Learn IT Easy

Access Restricted or Banned Web Sites

2009-11-08T16:50:00.004+05:00

Access Restricted or Banned Web Sites

You can access the restricted or banned websites with the help of this tip. You may have problems to accessing your favorite's politics, news, and sexy websites in your office and other public places. Some time these websites banned by Government, ISP and may be by your office network administrator. This tip is very useful, if you are using internet particularly in school, college and office.

Follow the given points to access the banned website:

Technique 1: Search the banned website, for example http://learnitez.blogspot.com in Google and yahoo search engine then open the cached copy of that page to access the website. You can get also cache link of that website, if you search in Google with keyword cache:URL name and get cache link to access the website.

Technique 2: Another method to access the banned website using its IP address, because you can open the website with IP address instead of actual URL name. This technique bypasses the URL based restrictions. For example if www.myspace.com is banned in your school, you can open it using IP address 216.178.32.51. You can search online IP conversion tools to get IP address of any website.

Technique 3: There are some mini web browsers can help you to open the banned websites, for example Opera Mini Browser, install it and try to open any banned website. Another Real Player browser can successfully help you to access the banned website. This Real Player browser bypasses the many restrictions of website banned tools.

Technique 4: There any many websites Anonymizer tools are available to fetch the banned website. These anonymous surfing tools that protect your identity on the internet and give the access to banned sites. As far as the service provider is concerned you are viewing a page from Anonymizer and not the blocked site.

These tips are very useful to access the banned websites in your university, cybercafes ,office and other public places.

By: Rung Baaz

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How to Fix When Network Setup Wizard & Network Connections won't open in Windows XP

2008-02-15T10:48:00.002+05:00

A friend of mine moved recently to a new house, after they setup their computers and small network up and reconnected to their DSL line, both computers could get online but one computer could not open the Network Setup Wizard or Network Connections control panel. Everything worked ok, except the second computer could not see this computer on the network or its shared files or printers.

After making sure both were using the same workgroup name and each had different computer names, I proceeded to dig deeper. Because I could not open the network connections control panel, it wasnt possible to check anything there. I opened a command prompt and tried getting the computer's IP information using the command

IPCONFIG /ALL

Unfortunately I was presented with a message stating the command could not run because of a missing file called WTSAPI32.DLL.

I proceeded to run System File Checker to check for any missing windows files on the computer by following these instructions:

1) Place your Windows XP CD in the CD-ROM Drive and close any autorun screen from Windows XP that may pop up.
2) Click on Start, Run
3) Type SFC /SCANNOW and press Enter to start the System File Checker for Windows XP

If any system files are missing, the program will reinstall the missing files from the Windows XP CD you placed in the CD Drive.

Unfortunately, after running the System File Checker and replacing a couple files then rebooting, I still wasn't able to run IPCONFIG and it still complained about the missing WTSAPI32.DLL file. This DLL file is part of Windows Terminal Server and contains application programming interface (API) calls used by terminal services.

I proceed to manually restore this WTSAPI32.DLL file from the Windows XP CD using this procedure.

1) Place your Windows XP CD in the CD-ROM Drive and close any autorun screen from Windows XP that may pop up.
2) Click on Start, Run
3) Type CMD and press Enter to open the command prompt
4) Type the following command to replace the dll file, substituting the correct drive letter for your CD-ROM drive. In this case replace the D drive letter with the letter corresponding to your CD drive where the Windows XP CD is located. Press Enter after typing the command.

expand D:\I386\WTSAPI32.DL_ C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WTSAPI32.DLL

5) You should see a screen showing the file being expanded and replaced.
6) Type EXIT and Press Enter to close the command prompt
7) Restart your computer

After restarting the computer, I was able to open the Network Connection icon in the Control Panel, run the Network Setup Wizard, and more. The computers could see each other again, and I was able to share a printer and make everything work correctly.

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How to Enable or Disable System Restore on Windows XP

2008-02-15T11:20:00.002+05:00

Here's how to enable / disable System Restore in your Windows XP computer

Right click on My Computer icon on your desktop and then choose Properties
Click on the System Restore tab
Give a Check mark on the "Turn off System Restore on all drives" option if you want to enable System Restore and uncheck it if you want to disable it.
Don't forget to click the OK button

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Erase Uninstalled Application From Add and Remove Program List

2008-02-15T11:23:00.001+05:00

Sometimes if we uninstall an application from Windows, the application name still listed in the Add Remove Program list, although everything connected to the application such as shortcut, file and folder has been erased for your hard drive. Don't worry, there is always away to handle this kind of situation.
Before we go on with this, please remember that I'm not responsible if something goes wrong with your PC. Always backup your Windows Registry before doing these steps.
To clean what’s left behind you have to use Registry Editor (Regedit). Open Regedit from Start -> Run, and type "regedit" (without quotes). In the Regedit window, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> Uninstall key, you'll see a lot of entry in it. To know which one belongs to the application you are trying to erase from the Add Remove Program list, you have to check those entries one by one (sorry folks...).
Browse those entry and watch for sub entry called "Display Name" value that contain the application name you are trying to erase in it and then erase that sub entry. To get things clear for you, let me show you an example. If you are trying to erase Dreamweaver 8 from the Add Remove Program list, you have to erase "{0837A661-FEC3-48B3-876C-91E7D32048A9}" entry, because it's "Display Name" sub entry value contains Dreamweaver 8 in it.

