How to Restore Safe Mode When it Gets Disabled by a Virus

Safe mode is a special way of booting Windows when there is a system-critical problem or a virus that interferes with its normal operation. The purpose of Safe Mode is to allow you to troubleshoot Windows and try to determine what causes it to not function properly. In safe mode, Windows will have reduced functionality, thereby allowing you to easily troubleshoot your system and attempt removal of viruses (many of them won't start when Windows is running in safe mode). Unfortunately, many computer viruses today such as Bagle, Virut, and Sality disable Windows' safe mode by deleting the SafeBoot registry key and its subkeys. Some even go far by continuously monitoring the registry and will delete the registry keys again as soon as you restore them.

Making use of a LiveCD, or scanning your system hard drive for viruses from a virus-free computer is still the best way. However, in case you don't have access to a LiveCD or another computer, you can do the procedures below:

- Run a program that will restore the SafeBoot registry with permission entries that will deny Administrators and System accounts to delete the key. This way, the virus can’t delete the keys because it lacks the permission to do so.

UndeletableSafebootKey by Dieder Stevens (http://www.didierstevens.com/files/software/UndeletableSafebootKey_V0_0_0_1.zip)

Extract and double-click "UndeletableSafebootKey.exe" to run the program.

- Restore the subkeys by merging the appropriate .reg file with the Windows registry.
subkeys (http://www.4shared.com/file/237634447/52a1471a/safebootkeys.html)

Extract and double-click the .reg file appropriate for your system and click "yes" to merge it into the registry.

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How To Setup a USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 7

If you have a netbook and would like to upgrade it to Windows 7, you may be wondering how to do it without a clunky external DVD Drive. Today we show you how to install Windows 7 from a USB flash drive.

Installing Windows 7 from a flash drive is essentially the same as installing it from a DVD. Most of the work is setting up your flash drive so it becomes a bootable device with the OS on it. Here we will take a look at a couple of utilities that will allow you to easily create a bootable USB drive and copy Windows 7 to it.



Note: You’ll need a minimum of a 4GB flash drive to dedicate to the installation files.

Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool

If you have an ISO image of Windows 7, using Microsoft’s free utility is a quick and easy option to get the image on your USB flash drive. It requires XP SP2 or higher and if you’re using an XP machine you’ll need .NET Framework 2.0, and Microsoft Image Mastering API V2…both of which can be downloaded from the link below. It seemed to work best if I formatted the flash drive as NTFS before using the download tool. But that could be because of the flash drive I used…your mileage may vary.

http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/10win.png

It’s a pretty straight forward process, first browse to the location of your Windows 7 ISO file and click Next.

http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/1dlt.png

Select USB device…this also helps you burn the ISO to DVD as well if you need that option.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/2dlt.png

Choose your flash drive and click Begin copying.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/3dlt.png

Now just wait for the process to complete. The drive will be formatted and files copied to the flash drive.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/6dlt.png

When the process is finished you will be able to see the files on the flash drive as you would if you opened the installation disc. Now you can start the installation on any computer that allows you to boot from a USB drive.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/7dlt.png

WinToFlash

If you want to transfer a Windows 7 installation disc to USB…another super easy utility to use is WinToFlash. Just follow through the straight forward wizard, and you’ll be ready to install Windows 7 from your flash drive in no time.

http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/1win2.png

The neat thing about this utility is it also offers different advanced features and tasks for other versions of Windows too.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/9win.png

It’s as easy as choosing the location of the Windows installation disc and the USB drive. Where in this example the DVD is drive (E:) and the flash drive is (F:). They recommend to turn off your Antivirus to increase the process speed, but we had MSE running on our machine and it didn’t seem to affect performance at all.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/3win3.png

Next, you’ll need to agree to the Windows 7 EULA and hit continue.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/4win2.png

Now just wait until the drive is formatted and the files are transferred over to the USB drive. The amount of time it takes will vary between systems. In our test it took around 10 minutes to complete over to an 8GB flash drive.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/5win2.png

That’s it! Now the drive is ready so you can install Windows 7 on your netbook or any other computer that supports booting from a USB drive.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/7win2.png

Conclusion

WinToFlash is still in Beta and doesn’t require installation to use. Microsoft’s tool apparently became Open Sourced recently, requires installation, and a few other requirements like .NET Framework. Both of these tools are free and each one works a bit differently, so you’ll need to decide which will work best in your situation. If you don’t want to manually create a bootable flash drive and copy the install files over, then you might want to check out these extremely simple to use utilities.

Download WinToFlash (http://wintoflash.com/download/en/)

Download Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (http://store.microsoft.com/Help/ISO-Tool)


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How To Use Backup and Restore in Windows 7

The backup utilities in previous versions of Windows have been less than spectacular resulting in a nice market for third party applications. Today we take a look at the Backup and Restore feature in Windows 7 that may be their best backup tool yet.

Set the Backup

To set up a backup in Windows 7 open up Computer right-click on your local drive and select Properties. Then click on the Tools tab and click the Back up now button.

http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/BackupNow.png

In the Back up or restore your files window click the link to set up a backup.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/SetBackup.png

Windows will search for a suitable drive to store the backup or you can also choose a location on your network. If you backup to a network location you might need the password to the share.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/1externalornetwork.png

You can have Windows choose what to backup or you can choose the files and directories. Because I like more user control for this tutorial I am choosing what to backup but it’s completely up to you.

Note: If you let Windows choose it will not backup Program Files, anything formatted with the FAT file system, files in the Recycle Bin, or any temp files that are 1GB or more.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/settings1.png

Select the files and folder to include in the backup. Also notice you can select the option to create an image of your local drive.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/choose.png

Now review the backup job and make sure everything looks correct.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/review.png

Here you can also schedule the days and times the backup occurs.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/schedule.png

Save the backup settings and kick off your first backup and while it runs you can monitor the progress.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/inprogress.png

Click the View Details button to see exactly what is being backup during the process.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/details.png

When the backup is complete you will see the two backup files and image folder if you created one. I backed up 20GB of data and it took around 15 minutes including the system image which came to 11GB.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/sshot11.png

Double click on the backup file and can restore files or manage the size of the backups folder.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/managemenu.png

Restore Files from Backup

If you need to go back and restore a file from a backup click on Restore my files in the Backup and Restore Center.

http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/rest.png

Now you can browse or search the most recent backup for a file or folder your missing.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/chooserestore.png

Next you can restore them back to the original location or choose a different spot then click Restore.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/location.png

Progress of the restoration will vary depending on the size of the data and location it’s restoring from.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/prog.png

Manage Backup Size

Sometimes you may need to recover some disk space and Windows 7 allows you to manage the size of your backups. In the Backup and Restore section click on the Manage Space link.

http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/mgsizelink.png

Your given a summary of the backup location and what is taking up space from the backup.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/mgspace.png

Click on the View backups button to check the different dated backups where you can delete older ones if needed.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/sshot2.png

You can also change how windows retains older system images.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/mgsettinggs.png

Backing up data is one of the most important but overlooked tasks for a computer user. If you have another backup app you might not consider letting Windows do it, but overall, the new backup and restore utility in Windows 7 is much better than previous versions.

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How to Create an Ubuntu-based Bootable USB Anti-virus Rescue Kit to Scan a Windows Drive


One thing I like about Linux is its versatility. It has no hardware restriction, unlike other operating systems. So versatile, in fact, that you can even install the whole system on a bootable USB flash drive.

One advantage of having a bootable Linux anti-virus rescue USB is that you can scan a malware-infested drive without booting into your native operating system. You can just boot from the flashdrive and scan the drive from there.

Step 1. Create the Ubuntu Live USB.
Download Ubuntu ISO from here (http://www.ubuntu.com/)
Create the Ubuntu Live USB (from Windows) (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=811397)
Create the Ubuntu Live USB (from an Ubuntu Live CD) (http://www.ehow.com/way_5278909_steps-boot-flash-drive.html)
Create the Ubuntu Live USB (Ubuntu Startup Disk Creator with screenshots) (http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=ubuntu_usb_creator&num=1)

Step 2. Boot from your Ubuntu Live USB.

Step 3. Open Mozilla Firefox and download Avira AntiVir Personal - FREE Antivirus for Linux.
Download Avira binary (http://dlpe.antivir.com/package/wks_avira/unix/en/pers/antivir_workstation-pers.tar.gz)
Download License file for Avira (http://dlce.antivir.com/down/windows/hbedv.key)

Step 4. If the downloaded Avira tar file location is not in your /home/ubuntu (~/) folder, copy or move the file (together with the license file - hbedv.key) into that folder (for easier installation).
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm224/nugencs/tarloc.jpg

Step 5. Extract the tar file by double-clicking (GUI) or using the terminal.
GUI
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm224/nugencs/extract.jpg

Terminal
Launch the Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal)
Extract the tar file "tar xvpzf antivir_workstation-pers.tar.gz"
You /home/ubuntu folder, after extraction, should contain the Avira installer
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm224/nugencs/installer.jpg

Step 6. Using the Terminal, change current directory into the Avira installer folder/directory. "cd antivir-workstation-pers-3.1.3.4-1"

Step 7. Install Avira (follow on-screen instructions, but answer "n" when it prompts you to install dazukofs). "sudo ./install"

Step 8. Change location to your /home/ubuntu directory ("cd ~/") and copy the license file to /usr/lib/AntiVir directory. "sudo cp hbedv.key /usr/lib/AntiVir"

Step 9. Start avguard ("sudo avguard start"), then update the virus database (may take a while). "sudo /usr/lib/AntiVir/guard/avupdate --product=Guard"

Step 10. Mount the drives you want to scan and run Avira with the following options. "sudo avscan --scan-mode=all -e -del /media". This will scan all files, try to repair the infected ones, and delete the ones it could not repair. Read the manual for more info (/home/ubuntu/antivir-workstation-pers-3.1.3.4-1/doc).
Other advantages of using the Live USB:
- Recover or access data from a drive with corrupted operating system.
- Recover a damaged partition table.
- Resize or repartition a drive.
- Boot onto other computers that may be unsecure, unsafe, or may have virus/malware.
- Avoid keyloggers or other programs designed to steal information when logging into your important accounts such as a bank account.
- Diagnose various computer problems such as hardware and software issues.
- many more...

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How to Make Epson T10 Printer Work in Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx

The Epson T10 printer, which previously worked in Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala using the T20 driver does not work anymore in Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx. It gets detected and installed but won't be able to print. When sending a print command, the printer just makes noises for a few seconds, blinks the indicator light, and sits there without printing at all.

The problem lies on the following packages:

libgutenprint2 v5.2.5
cups-driver-gutenprint v5.2.5

To make the printer work in Lucid, you have to downgrade the above packages to v5.2.4.

Steps:

1. Remove the existing packages by typing the following in the Terminal:
sudo apt-get remove libgutenprint2 cups-driver-gutenprint

2. Download the following packages, depending on your system (32 or 64 bit):
libgutenprint2 v5.2.4 (32-bit) (http://launchpadlibrarian.net/32019466/libgutenprint2_5.2.4-0ubuntu2_i386.deb)
libgutenprint2 v5.2.4 (64-bit) (http://launchpadlibrarian.net/32020345/libgutenprint2_5.2.4-0ubuntu2_amd64.deb)
cups-driver-gutenprint v5.2.4 (32-bit) (http://launchpadlibrarian.net/32019464/cups-driver-gutenprint_5.2.4-0ubuntu2_i386.deb)
cups-driver-gutenprint v5.2.4 (64-bit) (http://launchpadlibrarian.net/32020343/cups-driver-gutenprint_5.2.4-0ubuntu2_amd64.deb)

3. Proceed to the folder containing the downloaded packages, then double click libgutenprint2_5.2.4-0ubuntu2_*.deb to install (cups-driver-gutenprint depends on this package so you have to install it first).

4. Install the cups-driver-gutenprint_5.2.4-0ubuntu2_*.deb package.

5. Now it's time to lock the packages to keep them from being upgraded. Run Synaptic Package Manager and search for the packages you just installed, highlight the package. Once the correct package is selected, click Package -> Lock Version.

If you want to use the Terminal:

a. Open the terminal
b. Type sudo -s and hit enter
c. Enter your password for sudo
d. Type echo libgutenprint2_5.2.4-0ubuntu2_*.deb hold | dpkg --set-selections
(replace * with either i386 or amd64, depending on your system)
e. Type echo cups-driver-gutenprint_5.2.4-0ubuntu2_*.deb hold | dpkg --set-selections
(replace * with either i386 or amd64, depending on your system)
f. Run sudo apt-get update and then sudo apt-get upgrade.

That's it! The printer will now work in your system.

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Other Tips & Trick in Page 11 (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11390416&postcount=11)
Other Tips & Trick in Page 12 (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11390535&postcount=12)
85 Window 7 Tips & Trick & Secret (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11391147&postcount=15)||1 (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11391319&postcount=17)||2 (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11391388&postcount=18)||
25 cool Windows 7 interface tweaks (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11391998&postcount=21)
18 cool things Windows 7 does that Vista doesn't (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11392124&postcount=22)
22 common Windows 7 problems solved (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11395179&postcount=24)||1 (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11395190&postcount=25)||
How to turn your Windows 7 laptop into a wireless hotspot (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11395228&postcount=27)
Beginner's guide to Windows 7 (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11395297&postcount=28)||1 (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11395303&postcount=29)||
Windows 7 hidden options and tools (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11395331&postcount=30)||1 (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11395382&postcount=31)||





continuation on page 2

Set a Video as Your Desktop Wallpaper with VLC

Are you tired of static desktop wallpapers and want something a bit more entertaining? Today we’ll take a look at setting a video as wallpaper in VLC media player.

Download and install VLC player. You’ll find the download link below. Open VLC and select Tools > Preferences.

http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot237.png

On the Preferences windows, select the Video button on the left.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot614.png

Under Video Settings, select DirectX video output from the Output dropdown list.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot715.png

Click Save before exiting and then restart VLC.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot817.png

Next, select a video and begin playing it with VLC. Right-click on the screen, select Video, then DirectX Wallpaper.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot21copy.png

You can achieve the same result by selecting Video from the Menu and clicking DirectX Wallpaper.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot19copy.png

If you’re using Windows Aero Themes, you may get the warning message below and your theme will switch automatically to a basic theme.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot1711.png

After the Wallpaper is enabled, minimize VLC player and enjoy the show as you work
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot257.png

When you are ready to switch back to your normal wallpaper, click Video, and then close out of VLC.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot24copy.png

Occasionally we had to manually change our wallpaper back to normal. You can do that by right clicking on the desktop and selecting your theme.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot1612.png

Conclusion

This might not make the most productive desktop environment, but it is pretty cool. It’s definitely not the same old boring wallpaper!

