any other compatible keyboard that includes the Windows logo key and the Application key , you can use these keyboard shortcuts:

Display or hide the Start menu.
Display the System Properties dialog box. +BREAK
Show the desktop. +D
Minimize all windows. +M
Restores minimized windows. +Shift+M
Open My Computer. +E
Search for a file or folder. +F
Search for computers. CTRL+ +F
Display Windows Help. +F1
Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain. + L
Open the Run dialog box. +R
Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.
Open Utility Manager. +U

Helpful accessibility keyboard shortcuts:

Switch FilterKeys on and off. Right SHIFT for eight seconds
Switch High Contrast on and off. Left ALT +left SHIFT +PRINT SCREEN
Switch MouseKeys on and off. Left ALT +left SHIFT +NUM LOCK
Switch StickyKeys on and off. SHIFT five times
Switch ToggleKeys on and off. NUM LOCK for five seconds
Open Utility Manager. +U

Keyboard shortcuts you can use with Windows Explorer:

Display the bottom of the active window. END
Display the top of the active window. HOME
Display all subfolders under the selected folder. NUM LOCK+ASTERISK on numeric keypad (*)
Display the contents of the selected folder. NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN on numeric keypad (+)
Collapse the selected folder. NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN on numeric keypad (-)
Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder. LEFT ARROW
Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder. RIGHT ARROW

Where has Scan Disk Gone

2009-04-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

Scandisk is not a part of Windows XP - instead you get the improved CHKDSK. You can use the Error-checking tool to check for file system errors and bad sectors on your hard disk.

1: Open My Computer, and then select the local disk you want to check.
2: On the File menu, click Properties.
3: On the Tools tab, under Error-checking, click Check Now.
4: Under Check disk options, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box.
· All files must be closed for this process to run. If the volume is currently in use, a message box will appear prompting you to indicate whether or not you want to reschedule the disk checking for the next time you restart your system. Then, the next time you restart your system, disk checking will run. Your volume will not be available to perform other tasks while this process is running.
· If your volume is formatted as NTFS, Windows automatically logs all file transactions, replaces bad clusters, and stores copies of key information for all files on the NTFS volume.

XP file Sharing

2009-04-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

File sharing. Is the sharing of a disk or printer between computers . If a disk or folder is shared, everyone on the network can access it. You have the ability to set password and permissions for the shared disk or folder for security therefore Windows XP tries to protect you from some potential security risks.

Right click the disk or folder that you want to share and select Sharing and Security.
NOTE: The first time you do this the Networking wizard will appear ..CLOSE IT..:-

The Wizard automatically enables the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) to prevent other Internet users from accessing your shared disks and folders. Enabling ICF is a good idea if you connect directly to the Internet through a dial-up, DSL, or cable modem. But it's a terrible idea if you connect to the Internet through your LAN, using a software router (like Internet Connection Sharing) or a hardware router, since it will block File and Printer Sharing.

The disk or folder that you share, along with all of the folders that it contains, will be accessible by other network users. If you're sharing an entire disk, Windows XP gives a warning. The implication of the warning is that it's better to share a specific folder, since only that folder (and its subfolders) will be accessible by others, and the rest of the disk will be inaccessible. Click where indicated if you want to go ahead and share the entire disk. This screen doesn't appear if you're sharing a folder.

XP will display a warning. If you want ICF enabled, select Use the wizard to enable file sharing. Otherwise, select Just enable file sharing.

Having successfully stopped the Wizard's , you now have to specify a Share name, which users on other networked computers will use to access this disk or folder. For maximum compatibility with all versions of Windows, use 1-12 characters.
By default, users on other computers have full access: they can read, write, and delete shared files. If you only want them to be able to read files, un-check Allow network users to change my files.

Warning: If a user has full access, deleting a file doesn't put it in the Recycle Bin. Once it's deleted, it's gone for good.

