VINO. . . . . ,

How to uninstall the windows XP using command prompt?

2008-06-23T10:56:00.005+05:30

Today tip will help you uninstall the upgraded version of windows XP using the command prompt options. If you have upgraded your operating system from the previous versions of windows 98 Second Edition, or Windows Millennium Edition (Me) and now you wants to revert to the operating system that was previously installed on your computer. Windows XP can be removed by uninstalling from a Command Prompt option in Safe mode because XP includes the Uninstall Windows XP option.

Follow the given steps to revert to the operating system that was previously installed on your computer:

To manage windows XP, first you should log onto your computer with administrative rights.

First boot your system in Safe mode by pressing F8 button at the same time before the windows logo appears.

First click on Start button and type cmd in Run option then press Ok button to display the Command Prompt.

At the command prompt type cd/ command and press enter.

Now again type the command cd\windows\system32 and press enter button. After execution of this command, system will change the previous directory mode.

Now type the command at command prompt osuninst.exe to start the process.

Now on the computer screen, follow the instructions on the screen to begin uninstalling Windows XP from your computer to restore the previous operating system.

How to move your mouse cursor without mouse?

2008-06-17T19:12:00.003+05:30

You can control your mouse pointer with keyboard keys in all windows versions. When your mouse stops working, you can enable this keyboard feature to complete your important work. This keyboard mouse can performs all tasks same like a normal mouse.

Follow the given steps to activate the keyboard mouse:

To edit this feature, first you should log onto your computer with administrative rights.

To activate this feature, press Alt+Shift+NumLock keys at once and you will receive a small MouseKey box.

To keep MouseKeys on, click on Ok button or click on cancel button to cancel MouseKeys box.

Click on Settings button, if you want to adjust the mouse cursor detail settings.

Here a new dialog box will appear with the title â€œSettings for MouseKeys", now you can manage all mouse settings for example mouse cursor speed, acceleration and some other features.

Now using Numeric keypad, you can move your mouse pointer. The controls are:

1,2,3,4,6,7,8 and 9 keys are used to move the mouse cursor into different directions.

Key 5 is used as mouse click button.

Insert key used to hold down mouse button.

+ Sign used to double click on any object.

Delete button used to release the mouse.

Click on NumLock button to disable this keyboard mouse feature.

Using Run Command in window

2008-06-17T18:37:00.003+05:30

Go to Start Button and open Run then type the given command to run windows programs with name.

Run Commands

appwiz.cpl -- Used to run Add/Remove wizard

Calc --Calculator

Cfgwiz32 --ISDN Configuration Wizard

Charmap --Character Map

Chkdisk --Repair damaged files

Cleanmgr --Cleans up hard drives

Clipbrd --Windows Clipboard viewer

Cmd --Opens a new Command Window

Control mouse --Used to control mouse properties

Control --Displays Control Panel

The above command in the image is for auto shut down.
Dcomcnfg --DCOM user security

Debug --Assembly language programming tool

Defrag --Defragmentation tool

Drwatson --Records programs crash & snapshots

Dxdiag --DirectX Diagnostic Utility

Explorer --Windows Explorer

Fontview --Graphical font viewer

Fsmgmt.msc -- Used to open shared folders

Firewall.cpl -- Used to configure windows firewall

Ftp -ftp.exe program

Hostname --Returns Computer's name

Hdwwiz.cpl -- Used to run Add Hardware wizard

Ipconfig --Displays IP configuration for all network adapters

Logoff -- Used to logoff the computer

MMC --Microsoft Management Console

Msconfig --Configuration to edit startup files

Mstsc -- Used to access remote desktop

Mrc -- Malicious Software Removal Tool

Msinfo32 --Microsoft System Information Utility

Nbtstat --Displays stats and current connections using NetBIOS over TCP/IP

Netstat --Displays all active network connections

Nslookup--Returns your local DNS server

Osk ---Used to access on screen keyboard

Perfmon.msc -- Used to configure the performance of Monitor.