Download VLC (http://www.videolan.org/)
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Opera Browser Performance Tweaks - Improve Page Load Times

The already fast Opera browser got even speedier with the release of its 10.60 Beta version (http://www.opera.com/browser/next/). But as always, there's room for improvement. You can further improve (significantly) its page load times by doing the following:

1. Type opera:config in the address bar

2. Click "Performance", configure the following settings then save:
Max Connections Server = 32
No Connection Keepalive (checked)
Non-Compliant Server 100 Continue (checked)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IC1JplshPOs/TB7QqD4yFgI/AAAAAAAAALI/5QgRXzcT7lQ/s400/opera-performance.jpg

3. Click "Extensions", check "Delayed Script Execution" then save
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IC1JplshPOs/TB7S0VgauRI/AAAAAAAAALM/sK-uBnjfs60/s400/opera-extensions.png

4. Restart Opera
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Use the "Windows" Key to Launch the Main Menu in Ubuntu

If you're a Windows user and new to Ubuntu, you may prefer to have the "Windows" key (the key with a Windows logo) launch the main menu. To do this, you need to run the Gnome Configuration Editor:

1. Press ALT+F2 and type: gconf-editor in the dialog box, then press ENTER;

2. On the left pane, go to Apps-->metacity-->global_keybindings;

3. On the right pane, double-click the panel_main_menu, change the value to: Super_L then click "OK".

That's it. Now everytime you press the "Windows" key, the main menu will pop up.
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How to Fix an Ubuntu Error: "No init found. Try passing init= bootarg"

This morning, a friend came to me with his laptop that won't boot. At every boot attempt, his Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx system outputs the following error messages:

mount: mounting /dev/disk/by-uuid/***************************** on /root
failed: Invalid argument
mount: mounting /sys on /root/sys failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting /dev on /root/dev failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting /sys on /root/sys failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting /proc on /root/proc failed: No such file or directory
Target file system doesn't have /sbin/init
No init found. Try passing init= bootarg

Busybox v1.13.3 (Ubuntu 1:1.13.3-1ubuntu7) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands
(initramfs) _

Booting into "Recovery Mode" as well as choosing the other kernels listed in grub didn't help at all.


Solution:

1. Boot from the Ubuntu Live CD;

2. Open/Run Terminal;

3. Type: sudo fdisk -l (to get the device name) then press ENTER;

Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: **********

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 30238 242886703+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 30239 30401 1309297+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 30239 30401 1309266 82 Linux swap / Solaris

The device name for my friend's system based on the above: /dev/sda1

4. Type: sudo fsck /dev/sda1 then press ENTER;

5. Restart the system and boot normally.


* The laptop booted normally after the fix.
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Hard Drive not Recognized/ Found/ Detected/ Accessible


If you install a new hard drive and install an Operating System on it and it suddenly acts like it is not there, it may be a loose connection.

If a bootable CD, such a s Knoppix, is not able to read your hard drive, it can have several causes. The list of possibilities below can also be used for troubleshooting hard drives, floppy drives, and CD/DVD drives.


CAUTION: Make sure the power is off and that the PC is disconnected from power. Also be sure to avoid static electricity, or you will need a new PC. Do not force any thing. All parts should easily fit together if they are properly aligned. Sometimes you may have to push or pull harder than you think. Just be careful to make sure any levers or buttons that hold it in place are not overlooked.

* Least likely is that a new hard drive has failed. Try the other options before assuming it is the new hard drive. If all of the below do not work, and it is a new hard drive, contact the manufacturer. New hard drives should include very good instructions for installation and troubleshooting. When in doubt read the instructions.

* Open the case and make sure that all the connections are correct.

* Unplug the power supply connection, make sure there are no bent pins, and plug it in securely.

* Repeat the procedure with the connection to the motherboard, make sure no pins are bent.

* If you have multiple drives, try hooking up just one drive to make sure you can read it.

* Make sure that the power supply, and other components are working correctly. It is possible that another component of the PC has failed.

* If you have another PC available, try connecting it to the other PC. This could point to failure of the power and/or motherboard cables in the original PC.

* If none of the above works, call in professional help. You can also beg a friend or family member to help. If you cannot pay a friend or family member, a good meal, is a nice way to get them to rescue you again.

windows xp
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How to Increase Broadband Connection Speed in Windows XP/Vista


This trick requires Standard Network Interface cards (NIC) that are connected to ADSL modems, or when using any directly-connected USB ADSL modem.

To speed up the Internet connection speed we need to configure a special buffer in the computer's memory in order to enable it to better deal with interrupts made from the NIC or the USB modem.

This tip is only recommended if you have 256MB RAM or higher.


Step 1 - Identify the IRQ used by the NIC/USB modem

Follow these steps:

1. Open the System Information tool by running MSINFO32.EXE from the Run command.

2. Expand System Summary > Hardware Resources > IRQs.

3. Look for the listing made for your NIC (in my case - a Intel® PRO/100+ Management Adapter). Note the IRQ next to the specified line (in my case - IRQ21).


In case of USB modems you will first need to find the right USB device used by your modem. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Device Manager tool by running DEVMGMT.MSC from the Run command (or by right-clicking My Computer > Hardware tab > Device Manager button).

2. Scroll down to Universal Serial Bus controllers and expand it.

3. Right-click the USB Root Hub and select Properties. Note that you might need to do so for all listed USB Root hubs (if there are more than one) in order to find the right one.

4. In the Power tab, look for your USB ADSL modem.

5. In the Resources tab look for the assigned IRQ (in this case - IRQ21).

6. This is the IRQ we're looking for.


Lamer note: IRQs and modem names might vary...


Step 2 - Modify the system.ini file

Follow these steps:

1. Run SYSEDIT.EXE from the Run command.

2. Expand the system.ini file window.

3. Scroll down almost to the end of the file till you find a line called [386enh].

4. Press Enter to make one blank line, and in that line type IrqX=4096 where X is the designated IRQ number we found in step #1, in my case it's IRQ21.

Note: This line IS CASE SENSITIVE!!!

5. Click on the File menu, then choose Save.

6. Close SYSEDIT and reboot your computer.


You are done. Speed improvement will be noticed after the computer reboots. The most speed improvement is visible with USB.


::General Tips::

1. If your connection speed is slow then don’t use downloads, e-mail, chat, and audio or video streaming simultaneously. Use one or two service at a time.

2. Upgrade your connection speed.

3. Connect to the internet through an Ethernet port.

4. Increase your RAM.

5. Use fast browsers (e.g. Mozilla Firefox).
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Use Computer Monitor as TV | PC Monitor as Television


Following information will help you to use Computer Monitor as TV:

Cable

First of all, you need cable box with DVI or HDMI output. If you have a cable box with an HDMI output you will need an HDMI to DVI Cable (If your monitor has HDMI input you don't need it, but most do not have that facility). Next you need speakers that accept RCA audio cables (or digital, whatever kind of sound cable your cable box supports).


Monitor
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2U2Sk-qcX28/SdMIsu4vHrI/AAAAAAAAAF8/sA9Qr5OgYyU/s320/computer-monitor-as-tv.jpg

Monitor should be HDCP Compliant (High Definition Content Protection, think TV DRM). Next, it must have a DVI or HDMI input. Also, make sure that it can display at Least 720p.(Use this image as reference).

Doing Set Up

The basic set up is as follows:
One of the cable from cable box will be connected to sound box of your system and other cable (DVI or HDMI) to the monitor.


After Set Up

After setup, if you don't see any picture on your display, your cable box is probably trying to display a resolution which your monitor can not display. Find out how to enter HD setup mode, or change the maximum resolution (Get help of information manual). After you find the instructions, follow them to change the maximum resolution to the resolution of your monitor (most likely 720p). Also, if the cable box says your monitor is not HDCP compliant, either you bought the wrong kind of monitor, or it is like my setup which flashes that message everytime I turn on the monitor, but only for half a second or so.
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BM muna Thanks

Very entertaining,nice thread.:)

Very entertaining,nice thread.:)

thank you for visiting..:salute:

very informative. salamat idol! :clap:

Thank you. Ts, pede pabago po nung font? Di kasi mabasa :)

salamat mam

salamat sa info

Win-Spy Monitor Keylogger Tutorial Help, Free Download


Win-Spy Monitor Keylogger Features:

1) What is Win Spy Software?

WinSpy is a Complete Stealth Monitoring Software that can both monitor your Local PC and Remote PC. Win Spy Software operates in stealth mode. Win-Spy will not show in Add/Remove Programs, Windows Start, Taskbar, Task Manager, Processes or in Program Files Folder. Win-Spy can either be used for you Home or Office.

Win-Spy is a complete Local and Remote monitoring package that includes everything below for one low price: Breakdown is as follows:

Local PC Monitoring comes with:

Screen Capture
WebCam Shots
Keylogger
Emailer for Keylog, Screen Capture and Reports
Keylog Alert with Emailer

Reports - WebSites Visited Summary
- Websites Visited Detail
- Time On Internet
- Dual Side Conversations
- Unauthorized Login Attempt

Folder Hider
Clear All Tracks Utility
Secure File Deletion Utility
Lost or Stolen PC Tracker
Anti-Spy Disable / Destroy
Anti Virus Stealth Technology
Web-Cam via Internet Explorer
Remote Deployment/Monitoring
Suspend on Idel
Monitor across networks
WebAccess to all screen shots and reports


Remote PC Monitoring comes with:

Screen Capture
WebCam Shots

Reports - Keylogger
- Time on Net
- Websites Visited Summary
- Websites Visited Detail
- Dual Side Conversations

Emailer for Keylog, Screen Capture and Reports
Streaming Web-Cam (View / Record)
Remote Mic (Record / Listen)
Remote PC file Browser and FTP
Remote PC file Download / Uploader / Execute / Delete
Remote PC Shutdown / Log Off
Send Message to Remote PC
Anti-Spy Disable / Destroy
Anti Virus Stealth Technology
3 remote file deployment - combine, exe and excel
3 ways to obtain remote information - email, direct connect, ftp
3 methods to for remote uninstall - auto, direct connect, via uninstall file
Monitor up to 5 remote PC with 29.95 version
Suspend on Idel
Centralized Monitoring
Save information across network
Auto Config XP Firewall
WebAccess


2) How does Win Spy Software work?

Win Spy Software accomplishes two tasks in monitoring your computer. Spy Software
a) It captures screen shots of the computer.Spy Software
b) It captures all keys typed on the keyboard.
c) It captures all chat conversations.


3) How do I Install and run Win Spy Software?

Run the Win Spy Software Setup.exe file. You will be prompted to enter a username and password. Enter any Username and Password. You will use this Username and Password to Login into Win Spy Software. Note that username and password are case sensitive. Restart your computer. Press Control and SHIFT and F12 keys to login.


4) How do I Uninstall Win Spy Software?

You will have to enter your username and password to uninstall Win Spy Software.Spy Software
Users will not be able to uninstall Win Spy Software without a username and password.Spy Software
Press CONTROL - SHIFT - F12 keys, at login dialog enter your username and password press the uninstall button.


5) How do I access Win Spy Software in windows?

To login into Win Spy Software you will have to use the CONTROL - SHIFT - F12 keys.


6) Does Win Spy Software start automatically when windows start?

Yes, Win Spy Software automatically starts every time you start windows.


7) Will users know if Win Spy Software is running?

Win Spy Software will not appear in Add/Remove Programs, Windows Start, Taskbar, Task Manager, Processes or in Program Files Folder.on the task manager or windows toolbar.


8) Can users uninstall Win Spy Software?

You will have to enter your username and password to uninstall Win Spy Software.pare
Users will not be able to uninstall Win Spy Software without a username and password.Sp
Press CONTROL - SHIFT - F12 keys, at login dialog enter your username and password press the uninstall button.


9) Can users stop Win Spy Software from running?

No, Win Spy Software does not appear on the task manager. Users will not be able to stop Win Spy Software program.


10) Can I save Screen Capture and Key Recorder files across the network?

Yes, Win Spy Software allows users to specify location to store the ScreenCapture and Key Recorder files.


11) Can Win Spy Software email me the Key Recorder file?

Win Spy Software has the option to mail the Key Recorder file to any e-mail address that supports SMTP mail (example: Yahoo). The file is emailed whenever the user connects to the internet.


12) Can Can win-spy email me the keylog file when certain keywords are found?

Yes, win spy has a Keyword Alerter that will secretly email the keylog to me, when keywords or phrase I specify are found in the keylog.


13) Does Win-Spy uses outlook or other email programs to send emails?

Win Spy works independetly. Win spy does not depend on outlook or any other email programs to send mail.


14) Is Win Spy dependent on PC email address?

No, Win Spy works independetly. Win spy does not depend on PC email address .


15) Is Win Spy dependent on PC email program?

No, Win Spy works independetly. Win spy does not depend on PC email program/software.


16) Will sent mails show in outbox?

No, Win Spy works independetly. Sent mail will not show in outboox.


17) What email provider should I use to RECEIVE my keylog?

Use any email provider that supports SMTP mail. Try Yahoo, it might work depending on your region. Do not use AOL or Hotmail to receive keylog file. AOL and Hotmail does not support SMTP mail. Note, it does not matter if the PC you are monitoring uses AOL, what matters is where you want to receive your email.


18) Can I Hide any folder in windows using Win Spy Software?

Yes, with Win Spy Software you may select any window folders to hide. Win Spy Software has the option to disable windows “View Folder Option” making hidden folders totally un-access able by users.


19) What is Win Spy WebCam?

Win Spy webcam when turned on will allow you to access your PC webcam via the internet using IE.
So if you were at work, you can use your work PC to monitor what is going on at home?
Just turn your browser on and enter your IP home address. You will not need to install anything on your work PC.for webcam to work. Pictures are in realtime.


20) What is Win Spy Clear Tracks?

Win Spy clear tracks is a utility that allows you to quickly clear Internet and Windows tracks on your computer with a click of a button.

Clear Tracks Clears the following:
Internet Cookies
Internet History
Internet AutoComplete
Internet Temporary Files
Internet Index files.
Windows Recent Document
Windows Search History
Windows Run History
Windows Temp Files
WindowsApplication Recent Cache
Windows Recycle Bin


21) What is Win Spy Secure File Folder Deletion/Eradicator?

Secure File Deletion allows you to securely delete a file or folder. Files/folders deleted are gone forever.
Win Spy’s Secure Deletion rewrites to the file and deletes the files 25 times.
Win Spy’s Secure Deletion exceeds US Department of Defense standards for file deletion(DOD 5220.22).


22) What is Win Spy PC Tracker?

In an event your PC is Lost or Stolen. When the user of your PC connects online.
Win-Spy PC Tracker will secretly email you your location to you.

Location Info includes:
Host IP:
Computer Name:
Computer Time:
Server IP:
Server Name:
Server Time:
OS Type:
OS ID:
RegisteredOrganization:
RegisteredOwner:
Computer ID:
IP Configuration Info:
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
IP Address
Subnet Mask
Default Gateway


23) How do I locate my PC with info above?

1) go to http://www.arin.net/whois/
2) enter this IP address to get contact information for server or router which was used to connect to the Internet;
3) contact management of this server and provide them with connection time and IP address.
The management can check records in server's log and determine the name and street address of the person who is using the computer.
In most cases the management don't reveal such kind of information to a private party so police assistance is required.


24) What is Win Spy Anti-Spy?

Win Spy Anti Spyware will actively and continously disable or destroy any attempts by user to install or run anti spyware on your PC. This option can be turned on or off in Tools / Misc.


25) Can Win Spy be detected by Anti Spy software?

Win Spy has 2 technologies built in to avoid detection by Anti Spywares.
1) Win Spy's Anti Spy when turned on will actively and seek and destroy Anti-Spy Softwares.
2) Win Spy incorporates random filenames for most of its program files.


26) What Reports can Win-Spy produce?

1) Websites Visited Summary Report - by username and time
2) Websites Visited Detail Report - by username and time
3) Hours Spent On Internet - by username and date
4) Login or attempts by username
5) Chat room conversations
6) Keylog or anything typed on PC


27) Does Win-Spy record chat room conversations?