After you done erasing the sub entry, close Regedit and then restart your Windows.

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How To Change Windows Recycle Bin Name

2008-02-15T11:26:00.002+05:00

Have you tried renaming Recycle Bin's name in your Windows desktop? Well, eventually you'll always failed because Windows didn't provide a facility to rename it from your desktop. But you still could rename Recycle Bin using Windows Registry Editor also known as regedit.
Remember i'm not respossible if anything goes wrong with your computer. Backup your Windows registry before you try to do this trick. Ok, here is how to do it:

Click Start->Run.
Type regedit, then press Enter.
When the regedit is shown, click on Edit->Find.
In the Find dialog box, type "Recycle Bin" (without quotes), then press Enter.
After you found it, double click on the Name icon, the type other words to replace Recycle Bin into something you prefer.
Press F3 (Find Next) to find other registry that still contain "Recycle Bin" and change them (in Windows XP, you don't need to do this).
Refresh your desktop by pressing F5 when you are in the desktop.

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Skip Windows Login When Windows Restart

2008-02-15T11:27:00.002+05:00

If your Windows XP is protected with a password, you have to login to the system again if your computer reboots. Want to know a great tip how to skip Winddows XP login process for the second time?
Just go to Start -> Run, and run this command:

control userpasswords2

Do you see the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer."? If yes, just uncheck the checkbox and click OK to save the changes. To test if it works or not, just restart your PC.

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How to Make Shutdown Shortcut

2008-02-16T10:57:00.001+05:00

How to Make Shutdown Shortcut
Do you ever get tired of the repetitive process of shutting down your computer? You know, you have to go to your Start menu and then select Turn Off or Shut Down, whichever your computer has. Then you have to wait for it to actually shut down just to make sure it did it properly. Well, how would you like to bypass all of that and make the process a little easier?
You can do so by creating a shutdown shortcut for your computer. This shortcut will just be like another icon either on your desktop or in your quick launch area. To create one, right click anywhere on your desktop and go to New, Shortcut. A wizard will then pop up and walk you through the steps. In the "Type the location of the item:" box, enter this code: %windir%\System32\shutdown.exe -s
Now, the s stands for shutdown. If you use this option, your computer will give you a brief waiting time before it actually shuts down. You can also choose to force running applications to stop (f) or choose to have no wait time before your PC turns completely off (t xx). So, if you would like to have both of those along with your command, enter this code instead: %windir%\System32\shutdown.exe -s -f -t 00. Your computer will then shut down instantly.
Once you have the one you want, click Next. You can then pick a name for your shortcut. I just named mine "Shut Down," but you can use whatever you want. When done, click Finish and the new icon will appear on your desktop. You can add it to your quick launch area now as well if you want. When you're ready to shut down your computer, double click this new icon and your computer will turn off. Cool, huh?! And the best part is, it's all done with one quick step!

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How To Recover a Lost Window

2008-02-16T11:05:00.003+05:00

I'm sure this has happened to you: a window strays outside of the visible desktop area and you can't seem to grab it with your pointer.
All is not lost.
Click the button for it down in the toolbar to bring it into focus. Hit Alt+Spacebar and it will bring up a System menu (Restore, Move, Size, etc.) Usually this shows up in the upper left hand corner of a window, but on one that's offscreen it appears on your desktop as close to the renegade as it can.
Press "M" for Move and use the arrow key to bring it back into view.

Once it's where you want it, hit Enter or click your left mouse button.

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Password Protect Folders in XP Over the Network

2008-02-16T11:06:00.002+05:00

Password Protect Folders in XP Over the Network

Do you share a computer with other users and want some extra security on your folders? There are two ways to password protect a folder built into Windows XP (for other Windows flavors, there are some freeware/shareware programs out there).
#1 If you have a log in password for your account, this can be used to protect folders from other users. Your hard drive must be formatted using NTFS (which it probably is unless you're dual booting with another operating system). Here's what to do...
Right-click the folder that you want to make private and choose "Properties" (or Alt+Double-click). Go to the "Sharing" tab and check the "Make this folder private" box.

Click Apply . If you do not have a password on your account, a box will pop up asking if you want to assign a password. This must be done if you want to make the folder private, so click Yes . You will need to use your password to log on to your computer from then on.
Type in a password then confirm it. Click the "Create Password" button then close the Password window.
Click OK in the Properties dialog box.
Now anyone else logged on to your computer can't access that file without knowing your password.
#2 If the Folder is Zipped you can give it a unique password.
Just double-click the zipped folder. In the top menu select File then click "Add a Password".

Type a password into the Password box. Then again in the "Confirm Password" box.

Now, you are the only person who can access files in this folder. The folder can be opened allowing the files to be seen, but you are the only one who can access them.
Don't you feel more secure now?

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How To Change the Computer's Owner Name

2008-02-16T11:20:00.003+05:00

if you want to change the Owner Name of your computer, it is very easy

Go to Start/Run and type in "regedit" without the quotes (Win 2000 type "regedt32")
With Windows XP (and probably Win 2000) navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion
Click the "CurrentVersion" folder and look for the "RegisteredOwner" key. Double click and change the value to your name. You can also change the "RegisteredOrganization" if you want to.