Ping --Sends data to a specified host/IP

Powercfg.cpl -- Used to configure power option

Regedit --Registry Editor

Regwiz -- Registration wizard

Sfc /scannow -- System File Checker

Sndrec32 --Sound Recorder

Shutdown -- Used to shutdown the windows

Spider -- Used to open spider solitaire card game

Sfc / scannow -- Used to run system file checker utility.

Sndvol32 --Volume control for soundcard

Sysedit -- Edit system startup files

Taskmgr --Task manager

Telephon.cpl -- Used to configure modem options.

Telnet --Telnet program

Tracert --Traces and displays all paths required to reach an internet host

Winchat -- Used to chat with Microsoft

Wmplayer -- Used to run Windows Media player

Wab -- Used to open Windows address Book.

WinWord -- Used to open Microsoft word

Winipcfg --Displays IP configuration

Winver -- Used to check Windows Version

Wupdmgr --Takes you to Microsoft Windows Update

Write -- Used to open WordPad

How to compress files in Winrar using advanced parameters?

2008-06-17T18:10:00.008+05:30

Now right click on your file and then select the option "Add to archive" from the context menu.
..

.Here a window dialog will appear with title "Archive name and parameters". In General tab, click on "Compression Method" button to select the "Best" option from dropdown menu.

..Now select the Advanced tab and click on Compression button to display the advanced compression parameters..

..Now under the "Text Compression" area, select "Force" radio button and change the "Prediction order" value to 63 then change "Memory to use" type to 128. Now click Ok button to finish the process..

This all compression method will help you to compress your data 15% more than normal method..........

How to display the hidden settings of Nokia mobiles?

2008-06-17T17:38:00.003+05:30

Today tip is about the secret codes of nokia mobile phones and will work on most of the latest nokia mobile sets. You can display the hidden information of mobile sets and troubleshoot the routine problems using these codes.
Code                                                      Action

*#7780#                          To restore the factory settings of mobile set

*#3283#                          To verify the set Manufacturing date

*#746025625#               To stop the sim clock

*#67705646#                  Use to delete the operator logo

*#73#                                Use to reset game scores and phone timers

*#0000#                          Use to display the mobile software version

*#06#                               To display the IMEI Number of the mobile

*#92702689#                  To display the mobile warranty related settings (Serial no, Made,

                                            Purchasing date, Repaired date, Life time).

Follow the list of latest nokia codes :

*#7760#                           To display the Production serial number

*#bta0#                             Use to display Bluetooth MAC address

*#9999#                            Use to display the mobile software version

*#147#                               If you are using Vodafone then this code will help you show the last                                              call detail

*#2640#                            To display the mobile security code

*#7328748263373738#   Apply to resets the set default security code

*#43#                                  To verify the call waiting status

*#2820#                              To verify the Bluetooth information

*#7370#                               To format the mobile phone memory

*#delset#                             To delete the GPRS AND EMAIL settings

#pw+1234567890+1#       To display the lock status of mobile set

#pw+1234567890+4#       To display the lock status of your SIM

Unplug removable storage drives safely

2008-06-17T17:34:00.000+05:30

Removable drives like USB flash drives or external hard disks should not be unplugged from your PC when there is data transfer activity.

To make sure it’s safe to unplug a USB storage device, you’ll have to tell Windows stop all connections and data transfer activities.

To remove a USB storage device:

Method 1
Right-click the removable drive icon on the system tray, then click Safely Remove Hardware. Then click the Stop button inside the Safely Remove Hardware dialog. See Method 2 below for a better and quick way.

Method 2
The faster way is to left-click on the removable drive icon, then click Safely remove USB mass storage device. (If you have more than one storage device plugged in, all the connected USB storage devices will be shown for you to choose)

**********VISTA TUTORIAL....

2008-06-17T17:16:00.003+05:30

......... LINKS........