Yes, Win-Spy will capture Screen Shots and anything Typed in chatrooms.


28) Will Win-Spy work across firewalls?

Yes, Win Spy will work across firewalls. Important, See below.


29) Will Win-Spy penetrate/hack through Firewalls?

No, Noticed the way we asked the question above.
Most vendors would stop at with the question above, making you believe their product would penetrate firewalls. There are currently no over the counter product that would penetrate firewalls. If there was, corporate America would be broke. If anyone is claiming to be able to do this, ask them for a evaluation copy.


30) Can Win-Spy Auto Configure XP Firewall?

Yes, you can set win-spy to automatically configure XP firewall settings for you.


31) What is Win Spy Remote?

Win-Spy Remote you will be able to monitor activities on the Remote PC in real-time.
You will be able to:

1) View Screen Captures
2) View Keylog file
3) View ChatRoom Conversations report
4) ViewTime Spent Online report
5) View Websites Visited report
6) Browse all files and folders on remote PC.
7) Run, Delete files and folders on remote PC.
8) Upload and Download files to/from remote PC.
9) View remote PC Webcam in realtime/streaming.
10) Record remote PC sound (mic) conversations.
11) Email remote PC reports to my PC.
12) FTP remote PC reports and screen shots to my PC.


32) How does remote Install work?

Use Remote Install and create a remote file.
Send remote file to your remote PC through email.
When the user clicks on the file it would silently install Win-Spy.
If a picture is included then the user would see the picture and not be aware that win-spy is being installed.
If no picture is included then when user clicks on the file it would appear as nothing has happened.


33) How do I Monitor a Remote PC?

Step 1 - Create Remote File using Remote Install.
Step 2 - Send Remote File to your Remote PC using your email.
(When remote user clicks on remote file win-spy will silently install.)
Step 3 - Use Remote Viewer to view content/monitor remote PC.


34) How do I create a Remote Install File?

You would use Win Spy Software’s Remote Install File creator under Remote to create the remote install file.


35) What information will I receive from the remote PC?

Win-Spy Remote you will be able to monitor activities on the Remote PC in real-time.
You will be able to:

1) View Screen Captures
2) View Keylog file
3) View ChatRoom Conversations report
4) ViewTime Spent Online report
5) View Websites Visited report
6) View remote PC Webcam in realtime/streaming.
7) Record remote PC sound (mic) conversations.


36) How do I obtain the information from the remote PC?

Only Win-Spy gives you 3 methods of retriveing data from remote PC..
1. Connect to remote PC and retrive data/reports
2. Get remote PC E-mail reports directly to you
3. FTP remote PC’s reports/screen shots to FTP server


37) What is emailed from remote system that you are monitoring?

ScreenShots, Keylog, WebsitesVisited, TimeOnline and ChatConversations Reports are emailed.


38) What is FTP from remote system that you are monitoring?

All reports and screen shots are ftp.


39) Will Win-Spy remote work with Dial-up?

Yes, Win-Spy will work with dial up or high speed connections.


40) How would you know that the other user is on line?

Win-Spy will inform you with popup, like msn messenger program.


41) Will Win-Spy work with Dynamic IP on remote PC?

Yes, Win-Spy manages the IP. Works like the same concept as msn messenger. You will not need the remote PC's IP to connect to it.


42) What browsers are compatible with Win Spy?

Win Spy is compatible with Internet Explorer 5.5 and above.


43) What is the purpose of Seek and Destroy Anti-Spyware?

Win Spy seek and destroy will prevent users from installing or running any Anti-Spy software. The purpose of this is so that users will not be able to remove Win-Spy. After all, what is the point of having a monitoring system if your child can easily install an Anti-Spy software and remove Win-Spy.


44) What dual-side chatrooms conversations will win-spy montor?

Win-Spy Records Dual Side Chat On the following Chat Rooms."
Yahoo version 6.0.0.1750
ICQ version 2003b Build 3916
AIM version 5.1.3036
MSN version 7.0.0425
Trillian version 0.74 w/patch 1


Download Win-Spy Monitor keylogger (http://www.win-spy.com/Win%20Spy%20Software%20Buy.html)
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How to disable task manager in Windows Vista/XP [Registry/RegEdit]


::Disable the Task Manager using the Windows Registry Editor::

• Start Registry Editor (Start > Run > "regedit")


• Disable Current User: In the left panel, navigate to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\system

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2U2Sk-qcX28/SZVcQqrXNJI/AAAAAAAAAEU/KDu3sP1Hxzo/s320/registry-disable1.gif

• Disable All Users: In the left panel, navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Policies\system


• Create a new DWORD value named DisableTaskMgr
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2U2Sk-qcX28/SZVcxVqwaVI/AAAAAAAAAEc/oGkrLXuL0Go/s320/registry-disable-task-mgr-2.gif

• Set the value to 1 to disable Task Manager
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2U2Sk-qcX28/SZVc8qEgYQI/AAAAAAAAAEk/sCz60ja7I4c/s320/registry-disable-task-mgr-3.gif

• In order for this to take effect, you may need to restart your system.


The next time anyone tries to call the Task Manager, they’ll see an error:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2U2Sk-qcX28/SZVdVkYtRdI/AAAAAAAAAEs/6lP6eTjshX0/s320/registry-disable-task-mgr-4.gif
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How to disable task manager in Windows Vista/ XP [Group policy/gpedit]


::Disable the Task Manager using Group Policy Editor::


• Start Group Policy Editor (Start > Run > "gpedit.msc")

• In the left panel, go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Ctrl+Alt+Del Options
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2U2Sk-qcX28/SZViQWOyVtI/AAAAAAAAAE0/bgGYBo8K2Q4/s320/image56.JPG

• In the right panel, enable Remove Task Manager
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2U2Sk-qcX28/SZViWWlNsII/AAAAAAAAAE8/BC-KXM4suLg/s320/image57.JPG

• Select option Enabled and it will prevent users to monitor tasks and services running in the system.
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How to enable task manager in Windows Vista/ XP [Registry/regedit]



For Other Windows XP Home Version Users:

If you don't have Windows XP Professional, then you'll need to edit the registry manually.

Click Start, then click Run, type in regedit, and click on OK.

Expand these registry keys in turn:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER
• Software
• Microsoft
• Windows
• CurrentVersion
• Policies
• System

You should see something similar to this:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2U2Sk-qcX28/SZGMqLKfGXI/AAAAAAAAAEE/XOevF_-Yeds/s320/pic6.JPG

Right Click on the DisableTaskMgr item:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2U2Sk-qcX28/SZGMyykvQYI/AAAAAAAAAEM/oNr9gxO09yY/s320/pic7.JPG

Click on Delete, confirm that you want to delete, and Task Manager should be available once again.

If above changes won’t work, task manager might be disabled at domain level. In such a case, contact your system administrator.



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Continuation in Page 12 (http://www.symbianize.com/showpost.php?p=11390535&postcount=12)

How to clean Windows XP ?


1. Click the "Start" menu button to open the Start menu.

2. Click "Run."

3. Type "regedit" into the text field and press "Enter."

4. Access the many different entries in your Windows XP registry. It is separated into primary sections: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, HKEY_CURRENT_USER, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_USERS and HKEY_CURRENT CONFIG. Each section contains a different set of entries related to different aspects of Windows XP operation.

5. Click on one of the plus-signs (+) next to one of the root directories, opening a more detailed list. This second level will have more directories to choose from, and will make it easier for you to find entries you need to clean the registry.

6. Delete entries in the registry that you know are either causing conflicts or are no longer necessary. Do this by pressing the "Delete" key, or by right-clicking on your mouse and choosing "Delete entry."

7. Invest in a third-party registry application to help you clean your Windows XP registry. Several programs are available that do the dirty work for you. Some even include backup capabilities to retrace their steps in the event of a critical error.

8. Clean your boot records by changing which programs load themselves at startup. Click through both the LOCAL_MACHINE and CURRENT_USER directories until you reach Software/Microsoft/Windows/Run and RunOnce. From here, you can clean out registry entries that are causing certain programs to run on startup.
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How to backup Windows XP ?


Windows XP Professional comes equipped with its own backup tool. While there are many 3rd party software that will perform this operation too, Windows XP's is just fine. If you are a Windows XP Home user, follow the steps outlined below.

>>Installing Windows Backup Utility in Windows XP Home Edition:

1. Insert the Windows XP Installation CD in to your CD drive.

2. Select "Perform Additional Tasks" from the XP Welcome screen.

3. Select, "Browse this CD".

4. You will now be taken in to Windows Explorer. From here, you will need to double click on the following folders: ValueAdd>> Msft>> Ntbackup.

5. With the Ntbackup folder open, double click the file titled: Ntbackup.msi

The Windows XP Backup Utility will now be installed on to your Windows Application.

>>Using Windows XP Backup Utility:

To access the Windows XP Backup Utility, go to Start>> All Programs>> Accessories>> System Tools>> Backup.

Or- you can simply go to Start>> Run. Type in: ntback [Enter] or click OK.

Once you've started the Backup Wizard you will be taken to an opening page. Just select Next here and then select "Backup Files and Settings" from the following page and then click Next again. You should now be at the "Backup or Restore Wizard. Here, you are faced with a few choices of what you would like to backup. the choices are:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2U2Sk-qcX28/ShZ5hGMe7VI/AAAAAAAAAGc/-0FUNEvt4Qs/s400/backup-windows-xp.jpg

* My documents and settings:
This is a good choice for a single user. This will backup your email messages to include your address book, personal Windows registry settings and all data files.

* Everyone's documents and settings:
If you share your computer with a few other people that have their own personalized settings, this would be a good backup choice.

* All information on this computer:
In making this selection, you will be backing up every stitch of information that resides on your Windows XP application. Depending on the amount of software you have installed, this backup could encompass many gigabytes of information. This is not a good backup choice as it is pretty much a waste of time and space.

* Let me choose what to backup:
This is a good selection for people that have a good backup strategy in mind. Once you've selected this option, you will be taken to an "Items to backup" page that lists all of the available backup options for your Windows Application. It really is a very simple task in selecting, because all you have to do is place a checkmark adjacent to the item you wish to backup. So, if you have a backup strategy, this would be the preferred option.

Once you've made your selection of which backup procedure to use, click Next.

>>Deciding where to backup your files:

Windows XP will save all of your backup information to single file and by default, it will attempt to save it to your floppy drive. Obviously, this isn't going to be a location that any of you will be interested in, so you will need to select the "Browse" option to browse for your destination of choice. My backup destination of choice is to a USB thumb drive. It is always best to place your backup in a removable media of some sort.

After the backup destination has been selected, enter a name for the backup file and then click Next.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2U2Sk-qcX28/ShZ5hDMnZAI/AAAAAAAAAGU/1v-Jj73bgr8/s400/windows-xp-backup.jpg

You should now be at the final page of the Backup Wizard. From here, you can perform these backups automatically in different intervals. To set this up, click the "Advanced" button. If you are not interested in scheduling your backups, just click "Finish" and your selected backup will begin.

Good job! You now a have a good working copy of the selected files in case something goes wrong with your Windows XP installation.
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How to uninstall Windows XP ?


How to Uninstall Windows XP: If upgraded your computer to Windows XP from a previous version of Windows, Windows Setup Wizard may have backed up your current operating system. (The windows backup files are named Backup.cab and Boot.cab and have been stored in C:\Undo directory, that's assuming that Windows is installed on your C:\ drive.) If it is, you may uninstall Windows XP and return your old Windows OS (operating system). Be sure to backup all of your data files before you start to uninstall Windows XP. Or you will be sorry.

Note: If you have made any changed your partitions or drives since installing Windows XP, you usually can't uninstall it.


Follow these steps to uninstall Windows XP!

1. Go to >Choose Start >Control Panel >Add or Remove Programs.

2. Look for Windows XP Uninstall, if Windows XP Uninstall appears in the Currently Installed Programs, then you can uninstall it.

3. Now click on Windows XP Uninstall. Additional information should appears.

4. Now click on the Change/Remove button. You should see the Uninstall Windows XP dialog box.

5. Now choose Uninstall Windows XP and click on Continue.

You need to follow all of the directions on your screen. After the uninstall process is finished, your computer restarts and runs your previous Windows OS (operating system).

Note: Uninstalling Windows Xp doesn't delete your all your data files. However, most programs that you have installed after you installed Windows XP probably won't work. All you have to do to fix this, just reinstall them again. If you have created any documents or files, they should still be stored in C:\Documents and Settings\username\.
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How to reinstall Windows XP ?


First, locate the Windows CD that shipped with your PC, along with the CDs for your application software. If you downloaded your antivirus, firewall, or other programs, copy those downloads to a CD or to some other type of removable media. (If your system didn't ship with a Windows CD, your reinstallation files are situated on your hard drive; I'll describe how to access them in just a minute.) Also, dig up the instructions that your ISP sent you for configuring your network settings, and keep them close at hand.

Copy the contents of your 'C:\Documents and Settings' folder (or whichever folder you store your personal files on) to a CD or other removable medium. Then grab any other critical data and back it up. It helps to collect the installers for the latest drivers for your PC's graphics card and other hardware, too.

Ready to Reinstall

Now insert the Windows CD that came with your PC, and reboot your system. If you didn't receive a Windows disc with your machine, the files you need are sitting in a hidden partition on your hard drive. To access them, press the keys indicated on your screen when you reboot, but before Windows loads. The keys differ from vendor to vendor, so contact your PC's manufacturer if you don't see the prompt.

In many instances, the only available option is 'Return the drive to its factory condition', which destroys all documents, photos, and other data files on your PC. That's why you made a copy of your data folders.

You get more options--including the ability to preserve your files and settings--when you use Microsoft's own Windows XP installation disc. Make your selection, and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the reinstallation.

Starting Over

Regardless of which option you choose, you'll have to reconfigure your network connections, reinstall some of your device drivers, and update XP and your applications manually.

To configure your Internet connection, right-click My Network Places, click Create a new connection, and follow the prompts, entering the appropriate information you received from your ISP.

Once you've re-established your Internet link, you must reinstall and update your firewall, antivirus, and antispyware programs.

Next, check to see which of your device drivers need updates: Rght-click My Computer and select Properties, Hardware, Device Manager. Look for entries with yellow question marks or red exclamation points. A question mark indicates that Windows is using a generic driver for that device instead of one specifically designed for it; an exclamation point means that the device is not working.

The drivers for graphics boards, sound cards, and printers are most likely to need an update. If you haven't already done so, visit the vendors' Web sites to download updated drivers to your PC. Run the installer for each updated driver, allowing XP to reboot when needed, or right-click the entry in Device Manager, choose Update Driver, and step through the wizard, selecting No, not this time to the Windows Update question, and choosing the specified location option when it appears. When you can navigate to the driver file, select it and click OK to install it. When you finish updating your drivers, close all open windows.

Updates Galore

Your next stop is Microsoft's Windows Update site. Click Start, Windows Update, and follow the prompts. Since you'll probably be downloading many megabytes of updates, you might want to find yourself a good book or seek some other diversion while you wait.

When the downloading is complete, you'll be ready to reinstall and update your applications. Don't forget to update your critical apps as well. Microsoft Office, in particular has some important updates. Download them at the Microsoft Office Online Downloads page.