When finished go to File/Exit.
With Windows 98 (not sure about ME but you can try this path) find your way to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/System/CurrentControlSet/Control
Click the "CurrentUser" key and change it to your name.
When finished go to File/Exit.
To verify your changes, right click My Computer and choose "Properties". Under "Registered to" it should show the new name and organization.

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Hidden Tricks in Vista's Explorer

2008-02-16T11:26:00.001+05:00

When Microsoft redesigned Windows Vista's Windows Explorer interface, a lot more functionality was included, compared to previous versions of Windows. While some of the new functionalities are noticeable, a lot of the built in hidden features are not easily found or recognized. So, that's what we're going to talk about today! One in particular is featured below.
Address Bar
If you're not used to viewing the Explorer path as a breadcrumb trail and you want to view the full path, simply left click anywhere to the right of the path in the address bar and you will see the full path displayed (in a Windows XP style). To return to the other view, you can hit the Esc key on your keyboard. (Note: To display the XP style full path, just click where the circle is shown in the address bar).

To quickly create a shortcut to the location you are viewing, right click anywhere to the right of the path in the address bar and select Copy Address. That will put the text of the path on your clipboard, allowing you to switch to your desktop, right click and select Paste Shortcut (or wherever you want to place it). Since the path is stored on your clipboard, it can also be pasted in a document, e-mail and so on.

If you're in a deeply nested folder where the address bar does not have room to show the entire path, click on the double arrows to the left of the first item. Clicking that will show the parent folders that do not actually fit on the address bar.

Another feature found, to the right of the Back and Forward buttons (just before the address bar), is the Recent Items drop down button. Items displayed in this list are recently visited locations you can select to jump to the location in Explorer that you need to navigate through.

One more thing: clicking anywhere on the address bar and typing in a URL, such as http://learnitez.blogspot.com/, will launch your Web browser and open the Web site you specified. Enjoy!

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MS Outlook Shortcuts

2008-02-22T11:39:00.001+05:00

Command Key Strokes

Advanced Find	Ctrl-Shift-F
Bold (Contacts notes section)	Ctrl-B
Bold (RichText or HTML mail)	Ctrl-B
Check for new mail	F9 (Outlook 2003)
Check for new mail	F5 (Outlook 2000,2002)
Close a window	Alt-F4
Close a window	Esc
Copy	Ctrl-C
Create Appointment	Ctrl-Shift-A
Create Contact	Ctrl-Shift-C
Create Flag for follow-up	Ctrl-Shift-G
Create Folder	Ctrl-Shift-E
Create Meeting Request	Ctrl-Shift-Q
Create Message	Ctrl-Shift-M
Create Note	Ctrl-Shift-N
Create Task	Ctrl-Shift-K
Create Task Request	Ctrl-Shift-U
Cut	Ctrl-X
Delete opened item	Ctrl-D
Folder List - Collapse selected folder	- (Numeric keypad)
Folder List - Expand selected folder	* (Numeric keypad)
Folder List - Open	Ctrl-Y
Forward selected mail	Ctrl-F
Go to Calendar	Ctrl-2
Go to Contacts	Ctrl-2
Go to Inbox	Ctrl-1
Italics (Contacts notes section)	Ctrl-I
Italics (RichText or HTML mail)	Ctrl-I
Mark item as read	Ctrl-Q
Mark item as unread	Ctrl-U
Move down one screen	PgDn
Move to first item	Home
Move to last item	End
Move up one screen	PgUp
Create new default item	Ctrl-N
Open “Find a Contact”	F11
Open “Look In”	Alt-I
Open selected item	Ctrl-O
Open selected item	Enter
Paste	Ctrl-V
Print	Ctrl-P
Read next email	Ctrl->
Read previous email	Ctrl-<
Redo (within text field)	Ctrl-Y
Remove last semi-colon from mail addressee	Alt-K
Reply to selected message	Ctrl-R
Save	Ctrl-S
Select all items	Ctrl-A
Select to first item	Ctrl-Shift-Home
Select to last item	Ctrl-Shift-End
Send email message	Ctrl-Enter
Spell check open item	F7
Switch to Inbox	Ctrl-Shift-I
Switch to Outbox	Ctrl-Shift-O
Underline (Contacts notes section)	Ctrl-U
Underline (RichText or HTML mail)	Ctrl-U
Undo	Ctrl-Z

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Google Tips

2008-02-25T13:48:00.002+05:00

Below are some basic tips as well as some secrets that can be used on Google to help improve your search results and find things you may have never thought of.

Group your search query to find better results. For example, if you're searching for computer help, you'll find better results if you search for an exact phrase by surrounding it in quotes: "computer help".
If a lot of your results have keywords you're not search for use a minus sign. For example, if you're looking for computer help but don't want pages containing Windows type: "computer help" -windows
Google supports number ranges, for example, if you're searching for computer help between the year 2000 to 2005 you can type: "Computer help" 2000..2005
See the Google operators page, which lists dozens of the available operators Google allows. For example, the below search would search for URL that contains the word computer: allinurl: computer
Visit the Google Features page, which lists hundreds of different examples of the type of things you can find through Google and how to find them.
See our Google dictionary definition for a listing of dozens of other Google services.