2008-06-17T09:46:00.001+05:30

Computer Help Sites:

DLL-Files.com
WindowsReinstall.com
Michael Stevens Tech.Com
The Elder Geek on Windows XP
Bert's All About System Restore in WinXP
WINDVIS.COM - Windows Vista help, tutorials and tricks
Vista Helpline - Windows Vista Computer Tips And Support Site
Real Knowledge - Your Online Source For Computer Information

Virus Related Sites:

McAfee Online Scan
McAfee AVERT Stinger
Symantec Online Scan
McAfee Virus Protection
AVG Internet Security
AVG Virus Removal Tools
Symantec Virus Protection
AVG Free Edition Anti-Virus
House Call Online Virus Scan
Symantec Virus Removal Tools

Microsoft Sites:

Windows Game Advisor
Microsoft Knowledge Base
Microsoft Windows Update
Windows System Error Codes
Microsoft Help & Support Page
How to remove Windows Xp SP2
Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor RC
Internet Explorer 7: FAQ and Support
Windows Installer Win 95, 98, and Me
Update for Windows Xp SP2 (KB887742)
Troubleshoot TCP/IP Connectivity with XP
Microsoft Windows Update Troubleshooter
Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool
Get connected with Windows XP networking
4 Ways to Speed Up Your Computer's Performance

Spyware, Parasites, etc... Help Related Sites

Hijackthis
CWShredder
Spyware Blaster
Lavasoft Ad-Aware
SpyHunter Free Scan
SpyBot Search & Destroy
Adware & Spyware Removal Tools

Internet Related Sites:

Throttle Internet Booster
Repair Winsock 2 Settings
NUMION Bandwidth Speed Test

Other Helpful Sites:

Drivers Planet
Crucial Memory
Online Conversions
Task List Programs
Adobe Flash Player
BackupRight - Safe, Easy, and Reliable Online Backup For Business and Personal Use

ALL REG EDITS FOR WIN XP

2008-06-17T08:50:00.000+05:30

>Disable Tool Tips:
          Start/Run/Regedit
          HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.           Modify or create, "ShowInfoTip" and set the Value to 0. To restore set the Value to 1. This           edit excludes the Start Button.
>Disable Status Messages During Boot, Logon, Logoff, Shutdown:
       Start/Run/Regedit
          HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System           Right click in the right pane and select New, DWord value. Name the new value           DisableStatusMessages. Double click the new value and set it to 1. Status messages will no           longer show during boot/shutdown/logon/logoff.
>Disable Balloon Tips:
          Start/Run/Regedit
          HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.           Modify or create, "EnableBalloonTips" and set the Value to 0. To restore set the Value to 1.
>Disable the Windows Key :
        Start/Run/Regedit
          Create a new Binary value, or modify the existing value, called 'Scancode Map' and edit the           value according to the settings below.           HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ Keyboard Layout. Value           Name: Scancode Map, Data Type: REG_BINARY (Binary Value), Value Data: 00 00 00 00           00 00 00 00 03 00 00 00 00 00 5B E0 00 00 5C E0 00 00 00 00.
>Disable All Caps on Files and Folders:
      Start/Run/Regedit
         HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\          Explorer\Advanced] Value Name: DontPrettyPath Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD          Value) Value Data: (0 = adjust caps, 1 = show caps) Create a new DWORD value, or modify          the existing value, called "DontPrettyPath" and set it to equal "1" to display the file using          their original capitalization or "0" to adjust the caps. Restart Windows for the change to          take effect.
>Disable/Turn Off System Beeps:
     Start/Run/Regedit
        HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Sound In the right pane, right click "Beeps",        modify, set the value to no. Exit, reboot.
>Disable Auto-Run of Windows Messenger:
        Start/Run/Regedit
        HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\ MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\CURRENTVERSION\RUN.         Delete the Value named MSMSGS.