Once you've restored your applications, begin replacing your data. The first priorities are the My Documents and Application Data folders, which you'll find in the folder with your logon name inside 'C:\Documents and Settings'. To bring back your Internet Explorer favorites, restore the contents of the Favorites folder. Also restore the Shared Data and Application Data folders inside 'C:\Documents and Settings\Shared Documents'. Once you've reintroduced all of your data, your Windows refresh will be complete.
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How to install Windows XP ?


Installing Windows XP (Home or Professional Edition) can be very simple, even for those without much experience working with computers. This article assumes that you are installing Windows XP directly from a disc onto a clean, unpartitioned, unformatted hard drive, and that all computer components are installed and working correctly.

1. Ensure that your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements to run Windows XP:

* 300 Mhz Intel or AMD CPU
* 128 Megabytes of system RAM (It can work with 64 Megabytes of RAM but its not recommended)
* 1.5 Gigabytes of available drive space
* Super VGA 800x600 Display Adapter
* CD or DVD-ROM
* Keyboard and mouse, or other pointing devices
* Network Interface Adapter required for Internet and Network Connectivity

2. Ensure you have a Windows XP Product Key. It is printed on a sticker on your software package. It is a string of 5 groups of characters (each 5 long), separated by dashes, resulting in 25 characters in all.

It looks like this: HHHCF-WCF9P-M3YCC-RXDXH-FC3C6.

When the software has almost finished installing, you will be asked for it.You need the product key to complete installing Windows.

3. Before inserting the CD, you'll have to enter bios (in most cases by presing DEL on system startup) and select your primary boot device CDrom. Insert the Windows XP Installation Disc and start your computer. When prompted to "Press any key to boot from CD," press a key on the keyboard.

4. The installation program will check your hardware, install default-set drivers, and load files necessary for installation. When arriving at the "Welcome to Setup" screen, Press ENTER to begin the installation process.

5. Read the License Agreement, and press F8 indicating you agree to its terms.

6. On the next screen, you are presented with a summary of the available partitions on your installed hard drives. At this point, you should see only one entry, "Unpartitioned Space." It will be highlighted in grey. Press C on your keyboard to begin creating partitions for the drive.

7. Enter the size in megabytes for the new partition. If you intend to install only one drive, enter the maximum amount shown. If you wish to create multiple partitions on a single drive, remember that Windows XP requires at least 1.5 Gigabytes of space, plus swap space, and areas for temporary files. A good rule of thumb is not to install Windows XP on a partition less than 5 Gigabytes, unless you wish to impact performance. When calculating, remember that there are 1,024 Megabytes per Gigabyte. Press ENTER once you have chosen your desired partition size.

8. The system will create your new partition, and you will now be at the partition summary screen once again. Select your new partition, usually labeled "C: Partition 1 [Raw]" and press ENTER.

9. Select either "Format the Partition using the NTFS File System" OR "Format the Partition using the FAT File System," and press ENTER. NTFS is the preferred method, supporting a larger amount of disk space per partition than FAT, and including security features at the file system level. NTFS also includes system level compression. If your partition is larger than 32 Gigabytes, you must choose NTFS. However, with a partition less than 32 Gigabytes, you can choose FAT, and convert to NTFS later should you desire. Be aware that NTFS cannot be converted back to FAT.

It is highly recommended to avoid Quick Format, as this skips an important process that checks the hard drive for errors or bad sectors. This scan is what consumes the majority of the time taken when performing a full format. If there are errors on a disk at the physical level, it's best to catch them now rather than later.

10. The system will now format the partition. The length of time this process requires depends on the speed and size of the drive, and the type of file system you selected earlier. In most cases, the larger the partition, the longer the process will take.

11. Windows will now start copying files from the installation disc and prompt you to reboot the computer when the process is completed. Press ENTER when prompted to reboot, otherwise it will do so automatically after 15 seconds.

12. This is the most time consuming part. When the computer reboots, do not press enter to boot from the disc this time, rather allow the computer to boot from the hard drive. If you are greeted with the Windows XP Boot screen, all is well so far.

13. Now the setup program will display various marketing information to you as it installs and configures itself to your system. The estimated time remaining is displayed in the lower left corner.

Note: it is normal for the screen to flicker, turn on and off, or resize during this process.

14. Sooner or later, a dialog window will appear, asking you to choose your Regional settings. Select appropriate settings native to your area. Click the "Next" button when that is completed.

15. Enter your Product Key, (otherwise known as a CD or Install Key,) at this window. You will not be able to complete this process without a valid Key. Click "Next" to continue.

16. If your computer is going to be on a LAN (Local Area Network) at home, or even just for kicks, give it a name.

17. Select your time zone, and ensure that the date/time are correct. Click "Next" to continue.

18. Leave "Typical Settings" selected for Network Setup, unless you have a specialized access device or protocol required. Refer to the documentation for that device for installation procedures.

19. Setup will continue to install other devices and peripherals connected to your machine, give you marketing and capability information, then reboot as before.

20. Congratulations! You've installed Windows XP. There are a few more additional set-up routines required, but you have completed the installation. Remove the CD from the drive.

21. Upon Reboot, click Yes when you are informed Windows will be changing your visual settings to improve quality.

22. In the next box, if you can read the text, press the "OK" button.

23. A similar screen to Part 2 of the install process will appear. If your computer is connected to the internet, select your connection type. Press Next to continue.

24. If connected to the Internet, Select "Activate Now."

25. After the Activation Process, a window will appear allowing you to select the users for the computer. Enter your name, and the names of others who will be using the machine. Press Next to continue.

26. You will now be looking at the default Windows XP Desktop. Congratulations!

.

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How to repair Windows XP ?


How do you perform a reinstallation of Windows XP, sometimes called a repair installation?

Configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM drive. For more information about how to do this, refer to your computer's documentation or contact your computer manufacturer. Then insert your Windows XP Setup CD, and restart your computer.

1. When the Press any key to boot from CD message is displayed on your screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.

2. Press ENTER when you see the message To setup Windows XP now, and then press ENTER displayed on the Welcome to Setup screen.

3. Do not choose the option to press R to use the Recovery Console.

4. In the Windows XP Licensing Agreement, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.

5. Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.

6. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Setup.
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Update later for more tips & trick..

galing mu otoi! Pbm thanks!

wow dami ko naman natutunankay TS keep sharing TS salamat ah...

babasahin ko mga tips mo

85 Windows 7 tips, tricks and secrets

1. Problem Steps Recorder

As the local PC guru you're probably very used to friends and family asking for help with their computer problems, yet having no idea how to clearly describe what's going on. It's frustrating, but Microsoft feels your pain, and Windows 7 will include an excellent new solution in the Problem Steps Recorder.

When any app starts misbehaving under Windows 7 then all your friends need do is click Start, type PSR and press Enter, then click Start Record. If they then work through whatever they're doing then the Problem Steps Recorder will record every click and keypress, take screen grabs, and package everything up into a single zipped MHTML file when they're finished, ready for emailing to you. It's quick, easy and effective, and will save you hours of troubleshooting time.

2. Burn images

Windows 7 finally introduces a feature that other operating systems have had for years - the ability to burn ISO images to CDs or DVDs. And it couldn't be much easier to use. Just double-click the ISO image, choose the drive with the blank disc, click Burn and watch as your disc is created.

3. Create and mount VHD files

Microsoft's Virtual PC creates its virtual machine hard drives in VHD files, and Windows 7 can now mount these directly so you can access them in the host system. Click Start, type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter, then click Action > Attach VHD and choose the file you'd like to mount. It will then appear as a virtual drive in Explorer and can be accessed, copied or written just like any other drive.

Click Action > Create VHD and you can now create a new virtual drive of your own (right-click it, select Initialise Disk, and after it's set up right-click the unallocated space and select New Simple Volume to set this up). Again, you'll be left with a virtual drive that behaves just like any other, where you can drag and drop files, install programs, test partitioning software or do whatever you like. But it's actually just this VHD file on your real hard drive which you can easily back up or share with others. Right-click the disk (that's the left-hand label that says "Disk 2" or whatever) and select Detach VHD to remove it.

The command line DISKPART utility has also been upgraded with tools to detach a VHD file, and an EXPAND command to increase a virtual disk's maximum size. Don't play around with this unless you know what you're doing, though - it's all too easy to trash your system.

4. Troubleshoot problems

If some part of Windows 7 is behaving strangely, and you don't know why, then click Control Panel > Find and fix problems (or 'Troubleshooting') to access the new troubleshooting packs. These are simple wizards that will resolve common problems, check your settings, clean up your system and more.

5. Startup repair

If you've downloaded Windows 7 (and even if you haven't) it's a good idea to create a system repair disc straight away in case you run into problems booting the OS later on. Click Start > Maintenance > Create a System Repair Disc, and let Windows 7 build a bootable emergency disc. If the worst does happen then it could be the only way to get your PC running again.

6. Take control

Tired of the kids installing dubious software or running applications you'd rather they left alone? AppLocker is a new Windows 7 feature that ensures users can only run the programs you specify. Don't worry, that's easier to set up than it sounds: you can create a rule to allow everything signed by a particular publisher, so choose Microsoft, say, and that one rule will let you run all signed Microsoft applications. Launch GPEDIT.MSC and go to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Application Control Policies > AppLocker to get a feel for how this works.

7. Calculate more

At first glance the Windows 7 calculator looks just like Vista's version, but explore the Mode menu and you'll see powerful new Statistics and Programmer views. And if you're clueless about bitwise manipulation, then try the Options menu instead. This offers many different unit conversions (length, weight, volume and more), date calculations (how many days between two dates?), and spreadsheet-type templates to help you calculate vehicle mileage, mortgage rates and more.

Don't take any Windows 7 applet at face value, then - there are some very powerful new features hidden in the background. Be sure to explore every option in all Windows applets to ensure you don't miss anything important.
http://cdn2.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/software/operating-systems/images/Windows_7/calc-580-90.jpg

CALCULATE MORE:The new Calculator is packed with useful features and functionality

8. Switch to a projector

Windows 7 now provides a standard way to switch your display from one monitor to another, or a projector - just press Win+P or run DisplaySwitch.exe and choose your preferred display. (This will have no effect if you've only one display connected.)

9. Get a power efficiency report

If you have a laptop, you can use the efficiency calculator to get Windows 7 to generate loads of useful information about its power consumption. Used in the right way, this can help you make huge gains in terms of battery life and performance. To do this you must open a command prompt as an administrator by typing 'cmd' in Start Search, and when the cmd icon appears, right-click it and choose Run as administrator.

Then at the command line, just type in 'powercfg -energy' (without quotes) and hit Return, and Windows 7 will scan your system looking for ways to improve power efficiency. It will then publish the results in an HTML file, usually in the System32 folder. Just follow the path it gives you to find your report.

10. Understanding System Restore

Using System Restore in previous versions of Windows has been something of a gamble. There's no way of telling which applications or drivers it might affect - you just have to try it and see.

Windows 7 is different. Right-click Computer, select Properties > System Protection > System Restore > Next, and choose the restore point you'd like to use. Click the new button to 'Scan for affected programs' and Windows will tell you which (if any) programs and drivers will be deleted or recovered by selecting this restore point. (Read our full Windows 7 System Restore tutorial.)

11. Set the time zone

System administrators will appreciate the new command line tzutil.exe utility, which lets you set a PC's time zone from scripts. If you wanted to set a PC to Greenwich Mean Time, for instance, you'd use the command

tzutil /s "gmt standard time"

The command "tzutil /g" displays the current time zone, "tzutil /l" lists all possible time zones, and "tzutil /?" displays details on how the command works.

12. Calibrate your screen

The colours you see on your screen will vary depending on your monitor, graphics cards settings, lighting and more, yet most people use the same default Windows colour profile. And that means a digital photo you think looks perfect might appear very poor to everybody else. Fortunately Windows 7 now provides a Display Colour Calibration Wizard that helps you properly set up your brightness, contrast and colour settings, and a ClearType tuner to ensure text is crisp and sharp. Click Start, type DCCW and press Enter to give it a try.

13. Clean up Live Essentials

Installing Windows Live Essentials will get you the new versions of Mail, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery and others - great. Unfortunately it also includes other components that may be unnecessary, but if you like to keep a clean system then these can be quickly removed.

If you left the default "Set your search provider" option selected during installation, for instance, Windows Live will install Choice Guard, a tool to set your browser home page and search engine, and prevent other programs from changing them. If this causes problems later, or you just decide you don't need it, then Choice Guard may be removed by clicking Start, typing msiexec /x {F0E12BBA-AD66-4022-A453-A1C8A0C4D570} and pressing [Enter].

Windows Live Essentials also adds an ActiveX Control to help upload your files to Windows Live SkyDrive, as well as the Windows Live Sign-in Assistant, which makes it easier to manage and switch between multiple Windows Live accounts. If you're sure you'll never need either then remove them with the Control Panel "Uninstall a Program" applet.

14. Add network support

By default Windows Live MovieMaker won't let you import files over a network, but a quick Registry tweak will change this. Run REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Live\Movie Maker, add a DWORD value called AllowNetworkFiles and set it to 1 to add network support.

15. Activate XP mode

If you've old but important software that no longer runs under Windows 7, then you could try using XP Mode, a virtual copy of XP that runs in a window on your Windows 7 desktop. But there's a big potential problem, as XP Mode only works with systems that have hardware virtualisation (AMD-V or Intel VT) built-in and turned on. If you've a compatible CPU then this may just be a matter of enabling the option in your BIOS set-up program, however some high profile brands, including Sony Vaio, disable the setting for "security reasons". And that blocks XP Mode from working, too.

One solution has emerged, but it's a little risky, as essentially you'll have to alter a byte in your laptop firmware and hope this doesn't have any unexpected side-effects. Gulp. If you're feeling brave then take a look at the Feature Enable Blog for the details, but don't blame us if it goes wrong.

A safer approach might be to use VirtualBox, a virtualisation tool that doesn't insist on hardware support, but then you will need to find a licensed copy of XP (or whatever other Windows version your software requires) for its virtual machine.

16. Enable virtual Wi-Fi

Windows 7 includes a little-known new feature called Virtual Wi-Fi, which effectively turns your PC or laptop into a software-based router. Any other Wi-Fi-enabled devices within range - a desktop, laptop, an iPod perhaps - will "see" you as a new network and, once logged on, immediately be able to share your internet connection.

This will only work if your wireless adapter driver supports it, though, and not all do. Check with your adapter manufacturer and make sure you've installed the very latest drivers to give you the best chance.

Once you have driver support then the easiest approach is to get a network tool that can set up virtual Wi-Fi for you. Virtual Router (below) is free, easy to use and should have you sharing your internet connection very quickly.
http://cdn2.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/software/operating-systems/images/Windows_7/router-580-90.jpg
17. Recover locked-up apps

If an application locks up under a previous version of Windows then there was nothing you could do about it. A new Windows 7 option, however, can not only explain the problem, but may get your program working again without any loss of data.

When the lockup occurs, click Start, type RESMON and click the RESMON.EXE link to launch the Resource Monitor.

Find your frozen process in the CPU pane (it should be highlighted in red), right-click it and select Analyze Wait Chain.