Hiding a Shared Disk or Folder
What if you don't want everyone on the network to be able to access a shared disk or folder?
The answer is to create a hidden share by adding a dollar sign ('$') to the end of the share name. A hidden share doesn't appear in My Network Places or Network Neighborhood on any of the networked computers. Only people who know the share name can access it.

To create a hidden share, right click the disk or folder and select Sharing and Security.

Specify a share name that ends with a dollar sign. Once again, use 1-12 characters (1-11 before the dollar sign). If the people on your network are clever enough to guess a name like myfiles$, use a more secure name, like a combination of letters and numbers. Just make sure that you can remember it.

Mapping Hidden Drives
Accessing a Hidden Share:
A hidden share doesn't appear on any of the networked computers, so how can someone on another computer access it? The answer is to map it as a network drive, which assigns a drive letter to the hidden share. Once it has a drive letter, you access it just like a disk on the same computer.
To map a network drive, open My Computer, click Tools, and select Map Network Drive.

Specify an unused drive letter and enter the network path for the hidden share, being sure to include the dollar sign. If you check Reconnect at logon, the mapping will happen automatically every time you start your computer. Otherwise, you'll have to map it manually every time.

Set up and Use Internet Connection Sharing

2009-04-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

With Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) in Windows XP, you can connect one computer to the Internet, then share the Internet service with several computers on your home or small office network. The Network Setup Wizard in Windows XP Professional will automatically provide all of the network settings you need to share one Internet connection with all the computers in your network. Each computer can use programs such as Internet Explorer and Outlook Express as if they were directly connected to the Internet.
You should not use this feature in an existing network with Windows 2000 Server domain controllers, DNS servers, gateways, DHCP servers, or systems configured for static IP addresses.

Enabling ICS
The ICS host computer needs two network connections. The local area network connection, automatically created by installing a network adapter, connects to the computers on your home or small office network. The other connection, using a 56k modem, ISDN, DSL, or cable modem, connects the home or small office network to the Internet. You need to ensure that ICS is enabled on the connection that has the Internet connection. By doing this, the shared connection can connect your home or small office network to the Internet, and users outside your network are not at risk of receiving inappropriate addresses from your network.
When you enable ICS, the local area network connection to the home or small office network is given a new static IP address and configuration. Consequently, TCP/IP connections established between any home or small office computer and the ICS host computer at the time of enabling ICS are lost and need to be reestablished. For example, if Internet Explorer is connecting to a Web site when Internet Connection Sharing is enabled, refresh the browser to reestablish the connection. You must configure client machines on your home or small office network so TCP/IP on the local area connection obtains an IP address automatically. Home or small office network users must also configure Internet options for Internet Connection Sharing. To enable Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) Discovery and Control on Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Edition computers, run the Network Setup Wizard from the CD or floppy disk on these computers. For ICS Discovery and Control to work on Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows Millennium Edition computers, Internet Explorer version 5.0 or later must be installed.

To enable Internet Connection Sharing on a network connection
You must be logged on to your computer with an owner account in order to complete this procedure.
Open Network Connections. (Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double–click Network Connections.)

Click the dial–up, local area network, PPPoE, or VPN connection you want to share, and then, under Network Tasks, click Change settings of this connection.

On the Advanced tab, select the Allow other network users to connect through this computer's Internet connection check box.
If you want this connection to dial automatically when another computer on your home or small office network attempts to access external resources, select the Establish a dial–up connection whenever a computer on my network attempts to access the Internet check box.

If you want other network users to enable or disable the shared Internet connection, select the Allow other network users to control or disable the shared Internet connection check box.

Under Internet Connection Sharing, in Home networking connection, select any adapter that connects the computer sharing its Internet connection to the other computers on your network. The Home networking connection is only present when two or more network adapters are installed on the computer.

To configure Internet options on your client computers for Internet Connection Sharing
Open Internet Explorer. Click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Internet Explorer.)

On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.

On the Connections tab, click Never dial a connection, and then click LAN Settings.