Adjust various visual effects

2008-06-16T15:45:00.000+05:30

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)

Win XP Won’t Completely Shutdown

2008-06-16T15:42:00.002+05:30

- 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

2008-06-16T15:41:00.001+05:30

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"

Where has Scan Disk Gone

2008-06-16T15:40:00.001+05:30

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.

File Sharing without ICS

2008-06-16T15:39:00.000+05:30

To enable file and printer sharing on networks not using Internet Connection

Sharing, you must run the Network Setup Wizard and select the following option:

This computer connects to the Internet through another computer on my network or through a residential gateway.

If your computer is directly connected to the Internet, re-run the Network Setup Wizard and select the following option:

This computer connects to the Internet directly or through a network hub.

Other computers on my network also connect to the Internet directly or through a hub.

FDISK Tutorial

2008-06-16T15:38:00.000+05:30

The Basics of Fdisk:
Primary partitions are the only one that are bootable. They're always the C: drive when active. Normally you can only have one (more with some special tricks etc.) Extended partitions are needed when you want more than one partition. You can only have ONE Extended partition. Logical Drives come into the Extended partition. They are handy since you know that you can only have one Primary and one Extended so you can get more than only two partitions. They would be your D:, E:, etc. drives.

First you need to reboot your system with the Boot Disk inserted.

1.At the A: prompt start "FDISK."

2.If asked to use Large Disc support say Yes.

3.The first screen looks like this:

Create Dos Partition or Logical Drive
Set Active Partition
Delete Partitions or Logical DOS Drives
Display Partition Information
Change current fixed drive. (In case you have two or more Hard Drivess)
So, to prepare you hopefully did a backup from your data. You did, didn't you ?!

4.Next we need to remove the existing partitions. So go to 3.

5.Next screen like this:

Delete Primary DOS
Delete Extended DOS
Delete Logical Drives
Delete Non-DOS
Delete always in the following order

Logical (All) > Extended > Primary (Last)

6.Go back to first screen after all partitions have been removed.

7.Now we need to setup our new partitions. Go to 1.

This screen looks like this:

Create Primary DOS
Create Extended DOS
Create Logical DOS Drives
Here we create in the following order

Primary > Extended > Logical Drives.

8.First create the Primary. If asked to use all space say No and enter the amount you wish for the C: drive. It should be set automatically to be the (only) Active partition. If not it may ask you or you have to select "2. Set active partition" from the main menu.

9.Next create the Extended Partition. Use all space left.

It probably advances automatically to the next step, creating the Logical DOS Drives.

10.Enter the amount you wish for the D: partition and than the rest for the third partition.

Think first about the size for the partitions.

OK now we're finished with FDISK so just exit it. Next you need to reboot with the disc still inserted and Format all partitions (the C: partition might need to be formatted with "format c: /s", check the Win95 tip). Another reboot and you can go ahead and install Windows.

When your system supports booting from CD just insert the Windows CD and reboot. The setup will start.

If not, follow these steps:

Win98: insert Boot Disk and CD, reboot, choose "2. boot with CDROM support" and once you're at the prompt change to your CD-drive letter (depends on your partition setup) and enter "setup".
Win95: You must format the C: partition with "Format C: /s"!. Next install your CDROM driver, reboot, insert the Win95 CD, change to the CD-driveletter, enter "setup".
I hope I made no mistakes.

Reduce Temporary Internet File Space

2008-06-16T15:34:00.000+05:30

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

Get The Drivers You Need*

2008-06-16T15:32:00.000+05:30

- Visit Windows Update (XP Only)
- Look at the left hand pane and under Other Options click Personalize Windows Update.
- Now in the right hand pane check the box - Display the link to the Windows Update Catalog under See Also
- Below Choose which categories and updates to display on Windows Update - make sure you check all the boxes you want shown.
- Click Save Settings
- Now look in the left hand pane under See Also click Windows Update Catalog and choose what you're looking for. Choose either MS updates or drivers for hardware devices.
- Start the Wizard and off you go.