If you see at least two processes in the list, then the lowest, at the end of the tree, is the one holding up your program. If it's not a vital Windows component, or anything else critical, then save any work in other open applications, check the box next to this process, click End Process, and your locked-up program will often spring back to life.
http://cdn2.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/software/operating-systems/images/Windows_7/waitchain-580-90.jpg
18. Fault-Tolerant Help

Windows 7 includes a new feature called the Fault Tolerant Help (FTH), a clever technology that looks out for unstable processes, detects those that may be crashing due to memory issues, and applies several real-time fixes to try and help. If these work, that's fine - if not, the fixes will be undone and they won't be applied to that process again.

While this is very good in theory, it can leave you confused as some applications crash, then start working (sometimes) for no apparent reason. So if you'd like to check if the FTH is running on your PC, launch REGEDIT, and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\FTH - any program currently being protected by the FTH will be listed in the State key.

Experienced users may also try tweaking the FTH settings to catch more problems, and perhaps improve system stability. A post on Microsoft's Ask The Performance Team blog (????????d1JStu) explains what the various FTH Registry keys mean.

19. Automatically switch your default printer

Windows 7's location-aware printing allows the operating system to automatically switch your default printer as you move from one network to another.

To set this up, first click Start, type Devices, and click the Devices and Printers link.

Select a printer and click Manage Default Printers (this is only visible on a mobile device, like a laptop - you won't see it on a PC).

Choose the "Change my default printer when I change networks" option, select a network, the default printer you'd like to use, and click Add.

Repeat the process for other networks available, and pick a default printer for each one.

And now, as you connect to a new network, Windows 7 will check this list and set the default printer to the one that you've defined.

20. Explore God Mode

Windows 7 has changed Control Panel a little, but it's still too difficult to locate all the applets and options that you might need. God Mode, however, while not being particularly godlike, does offer an easier way to access everything you could want from a single folder.

To try this out, create a new folder and rename it to:
http://cdn2.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/software/operating-systems/images/Windows_7/god_mode-580-90.jpg
The first part, "Everything" will be the folder name, and can be whatever you want: "Super Control Panel", "Advanced", "God Mode" if you prefer.

The extension, ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C, must be entered exactly as it is here, though, including the curly brackets. When you press [Enter] this part of the name will disappear, and double-clicking the new folder will display shortcuts to functions in the Action Centre, the Network and Sharing Centre, Power options, troubleshooting tools, user accounts and others - more than 260 options in total.
http://cdn2.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/software/operating-systems/images/Windows_7/godmode-580-90.jpg
21. Right-click everything

At first glance Windows 7 bears a striking resemblance to Vista, but there's an easy way to begin spotting the differences - just right-click things.

Right-click an empty part of the desktop, for instance, and you'll find a menu entry to set your screen resolution. No need to go browsing through the display settings any more.

Right-click the Explorer icon on the taskbar for speedy access to common system folders: Documents, Pictures, the Windows folder, and more.

And if you don't plan on using Internet Explorer then you probably won't want its icon permanently displayed on the taskbar. Right-click the icon, select 'Unpin this program from the taskbar', then go install Firefox, instead.

22. Display the old taskbar button context menu

Right-click a taskbar button, though, and you'll now see its jumplist menu. That's a useful new feature, but not much help if you want to access the minimize, maximize, or move options that used to be available. Fortunately there's an easy way to get the old context menu back - just hold down Ctrl and Shift as you right-click the taskbar button.

23. Desktop slideshow

Windows 7 comes with some very attractive new wallpapers, and it's not always easy to decide which one you like the best. So why not let choose a few, and let Windows display them all in a desktop slideshow? Right-click an empty part of the desktop, select Personalise > Desktop Background, then hold down Ctrl as you click on the images you like. Choose how often you'd like the images to be changed (anything from daily to once every 10 seconds), select Shuffle if you'd like the backgrounds to appear in a random order, then click Save Changes and enjoy the show.

Continue in next post..

ayos bagong kaalaman nanaman to. :salute::salute:

http://cdn2.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/software/operating-systems/images/Windows_7/slideshow-580-90.jpg
DESKTOP SLIDESHOW:Select multiple background images and Windows will cycle through them

24. RSS-powered wallpaper

And if a slideshow based on your standard wallpaper isn't enough, then you can always create a theme that extracts images from an RSS feed. For example, Long Zheng has created a few sample themes to illustrate how it works. Jamie Thompson takes this even further, with a theme that always displays the latest BBC news and weather on your desktop. And MakeUseOf have a quick and easy tutorial showing how RSS can get you those gorgeous Bing photographs as your wallpaper. Or you can watch our custom theme video tutorial.

25. Customise the log-on screen

Changing the Windows log-on screen used to involve some complicated and potentially dangerous hacks, but not any more - Windows 7 makes it easy.

First, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background in REGEDIT, double-click the DWORD key called OEMBackground (not there? Create it) and set its value to 1.

Now find a background image you'd like to use. Make sure it's less than 256KB in size, and matches the aspect ratio of your screen as it'll be stretched to fit.

Next, copy that image into the %windir%\system32\oobe\info\backgrounds folder (create the info\backgrounds folders if they don't exist). Rename the image to backgroundDefault.jpg, reboot, and you should now have a custom log-on image.

Alternatively, use a free tweaking tool to handle everything for you. Logon Changer displays a preview so you can see how the log-on screen will look without rebooting, while the Logon Screen Rotator accepts multiple images and will display a different one every time you log on.

26. Recover screen space

The new Windows 7 taskbar acts as one big quick launch toolbar that can hold whatever program shortcuts you like (just right-click one and select Pin To Taskbar). And that's fine, except it does consume a little more screen real estate than we'd like. Shrink it to a more manageable size by right-clicking the Start orb, then Properties > Taskbar > Use small icons > OK.

27. Enjoy a retro taskbar

Windows 7 now combines taskbar buttons in a way that saves space, but also makes it more difficult to tell at a glance whether an icon represents a running application or a shortcut. If you prefer a more traditional approach, then right-click the taskbar, select Properties, and set Taskbar Buttons to "Combine when taskbar is full". You'll now get a clear and separate button for each running application, making them much easier to identify.

28. Remove taskbar buttons

One problem with the previous tip is the buttons will gobble up valuable taskbar real estate, but you can reduce the impact of this by removing their text captions. Launch REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics, add a string called MinWidth, set it to 54, and reboot to see the results.

29. Restore the Quick Launch Toolbar

If you're unhappy with the new taskbar, even after shrinking it, then it only takes a moment to restore the old Quick Launch Toolbar.

Right-click the taskbar, choose Toolbars > New Toolbar, type "%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch" (less the quotes) into the Folder box and click Select Folder.

Now right-click the taskbar, clear 'Lock the taskbar', and you should see the Quick Launch toolbar, probably to the right. Right-click its divider, clear Show Text and Show Title to minimise the space it takes up. Complete the job by right-clicking the bar and selecting View > Small Icons for the true retro look.

30. Custom power switch

By default, Windows 7 displays a plain text 'Shut down' button on the Start menu, but it only takes a moment to change this action to something else. If you reboot your PC a few times every day then that might make more sense as a default action: right-click the Start orb, select Properties and set the 'Power boot action' to 'Restart' to make it happen.

31. Auto arrange your desktop

If your Windows 7 desktop has icons scattered everywhere then you could right-click it and select View > Auto arrange, just as in Vista. But a simpler solution is just to press and hold down F5, and Windows will automatically arrange its icons for you.

32. Disable smart window arrangement

Windows 7 features interesting new ways to intelligently arrange your windows, so that (for example) if you drag a window to the top of the screen then it will maximise. We like the new system, but if you find it distracting then it's easily disabled. Run REGEDIT, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop, set WindowArrangementActive to 0, reboot, and your windows will behave just as they always did.

33. Browse your tasks

If you prefer the keyboard over the mouse, you will love browsing the taskbar using this nifty shortcut. Press Windows and T, and you move the focus to the left-most icon on the taskbar. Then use your arrow keys to change the focus to other icons, and you get a live preview of every window.

34. Display your drives

Click Computer in Windows 7 and you might see a strange lack of drives, but don't panic, it's just Microsoft trying to be helpful: drives like memory card readers are no longer displayed if they're empty. We think it's an improvement, but if you disagree then it's easy to get your empty drives back. Launch Explorer, click Tools > Folder Options > View and clear 'Hide empty drives in the computer folder'.

35. See more detail

The new and improved Windows 7 magnifier offers a much easier way to zoom in on any area of the screen. Launch it and you can now define a scale factor and docking position, and once activated it can track your keyboard focus around the screen. Press Tab as you move around a dialog box, say, and it'll automatically zoom in on the currently active control.

36. Extend your jumplists

By default a jumplist will display up to 10 items, but it can often be useful to extend this and add a few more. Right-click Start, select Properties > Customize and set "Number of recent items to display in Jump Lists" to the figure you need.

37. Disable Aero Peek

Hover your mouse cursor over the bottom right hand corner of the screen and Windows 7 will hide open windows, showing you the desktop. Seems like a good idea to us, but if the feature gets in your way then it's easy to turn off. Simply right-click the Start orb, select Properties > Taskbar and clear the "Use Aero Peek to preview the desktop" box.

38. Pin a drive to the taskbar

The taskbar isn't just for apps and documents. With just a few seconds work you can pin drive icons there, too.

Right-click an empty part of the desktop, select New > Text File, and rename the file to drive.exe. Drag and drop this onto your taskbar, then delete the original file.

Right-click your new "drive.exe" taskbar button, then right-click its file name and select Properties. Change the contents of both the Target and Start In boxes to point at the drive or folder of your choice, perhaps click Change Icon to choose an appropriate drive icon, and you're done - that drive or folder is now available at a click.
http://cdn3.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/software/operating-systems/images/Windows_7/DriveC-580-90.jpg
39. Expand your taskbar previews

Move your mouse cursor over a Windows 7 taskbar button and you'll see a small preview of the application window. To make this larger, launch REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\Taskband, right-click in the right hand pane and create a new DWORD value called MinThumbSizePx. Double-click this, choose the Decimal option, set the value to 350 and reboot to see the results. Tweak the value again to fine-tune the results, or delete it to return to the default thumbnail size.
http://cdn3.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/software/operating-systems/images/Windows_7/Preview-580-90.jpg
40. Hiding the Windows Live Messenger icon

If you use Windows Live Messenger a lot, you'll have noticed that the icon now resides on the taskbar, where you can easily change status and quickly send an IM to someone. If you prefer to keep Windows Live Messenger in the system tray, where it's been for previous releases, just close Windows Live Messenger, edit the shortcut properties and set the application to run in Windows Vista compatibility mode.

41. Customise UAC

Windows Vista's User Account Control was a good idea in practice, but poor implementation put many people off - it raised far too many alerts. Fortunately Windows 7 displays less warnings by default, and lets you further fine-tune UAC to suit your preferred balance between security and a pop-up free life (Start > Control Panel > Change User Account Control Settings).

42. Use Sticky Notes

The Sticky Notes app is both simpler and more useful in Windows 7. Launch StikyNot.exe and you can type notes at the keyboard; right-click a note to change its colour; click the + sign on the note title bar to add another note; and click a note and press Alt + 4 to close the note windows (your notes are automatically saved).

43. Open folder in new process

By default Windows 7 opens folders in the same process. This saves system resources, but means one folder crash can bring down the entire shell. If your system seems unstable, or you're doing something in Explorer that regularly seems to causes crashes, then open Computer, hold down Shift, right-click on your drive and select Open in New Process. The folder will now be launched in a separate process, and so a crash is less likely to affect anything else.

44. Watch more videos

Windows Media Player 12 is a powerful program, but it still won't play all the audio and video files you'll find online. Fortunately the first freeware Windows 7 codecs package [shark007.net/win7codecs.html] has been released, and installing it could get your troublesome multimedia files playing again.

45. Preview fonts

Open the Fonts window in Windows XP and Vista and you'll see the font names, probably with icons to tell you whether they're TrueType or OpenType, but that's about it. Windows 7 sees some useful font-related improvements.

Open the new fonts window and you'll find a little preview for every font, giving you a quick idea of how they're going to look.

The tedium of scrolling through multiple entries for each family, like Times New Roman, Times New Roman Bold, Times New Roman Bold Italic and so on, has finally ended. There's now just a single entry for each font (though you can still see all other members of the family).

And there's a new OpenType font, Gabriola, added to the mix. It's an attractive script font, well worth a try the next time you need a stylish document that stands out from the crowd.

46. Restore your gadgets

Windows 7 has tightened up its security by refusing to run gadgets if UAC has been turned off, so limiting the damage malicious unsigned gadgets can do to your system. If you've disabled UAC, miss your gadgets and are happy to accept the security risk, though, there's an easy Registry way to get everything back to normal. Run REGEDIT, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Sidebar\Settings, create a new DWORD value called AllowElevatedProcess and set it to 1. Your gadgets should start working again right away.

47. New WordPad formats

By default WordPad will save documents in Rich Text Format, just as before. But browse the Save As Format list and you'll see you can also save (or open, actually) files in the Office 2007 .docx or OpenDocument .odt formats.

48. Protect your data

USB flash drives are convenient, portable, and very easy to lose. Which is a problem, especially if they're carrying sensitive data. Fortunately Windows 7 has the solution: encrypt your documents with an extension of Microsoft's BitLocker technology, and only someone with the password will be able to access it. Right-click your USB flash drive, select Turn on BitLocker and follow the instructions to protect your private files.
http://cdn1.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/software/operating-systems/images/Windows_7/bitlocker-580-90.jpg
PROTECT YOUR DATA:Your USB flash drives can easily be encrypted with BitLocker

49. Minimise quickly with shake

If you have multiple windows open on your desktop and things are getting too cluttered, it used to be a time-consuming process to close them all down. In Windows 7 you can use the Aero Shake feature to minimise everything in seconds, using a cool mouse gesture. Grab the title bar of the window you wish to keep open and give it a shake, and rejoice in a clear desktop area.

50. Configure your favourite music

The Windows 7 Media Centre now comes with an option to play your favourite music, which by default creates a changing list of songs based on your ratings, how often you play them, and when they were added (it's assumed you'll prefer songs you've added in the last 30 days). If this doesn't work then you can tweak how Media Centre decides what a "favourite" tune is- click Tasks > Settings > Music > Favourite Music and configure the program to suit your needs.

51. Customise System Restore

There was very little you could do to configure System Restore in Vista, but Windows 7 improves the situation with a couple of useful setup options.

Click the Start orb, right-click Computer and select Properties > System Protection > Configure, and set the Max Usage value to a size that suits your needs (larger to hold more restore points, smaller to save disk space).

And if you don't need System Restore to save Windows settings then choose the "Only restore previous versions of files" option. Windows 7 won't back up your Registry, which means you'll squeeze more restore points and file backups into the available disk space. System Restore is much less likely to get an unbootable PC working again, though, so use this trick at your own risk.

52. Run As

Hold down Shift, right-click any program shortcut, and you'll see an option to run the program as a different user, handy if you're logged in to the kids' limited account and need to run something with higher privileges. This isn't really a new feature - Windows XP had a Run As option that did the same thing - but Microsoft stripped it out of Vista, so it's good to see it's had a change of heart.

53. Search privacy

By default Windows 7 will remember your PC search queries, and display the most recent examples when searching in Windows Explorer. If you're sharing a PC and don't want everyone to see your searches, then launch GPEDIT.MSC, go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Explorer, double-click "Turn off display of recent search entries..." and click Enabled > OK.