In Automatic configuration, clear the Automatically detect settings and Use automatic configuration script check boxes.

In Proxy Server, clear the Use a proxy server check box.

XP Network Protocols

2009-04-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

Im not going to explain everything about Protocols that is way out of scope of this guide.

There are three main Protocols : TCP/IP, IPX/SPX and NETBEUI

TCP/IP :

Is automatically installed, can't be un-installed, and is used by default for all networking functions.Windows XP provides one other supported protocol -- IPX/SPX -- and one unsupported protocol, NetBEUI.

By default, XP configures TCP/IP to obtain an IP address automatically. If there's a DHCP server on the network, it will assign the IP address and other TCP/IP settings to the connection. Otherwise, Windows XP will use Automatic Private IP Addressing to assign an IP address to the connection.

By default, XP configures TCP/IP to obtain an IP address automatically. If there's a DHCP server on the network, it will assign the IP address and other TCP/IP settings to the connection. Otherwise, Windows XP will use Automatic Private IP Addressing to assign an IP address to the connection.
This default configuration should work, unchanged, to connect a Windows XP computer to a network that uses TCP/IP for File and Printer Sharing in these common configurations:

Using an Internet sharing program or a hardware router protects the local area network from access by other Internet users, so it's safe to use TCP/IP for File and Printer Sharing on the LAN. The computers have private IP addresses that aren't accessible from the Internet. No other protocol is needed.
If your network uses static IP addresses, click Use the following IP address -- 192.168.0.3 and enter the configuration information. For example, here are settings for a network that uses a proxy server at IP address 192.168.0.1 for Internet access.

IPX/SPX

If the existing network uses IPX/SPX for File and Printer Sharing, you can add that protocol to the Windows XP computer. IPX/SPX is fully supported in XP. In the connection's Properties, click the Install button to add a network component. XP will ask what type of network component to install.

Click Protocol and Add.

Click NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport Protocol and click OK. Two NWLink items are added to the connection's Properties

Have your winXP CD handy.

NetBEUI

NetBEUI was the default protocol in Windows 95, but Microsoft has been moving away from NetBEUI ever since. Starting with Windows 98, TCP/IP has been the default protocol, and NetBEUI has been available for installation as a supported protocol.

Starting with Windows XP, NetBEUI is unsupported. This doesn't mean that NetBEUI won't work! It means that:

Microsoft recommends against using it.

It doesn't appear in the list of protocols that can be installed.

Microsoft's technical support staff won't answer questions about NetBEUI or help solve problems with it.
Because it's been around for so long, some people think that NetBEUI is required, and they install it on all Windows networks. Actually, nothing in Windows networking has ever required NetBEUI. You can even un-install NetBEUI in Windows 95 and use a different protocol.

If your existing network uses NetBEUI for File and Printer Sharing, consider changing to a different protocol. Most networks can safely use TCP/IP. The main exceptions to this rule are when:

All of the networked computers are connected directly to a cable or DSL modem and receive public IP addresses from an Internet service provider.

You've separated your LAN from the Internet, but you've opened ports or have placed a computer outside the firewall to use certain applications or services.

If, after considering all the options, you decide to install NetBEUI on Windows XP, you can do it using files on the Windows XP CD-ROM. Follow the instructions in the article HOW TO: Install NetBEUI on Windows XP in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. These tips will help with the installation process:

If the Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP screen appears when you insert the CD-ROM, click Perform additional tasks followed by Browse this CD.

Where the article refers to %SYSTEMROOT%, substitute the name of the Windows XP installation folder, which is typically C:Windows.

To see the hidden INF directory, go to My Computer | Tools | Folder Options | View. Scroll down the list of Advanced settings, and un-check Hide protected operating system files.
If you have a new computer that didn't come with a Windows XP CD-ROM, see if the computer manufacturer will send you the CD-ROM or the necessary NetBEUI files. If that isn't possible, you'll have to use a different protocol on your network.