Below are some more advance searches people are commonly looking for and what they do.

intitle:index.of + mp3 -asp -html -htm -php -pls -txt

In the above example, when entered into Google this search result looks for any index of MP3 to search for these types of files. files that does not contain the standard web pages like HTML, PHP, etc. or any other non-related pages. In the above example you can replace mp3 with avi or other file extension

intitle:index.of + mp3 "" -asp -html -htm -php -pls -txt

In the above example you could replace "" with the artists name, track, group, or name of the MP3 you're looking for. Keep in mind when downloading MP3 that you should own the track or song you're downloading otherwise it's considered illegal.

inurl:"ViewerFrame?Mode="

In the above simple example, Google will return results of insecure live web cams and with some of the services even allow you to control the cameras over the Internet.

The above three examples are just a few more advanced searches used to help illustrate how many different things can be found through Google.

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Browser Tips

2008-02-25T13:55:00.005+05:00

Below is a listing of various tips that can be used with Mozilla Firefox.

Quickly bookmark a web page

Quickly bookmark any web page in all major browsers by pressing CTRL+ D on your keyboard. Pressing these two keys together will open the bookmarks or favorites for your browser and allow you to quickly place a bookmark for the page you're currently at. For example, pressing the two keys now would bookmark this page.

Firefox: Click Bookmarks and within bookmarks click your right mouse button and select Sort by Name.

Bookmark search engines

Bookmark almost any search engine and have the capability of using it anywhere by following the below simple steps.

Right-click within the text box you wish to bookmark and click "Add a keyword for this Search.."
Enter a name for the bookmark and then a keyword you wish to use. For example, if you were doing this in computer hope you could type "ch" as your keyword and then click Ok to create the bookmark.
Once created in the URL bar type your keyword and what you wish to search for. For example, if you used "ch" as your keyword and wanted to search for Firefox you'd type: "ch firefox".

Get to the address bar using your keyboard

Quickly get to the address bar in Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefoxby pressing the F6 Key on the top of your Keyboard. Opera users can press the F8 key to get to the address bar.

Quickly save any media including embedded content to an alternate source by right-clicking on a page click "View Page Info", click the Media tab, locate the media file you wish to save and click the Save As button.

Some quick tips for Mozilla Firefox users. First, quickly access the full configuration menu in Firefox by typing "about:config" in the address bar. In this window you can change a lot of different settings. Second, quickly open a new tab by pressing CTRL + T. Third, press and hold CTRL + # where # is 1 - 9 to switch between tabs in the open window. Finally, hold down CTRL while clicking a link to open that link in a tab or hold SHIFT while clicking a link to open that link in a new window.

Quickly scroll using the space bar

Quickly scroll one page at a time in Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox by pressing the spacebar. Move backup a page at a time by pressing shift + spacebar.

Full screen Internet Explorer or Firefox

Make your Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox the full screen without all the toolbars by pressing the F11 key. To restore the window back to how it was press F11 again.

Open all your daily visited web pages in two clicks. First, create a folder in your bookmarks that contains the web pages you visit daily. Once created you can right-click that folder and click "Open in Tabs" to get all your favorites in the folder opened in a new tab in the current window.

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Speed Up Your Network and Internet Access

2008-02-26T11:23:00.001+05:00

Speed Up Your Network and Internet Access

Only do it if you feel comfortable with changing registry.

Increasing network browsing speed

Does your computer slow down when you browse your local area network and connect to other computers that are sharing data? One of the most common causes of this slowdown is a feature of Windows Explorer that looks for scheduled tasks on remote computers. This effort can take some time on some computers and can really slow down your browsing. The window with which you are browsing the network may appear to freeze momentarily, as the system is waiting for a response from the remote computer.

Windows XP: Speeding Disk Access

Although this problem is a complex one, the solution is very simple. Instead of having to wait for the remote scheduled tasks, which is useless information to anyone who is not a system administrator remotely configuring scheduled tasks, you can disable this feature.

In order to do this, you will have to change the System Registry and delete a reference to a key so that this feature will not be loaded. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open up the Registry Editor by clicking the Start Menu and selecting Run. Then type regedit in the text box and click the OK button.

2. Once the Registry Editor has loaded, expand the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key.

3. Next, expand Software and then Microsoft.

4. Locate Windows and expand that as well.

5. You will want to be editing the main system files, so expand CurrentVersion.

6. Because this feature is a feature of the Windows component known as Explorer, expand the Explorer key.

7. Next, you will want to modify the remote computer settings, so expand the RemoteComputer key and then expand the NameSpace key to show all of the features that are enabled when you browse to a remote computer.

8. In the NameSpace folder you will find two entries. One is "{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}" which tells Explorer to show printers shared on the remote machine. The other, "{D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}," tells Explorer to show remote scheduled tasks. This is the one that you should delete. This can be done by right-clicking the name of the key and selecting Delete.

Tip:
If you have no use for viewing remote shared printers and are really only interested in shared files, consider deleting the printers key, "{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}", as well. This will also boost your browsing speed.

Once you have deleted the key, you just need to restart and the changes will be in effect. Now your network computer browsing will be without needless delays.

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23 Ways To Speed Up Windows XP

2008-04-03T10:58:00.001+05:00

Since defragging the disk won't do much to improve Windows XP performance, here are 23 suggestions that will. Each can enhance the performance and reliability of your customers' PCs. Best of all, most of them will cost you nothing.