54. Tweak PC volume

By default Windows 7 will now automatically reduce the volume of your PC's sounds whenever it detects you're making or receiving PC-based phone calls. If this proves annoying (or maybe you'd like it to turn off other sounds altogether) then you can easily change the settings accordingly. Just right-click the speaker icon in your taskbar, select Sounds > Communications, and tell Windows what you'd like it to do.

55. Rearrange the system tray

With Windows 7 we finally see system tray icons behave in a similar way to everything else on the taskbar. So if you want to rearrange them, then go right ahead, just drag and drop them into the order you like. You can even move important icons outside of the tray, drop them onto the desktop, then put them back when you no longer need to keep an eye on them.

56. Extend your battery life

Windows 7 includes new power options that will help to improve your notebook's battery life. To see them, click Start, type Power Options and click the Power Options link, then click Change Plan Settings for your current plan and select Change Advanced Settings. Expand Multimedia Settings, for instance, and you'll see a new "playing video" setting that can be set to optimise power savings rather than performance. Browse through the other settings and ensure they're set up to suit your needs.

57. Write crash dump files

Windows 7 won't create memory.dmp crash files if you've less than 25GB of free hard drive space, annoying if you've installed the Windows debugging tools and want to diagnose your crashes. You can turn this feature off, though: browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\CrashControl, create a new DWORD value called AlwaysKeepMemoryDump, set it to 1, and the crash dump file will now always be saved.

58. Protect your data

If you have confidential files in a particular folder or two, and would like to keep them away from other network users, then right-click the folder, select Share With > Nobody, and they'll be made private, for your eyes only (or your user account, anyway).

59. Reorganise the taskbar

Windows 7 taskbar buttons are now movable - feel free to drag, drop and otherwise reorganise them to suit your needs. And then remember that each button can be launched by holding with the Windows key and pressing 1 to activate the first, 2 the second and so on, up to 0 for the tenth.

60. Repair your PC

If Windows 7 won't start, you may not need an installation or repair disc any more, as the repair environment is now usually installed on your hard drive. Press [F8] as your PC starts, and if you see a "Repair Your Computer" option, choose that to see the full range of Windows 7 recovery tools.
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61. ReadyBoost revamped

If you were unimpressed by ReadyBoost in Vista, it may be worth trying the technology again under Windows 7. The operating system now allows you to combine multiple USB drives, each with larger caches, to deliver an extra speed boost.

62. Fixing Windows 7 N

If you have Windows 7 N then this means you'll be missing key multimedia applications, like Media Player, Media Centre, DVD Maker and more. But that's not all. You also won't have some of the subsystems required by third-party apps like Nero MultiMedia Suite, which means that even if they install, you could have problems getting them to work correctly.

continue in next post..

63. Find bottlenecks

From what we've seen so far Windows 7 is already performing better than Vista, but if your PC seems sluggish then it's now much easier to uncover the bottleneck. Click Start, type RESMON and press Enter to launch the Resource Monitor, then click the CPU, Memory, Disk or Network tabs. Windows 7 will immediately show which processes are hogging the most system resources.

The CPU view is particularly useful, and provides something like a more powerful version of Task Manager. If a program has locked up, for example, then right-click its name in the list and select Analyze Process. Windows will then try to tell you why it's hanging - the program might be waiting for another process, perhaps - which could give you the information you need to fix the problem.
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FIND BOTTLENECKS:Resource monitor keeps a careful eye on exactly how your PC is being used

64. Keyboard shortcuts

Windows 7 supports several useful new keyboard shortcuts.

Alt+P
Display/ hide the Explorer preview pane

Windows Logo+G
Display gadgets in front of other windows

Windows Logo++ (plus key)
Zoom in, where appropriate

Windows Logo+- (minus key)
Zoom out, where appropriate

Windows Logo+Up
Maximise the current window

Windows Logo+Down
Minimise the current window

Windows Logo+Left
Snap to the left hand side of the screen

Windows Logo+Right
Snap to the right hand side of the screen

Windows Logo+Home
Minimise/ restore everything except the current window

65. Drag and drop to the command line

When working at the command line you'll often need to access files, which usually means typing lengthy paths and hoping you've got them right. But Windows 7 offers an easier way. Simply drag and drop the file onto your command window and the full path will appear, complete with quotes and ready to be used.

This feature isn't entirely new: you could do this in Windows XP, too, but drag and drop support disappeared in Vista. There does seem to be a new Windows 7 complication, though, in that it only seems to work when you open the command prompt as a regular user. Run cmd.exe as an administrator and, while it accepts dropped files, the path doesn't appear.

66. Customise your jumplists

Right-click an icon on your taskbar, perhaps Notepad, and you'll see a jumplist menu that provides easy access to the documents you've been working on recently. But maybe there's another document that you'd like to be always available? Then drag and drop it onto the taskbar icon, and it'll be pinned to the top of the jumplist for easier access. Click the pin to the right of the file name, or right-click it and select "Unpin from this list" when you need to remove it.

67. Faster program launches

If you've launched one instance of a program but want to start another, then don't work your way back through the Start menu. It's much quicker to just hold down Shift and click on the program's icon (or middle-click it), and Windows 7 will start a new instance for you.

68. Speedy video access

Want faster access to your Videos folder? Windows 7 now lets you add it to the Start menu. Just right-click the Start orb, click Properties > Start Menu > Customize, and set the Videos option to "Display as a link". If you've a TV tuner that works with Windows 7 then you'll appreciate the new option to display the Recorded TV folder on the Start menu, too.

69. Run web searches

The Windows 7 search tool can now be easily extended to search online resources, just as long as someone creates an appropriate search connector. To add Flickr support, say, visit I Started Something, click Download the Connector, choose the Open option and watch as it's downloaded (the file is tiny, it'll only take a moment). A "Flickr Search" option will be added to your Searches folder, and you'll be able to search images from your desktop.

A multitude of other ready-made searches, such as Google and YouTube, can be downloaded from the windowsclub.com website.

70. Schedule Media Centre downloads

You can now tell Windows Media Centre to download data at a specific time, perhaps overnight, a useful way to prevent it sapping your bandwidth for the rest of the day. Launch Media Centre, go to Tasks > Settings > General > Automatic Download Options, and set the download start and stop times that you'd like it to use.

71. Multi-threaded Robocopies

Anyone who's ever used the excellent command-line robocopy tool will appreciate the new switches introduced with Windows 7. Our favourite, /MT, can improve speed by carrying out multi-threaded copies with the number of threads you specify (you can have up to 128, though that might be going a little too far). Enter robocopy /? at a command line for the full details.

72. Load IE faster

Some Internet Explorer add-ons can take a while to start, dragging down the browser's performance, but at least IE8 can now point a finger at the worst resource hogs. Click Tools > Manage Add-ons, check the Load Time in the right-hand column, and you'll immediately see which browser extensions are slowing you down.

73. An Alt+Tab alternative

You want to access one of the five Explorer windows you have open, but there are so many other programs running that Alt+Tab makes it hard to pick out what you need. The solution? Hold down the Ctrl key while you click on the Explorer icon. Windows 7 will then cycle through the Explorer windows only, a much quicker way to locate the right one. And of course this works with any application that has multiple windows open.

74. Block annoying alerts

Just like Vista, Windows 7 will display a suitably stern warning if it thinks your antivirus, firewall or other security settings are incorrect.

But unlike Vista, if you disagree then you can now turn off alerts on individual topics. If you no longer want to see warnings just because you've dared to turn off the Windows firewall, say, then click Control Panel > System and Security > Action Centre > Change Action Centre settings, clear the Network Firewall box and click OK.

75. Parallel defrags

The standard Windows 7 defragger offers a little more control than we saw in Vista, and the command line version also has some interesting new features. The /r switch will defrag multiple drives in parallel, for instance (they'll obviously need to be physically separate drives for this to be useful). The /h switch runs the defrag at a higher than normal priority, and the /u switch provides regular progress reports so you can see exactly what's going on. Enter the command

defrag /c /h /u /r

in a command window to speedily defrag a system with multiple drives, or enter defrag /? to view the new options for yourself.

76. Fix Explorer

The Windows 7 Explorer has a couple of potential annoyances. Launching Computer will no longer display system folders like Control Panel or Recycle Bin, for instance. And if you're drilling down through a complicated folder structure in the right-hand pane of Explorer, the left-hand tree won't always expand to follow what you're doing, which can make it more difficult to see exactly where you are. Fortunately there's a quick fix: click Organize > Folder and Search Options, check "Show all folders" and "Automatically expand to current folder", and click OK.

77. Faster file handing

If you hold down Shift while right-clicking a file in Explorer, then you'll find the Send To file now includes all your main user folders: Contacts, Documents, Downloads, Music and more. Choose any of these and your file will be moved there immediately.

78. Create folder favourites

If you're regularly working on the same folder in Explorer then select it in the right-hand page, right-click Favourites on the left-hand menu, and select Add to Favourites. It'll then appear at the bottom of the favourites list for easy one-click access later.

79. Disable hibernation

By default Windows 7 will permanently consume a chunk of your hard drive with its hibernation file, but if you never use sleep, and always turn your PC off, then this will never actually be used. To disable hibernation and recover a little hard drive space, launch REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Power, then set both HibernateEnabled and HiberFileSizePerfect to zero.

80. Create a new folder shortcut

When you need to create a new folder in Windows 7 Explorer, don't reach for the mouse. Just press Ctrl+Shift+N to create the folder in the active Explorer window, then type its name as usual.

81. Open a jumplist

Most people right-click a Windows taskbar icon to view its jumplist. You can also hold the left mouse button over the icon, though, then drag upwards to reveal the jumplist and choose the option you need, a more natural action that should be just a little faster.
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82. Search quickly

If you'd like to search for something in an Explorer window then there's no need to use the mouse. Simply press [F3] to move the focus to the search box, enter your keyword and press [Enter] to run the search.

83. Search file contents

There's no obvious way in the Windows interface to search the contents of files that haven't been indexed, but all you need to do is start your search with the "content:" search filter. So entering content:Microsoft , for instance, will find all documents (whether they're actually indexed or not) that contain the word Microsoft.

84. Close in a click

Hover your mouse cursor over a Windows taskbar button will display a preview thumbnail of that application window. You don't need that app any more? Then middle-click the thumbnail to close it down.

85. Leave the Homegroup

Homegroups are an easy way to network Windows 7 PCs, but if you don't use the feature then turning it off can save you a few system resources.

Click Start, type Homegroup, and click "Choose homegroup and sharing options". Click Leave the Homegroup > Leave the Homegroup > Finish.

Now click Start, type services.msc and press [Enter] to launch the Services Control Panel applet.

Find and double-click both the HomeGroup Listener and HomeGroup Provider service, clicking Stop and setting Startup Type to Disabled in each case, and the services won't be launched when you need reboot.

ok n ok no need na magtake ng course:) haha

galing mo ts:thumbsup::praise::salute:

25 cool Windows 7 interface tweaks

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Your fresh installation of Windows 7 gives a 'one size fits all' configuration, but there are countless ways in which you can tweak the standard operating system to make it better suit your particular needs.

Built-in customisation options include the usual controls over the interface theme and the way in which Windows alerts you to important events.

There are also a bevy of free add-ons, which provide an even wider choice of customisation options – from ways to change parts of the OS that Microsoft doesn't cater for, to adding clever new features that make Windows 7 even more capable.

Here are 25 of our favourite tweaks.

1. Change the colour of the Aero UI

Windows 7's sleek Aero theme is a definite improvement on Windows XP's ugly Luna, but you may not like its default colours.

Right-click the desktop, choose 'Personalize', then 'Window Color', and you'll be able to tweak the colours to your heart's content.

Shades of red work particularly well for distinguishing between active and inactive windows – unlike the default blue tones. You can turn off transparency here too, should you wish to.

2. Change the Windows theme

Customising the colour scheme of Windows 7 is one thing, but how about more drastic changes? Right-click the desktop, then choose 'Personalize', and you can change the entire interface theme – the desktop wallpaper, colour scheme, system sounds and mouse pointers.

A handful of themes are installed by default, but click the 'Get more themes online' link and you can download others for free.

3. Change your user account picture
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Customising your user account image is a great way to differentiate quickly between multiple accounts on a single PC. Windows 7 comes with a selection of images to choose from – just go to 'Start | Control Panel | User accounts and family safety | Change your account picture'.

The 'Browse for more pictures' link at the bottom of this window also enables you to choose one of your own images and Windows will automatically resize it to suit.

4. Switch system sounds

Windows has long been able to make noises to reflect just about anything it does, but not everyone wants to hear a ding, beep, buzz or click for every system event.

Go to 'Start | Control Panel | Appearance and Personalization | Change sound effects', and you can selectively change or disable the sounds that Windows 7 assigns to each system event.

You can also select from a range of other novel sound schemes, or opt for 'No Sounds' if you prefer to work uninterrupted.

5. Add a taskbar toolbar

Windows 7's ability to pin programs to the taskbar has eliminated the need for the Quick launch Toolbar, but you can still add other types of toolbar for quick access to certain tasks.

Right-click on an empty part of the taskbar, then select 'Toolbars' and you can an address box for quick-launching URLs, or a desktop button for ready access to desktop shortcuts when your screen is full of windows.

Touch-screen PC users can also add a tablet PC input panel for quick onetap access to the on-screen handwriting input.

6. Customise the Start menu

Microsoft has removed the 'Classic Start menu' option from Windows 7, but you can still alter its look and feel to make it better suited to the way you work.

Right-click the 'Start' button, choose 'Properties' and a dialog box will open with some basic privacy settings. Click the 'Customise' button and you can then make more drastic changes to the Start menu's appearance.

7. Change what the Start menu 'power' button does

Thankfully, the excessively complex shutdown option on Windows Vista's Start menu has been streamlined in Windows 7, but Microsoft has also changed the default power button behaviour from 'Sleep' to a full shutdown.

If you want to change it back, right-click the Start button, choose 'Properties' and select your preferred option from the 'Power button action' dropdown list.

8. Calm down UAC

Microsoft wisely opted to reduce the constant pestering of Windows Vista's User Access Control with the release of Service Pack 2, but Windows 7 brings more granular control over when you're asked to confirm certain system-level actions.

Go to 'Start | Control Panel | User Accounts and Family Safety | User Accounts | Change User Account Control Settings' and you'll see a slider. The bottom position disables UAC completely, but the next notch up is the best (and least annoying) option for safe computing.

9. Turn off Notification Area alerts

Windows 7 likes to keep you informed about the state of your security settings, but you might not want to know about every single thing that crops up.

Go to the Action Center, accessed via 'Start | Control Panel | System and Security' and you can alter what Windows badgers you about – including the fact that UAC is disabled.

Just don't think that turning off warnings about inadequate antivirus protection is a good idea…

10. Move the taskbar

Don't like the Windows 7 taskbar at the bottom of the screen? Then why not drag and drop it to one of the desktop's three other sides?

You might need to unlock it first, though – just right-click on an empty area of the taskbar and deselect the appropriate option. You can also click and drag the edge to the taskbar to make it wider, which is ideal if you've pinned lots of applications to it.

11. Go Gadget crazy

Windows Gadgets enable you to add at-a-glance information to the Sidebar at the right of the screen to save you looking it up in the web browser.

Right-click the desktop, choose 'Gadgets' and you'll see a list of available tools, with a link to download more at the bottom of the window. To enable a Gadget, right-click it and select 'Add'.

Most Gadgets have individual settings – hover the mouse pointer over an active one to show its 'spanner' icon.