There are a TON of drivers there. I highly recommend you take a look at this page prior to downloading something from the web.

Save Your New Downloads

Since some people are still using modems and since MS is issuing patches right and left for XP wouldn't it be nice if after you downloaded all the updates you could save them? Well, you can and MS has provided a way for you to do it.
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.
Read-me's are available in each patch section so you know which one you are installing.

Make Use Of Your Windows Key

2008-06-16T15:30:00.000+05:30

The Windows logo key, located in the bottom row of most computer keyboards is a little-used treasure. Don't' ignore it. It is the shortcut anchor for the following commands:

Windows: Display the Start menu
Windows + D: Minimize or restore all windows
Windows + E: Display Windows Explorer
Windows + F: Display Search for files
Windows + Ctrl + F: Display Search for computer
Windows + F1: Display Help and Support Center
Windows + R: Display Run dialog box
Windows + break: Display System Properties dialog box
Windows + shift + M: Undo minimize all windows
Windows + L: Lock the workstation
Windows + U: Open Utility Manager
Windows + Q: Quick switching of users (Powertoys only)
Windows + Q: Hold Windows Key, then tap Q to scroll thru the different users on your PC

What are the design goals for Windows XP? What does it improve

2008-06-16T15:29:00.000+05:30

Richer communications. Real-time voice, video and application-sharing will enable people to communicate more effectively.
Enhanced mobility. Mobile users' ability to access their information any time, anywhere will be further improved.
Improved help and support. Users will be able to easily connect to people and resources for help whenever they need it.
Simple digital photos and video. Windows XP will make it easy to create, organize and share digital memories.
Exciting music and entertainment. Windows XP will deliver the best experience for the discovery, download, personalization and playback of high-quality audio and video content.
Enabling of the "connected home." Windows XP will give people an easy way to share information, devices and Internet connections within the home.

What is the difference between Home and Professional editions

2008-06-16T15:28:00.001+05:30

The features of Windows XP Home and Pro are very similar. Most home users have no need to the Professional version. Windows XP Pro has support for multiple processors and an encrypted file system.

Minimum system requirements

2008-06-16T15:27:00.001+05:30

PC with 300 megahertz (MHz) or higher processor clock speed recommended; 233-MHz minimum required;* Intel Pentium/Celeron family, AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor recommended
128 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features)
1.5 gigabyte (GB) of available hard disk space.
Super VGA (800 × 600) or higher resolution video adapter and monitor
CD-ROM or DVD drive
Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device

Understanding Microsoft .NET Passport

2008-06-16T15:20:00.000+05:30

In its ever-expanding push toward computer domination, Microsoft launched a concept called the .NET Passport. (Soon after installation, Windows XP urgently asks you to sign up for one.) In theory, the Passport sounds great: Give Microsoft a user name and password, and you have a Passport. When you visit any Passport-aware Internet sites, you type in your same Passport name and password. You no longer have to remember different user names and passwords for every place that you visit or shop on the Internet.

In fact, when you move from one Passport-enabled site to another, you don't even need to log on again. With the Passport, your personal data travels with you: name, address, and, if you purchased anything, your credit card number. Microsoft says its .NET Passport enables software, Internet services, and computer gadgetry to work together and share information, making the Internet easier for everyone to use.

Think about it, though. No entity should govern your Internet use — except you. The Microsoft Passport contains your Internet identity. With Passport, Microsoft creates a consumer database that's just too powerful. Microsoft can collect information from any Passport-enabled site you visit, so Microsoft knows the stocks you track in Investor.com, the Web pages you view in MSN.com, and where you travel through Expedia.com. When you move from one Passport-enabled site to another, that information could be shared, too.