1.) To decrease a system's boot time and increase system performance, use the money you save by not buying defragmentation software -- the built-in Windows defragmenter works just fine -- and instead equip the computer with an Ultra-133 or Serial ATA hard drive with 8-MB cache buffer.

2.) If a PC has less than 512 MB of RAM, add more memory. This is a relatively inexpensive and easy upgrade that can dramatically improve system performance.

3.) Ensure that Windows XP is utilizing the NTFS file system. If you're not sure, here's how to check: First, double-click the My Computer icon, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Next, examine the File System type; if it says FAT32, then back-up any important data. Next, click Start, click Run, type CMD, and then click OK. At the prompt, type CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS and press the Enter key. This process may take a while; it's important that the computer be uninterrupted and virus-free. The file system used by the bootable drive will be either FAT32 or NTFS. I highly recommend NTFS for its superior security, reliability, and efficiency with larger disk drives.

4.) Disable file indexing. The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive and creates a "searchable keyword index." As you can imagine, this process can be quite taxing on any system.

The idea is that the user can search for a word, phrase, or property inside a document, should they have hundreds or thousands of documents and not know the file name of the document they want. Windows XP's built-in search functionality can still perform these kinds of searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer. The OS has to open each file at the time of the request to help find what the user is looking for.

Most people never need this feature of search. Those who do are typically in a large corporate environment where thousands of documents are located on at least one server. But if you're a typical system builder, most of your clients are small and medium businesses. And if your clients have no need for this search feature, I recommend disabling it.

Here's how: First, double-click the My Computer icon. Next, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching." Next, apply changes to "C: subfolders and files," and click OK. If a warning or error message appears (such as "Access is denied"), click the Ignore All button.

5.) Update the PC's video and motherboard chipset drivers. Also, update and configure the BIOS. For more information on how to configure your BIOS properly, see this article on my site.

6.) Empty the Windows Prefetch folder every three months or so. Windows XP can "prefetch" portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That's fine. But over time, the prefetch folder may become overloaded with references to files and applications no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting time, and slowing system performance, by pre-loading them. Nothing critical is in this folder, and the entire contents are safe to delete.

7.) Once a month, run a disk cleanup. Here's how: Double-click the My Computer icon. Then right-click on the C: drive and select Properties. Click the Disk Cleanup button -- it's just to the right of the Capacity pie graph -- and delete all temporary files.

8.) In your Device Manager, double-click on the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers device, and ensure that DMA is enabled for each drive you have connected to the Primary and Secondary controller. Do this by double-clicking on Primary IDE Channel. Then click the Advanced Settings tab. Ensure the Transfer Mode is set to "DMA if available" for both Device 0 and Device 1. Then repeat this process with the Secondary IDE Channel.

9.) Upgrade the cabling. As hard-drive technology improves, the cabling requirements to achieve these performance boosts have become more stringent. Be sure to use 80-wire Ultra-133 cables on all of your IDE devices with the connectors properly assigned to the matching Master/Slave/Motherboard sockets. A single device must be at the end of the cable; connecting a single drive to the middle connector on a ribbon cable will cause signaling problems. With Ultra DMA hard drives, these signaling problems will prevent the drive from performing at its maximum potential. Also, because these cables inherently support "cable select," the location of each drive on the cable is important. For these reasons, the cable is designed so drive positioning is explicitly clear.

10.) Remove all spyware from the computer. Use free programs such as AdAware by Lavasoft or SpyBot Search & Destroy. Once these programs are installed, be sure to check for and download any updates before starting your search. Anything either program finds can be safely removed. Any free software that requires spyware to run will no longer function once the spyware portion has been removed; if your customer really wants the program even though it contains spyware, simply reinstall it. For more information on removing Spyware visit this Web Pro News page.

11.) Remove any unnecessary programs and/or items from Windows Startup routine using the MSCONFIG utility. Here's how: First, click Start, click Run, type MSCONFIG, and click OK. Click the StartUp tab, then uncheck any items you don't want to start when Windows starts. Unsure what some items are? Visit the WinTasks Process Library. It contains known system processes, applications, as well as spyware references and explanations. Or quickly identify them by searching for the filenames using Google or another Web search engine.

12.) Remove any unnecessary or unused programs from the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel.

13.) Turn off any and all unnecessary animations, and disable active desktop. In fact, for optimal performance, turn off all animations. Windows XP offers many different settings in this area. Here's how to do it: First click on the System icon in the Control Panel. Next, click on the Advanced tab. Select the Settings button located under Performance. Feel free to play around with the options offered here, as nothing you can change will alter the reliability of the computer -- only its responsiveness.

14.) If your customer is an advanced user who is comfortable editing their registry, try some of the performance registry tweaks offered at Tweak XP.

15.) Visit Microsoft's Windows update site regularly, and download all updates labeled Critical. Download any optional updates at your discretion.

16.) Update the customer's anti-virus software on a weekly, even daily, basis. Make sure they have only one anti-virus software package installed. Mixing anti-virus software is a sure way to spell disaster for performance and reliability.

17.) Make sure the customer has fewer than 500 type fonts installed on their computer. The more fonts they have, the slower the system will become. While Windows XP handles fonts much more efficiently than did the previous versions of Windows, too many fonts -- that is, anything over 500 -- will noticeably tax the system.