12. Stop the screensaver interrupting video playback

Disabling the Windows screensaver and setting your monitor to turn off after several minutes' inactivity is a great energy saver, but it's a pain if it kicks in when you're watching an online video.

The solution is Mouse Jiggler – a free download from http://mousejiggler.codeplex.com.

Run the tiny program and it will make Windows 7 think the mouse is moving imperceptibly, even when you're nowhere near it, thereby preventing power-saving options from activating when you don't want them to.

13. Change the login screen

There are various clumsy hacks that enable you to change the Windows 7 user login screen, but the free Logon Changer utility from www.tweaks.com/software/tweakslogon does all the hard work for you without fuss.

Just point the program at the picture you want to use and it will resize it accordingly, back up the original and then make the change. Simple!

14. Do more with dual monitors

If you use two or more monitors with Windows, but want a taskbar on more than just the main display, Ultramon is the software for you.

As well as making windows on each monitor easier to manage, Ultramon enables you to assign different wallpapers to each desktop, and enables you move to windows around each display with a mouse click.

You can download a 30-day demo from www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon – the full program is available for £25.

15. Makes Windows easier to see

Ultra high-resolution monitors can make certain parts of the Windows interface tricky to see, particularly if your eyesight is far from perfect. Switching a TFT display to a lower, non-native resolution will only make things worse, but Windows 7 offers a better option.

Go to 'Start | Control Panel | Appearance and Personalization | Display | Make text and other items larger and smaller', and you'll see two options for making everything in Windows, from on-screen text to the taskbar, look bigger.

16. Customise the Start button

If you don't like the look of the round Windows 7 Start button, you can change it with Start Orb Changer. You can download the program for free from here and switch to one of 10 ready made Start button images, or use one of your own.

17. Get Rainmeter

Rainmeter takes the Windows 7 Sidebar Gadgets idea and extends it to the whole desktop.

A free download from www.rainmeter.net, it enables you to integrate all kinds of useful system information, along with RSS feeds and Twitter updates.

18. Add backgrounds to windows

If you like your desktop to be busy, Windows 7 Folder Background Changer will probably appeal. It's free from here.

After downloading, there's no installation – just run it, select a folder, pick an image and re-open the Explorer window.

19. Make Explorer windows more XP friendly

To make Windows 7 more familiar, enable the menu bar from 'Organize | Layout | Menu bar', then turn off the bottom 'Details' pane.

Go to 'Tools | Folder Options', then enable 'Show all folders' and 'Automatically expand to current folder'.

20. Control window sizes with the keyboard

If Windows 7's Aero Snap doesn't offer enough control, try Window Manager. This free download from here enables you to set window sizes and positions for applications, then activate them with keyboard shortcuts.

21. Turn off combined taskbar buttons

You can disable Windows 7's combined buttons. Right-click an empty part of the taskbar and choose 'Properties'. Use the 'Taskbar buttons' dropdown to disable button-combining, or use it only when the taskbar is full.

22. Customise the Notification Area

Windows 7 tries to manage the contents of the Notification area at the right of the taskbar, but you may need to lend a hand. Right-click the taskbar, choose 'Properties' and then click the 'Customize' button on the General tab to see options for each Notification area icon.

23. Turbo-charge file transfers

TeraCopy, a free download from www.codesector.com/teracopy.php, supplants the Explorer copy function with its own buffered copy.

This can be far quicker and enables you to preview file operations before committing to them, and to pause transfers.

24. Change desktop icons

Right-click the desktop and choose 'Personalize', then click 'Change desktop icons' and select the icon you want to change. Click 'Change Icon' to see a list of other icons you can use, or hit 'Browse' to use your own – www.iconfactory.com has a good, free selection.

25. Make Windows look like Mac OS

A simple way to make your PC ape Mac OS X is with the free Snow Transformation Pack from www.winxsoft.com/stp/download.html.

The changes are dramatic, reversible and extremely convincing, with only a handful of compromises.

18 cool things Windows 7 does that Vista doesn't

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1. Shake 'em away

Ever had 10 Notepad, two Powerpoint and 50 Outlook windows open? Want to minimise all of them except the most important one? In Windows 7, you can grab the top of the window and shake it about to scare away all of the other open windows. Simple.

2. Jumplists

Jumplists are a new feature that give you the option to view a list of recently accessed files by application, even when the application isn't open, by right-clicking on the application's icon in the taskbar. It also allows you to quickly access a favourite playlist without opening your media player. Jumplists can also be found integrated into the Start Menu.
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TIME-SAVER: The Jumplist for Windows Explorer – pretty useful
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START HERE:A Jumplist integrated into the Start Menu

3. A step forward in previewing

In Vista, hovering over a minimised window on the taskbar would provide a preview of the window. In Windows 7, a similar preview pops up which also gives the option to close a window (within the preview), along with a full-size 'peek'. You can also press Win + T to scroll along previews in the taskbar.
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PREVIEW PLUS:A smaller preview, along with a full-size 'peek' with the ability to close the window

4. Snap into place

Simply drag your window to the left or right edge of the desktop to snap and resize the window to one half of the screen. Drag the window to the top to maximise it. A pretty neat idea made neater by the use of the keyboard shortcuts (Win + respective arrow keys). No longer do you have to frustratingly position the mouse at the edge of the window to resize it.

5. XP Mode

This time, you do not have to slap your head that same way when Vista would not run an XP application. For those XP applications that do not work under Windows 7, you can download XP Mode free from the Microsoft website and run XP applications in an emulated XP environment in Windows 7. Imagine Parallels on Mac OS X without the need to fish out money on an extra OS.

6. An easier and quicker way to adjust multiple displays

Do you constantly connect your computer to different external monitors or projectors, especially at work? Try Win + P, and duplicating or extending your display to the other monitor takes just a second. Win + P presents you with an Alt + Tab style menu, which is ideal if you give a lot of presentations at work on your laptop.

7. A personalised Stage for your device

With the new 'Device and Printers' button on the Start Menu, devices which are connected to your computer can have their own Stage. This Device Stage presents supported devices with a photo-realistic render and a link to the vendor's website, along with other updates and useful information (such as firmware updates and manuals).

8. (Almost) eliminate the notification area!

What, I can even get rid of the clock and volume icons? Yes. Click the arrow that gives access to the overflow icons in the notification area and click 'customise'. Select each icon and click 'hide icon and notifications' to remove it. Clean.
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QUIETER: Stop all those notifications – but you might want to keep the clock there

9. Problem Steps Recorder

The 'Problem Steps Recorder' lets you record a particular problem you are having with your PC so you can send it to someone who may be able to help. Click 'Record', and a screenshot is taken with every mouse click, allowing comments to be added in between if required. These screenshots (and comments, if any) are placed in a well-formatted HTML document that is placed inside a zipped folder on your desktop - ideal to be attached to an email.
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A PROBLEM HALVED: Simple, yet so effective. Send this to tech savvy friends or even manufacturers
10. A brand new Magnifier tool

If you are, or someone you know, is visually impaired, then the Windows 7 Magnifier provides two options for providing a bigger display. One of which is using the traditional dock (which took up a lot of the screen) and the other being a rectangular lens that is stuck to the cursor (meaning there is no loss of workspace).
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UP CLOSE:A sleek new magnifier that follows your cursor, without decreasing your workspace

11. A new way to preview your music files

Opening and listening to an MP3 is a lot more snappier with Windows 7 due to its new smaller preview player, presenting you with album art, basic music functionality and a link to the full-blown Windows Media Player. This is an obvious attempt to mimic the preview feature of Mac OS X, but it is very well executed.
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MUSIC PREVIEW:The new preview is simple – and loads up very quickly

12. Homegroup Networking

In Vista (or, frankly, any Windows OS), creating a shared folder over a network at home could be a bit of a pain. In Windows 7, using the 'Homegroup' wizard, check the default folders you would like to share. This will give you a passcode that will have to be entered in another computer on the same network to share the files. Sounds too good to be true? There is a catch: only a Windows 7 computer can join a Homegroup.

13. Stream Music directly to another computer

If you do create a Homegroup, Windows Media Player allows you to stream music directly to another computer. So, instead of listening to music through your measly laptop speakers, you can wirelessly stream to the 7.1 Surround Sound Speakers of your PC in your living room, without stepping away from your laptop. Sweet.

14. Action Center

The Action Center is the new Security Center for Windows 7, along with other notifications such as updates and access to the improved troubleshooting and recovery using restore point facilities. Basically, it is everything windows usually annoys you with, rolled into one place with one icon in the notification bar. If you find the alerts irritating, you can check out this tip to make the Windows 7 Action Center less annoying.

15. Pin just about anything to the new Windows Taskbar

Imagine a blank Mac OS X Dock with the start menu, the notifications bar and the improved 'Show Desktop' button added to it. Drag just about anything on to it and the associated application will place itself on the translucent taskbar, with an option to open the file in the Jumplist.

16. Improved Touch Navigation

Windows 7 has much improved touch navigation. The larger taskbar with squarer icons makes it a lot easier to navigate with your fingers, and Macbook-like multi-touch gestures on various applications could change the way you interact with windows. Subtle enhancements such as a larger Start Menu appearing when Touchscreen hardware is detected also help.

17. Native ISO Burner

There are those times when you inevitably have to burn an ISO file (such as when you have to copy a downloaded Windows 7 beta or RC) to a DVD. With Windows 7 you do not need to download third-party software (some of which are pretty confusing to use). Double-clicking on an ISO file will take you to a window that allows you to change the disc burner drive. Click 'Burn'. After a while, your disc is ready. Simple.
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FINALLY: Burning an ISO file has never been so easy

18. Native calibration tools

If you tend to hook up your computer to an HDTV or care about getting the highest quality from your monitor, then the in-built basic and easy-to-use calibration tools built into Windows 7 will please you.

Maraming salamat po dito.. BM muna :clap:

22 common Windows 7 problems solved



1. Vista upgrade hangs at 62%

Windows 7 can start causing problems before it's even installed, as many people report their upgrade hangs forever at 62%. Which is annoying.

Reboot, and your PC should roll back to Windows Vista. You can then open the setup log file \$WINDOWS. BT\Sources\Panther\setupact.log to view what happened. Microsoft say this is usually caused because the Iphlpsvc service has stopped responding, and just adding an environment variable to ignore it will fix the problem. Point your browser at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/975253 for the fix.

If this doesn't help (or your upgrade hangs at something other than 62%) then browse the setup log for other clues. And you might also try to boot and install from the Windows 7 disc, if possible, as that reduces the chance of any conflict with your existing Vista (or XP) setup.
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22 common Windows 7 problems solved

22 common Windows 7 problems solved
How to fix those Windows 7 annoyances
By Mike Williams December 4th 2009
33 comments

Page 1 of 41-6: Common Windows 7 problems fixed
22 common Windows 7 problems solvedSmooth out Windows 7 quirks with these quick fixes

We like Windows 7: it's faster than Vista, makes better use of your system resources, is packed with interesting features, and looks great, too.

But that doesn't mean it's perfect, of course. If you've moved to Windows 7 recently then you might have noticed various upgrade problems, interface issues and features that seem to have disappeared entirely, among many other complications with the new system.

Don't despair, though - while these problems can be really frustrating, answers are beginning to appear. We've uncovered some of the best and most effective solutions around, so follow our guide and your Windows 7 installation will soon be back on track.

18 cool things Windows 7 does that Vista doesn't

1. Vista upgrade hangs at 62%

Windows 7 can start causing problems before it's even installed, as many people report their upgrade hangs forever at 62%. Which is annoying.

Reboot, and your PC should roll back to Windows Vista. You can then open the setup log file \$WINDOWS. BT\Sources\Panther\setupact.log to view what happened. Microsoft say this is usually caused because the Iphlpsvc service has stopped responding, and just adding an environment variable to ignore it will fix the problem. Point your browser at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/975253 for the fix.

If this doesn't help (or your upgrade hangs at something other than 62%) then browse the setup log for other clues. And you might also try to boot and install from the Windows 7 disc, if possible, as that reduces the chance of any conflict with your existing Vista (or XP) setup.

Windows 7 install

INSTALL WINDOWS 7:Windows 7 upgrades are usually quick, but sometimes it doesn't install at all

2. DVD drive not found

In some cases your DVD drive may not be found by Windows 7, even if it's visible in the BIOS and using the standard driver.

The standard solution here is to run REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}, then delete both UpperFilters and LowerFilters in the right-hand pane (UpperFilters.bak and LowerFilters.bak entries can be ignored).

No change? Resetting the drive letter has worked for some. Click Start, type Disk Management and choose the "Create and format hard disk partitions" link. If your optical drive is visible here then right-click it, select Change Drive Letter and Paths, click Change and choose a new letter. If the drive is now visible in Explorer, then repeat the process to change the drive letter back; if it's still not visible, reboot and it should appear.

3. Aero isn't running

If Windows 7 isn't looking its best - transparency has been turned off, say - then the Aero theme may not have been fully enabled on your system. Click Start, type Aero, choose the "Find and fix problems with transparency and other visual effects" link, and click Next to launch the Aero troubleshooting wizard. It'll try to identify and resolve and problems. And if it doesn't, then install the latest driver for your graphics hardware. That could be all your system needs.

Some Aero features may be disabled in the Registry, though. For example, if Aero Peek (the ability to make open windows transparent to display your desktop underneath) doesn't work for you, then launch REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\DWM and make sure EnableAeroPeek is set to 1, rather than 0.
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NO AERO:Windows 7's troubleshooting wizards will fix many display problems while you watch

4. Aero Snap irritations

Windows 7's new ability to move and resize windows, all in one movement, can be a genuine productivity boost. But if you find windows moving around when you don't expect it then Aero Snap is more of an annoyance than anything else, though at least it's one you can disable in just a few seconds.

Launch Control Panel, click Ease of Access, and select either "Change how your mouse works" or "Change how your keyboard works". Then browse down to the "Make it easier to manage windows" section, check "Prevent windows from being automatically arranged when moved to the edge of the screen", click OK, and program windows now won't go anywhere unless you specifically command it.

5. iPhone won't sync in Windows 7

Irritated iPhone users are beginning to report major difficulties in getting their iPhone to sync with Windows 7 systems. Particularly 64-bit Windows 7 systems, based around the P55 chipset. The iPhone is usually (though not always) recognised, but iTunes then complains that it can't connect to the unit because of an "unknown error", usually (though again, not always) 0xE8000065.

Disabling USB power management appears to be one solution. Click Start, type DEVMGMT.MSC and press [Enter] to launch Device Manager, then click View > Devices By Type. Expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers section of the tree, right-click each USB Root Hub entry in turn, select Properties > Power Management, and clear "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".

Reboot your PC after this tweak and try again. This works for some, but if you're out of luck then check the Apple Discussions thread for other ideas.
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SYNCING FEELING:iTunes on Windows 7 won't always see, or sync with, your iPod

6. Windows 7 themes change your custom icons

Windows 7 has some spectacular new themes - there's a great selection at the Microsoft site - but installing them can have one annoying side-effect. If you've previously changed a system icon like Computer or the Recycle Bin then that could disappear, replaced by the equivalent icon from the theme pack.