In concept, Passport sounds great. When computers are working well, they do great things. But everybody knows how terrible computers can be if something goes wrong. Passport offers too much opportunity for things to go wrong. Sure, it's okay to occasionally use a Passport account when there's no alternative. But avoid Passport-enabled sites whenever possible.

Add sound to almost every event in Windows

2008-06-16T15:18:00.000+05:30

XP comes with a new set of sounds that will surely add pizzazz to the way you work in Windows. But there's one problem -- you need to actually turn on the Windows default sound scheme before you'll be able to hear them.

To turn on the Windows XP default sound scheme, follow these directions:

Single-click the Start menu.
Single-click the Control Panel.
Single-click the Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices icon.
Single-click the Sounds and Audio Devices icon or the text labeled "Change the sound scheme."
Make sure you're on the Sound tab and locate the pull-down menu under Sound scheme.
Select the Windows Default option and press Apply. Windows will ask you if you want to save the previous sound scheme. Since there wasn't a sound scheme already loaded, just choose No.

If you look under the text labeled "Program events," you'll be able to sample your new sounds or customize them with your own. Read Customize Events Sounds if you'd like to learn how to do this yourself.

Windows XP support OpenGL

2008-06-16T15:16:00.000+05:30

Although the operating system does not have built-in support for the 3D graphics standard, according to Microsoft. However, XP does support the graphics standard OpenGL by way of your video card drivers. If you're getting graphics errors after you upgrade to Windows XP, check your video settings (click Control Panel > Display > Properties > Settings > Advanced > Adapter) for OpenGL controls. If you don't see any, check with your video card's maker to get updated video drivers for Windows XP.

XP Game Compatibility

2008-06-16T15:14:00.000+05:30

You want to know if all your favorite games are still going to run under Windows XP. Remember what happened when we tried to run games on our Windows 2000 machines? Sometimes we were a little disappointed. Windows 2000 was made more for corporate applications than "Quake," but true techno-geeks know they don't have to sacrifice death matches for a robust business environment -- at least not anymore.

Windows XP has shown an impressive track record of game compatibility. We ran a number of standard games, such as "Tiger Woods Golf," "NHL 2001," "Max Payne," and "Unreal" on our Windows XP Professional machine. Some of these games were specifically slated for Windows 95 and 98, and were shown not to work in Windows 2000. The installation in XP was as smooth as silk. The games ran quickly and beautifully -- not a problem in sight (except for my bad chip shot -- Tiger was hanging his head in shame).

Some less-sophisticated programs may not run as smoothly, and we found that some older applications, such as the Atari 2600 Classic Game Collection, did not appreciate the Windows XP environment. In this case you can use the Application Compatibility Wizard, found in the accessories menu. XP includes integrated compatibility layers to mimic older versions of Windows, so if your program does not work in Windows XP, the compatibility wizard will walk you through the process of getting even your favorite DOS games up and running. In this case, we ran the Atari Classic Game Collection in the Windows 95 environment, at 256 colors and 640x480 screen resolution. Then we set XP to always run our Atari application in this environment, and everything was smooth sailing after that.

One final tip about compatibility: Don't run the compatibility wizard if your program appears to be running well in the normal environment, as the wizard will give you an error message. In general, XP has great program compatibility, so you can upgrade your operating system without giving up all your old favorites.

Keeping Windows XP Up-to-Date

2008-06-16T15:12:00.000+05:30

The Windows Update feature notifies you of the latest updates and bug fixes for the Windows XP operating system directly from the Microsoft Web site. To launch the Windows Update, you click the Start menu, point at the All Programs button, and then click Windows Update in the Programs menu.

As soon as you click select Windows Update on this menu, Windows gets you online and connects you to the Windows Update Web page on the Microsoft Web site.