18.) Do not partition the hard drive. Windows XP's NTFS file system runs more efficiently on one large partition. The data is no safer on a separate partition, and a reformat is never necessary to reinstall an operating system. The same excuses people offer for using partitions apply to using a folder instead. For example, instead of putting all your data on the D: drive, put it in a folder called "D drive." You'll achieve the same organizational benefits that a separate partition offers, but without the degradation in system performance. Also, your free space won't be limited by the size of the partition; instead, it will be limited by the size of the entire hard drive. This means you won't need to resize any partitions, ever. That task can be time-consuming and also can result in lost data.

19.) Check the system's RAM to ensure it is operating properly. I recommend using a free program called MemTest86. The download will make a bootable CD or diskette (your choice), which will run 10 extensive tests on the PC's memory automatically after you boot to the disk you created. Allow all tests to run until at least three passes of the 10 tests are completed. If the program encounters any errors, turn off and unplug the computer, remove a stick of memory (assuming you have more than one), and run the test again. Remember, bad memory cannot be repaired, but only replaced.

20.) If the PC has a CD or DVD recorder, check the drive manufacturer's Web site for updated firmware. In some cases you'll be able to upgrade the recorder to a faster speed. Best of all, it's free.

21.) Disable unnecessary services. Windows XP loads a lot of services that your customer most likely does not need. To determine which services you can disable for your client, visit the Black Viper site for Windows XP configurations.

22.) If you're sick of a single Windows Explorer window crashing and then taking the rest of your OS down with it, then follow this tip: open My Computer, click on Tools, then Folder Options. Now click on the View tab. Scroll down to "Launch folder windows in a separate process," and enable this option. You'll have to reboot your machine for this option to take effect.

23.) At least once a year, open the computer's cases and blow out all the dust and debris. While you're in there, check that all the fans are turning properly. Also inspect the motherboard capacitors for bulging or leaks. For more information on this leaking-capacitor phenomena, you can read numerous articles on my site.

Following any of these suggestions should result in noticeable improvements to the performance and reliability of your customers' computers. If you still want to defrag a disk, remember that the main benefit will be to make your data more retrievable in the event of a crashed drive.

For more Computer Tips, Please Visit: www.TechTipsPoint.com

Restricting Your Windows XP/2003

2008-04-03T11:00:00.002+05:00

In this tutorial, I'll tell u some interesting restrictions, which can be made in XP/2003. Like u can restrict Display properties, taskbar properties, folder options, etc.

Though many of u may know all of them or a few of them already, but I think it would be good to share them with u.

All tricks are based on Registry editing.
So I'll tell the keyname and the value, that u hv to create for the restriction! If the key is not present, then simply create it.

So here we go:

1.) Restrict Display Properties:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\System

create DWORD value NoDispCPL and set its value to 1

2.) Restrict Taskbar Properties:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer

create DWORD value NoSetTaskbar and set its value to 1

3.) Restrict Folder Options:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer

create DWORD value NoFolderOptions and set its value to 1

4.) Restrict Locking/Unlocking the taskbar:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer

create DWORD value LockTaskbar and set its value to 1

5.) Restrict Active Desktop:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer

create DWORD value NoActiveDesktop and set its value to 1

6.) Restrict adding/deleting items from Toolbars:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer

create DWORD value NoToolbarCustomize and set its value to 1

7.) Restrict adding/deleting toolbars:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer

create DWORD value NoBandCustomize and set its value to 1

8.) Restrict right-click in Start Menu:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer

create DWORD value NoChangeStartMenu and set its value to 1

9.) Restrict Desktop Cleanup Wizard:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer

create DWORD value NoDesktopCleanupWizard and set its value to 1

10.) Restrict notification at low disk space:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer

create DWORD value NoLowDiskSpaceChecks and set its value to 1

11.) Restrict Taskbar Context Menu:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer

create DWORD value NoTrayContextMenu and set its value to 1

12.) Restrict Programs to run:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer\DisallowRun

create String value with any name, like 1 and set its value to the program's EXE file.

e.g., If u want to restrict msconfig, then create a String value 1 and set its value to msconfig.exe. If u want to restrict more programs, then simply create more String values with names 2, 3 and so on and set their values to the program's exe.

13.) Restrict Registry Editor:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\System

create DWORD value DisableRegistryTools and set its value to 1

14.) Restrict Task Manager:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\System

create DWORD value DisableTaskMgr and set its value to 1

15.) Restrict Drives in My Computer:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer

In right-side pane, create a new DWORD value NoViewOnDrive and change its value as following:

3 : To Restrict A and B drives only.
4 : To Restrict C drive only.
7 : To Restrict A, B, and C drives only.
8 : To Restrict D drive only.
F : To Restrict A, B, C, and D drives only.
03FFFFFF : To Restrict all drives.

And if you want more specific restrictions, like you want to restrict a combination of other drives, then you can use decimal no. instead of hexadecimal no. Following is a list for all drives decimal no.:

A: 1
B: 2
C: 4
D: 8
E: 16
F: 32
G: 64
H: 128
I: 256
J: 512
K: 1024
L: 2048
M: 4096
N: 8192
O: 16384
P: 32768
Q: 65536
R: 131072
S: 262144
T: 524288
U: 1048576
V: 2097152
W: 4194304
X: 8388608
Y: 16777216
Z: 33554432
ALL: 67108863

So if you want to disable a combination of drives, just sum their numbers and give the same value to NoViewOnDrive. e.g., for restricting CDEF drives, give the value: 4+8+16+32 = 60

NOTE: You can also hide the drives using NoDrives DWORD value. The location and its value remain same as the above trick.