XP Hibernate Option

2009-04-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

Whenever you want to logoff, shut down or reboot your Windows XP machine you have only 3 choices
(1) Standby ONLY IF the ACPI/APM function is properly enabled BOTH in your motherboard's BIOS AND in WinXP!
(2) Restart
(3) Shutdown.

To properly enable Hibernation in WinXP:

Start button -> Control Panel -> Power Options -> Hibernate tab -> check Enable hibernate support box -> Apply/OK -> reboot.

NOTE: If the Hibernate tab is unavailable your computer does NOT support it!
For some reason Microsoft did NOT enable the 4th option:
(4) Hibernate, which should be available on power saving (ACPI) enabled PCs and laptops.
But you CAN bring it back: just hold the Shift key while the Shut down menu is displayed on your screen, and notice the Standby button being replaced by a new, fully functional Hibernate button, which can be clicked with the left button of your mouse.

If you release the Shift key, the Hibernate option will disappear once again, to be replaced by Standby.

XP Computer management console

2009-04-29T12:30:00.000-07:00

To quickly access the computer management console, where you can see event logs (to see what's causing a problem, for example), right-click My Computer and choose Manage.

Then, select the Event viewer and double-click highlighted events in the Applications or System areas to view detailed explanations of what went wrong.

XP Animations

2009-04-29T12:29:00.000-07:00

You can turn off window animation ("exploding" windows), displayed when you play around with minimizing/maximizing open windows. This makes navigating Windows 95/98/ME/NT4/2000/XP a lot quicker, especially if you don't have a fast video controller, or if you got tired of seeing it all the time (like I did). :)
To do this, run Regedit (or Regedt32) and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER | Control Panel | Desktop | WindowMetrics
or if you are the only user of your Windows computer go to:

HKEY_USERS | .Default | Control Panel | Desktop | WindowMetrics

Right-click on an empty spot in the right hand pane. Select New -> String [REG_SZ] Value. Name it MinAnimate. Click OK. Double-click on "MinAnimate" and type 0 to turn OFF window animation or 1 to turn it ON. Click OK. Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows. Done.

TweakUI, the famous Microsoft Power Toy [110 KB, free, unsupported] can also turn off animated windows.
Just remove the check mark from the "Window Animation" box under the General tab.

What are XP powerToys

2009-04-29T12:28:00.000-07:00

PowerToys are additional programs that developers work on after the product has been released to manufacturing, but before the next project has begun. These toys add fun and functionality to the Windows experience.

We've taken great care to ensure that PowerToys operate as they should. But please note that these programs are not part of Windows and are not supported by Microsoft. For this reason, Microsoft Technical Support is unable to answer questions about PowerToys

The PowerToys are installed into the directory you specify during setup. Typically this is the system32 directory.

To uninstall the PowerToys, Open the control Panel. Launch the Add/Remove Programs control panel applet. Find the PowerToys for Windows XP entry, and choose Modify/Remove. From here you can remove specific toys or all of them.

Faster User Switcher
Note: You cannot use this toy if fast user switching is not enabled.

What it is: With Fast User Switching enabled on Windows XP, this PowerToy allows you to switch users without having to use the logon screen.
Special requirements: This PowerToy requires a Windows key on your keyboard.
How to use: Press the Windows key then the Q key to activate; release and press Q to switch to a different user tile, then release both Q and Windows key to switch to that user.

Shell Player
What it is: This PowerToy plays MP3 files and WMA files from the taskbar.
How to use: Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Audio Player." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the player, you will have to unlock it. This will allow you to access the play list editor and view all the buttons.

Task Switcher
What it is: Replaces the existing Alt + Tab application switching mechanism of Windows XP. It provides a thumbnail preview of windows in the task list and is compliant with the new Windows XP visual style.
How to use: (NOTE: You must log off and then log on again for the changes to take effect). Use just as you do the existing Alt + Tab mechanism by pressing the Alt key and the Tab key to activate. While holding down the Alt key, press the Tab key to cycle through running applications. To move backwards, press Shift + Alt + Tab. Release all keys when the desired application is highlighted.

