Special Tips for Windows XP

Reach Run quickly

Here’s a quicker way to reach the Run dialog box, if you don’t want to go through the Start menu. Just hit the Windows key + R.

Looking for a better screen font display?

Enable ClearType, Microsoft’s trademark font display technology, for a drastic improvement in screen font rendering. Right-click anywhere on your desktop. Now select Properties. Under the Appearance tab, click Effects. Check the box for Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts, and in the drop-down menu, select ClearType. Press OK, and apply the change.

Change your mouse pointer scheme

Bored of the same old arrow? To change your mouse pointer scheme, in the Control Panel, select Mouse and go to the Pointers tab. Scroll through the available schemes, pick one that you like and click Apply.

Check that your Windows Firewall is turned on

To make sure your Windows Firewall hasn’t been accidentally disabled, go to your Control Panel and click Windows Firewall. Make sure the radio button for On (recommended) is selected. Add exceptions to your Firewall by going to the Exceptions tab and adding the programs that you think should have access to the Internet to the list of exceptions.

Instantly activate your screensaver

In XP, you can put a short cut of your favourite screensaver on your desktop to instantly start your screen saver. Here’s how. Go to Start on your desktop and click on Search. In the help box, click on All files and folders. and then type in *.scr. Select your screen saver file and right click. Then select Send To, and then Desktop.

Put your Monitor to sleep

Right click on the desktop and click on Properties. In the dialog box that appears, click on the Screen Saver tab. Click on Power and in the dialog box that appears click on the Turn off Monitor list. Select a time to automatically after which the monitor will be turned off. Click OK twice and you’re set.

Using your Windows Key

Your Windows key can be used to for many short cuts. If you want to open your Windows Explorer quickly just press your Windows key and E. If you want to open the Run dialog box, just press the Windows key and R. If you want to open your search dialog box, press your Windows key and F.

Instantly lock your PCI

f you have password protected your Windows, here is a quick way to lock it. Press the Windows key and L together.

Change the look of folder icons

If you don’t like the look of the folder icons on your desktop, you can change them. Right click on the folder, select Properties. Click on the Customize tab, and under the Folder icons area, click on the Change Icons button. Select the icon of your choice and select OK.

Minimize a Window to your taskbar

If you’re tired of using the mouse over and over again to minimize a window, here’s a handy tip. To minimize a window using just the keyboard, press Alt, Spacebar and N together.

Display album art in your music folder thumbnails

If your music files are in WMA format, XP automatically picks up the album art and displays it, both in the folder thumbnail as well as in the Windows Media Player display. If your files are in MP3 format, you can download the album art from the Internet and then customize each folder to display it. But this takes a lot of time. A faster way around is to save each image as ‘folder.jpg’ and put it in the correct folder. Once you do this, XP will pick up that image and use it as the thumbnail for the folder, and also use the image to display in Windows Media Player while playing songs from the album.

How to stop Windows Media Player from accessing your information

You may be uncomfortable with the idea of Windows Media Player collecting your information and sending it to various websites. You can stop this. Go to the Tools menu of Windows Media Player. Select Options and then go to the Player tab. Look for the check box that says "Allow Internet sites to uniquely identify your player?" and make sure it is not selected.

Opening folders with a single click

If you’d rather not have to double-click everything to open it, here’s the way out. Go to My Computer, and select Options in the Tools menu. Choose Folder options. In the dialog box that opens, select the check box that says ‘Single-click to open an item (point to select)’, and click OK.

Making web pages available offline

You may occasionally need to refer to a website, and you may not be able to connect to the Internet at the time. An easy way out of the situation is to go to the Favourites tab in Internet Explorer, and click Add to Favourites. In the dialog box that is displayed, select the Make available offline check box, and press OK.

All about Passwords

Require passwords to be a minimum of eight characters. Passwords of less than eight characters can easily be cracked using the slowest brute-force method. Even with a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols, the longest time to crack a six-character password is roughly five hours.

Do not use dictionary words, acronyms, or common permutations in any language. Dictionaries can be downloaded for free in multiple languages, and enhanced wordlists created specifically for use with cracking software are also available.

Require passwords to contain upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. A potential hacker would likely give up before a password of sufficient length containing these characteristics is cracked.

Capital letters, numbers, and symbols should not just be used at the beginning or end of a password because the software recognizes this as a common pattern, which shortens the cracking time.

Do not use personal information. Cracking software will try permutations of usernames. It is also easy to obtain personal information such as a user’s address, birthdate, or names of family members.

Limit the number of times a person can incorrectly enter a password. Limiting the number of authentication attempts that can be performed in a certain timeframe prevents password-cracking software from trying thousands of passwords per second. Systems commonly accept three failed attempts before locking a user out of the system.