16.) Restrict New option in context menu:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shellex\Con textMenuHandlers\New

And delete the value of Default, e.g., empty it.

17.) Restrict Send To in context menu:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\Con textMenuHandlers\Send To

And delete the value of Default, e.g., empty it.

18.) Restrict Balloon Tips:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Create DWORD value EnableBalloonTips and set its value to 0

19.) Restrict Users to enable New XP StartMenu:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer

Create DWORD value NoSimpleStartMenu and set its value to 1

20.) Restrict Command Prompt:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Wind ows\System

Create DWORD value DisableCMD and set its value to 2

21.) Restrict Writing to USB Drives:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\StorageDevicePolicies

Create DWORD value WriteProtect and set its value to 1

22.) Restrict RUN in New XP StartMenu:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer

Create DWORD value NoRun and set its value to 1

For more Computer Tips, Please Visit: www.TechTipsPoint.com

Change The Location of Special Folders

2008-04-03T11:04:00.003+05:00

You can modify the registry to change the location of special folders like

My Documents
Favorites
My Pictures
Personal

Start Regedit

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Explorer\User Shell Folders

Double click on any locations you want to change and alter the path

Logoff or restart for the changes to go into effect.

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BIOS Tips & Tricks

2008-04-03T11:07:00.002+05:00

Standby BIOS: After you had just assembled or just bought your PC, make sure to take a copy of your BIOS in a floppy. Do not forget to copy the software program required to flash the BIOS with it. For instructions regarding this, refer to your motherboard manual or the manufacturer's website.
Do not detect absent IDE drives: As mentioned earlier, you can connect 4 IDE devices to your MB. During bootup process, the BIOS will try to detect all of them. If you have just a hard disk and a CD drive, you can set the BIOS to detect just these devices and bypass checking the absent ones. This will save some precious microseconds when booting up.
Supervisor password: To prevent your BIOS settings from being changed by anyone else, set a Supervisor password in the BIOS and do not set the user password.
User password: If you want to prevent access to anyone else, then set the User password.
Remote access: You can make a telephone call to your PC from outside or send a fax to it even when the machine is switched off. This is possible with ATX standard cabinets. In the power settings section of the BIOS, allow the PC to wake up on LAN or external modem act. Keep the power supply to the ATX and the modem on, while the system itself is powered off. When the modem receives a call, it will wake up the power supply and boot up the PC to handle the call.
Boot sequence: After you have installed your OS, set your hard disk first in the boot-up sequence with the CD drive and the floppy following it in that order.
Quick Power On Self Test: Keep this enabled and save on boot-up time.
Boot Up Floppy Seek: Keep this disabled.
BIOS updates: Check the motherboard's website or that of the BIOS manufacturer for BIOS updates and use the BIOS update program mentioned above to flash the BIOS. Many problems faced initially with hardware are likely to be solved after the updates.

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Launch Programs at Logon Without Using Startup Folder

2008-04-03T11:08:00.002+05:00

This tweak allows a program to be launched when the
user logs onto the computer. It can
be set to run minimized and there is
no trace of the executable in the Startup
folder on the Start Menu nor in the
Documents and Settings folder accessible
via Windows Explorer.

Got to Start > Run > Regedit
Got to the following Registry Key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\RunModify

Create the Value Data Type(s) and Value Name(s)

as detailed below.

Data Type: REG_SZ [String Value]
Value Name: [Enter the Name of Program Executable]
Value Data: [Enter the Path to the Program Executable]
Exit Registry and Reboot

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Modifying Your CD-Rom To Play DVD's

2008-04-03T11:13:00.001+05:00

There are two types of CD-ROM drives we can mod:
24x to 40x
40x or higher
Drives slower than 24x are too old to be modded.
24x to 40x CD ROMs
Laser Head Adjustments:
The track pitch of CDs is 1.6 microns, and the track pitch of DVDs is only 0.8 microns. The minimum length of track pits of CDs is 0.843mm, and the minimum length of track pits of DVDs is 0.293mm. That's why DVD discs can store much more data in the size of a CD.
Pinpointing this situation, we need to adjust the laser head so it can read discs with smaller track pitchs and shorter track pits. Open up the CD-ROM drive, do you see a lens on the rail? That's the laser head. On the side of the laser head, there's a screw you can adjust.
This is the key of this mod.
This screw can adjust the size of the laser beam that lands on the disc. Referring to the above, after adjusting, the laser beam should be less than 0.293mm, to suit the needs of DVD discs. So turn that screw 2-3 times. I got this number through trial and error. Mark with a pencil, in case you forget how many times you turned that screw.
Speed adjustments:
DVD-ROM drives can play DVD movies smoothly at 4x speed. If we're modding a 32x CD-ROM drive, the rotation speed is obviously too high, increasing heat, and shortening the life of the drive.
So we need to decrease the speed of it.
Most people know that power supplies can provide 5V (red wire) and 12V (yellow wire) electricity output for Molex connectors. Find the Molex connector you'll plug into the modded CD-ROM drive, cut the yellow wire or insulate it with tape, so only 5V of electricity is transferred to the CD-ROM drive. The speed of the drive is now 32 * 5/17 = 9.41x and can now fulfill our requirements.