Open Command Window Here
What it is: This PowerToy adds an "Open Command Window Here" context menu option on file system folders. This gives users a quick way to open a command window (cmd.exe) pointing at a selected folder in the Explorer UI.
How to use: After installation, right click on the folder you would like to have a quick launch command window for.

Tweak UI
What it is: Provides access to system settings that are not exposed in the Windows XP default user interface.
How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, TweakUI for Windows XP.

PowerToy Calc
What it is: Graphing calculator
How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, PowerToy Calc

Bulk Resize for Photos
What it is: Allows you to make a new, resized copy of your selected pictures in the same folder they are currently located in. You can opt to resize one or many pictures (as a batch).
How to use: Right click any image(s) and select Resize Pictures in the context menu.

ISO Image Burner
What it is: Allows you to burn an ISO Image using a CD-ROM burner that is compatible with Windows XP
How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, ISO Burner

Slide Show Generator
What it is: Generate a slideshow when burning a CD
How to use: Add only images to a CD-ROM using Windows XP Explorer, then Write these files to disk. A new task is presented in the wizard for generating the autorun for the slideshow.

Virtual Desktop Manager
What it is: Manage up to 4 desktops from the Windows Shell Taskbar.
How to use:Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Desktop Manager." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the manager, you will have to unlock it.

Background Wallpaper switcher
What it is: Allows you to switch the background image periodically.
How to use: Access this PowerToy by right clicking the desktop, click properties. It has added a new tab that will allow you to specify the interval as well as the directory to obtain the images from.

Taskbar Magnifier
What it is: Allows you to magnify part of the screen from the taskbar.
How to use:Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Taskbar Magnifier." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the magnifier, you will have to unlock it.

Slide Show Wizard
What it is: This wizard helps you create a slide show of your digital pictures. When you're done, you can put your slide show on the Web so that your family and friends can view it.
How to use: Launch the Wizard from the Start Menu under All ProgramsPowertoys for Windows XPSlide Show Wizard. Follow the steps of the wizard to select and arrange your pictures, choose from a few simple options, and then save a Web-ready HTML slide show to a folder.

Use the Internet Connection Firewall to Secure Your Small Network

2009-04-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

A firewall is a security system that acts as a protective boundary between a network and the outside world. Windows XP includes Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) software you can use to restrict what information is communicated between the Internet and your home or small office network. ICF also protects a single computer connected to the Internet with a cable modem, a DSL modem, or a dial–up modem.

If your network uses Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) to provide Internet access to multiple computers, you should use ICF on the shared Internet connection. However, ICS and ICF can be enabled separately. You should not enable the firewall on any connection that does not directly connect to the Internet, and ICF is not needed if your network already has a firewall or proxy server.

You must be logged on to your computer with an owner account in order to complete this procedure. You should not enable Internet Connection Firewall on virtual private networking (VPN) connections or on client computers because ICF will interfere with file and printer sharing. ICF cannot be enabled on the private connections of the Internet Connection Sharing host computer.

To enable or disable Internet Connection Firewall

Open Network Connections (Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double–click Network Connections.)

Click the Dial–up, LAN or High–Speed Internet connection that you want to protect, and then, under Network Tasks, click Change settings of this connection.

On the Advanced tab, under Internet Connection Firewall, select one of the following:

To enable Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), select the Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet check box.

To disable Internet Connection Firewall, clear the Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the Internet check box. This disables the firewall, your computer and network are then vulnerable to intrusions

Turn off Welcome screen

2009-04-29T12:25:00.001-07:00

Open User Accounts in Control Panel.