Restrict document access. Like paper documents stored in locking cabinets, electronic files should be restricted to allow access only to authorized users. Sensitive information should be compartmentalized so a person can access only the information needed

10 things everyone should know about MS Word

Copy just the formatting

Almost everyone knows how to copy and paste text to re-use the same boilerplate in more than one document. But did you know you can do the same thing with formatting? The Format Painter is located on the Home tab, it's that little paintbrush icon. When you click the Format Painter, Word copies the formatting of from the start of your selection and the cursor changes to a paintbrush. Now, wherever you click in your document, that same formatting will be applied. Whether your selection will just be text formatting or both text and paragraph formatting depends on what is included in the selection. And if you want to keep pasting the same formatting, you can double-click the Format Painter button to make it “sticky.” When you're finished "painting" just press Escape to release the painter.

Move from one spelling errors to another without using the dialog

Many people do a final edit of their document, checking each unrecognized word to see if it needs to be correct. There’s nothing wrong with opening the Spelling dialog to do this but you can accomplish the same text by clicking on the spelling icon in the status bar. At each unrecognized word, it displays the context menu with suggestions for you.

Change the formatting of an entire list

When you click on a number or bullet for a list, the entire list is selected. You can then apply text formatting for just that list without changing the paragraph formatting. You can also change the type of numbering or bullets used by selecting from the gallery associated with the bullet or numbering button.

Save a set of formatting as a styleFormat

Painter provides a convenient way of copy formatting from one spot to another but you can also store formatting for later use. Simply select the text that has the formatting that you want, right-click, and select Save Selection as New Quick Style. Once you give your new Quick Style a name, it will appear in the Style gallery on the Home tab.

Repeat an action

If you’ve just gotten through performing a complex task with a dialog and find yourself needing to do the same task again, you can click the Repeat button next to the Undo button or press Ctrl+Y.

Move between objects by clicking

At the lower right side of the window (just below the scroll bar) is the “Object Browser,” which consists of three buttons--a selection menu and a pair of Previous and Next arrows. One use of the Previous/Next arrows is after you’ve search for something using Find. When you close the Find dialog, the arrows are blue, indicating that you have a stored search. You can just click on the arrows to repeat the Find in the indicated direction. You can also use the “middle” button to select the type of object to browse. You can select to move among pictures, pages, headings, or any of a dozen object types.

Scale the text in your document

If you’re struggling to get text to fit in a certain number of pages, the first thing you’ll probably try is adjusting the margins on the Page Setup tab. But if that still doesn’t give you enough room you can select all of your text and use the Shrink Font button to reduce all of the text in your document--text at different sizes reduces proportionally so that your headings remain larger than the rest of your text. And you can squeeze just a portion of your document if you prefer; the command works on any selection.

Change the formatting of the standard paragraph

When you start a new document, Word makes some assumptions about the spacing of the typical paragraph (in Word 2007, it puts a bit of space between lines and almost a 1/6th of an inch of space between paragraphs). If you don’t like that spacing, you can make changes to any sample paragraph and then right-click on the “Normal” Quick Style and select “Update Normal to Match Selection.” Any existing paragraphs in your document and any new ones you create will use this formatting.

Show or hide the gridlines for tables

Tables in Word 2007 do not display the dividing lines between cells by default. These lines are called gridlines and show the borders of each cell. But unlike “real” borders, they don’t print with your document. You can use the Show Gridlines command at the bottom of the Borders menu or on the Table Layout tab to control whether or not these lines are showing.

Templates are a convenient way to store the starting point for a document

Most of us have documents that contain boilerplate text that we frequently need to reuse. And most of us who have a standard document that we use as a starting point have made the mistake of saving over the original of that document. If you have a document that you frequently use as a starting point for other documents, save a copy of it as a Template (DOTX) on your desktop. Then, when you double-click on that template, a copy of the document will be opened—no risk of ever saving over the original.

How to increase your Laptop Battery's Life?

Follow the few steps to increase the laptop battery's life:

Lower the backlighting on your screen.

The screen of your Laptop takes up significant amount of power and you do not require its maximum brightness. You should have to check your system and decrease the screen brightness it to a comfortable point.

Stop your wireless signal when you are not using.

After turning off your Laptop can save max. 20 minutes of your laptop's battery time because WiFi can use a considerable quantity of power. By right clicking you can stop your WiFi signal when you are not using.

Manage the correct power scheme in XP

Windows XP contain a number of predetermined power plans, which control settings like how rapidly your laptop turns off and when your screen saver boots in. You can change your laptop power scheme by choosing Control Panel > Power Options. For max. Battery life from the "Power scheme" chooses the option "Max. Battery" and decline the list. There are good choices for you just like "Low Power Mode" and Portable /Laptop. They don't conserve as much power as Max Battery. After selecting a power scheme you click Ok button to finish the process.