To have your computer checked out to see whether you're in need of some updated Windows components, follow these steps:

1. On the Microsoft Windows Update Web page, click the Scan for Updates hyperlink.

When you click this hyperlink, the Windows checks your system for needed updates. After checking your system, the number of updates appears in the list of three types of updates (Critical Updates, Windows XP, and Driver Updates) in the pane on the left side of the window.

2. To have the Update Wizard install particular updates in one or more of the various categories, click the check boxes in front of each update name and description.

3. After you have all the updates that you want selected, click the Review and Install Updates hyperlink in the pane on the left side of the window.

4. Click the Start Download button on the Download Checklist page.

A license agreement dialog box then appears. Choose the Yes button to sell your soul to the devil (just kidding) and start the download.

After you click the assent to the license agreement, the Microsoft Windows Update page downloads and installs the updated files for the component(s) you selected. When the download and installation are complete, the message Download and Installation Successful appears on Windows Update Web page.

5. Click the Close box in the upper-right corner of the Windows Update Web page to close this browser window.

Just in case you're the type who would never think to use the Windows Update command on the Start menu, Windows XP turns on an AutoUpdate feature that automatically starts bugging you about new Windows features that you can download and install.

AutoUpdate indicates that Windows updates that could benefit your computer are available by placing an Install Reminder icon (with the picture of the Windows logo above a tiny globe) in the Notification area of the Windows taskbar. From time to time, a ScreenTip appears above this Install Reminder icon, telling you that new updates are available.

To get the Windows updates downloaded or to silence the Install Reminder, click that icon in the status bar. Windows then displays an Updates dialog box with three buttons along the bottom: Settings, Remind Me Later, and Install.

To go online and have Windows download and install the new updates (using the procedure outlined in the steps in the preceding section), choose Install. To be reminded to update at a later time, choose the Remind Me Later button and then select the time interval that must pass before the Install Reminder starts prompting you again in the drop-down list box of the Remind Me Later dialog box that appears.

To turn off the AutoUpdate features so that it never bugs you again, follow these steps:

1. Click the Start button and then click Control Panel.

2. Click the Switch to Classic View button at the top of the Control Panel navigation pane on the left side of this window.

3. Double-click the System icon to open the Systems Properties dialog box.

4. Click the Automatic Updates tab and then in the Notification Settings section, click the Turn Off Automatic Updating, I want to Update My Computer Manually radio button.

5. Click OK or press Enter to close the System Properties dialog box.

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

2008-06-16T15:06:00.000+05:30

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.

Crackling Sound With Soundblaster Cards

2008-06-16T00:10:00.000+05:30

This seems like a strange problem with Windows XP. Some users are noticing scratchy, popping sound with their SoundBlaster cards and Windows XP..I have come to the conclusion that this is happening the most often on PC's that contain RAID setups such as a Highpoint controller.

The main fix I have come across is to install Raid drivers OTHER than those that shipped with Windows XP. For instance on my Raid setup, I went back to a older Windows 2000 driver and this has almost completely stopped my sound problems.

Unlocking WinXP's setupp.ini

2008-06-16T00:09:00.000+05:30

WinXP's setupp.ini controls how the CD acts. IE is it an OEM version or retail? First, find your setupp.ini file in the i386 directory on your WinXP CD. Open it up, it'll look something like this:

ExtraData=707A667567736F696F697911AE7E05
Pid=55034000

The Pid value is what we're interested in. What's there now looks like a standard default. There are special numbers that determine if it's a retail, oem, or volume license edition. First, we break down that number into two parts. The first five digits determines how the CD will behave, ie is it a retail cd that lets you clean install or upgrade, or an oem cd that only lets you perform a clean install? The last three digits determines what CD key it will accept. You are able to mix and match these values. For example you could make a WinXP cd that acted like a retail cd, yet accepted OEM keys.