40x or higher CD ROMs
When 40x CD-ROM drives are released, most manufacturers are already producing DVD-ROM drives. To lower cost, they use the same core as DVD-ROM drives with DVD functions disabled. What we need to do here is to re-enable the DVD function.
Open up the CD-ROM, behind the circuit board, look for a jumper that says DVD JUMP. Find a jumper to connect this jumper. Thin metal wire also works fine.
OK, so the DVD function is unlocked, but we still need to decrease the speed. Use the instructions above on how to decrase the speed of the drive.
Notes:
Modded drives cannot be detected in POST, that means you cannot use it in DOS. But once you get into Windows, the drive works fine.
Modded drives have no region code problems.
Modded drives MIGHT NOT read DVD9 discs, that's why I said you can watch most retail DVDs in the beginning.

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Lock Folder Without any Software

2008-04-03T11:18:00.004+05:00

I have loads of personal photographs which I cant show it to my family and cant even keep in my system as there are many users of it. Then I thought of getting a Folder Lock software wherein I could keep all my files safe and hidden but the problem was that there are no such software available with a freeware license. I searched like hell and finally got a simple program which could do this job so I am publishing it here so that u all can take advantage of it.

/***********Start Copying here************/

cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Locker
if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST Locker goto MDLOCKER
:CONFIRM
echo Are you sure u want to Lock the folder(Y/N)
set/p "cho=>"
if %cho%==Y goto LOCK
if %cho%==y goto LOCK
if %cho%==n goto END
if %cho%==N goto END
echo Invalid choice.
goto CONFIRM
:LOCK
ren Locker "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
attrib +h +s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
echo Folder locked
goto End
:UNLOCK
echo Enter password to Unlock folder
set/p "pass=>"
if NOT %pass%==type your password here goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Locker
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Locker
echo Locker created successfully
goto End
:End

/****************Stop Copying here*************/

Just follow the steps given below

1. Copy and paste the above code in Notepad.

2. Type your password in place of "Type your password here"

3. Save the file with *.bat extension instead of *.txt

4. Now double click to open the file.

5. When you open it, a new folder named Locker will be created in the same place.

6. Move all the folders and files you want to lock into this folder.

7. Now double click the batch file again and in the confirmation type 'y' to lock the folder, and the locker folder will disappear.

Whenever you want to unlock the folder, open the batch file and enter the password, the locker folder will reappear again.

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10 Reasons For PC Failure

2008-04-03T11:23:00.002+05:00

Hardware conflict
The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.

For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.

If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.

Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.

Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.

Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).

When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.

To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

Bad Ram
Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.

But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.

One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.

Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.

EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.

BIOS settings
Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.

Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.

A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.

Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

Hard disk drives
After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.

The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).

Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-Hard Disk.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.

Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors
Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.

These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.

If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.

If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.

Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).

Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

Viruses
Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs

Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.

A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.

An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( www.nai.com). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec ( www.symantec.com).

Printers
The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.

If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.

Software
A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.

The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.

Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org

Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.

Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.

Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

Overheating
Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from www.computernerd.com or www.coolit.com

CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.

Power supply problems
With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.

If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.

It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.

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Change The Theme Of Gmail Interface

2008-08-07T11:46:00.004+06:00

If you are bored of the present old looking gmail user interface , you can change the theme by doing the following simple things. Gmail User Interface (UI) hasn’t been changed ever since 2004?. Even though Google has been constantly rolling out new features for its services, it has never bothered to update the UI for many of its services. For example, take a look at how Gmail looks in its present state.

Gmail is high on features compared to the other email services out there, but it seriously lacks on the UI front. Google may have its own reasons for not rolling out a new look, but that doesn’t stop us from customizing it our own way, does it?Here’s how a customized Gmail looks.

There are other kinds of looks available too, but we’re only focussing on the one by Globex Designs. Let’s take a look.Here’s what you need:1. FireFox 2+ (FireFox 3.0+ is highly recommended)First, visit the following URL and download and install the ‘Stylish’ extension for FireFox.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2108

You need to restart your browser to complete the installation, so make sure you save all your work before you do that.Next, proceed to visit the following URL.

http://www.globexdesigns.com/gmail/gmail.css

Now, all you need to do is right-click on the Stylish icon in the bottom right of you browser and click on ‘Add File to Stylish‘.And you’re done. Visit http://mail.google.comIf you did everything correctly, this is how the sign up box will show up.

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What Is ThatFile

2008-08-07T11:51:00.002+06:00

Ever want to know what are the services running in your task manager (CLT+ALT+DEL) such as alg.exe,spoolsv.exe,svchost.exe.Then head on to Whatisthatfile.com
This site is extremely helpful if you are suspicious about a file running in your task manager and want to know that either it is a safe file or it is virus or any type of spyware.
My task manager is filled up by svchost.exe & so i headed on to this site and it told me that it is a safe process and belongs to the windows operating system.This site is based upon the Web 2.0 phenomenon,so instead of hitting the search button you have to wait for 2-3 seconds to come up with the answer.
www.Whatisthatfile.com

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