Restarting Windows Without Restarting Your PC

A modern PC with Vista Home Edition takes about one and a half minutes to boot. An older machine with XP is about the same. That’s 30 seconds for the PC itself (the BIOS) to boot up, plus a minute for the Windows operating system to boot.

Sometimes, you need to reboot Windows (e.g. when installing new software), but there is no need to restart BIOS, too. However, the default is to reboot both. (That’s called doing a “cold boot,” rather than a “warm boot.”) There’s a trick that works on both XP and Vista to get it to do a warm boot instead, thus saving you 30 seconds per cycle.

The trick is to hold down the SHIFT key when invoking the restart.

Windows Vista: Select Start, then hover over the right arrow that is to the right of the padlock icon until the pop-up menu appears that contains “restart” as one of it’s choices. Hold down the SHIFT key while clicking on the “restart” choice.

Windows XP: Select Start. Select “Shut Down…”. Change the drop-down combo box under “What do you want the computer to do?” to “Restart”. Hold down the SHIFT key while clicking on the “OK” button.

Protect Your PC.

Use anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date.

If you haven't installed anti-virus software on your computer, do it now. Anti-virus software can detect many — but not all — forms of malicious software before they have a chance to affect your computer. When you purchase anti-virus software, look for one that includes anti-spyware. Most anti-virus software can automatically download updates for you. Check to make sure your software is downloading updates correctly.

Keep all your software up-to-date You can prevent many problems by regularly checking for and installing updates for your programs, including your operating system, browser, messaging software, and other software. Many programs include a feature that automatically checks for updates. Be wary of clicking links in emails claiming to have updates for your software; it is safer to type the address of the web site into your browser’s Address bar to visit the site directly.

Check your security settings.

Most operating systems (such as Windows XP) have a built-in firewall and other safeguards to prevent unauthorized access to your computer. Check your operating system to make sure it's set up so that your computer is protected. Install any security updates or patches for your operating system promptly. Be careful opening email attachments Consider turning off the feature in your email programs that automatically opens attachments. If you receive an attachment you aren't expecting, do not open it. Before you open any email attachment — even if it's from someone you trust — scan it using anti-virus software. Yahoo! Mail automatically scans all email attachments for viruses.

Don't install unfamiliar programs.

Think carefully before installing or running new software, such as freeware or shareware programs available online. Only download software from a source you trust. Do not install software if you cannot verify that it's from a trusted source. Make sure you know what the software will do and how it will affect your computer. Malicious software (like viruses and spyware) often masquerade as legitimate and even useful programs. For example, you might be tempted to download a program that claims to keep your computer clock synchronized with an official clock. But if that program contains adware or spyware, it could also display advertising pop-ups whenever you're online or keep track of where you go on the Internet.

Be wary of pop-up and email warnings.

Don't believe every warning you read — especially pop-up warnings that you see while you're surfing the Web. Unscrupulous companies use pop-up ads to display false warnings about your computer. Ignore them.

Do NOT click any button in the pop-up (such as a "Close" or "No" button) or the Close box that may appear in the upper-right corner of the pop-up. Closing a pop-up in that way might actually install a virus or other malicious software on your computer. To close a pop-up ad, press Ctrl-W (if you're using a Windows computer) or Command-W (on a Mac computer). You may receive an email warning that claims to be from a computer "expert" warning you of a virus. These are usually hoaxes. Do not follow the steps described in any email unless you're sure the threat is real.

27 Ways to Make your computer 3 times faster

This tutorial will teach you how to increase your operating system speed 3 times faster.

This steps should be applied by either slow and fast computers. It will speed up your operating system surfing.

1.. Visual effects should be set to a minimum. Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced > Performance Settings > Visual Effects Tab > Adjust for best performance

2. Switch Off Desktop Background ImageRight Click Desktop > Properties > Desktop Tab > Background None

3. Disable Screen SaverRight Click Desktop > Properties > Screen Saver > None

5. Disable Fast User SwitchingStart > Settings > Control Panel > User Accounts > Change the way users log on or off > Untick Use Fast User Switching

6. Switch Off Power SchemesStart > Settings > Control Panel > Power Options > Always On > Turn off monitor and turn off hard discs to Never

7. Switch Off HibernationStart > Settings > Control Panel > Power Options > Hibernate > Untick Hibernation

8. Activate DMA on Hard Discs/CD ROMSStart > Settings > Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager > IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers > Right Click Primary IDE channel and Secondary IDE channel > Properties > Advanced Settings Tab > Tra

9. Disable System SoundsStart > Settings > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Sounds Tab > Sound Scheme to None.