Now, for the actual values. Remember the first and last values are interchangable, but usually you'd keep them as a pair:

Retail = 51882335
Volume License = 51883 270
OEM = 82503 OEM

So if you wanted a retail CD that took retail keys, the last line of your setupp.ini file would read:

Pid=51882335

And if you wanted a retail CD that took OEM keys, you'd use:

Pid=51882OEM

Note that this does NOT get rid of WinXP's activation. Changing the Pid to a Volume License will not bypass activation. You must have a volume license (corporate) key to do so.

Don't Ignore the Windows Logo Key

2008-06-16T00:08:00.001+05:30

The Windows logo key, located in the bottom row of most computer keyboards is a little-used treasure. Don't ignore it. It is the shortcut anchor for the following commands: Windows: Display the Start menu Windows + D: Minimize or restore all windows Windows + E: Display Windows Explorer Windows + F: Display Search for files Windows + Ctrl + F: Display Search for computer Windows + F1: Display Help and Support Center Windows + R: Display Run dialog box Windows + break: Display System Properties dialog box Windows + shift + M: Undo minimize all windows Windows + L: Lock the workstation Windows + U: Open Utility Manager

How to create a boot disk

2008-06-16T00:06:00.001+05:30

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.

You can also download the complete set of bootdisks from our website, ready to create the six MS boot disks for Windows XP:

For a Safer, faster XP Close Unwanted Services

2008-06-16T00:02:00.000+05:30

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

Hide 'User Accounts' from users

2008-06-15T21:05:00.000+05:30

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

Remove the Recycle Bin from the Desktop

2008-06-15T21:00:00.001+05:30

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.

Error messages

2008-06-15T20:59:00.000+05:30

400 - Bad Request

Problem: There's something wrong with the address you entered. You may not be authorized to access the web page, or maybe it no longer exists.

Solution: Check the address carefully, especially if the address is long. Make sure that the slashes are correct (they should be forward slashes) and that all the names are properly spelled. Web addresses are case sensitive, so check that the names are capitalized in your entry as they are in the original reference to the website.

401 - Unauthorized

Problem: You can't access a website because you're not on the guest list, your password is invalid or you have entered your password incorrectly.

Solution: If you think you have authorization, try typing your password again. Remember that passwords are case sensitive.

403 - Forbidden

Problem: Essentially the same as a 401.

Solution: Try entering your password again or move on to another site.

404 - Not Found

Problem: Either the web page no longer exists on the server or it is nowhere to be found.

Solution: Check the address carefully and try entering it again. You might also see if the site has a search engine. If so, use it to hunt for the document. (It's not uncommon for pages to change their addresses when a website is redesigned.) To get to the home page of the site, delete everything after the domain name and hit the Enter or Return key. For example, if the address is:
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/email.htm
remove English/html/email.htm.

503 - Service unavailable

Problem: Your Internet service provider (ISP) or your Internet connection may be down.

Solution: Take a stretch, wait a few minutes and try again. If you still have no luck, phone your ISP or system administrator.

20 things you didn't know about Windows XP

2008-06-15T20:49:00.000+05:30

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.

Internet Broadband

2008-06-15T20:37:00.000+05:30

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.

Compatibility Mode Make older programs run in Windows XP

2008-06-15T20:31:00.000+05:30

If you're having trouble running older programs originally developed for previous versions of Windows, you're not out of luck. Luckily for consumers, Microsoft built Compatibility Mode into XP. Compatibility Mode allows you to run a program using the shell of the original program it was developed for.

Here's how to access a program's Compatibility Mode in XP:

Find the executable or program shortcut icon you'd like to run.
Right-click the icon and select Properties.
Click the Compatibility tab and place a checkmark next to the text labeled "Run this program in compatibility mode."
Select the operating system that the program was originally intended to run on.
You may need to fine-tune the three fields under "Display Settings" if an older program requires 640x480 resolution or 256 colors.
Click Apply.

Try starting the program after making these changes. If it still gives you trouble, try a different operating system. If the program was written for Win95 and worked fine in Win98, there's nothing that says it still won't work fine with Win98.