Click Change the way users log on or off

Speed up viewing shared files across a network

2009-04-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

Windows 2000 & XP machines delay as long as 30 seconds when you try to view shared files across a network because Windows is using the extra time to search the remote computer for any Scheduled Tasks. Here's how to prevent this remote search for Scheduled Tasks:
Open up the Registry and go to :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Explorer/RemoteComputer/NameSpace

Under that branch, select the key :

{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}

and delete it.

If you like you may want to export the exact branch so that you can restore the key if necessary. This fix is so effective that it doesn't require a reboot and you can almost immediately determine yourself how much it speeds up your browsing processes.

Setup XP from a Network drive

2009-04-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

You use three switches. If D: is the target, and G: is the net drive.

G:i386winnt32 /tempdrive:D /makelocalsource /s:G:i386

TIPS FOR ALL TIME

You Can Use Boolean Operators When You Search

MSN Search Returns Four Types of Results

Create Your Own Personal MSN

MSN Explorer Is a Great Interface—If You Dial Up

Make Yahoo! Safe for Kids

Create Your Own Personal My Yahoo!

Add a Yahoo! Toolbar to Internet Explorer

Search for Definitions -Yahoo!

Search for Maps -Yahoo!

Search for News -Yahoo!

Search for the Weather Forecast

Expand Your Search Results

Access All of Yahoo!’s Searches from a Single Page

Search for Images (Using Google Image Search)

Yahoo!’s Advanced Search Page

When You Search Yahoo!, You’re Searching Google

The Yahoo! Directory Has Higher­ Quality Results than Yahoo! Web Search—but Fewer of Them

Go Directly to Almost Any Yahoo! Page - No Clicking Necessary

How to Get Windows XP SP3 Via Windows Update

Creating PDF Files without Acrobat

Converting a Linux PC to Windows (Not as Easy as it Sounds)

Choosing an Anti-Virus Program

Adding a External Hard Drive (the Hard Way)

Set the Search Screen to the Classic Look

New Sound Blaster Drivers

Upgrading to Windows XP

How to Upgrade Windows 98

Speed up your browsing of Windows 2000 & XP machines

Set up and Use Internet Connection Sharing

Set Processes Priority

Set Permissions for Shared Files and Folders

Search For Hidden Or System Files In Windows XP

Restricting Logon Access

How to Remove Windows XP's Messenger

Remove the Recycle Bin from the Desktop

Provide Remote Assistance When Using a NAT Device

Ports That Are Used by Windows Product Activation

NTFS vs. FAT

Make your Folders Private

IP address of your connection

How to use Windows Update Properly

Install/Enable NetBEUI Under WinXP

How to remove the Default Picture and Fax Preview Action

How to Convert FAT to NTFS file system

AVI File Fix in Windows XP

Mustek 600 CP scanner or other software unable to install on XP

How do I enable advanced security settings like found in Windows 2000

Hide 'User Accounts' from users

Force users to press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to Logon

Fix your Slow XP and 98 Network

How to Convert a FAT Partition to NTFS

Copy Files and Folders to CD

Create a Password Reset Disk

Disable CD Autorun

20 things you didn't know about Windows XP

Adding Programs To Stay On The Start Menu

Boot Defragment

For a Safer, faster XP Close Unwanted Services

Getting an Older Program to Run on Windows XP

Changing The Internet Time Update Synchronisation

Using Remote Desktop

User Accounts and Fast User Switching

Rename a Series of Files

Licensing Issues

To change drive letters

My Computer Won't Shut Down Itself After Installing XP

How To Enable Hibernation

How to Write a Windows XP Driver

How to create a boot disk

Music and Audio with XP

How to make My Computer' open in Explore mode with folder list

XP to directly access WebDAV "internet disks"

Get rid of Windows Messenger

Remove Shared Documents

Change the text in Internet Explorers title bar to anything you want

Reduce Temporary Internet F ile Space

Enable / Disable Firewall

Win XP Won’t Completely Shutdown

WinXP Clear Page file on shutdown

The Yahoo! Directory Has Higher Quality Results than Yahoo! Web Search—but Fewer of Them