10. Do Not Map Through SoundcardStart > Settings > Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Hardware Tab > (highlight your soundcard from the list) > Properties > Audio Devices > (highlight your soundcard from the list) > Properti

11. Disable System RestoreStart > Settings > Control Panel> System > System Restore Tab. Tick the "Turn off System Restore on all Drives"

12. Disable Automatic UpdatesStart > Settings > Control Panel> System > Automatic Updates > Turn off automatic updating. I want to update my computer manually

13. Startup and Recovery OptionsStart > Settings > Control Panel> System > Advanced > Startup and Recovery Settings > Untick Automatically Restart

14. Disable Error ReportingStart > Settings > Control Panel> System > Advanced > Error Reporting > Disable Error Reporting

15. Disable Remote AssistanceStart > Settings > Control Panel> System > Remote > Untick Allow remote assistance invitations to be sent from this computer

16. Fix Swap File (Virtual Memory)Start > Settings > Control Panel > System > Advanced > Performance Settings > Advanced > Virtual Memory Change > Custom Size. Set initial and maximum size to the same value

17. Speed Up MenusStart > Run > Regedit > HKEY_CURRENT_ USER > Control Panel > Desktop Folder. Set MenuShowDelay to 1

18. Disable Offline FilesStart > Settings > Control Panel > Folder Options > Offline Files Untick "Enable Offline Files"

19. Disable Remote DesktopStart > Settings > Control Panel > System > Remote > Untick "Allow users to connect remotely to this computer"

20. Disable Internet Synchronise TimeStart > Settings > Control Panel > Date and Time > Internet Time > Untick "Automatically synchronize with internet time server"

21. Disable Hide Inactive IconsStart > Settings > Taskbar and Start Menu > Taskbar TAB > Uncheck "Hide Inactive Icons"

22. Disable Automatic Desktop Cleanup WizardStart > Settings > Control Panel > Display > Desktop > Customise Desktop > Untick "Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days"

23. Disable NTFS Last Access Time Logging (NTFS File Systems Only)Start > Run > regedit > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > System > CurrentControlSet > Control > Filesystem. Add a new DWORD value - "NtfsDisableLastAcc essUpdate" and set value to 1.

24. Disable Notification Area Balloon TipsStart > Run > regedit > HKEY_CURRENT_ USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer > Advanced. Create a new DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips and set to 0.

25. Disable CDROM AutoplayStart > Run > regedit > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > System > CurrentControlSet > Services > Cdrom. Set autorun to 0.

26. Disable Disc Indexing ServiceRight Click Start > Explorer > Right Click Each Disc > Properties > Untick "Allow Indexing Service to index this disc for fast file searching"

27.Restart ur pc...enjoy!! !

How to Avoid spreading Virus through USB drives. (Submitted by: Anoop Warrier)

Click here to download this file in pdf format.

Recover deleted files - DATA recovery software

There is a software that is useful for recovering deleted files ... accidentally deleted files mostly,
but you can still use it to recover files if not much time has elapsed.

The software is called REST 2514. Its by Brian Kato ..(Its another must have software like the iIsystem wiper)

You just enter the file name or its extension and it shows you the list of files it has recovered .. Its very effective if not much time has elapsed since you deleted the file, although I have recovered files even a week, sometimes even a month after it was deleted ..

It also depends upon How exhaustively you use the computer or the particular drive from where the file was deleted ..
If the drive has been subjected to a lot of deleting and writing files or saving files on it, then it may not recover the file that well ..

That's why I said it in the beginning ...
Its great for recovering files that have been accicentally deleted ..
But Hey, it does what it does and it does it very well ...

So who's complaining ..

Yuo know what? You could test it by creating a dummy file ..
deleting it and then trying to recover/undelete it ..

Go ahead .. try it ..

Here's the link to the website from where you can download it ..
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/restoration.html

Or here's the direct link to the download page
http://www.win-freeware.com/REST2514.htm


Another thing about this software is its not required to be installed ..

Just extract or unzip the file into a folder and you are ready to run it ...
No installation means no cluttering up the registry and if you don't want it,
just delete the folder and its gone .. I mean, you could literally sav it
in your flash drive (pen drive) and recover files from there

plus, its size ... just 200 KB .. Huh!!!!!

AND, its freeware!!!! !!!!!!!!! !! Hooray ...
I love freeware stuff ..
No demos, no 15 days working and then having to buy ..
Just use it and if you feel inclined, many of these developers also
give you their emails or addresses to send them money .. .

Well, Hope this one works for you just as well

Submitted by Rahul D(bruntno1@yahoo. com)