To prevent this, right-click an empty part of the desktop, select Personalize > Change Desktop Icons, clear the "Allow themes to change desktop icons" box and click OK. Your icons will now be preserved, and the only way to change them will be manually, from the same Desktop Icons dialogue.
7. Taskbar problems

We like the new Windows 7 taskbar, but many people seem less than impressed with the new approach to taskbar buttons, finding it difficult to tell at a glance whether an icon is a running application or a pinned shortcut. If this sounds like you then there's an easy way to restore more standard taskbar buttons, though - right-click the taskbar, select Properties, and set Taskbar Buttons to "Never combine" or "Combine when taskbar is full".

You can even restore the old Quick Launch toolbar in just a few clicks. Simply right-click the taskbar, click Toolbars > New Toolbar, type %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch in the folder box and click Select Folder. The Quick Launch toolbar should then reappear, and you can move and resize it to suit your needs.
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STANDARD TASKBAR:Just a few seconds work and your taskbar has that retro look

8. Missing Explorer folders

Click Start > Computer in Windows 7 and you'll find system folders like Control Panel and the Recycle Bin are no longer displayed in the left-hand Explore pane. This seems like a backward step to us, but there's a quick solution. Click Tools > Folder Options, check "Show all folders", click OK and all your top-level system folders will reappear.

9. Missing applets

Windows 7 installs quickly and takes up less hard drive space than you might expect, but in part that's down to cheating - Mail, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery and other applets are no longer bundled with a standard Windows installation. Instead you must download the programs you need from the Windows Live Essentials site.

Installing Live Essentials will also get you potentially unnecessary extras, though, like an ActiveX control to help in uploading files to Windows Live SkyDrive. And the Windows Live Sign-In Assistant, which can be useful if you want to switch between multiple Windows Live accounts. If you have only one Windows Live account, and no plans to use Live SkyDrive, then these can safely be removed from the Control Panel Uninstall A Program applet.
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TAKE YOUR PICK:You can install as many, or as few of the Live Essentials programs as you like

10. Too many minidumps

By default Windows 7 now keeps the last 50 minidump files (memory images saved when your PC crashes). If you're keen on using dump files to troubleshoot crashes then this is good news, but if you've no interest in that kind of advanced debugging then minidumps are just a waste of your valuable hard drive space. In which case you should run REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\CrashControl, and set MiniDumpsCount to 1. Windows will only now keep the last dump file and you'll free up a little hard drive space.

11. HP Multifunction Printer problems

If you've an HP multifunction printer with its "Full Feature Software solution" or "Basic Driver solution" installed then, after upgrading to Windows 7, you may find the printer stops working. Press the buttons on the front of the printer and nothing will happen; launch the software manually and you'll see reports that it can't connect to your hardware.

The problem is that a few files and Registry entries have been lost in the migration to Windows Vista, and even reinstalling the original HP software won't help. Fortunately there's a new version of HP Solution Center that should get everything working again, though, and you can find out more about it at the HP support site.

12. Hidden extensions

Explorer's default settings in Windows 7 hide file extensions, as well as system files and folders.

To fix this, launch Explorer and click Tools > Folder Options > View.

Clear the "Hide extensions for known file types" to show file extensions, reducing the likelihood that you'll accidentally double-click on virus.txt.exe in future.

And as long as there are no novice users on your system who might go poking around in Explorer, we'd also choose to "Show hidden files and folders" as well as clear the "Hide protected operating system files" box. It's often important to see these files when you're troubleshooting, or following problem-solving instructions from someone else.
13. DVD audio issues

Windows 7 runs well even on old notebooks, say reviewers, and in general they're right. But we have seen reports of problems, for example with DVD audio, where movie sound is either completely unintelligible or doesn't appear at all.

Should anything similar happen to you then head off to Control Panel, click Hardware and Sound > Sound, right-click your current default playback device (it'll have a green tick displayed) and select Properties.

Then click Advanced, clear any settings in the Exclusive Mode box and click OK. You've now ensured that older or badly-behaved drivers can't take complete control of the speakers any more, and this alone will often be enough to get your system working again. (But if it doesn't, installing new audio drivers is your next best option.)

14. Windows Live MovieMaker

For some bizarre reason Windows Live MovieMaker won't let you import network files by default. Okay, so they'll be large and may monopolise network traffic for a while, but shouldn't that be your choice?

Anyway, a quick Registry tweak will solve this annoying problem. Simply run REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Live\Movie Maker, add a DWORD value called AllowNetworkFiles and set it to 1: job done.
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IMPORT NETWORK FILES:Network access is only a Registry tweak away

15. XP Mode doesn't work

If you've ancient software that won't work under Windows 7 then in theory you can use XP Mode, a virtual machine with an installation of Windows XP that should be more successful. In practice, however, it doesn't always work out that way.

Problem 1 is XP Mode requires hardware support from the CPU. The Microsoft Hardware-Assisted Virtualization Detection Tool can check your system to see if it's compatible.

Problem 2 is the feature must be enabled in the BIOS. Microsoft has some instructions, but essentially you just need to browse your BIOS setup program looking for an AMD-V, Intel VT or VIA VT virtualisation setting and ensure it's turned on.

Unfortunately problem number 3 is that some laptop manufacturers have previously disabled this setting for "security" reasons. Sony Vaios had the feature turned off for a while, for instance, prompting some to recommend ways in which you can edit their firmware to restore the setting, although Sony seems to have restored it recently. If hardware virtualisation is turned off on your system then check with the manufacturer - a BIOS upgrade may fix the problem.

And if all else fails, just use a package like VirtualBox that doesn't insist on hardware support. You will need to provide a licenced copy of XP (or whatever other version you want to use) to install on it, though.http://cdn2.mos.techradar.com//classifications/computing/software/operating-systems/images/Windows_7/hav-580-100.jpg
WINDOWS 7 XP MODE:Good news - this CPU is up to the task of running XP Mode

16. Add Windows Media Center to AutoPlay options

Windows 7 includes Media Center, but for some strange reason you can't choose it as an AutoPlay handler. The only standard program that can be launched to play DVD-Video discs, say, is Media Player, which seems an odd limitation.

Fortunately there's no fundamental change that's preventing this from working, it's just that Windows 7 doesn't contain the required Registry entries. If you've a Windows Vista PC to hand then you could export these yourself: just go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer\AutoplayHandlers and save all the keys and values beginning with EHome.

Windows expert Ramesh Srinivasan has done the hard work already, though, so it's probably easier to download the .REG file from him. Take a look at Srinivasan's Winhelponline to find out more.

17. Missing crash dump files

Impressive though Windows 7 is, it'll crash sometimes, and if you've installed diagnostic software like the Windows debugging tools then you'll want the crash dump file to hand for further investigations. And yet in some situations you'll find the memory.dmp file never appears. So what's going on?

First, click Start, right-click Computer and select Properties > Advanced System Settings > Startup and Recovery Settings. Make sure that "Write debugging information" is set to something other than "none", and that "Dump file" is the default "%SystemRoot%\MEMORY.DMP".

If that's all correct then check your free hard drive space. If your system isn't on a domain, and has less than 25GB free, then Windows 7 will no longer keep a crash dump file. If you'd like to change that, launch REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\CrashControl, create a new DWORD value called AlwaysKeepMemoryDump, set it to 1, and in future the crash dump file will always be preserved.
22 common Windows 7 problems solved: 18-22: Disabling hibernation and more
How to fix those Windows 7 annoyances
By Mike Williams December 4th 2009
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Page 4 of 418-22: Disabling hibernation and more

18. Can't disable hibernation

Windows 7 doesn't make it easy to turn off hibernation, annoying if you never use it as you'll permanently have a "hiberfil.sys" file taking up a sizeable portion of your hard drive. To rectify this situation, launch REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Power, and set HibernateEnabled to zero.

19. Poor video quality

The new Windows 7 power plan settings affect more of your software than ever before. If you notice video playback quality seems poor, for instance, then click Start, type Power Options and click the Power Options link. Click Change Plan Settings for your currently selected plan, click Change Advanced Settings, expand the Multimedia Settings section and make sure "Playing video" is set to "Optimise performance".

Alternatively, if you often play video on a laptop, then change the new setting to "Optimise performance" and you may see an improvement in battery life.

20. Where's Software Explorer?

If you've ever played with Windows Defender on Vista then you'll have probably noticed the Software Explorer feature, a very useful way to find out and control exactly what's launched on your PC when Windows starts. So it's a little annoying to see this has disappeared in the latest version, leaving you with only the aging MSCONFIG to control your startup programs.

We'd recommend you download and use Autoruns, then, instead. It's rather more technical than Software Explorer, but nothing else provides quite as much useful detail on the add-ons and extensions you'll be loading when Windows, Explorer and your browser are launched.
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START UP:Autoruns shows all the programs that will load when your PC starts

21. Explorer navigation

The Windows 7 version of Explorer has partly disconnected its two panes, so if you're double-clicking your way down a complex set of folders in the right-hand pane, the left hand tree won't always expand to follow you.

This may improve performance a little, but it also means that you won't always be able to see the complete folder structure unless you expand it manually, which on balance seems a bad idea. If you agree then click Organize > Folder and Search Options, check "Automatically expand to current folder", and click OK to restore normal operations

22. Windows Live Messenger and the system tray

Close Windows Live Messenger on Windows 7 and it'll display its icon on the taskbar, chewing up useful application space, rather than in the system tray where many believe it belongs.

Fortunately there's a very quick fix: right-click the shortcut to Windows Live Messenger, click Properties > Compatibility, check "Run this program in compatibility mode for" and choose "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)" from the list. Close Messenger and its icon should now appear in the system tray, just as you'd expert.

nice share ts . . . :clap::clap::clap:

How to turn your Windows 7 laptop into a wireless hotspot

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Sharing your Windows internet connection via software has traditionally been a tricky business.

There are programs that can help you do it, but they're often awkward to set up, and prone to complicated security and reliability issues, so most people don't even try.

But that could all be about to change, thanks to a new Windows 7 feature called Virtual Wi-Fi.

The idea is a simple one: the operating system can virtualise any compatible wireless adapter, to make it appear as though you've as many additional adapters as you need.

The effect is dramatic. Once it's set up, then any Wi-Fi compatible device that can connect to you - another desktop, laptop, or an iPod Touch, say - will immediately be able to get online, by sharing your internet connection through a duplicate of your wireless adapter.

Getting this working isn't too difficult, either, as long as you can get over the first hurdle: finding a virtual Wi-Fi-compatible driver for your wireless adapter.

Intel's latest 32-bit (http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18211&ProdId=3062&lang=eng) and 64-bit (http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18212&ProdId=3062&lang=eng) drivers now include support, as do various others for Atheros, Broadcom, Realtek and other big players, but these don't apply to every chipset. Check the support site for your wireless adapter to see what's available.

If you're in luck and manage to find and install an up-to-date Windows 7 driver for your adapter, then the next step is to set it up, and for that you'll need an elevated command prompt. Click Start, type CMD, right-click the Cmd.exe link and select "Run as Administrator".

Now type the following command:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=MyNet key=MyPassword

and press [Enter]. Replace "MyNet" with the name you'd like to use for your custom network, and "MyPassword" with a password that's a little harder to guess.

Still at the command line, type

netsh wlan start hostednetwork

and press [Enter] to fire up the virtual adapter.

Now click Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Centre > Change Adapter Settings, right-click your internet connection and select Properties. Click the Sharing tab, check "Allow other network users to connect...", choose your virtual Wi-Fi adaptor - and that's it.

Any nearby Wi-Fi enabled device should see a new network appear with the SSID you defined above. They'll be able to connect to it using your password, and can then immediately share your internet connection.

While it's worth knowing how to do this manually, if it's something you do often then you'll probably prefer a simpler solution.

You could speed things up a little by creating a batch file to run the netsh commands, perhaps, but for a really easy life we'd recommend you install Virtual Router (http://virtualrouter.codeplex.com%29/). It's compact, free, and will automate the whole process for you with the minimum of hassle.
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Beginner's guide to Windows 7

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We all use Windows 7, but some of us just scratch the surface of what the operating system can do, by only using our computers to send and receive the odd email and surf the internet. In fact, there are so many great things that Windows 7 can do to make your life easier that it can all seem quite overwhelming at first.

There's now a tool for almost anything in Windows, and just knowing exactly where they are and how to use them can revolutionise your experience with your computer. There's no need to feel intimidated by the wealth of options that Windows 7 provides, because over the next few pages, we've got a crash course that teaches you all you need to get the most out of Windows and your PC.

Everything you need to know is explored and explained to you, and by the end you'll be amazed at what you can achieve with Windows 7. By taking this crash course, you'll open up whole new areas of Windows 7 to explore confidently - and it'll prove to be the beginning of you realising your PC's full potential.

Get started

Using Windows is easy - here's how to find where everything is

Although there are lots of tools in Windows, you can simplify things by thinking of your computer as being made up of three large areas: your files and folders, your programs, and system tools.

The first area - your files and folders - covers all the personal files that you create. Including photos, Office Word documents and your MP3 collection, these files are unique to you, and when you add or create them, they are saved in folders and are collected by Windows 7 in Libraries. These make it incredibly easy for you to find your files.

There are four Libraries, and each is pretty self-explanatory: Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos. Any documents that you create in programs such as Office should be saved in the Documents Library to keep your computer organised.

In Windows XP, the locations have the same names, but with 'My' in front of them - for example, My Music. Keeping your files organised means that you spend a lot less time searching for them because you know exactly where they are kept.

The second area - your programs - covers all the software installed on your PC. While this can be installed in different locations, it can all be accessed quickly and easily through the Start menu. Click Start ➜ All Programs to see your programs and launch them.

If you have a program you use regularly, you can access it even faster by creating a desktop shortcut (right-click on the program's icon and select Send to ➜ Desktop (create shortcut)) or by pinning it to the taskbar (right-click on the icon and select Pin to Taskbar), which enables you to load the program instantly.

If you have a lot of programs installed, the Start menu can get cluttered. In Windows Vista and Windows 7, you can quickly find what you're looking for by typing the program's name into the Start search box.
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The final area - system tools - covers all the tools and programs that you can use to tweak and improve Windows. Some of these are quite complicated, and best left to those who are more confident, but through the years Microsoft has worked hard to make these powerful tools more user friendly.

The vast majority of these tools are kept in the Control Panel. To access this, just click Start ➜ Control Panel. What was once a bewildering array of icons has been cleaned up and carefully arranged in Windows 7.

Every tool has been placed in a category for easy reference. Looking for a tool to help set up your home network? Look under Network and Internet. Want to set up parental controls? Head to User Accounts and Family Safety. Programs and tools that help you tweak and troubleshoot your computer can also be found under Start ➜ Computer and Start ➜ All Programs ➜ Accessories.

Dividing up where Windows keeps everything into three sections in your mind can help you memorise where everything goes, so it is easier to locate in the future.

Managing your Windows

When using programs, they are displayed in boxes known as windows - which give the Windows operating system its name. The more programs you have open at one time, the more windows appear on your screen.

Having too many windows open at once can get confusing, but Windows 7 enables you to organise your desktop so you can find the right window in a flash. Clicking the top of a window and dragging it to the left or right side of your screen instantly resizes the window to take up half of the screen.
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If you want to minimise all the windows except one, click the top of the window you want to keep on your desktop and shake it quickly from side to side. All the windows behind your selected window then minimise. Shake the window again to bring the others back.

Another quick way to organise your windows while they are open is to right-click the taskbar and select Show windows stacked, to display each window horizontally across your screen. Right-click the taskbar and select Show windows side by side to display them vertically. If you want to scroll through your open windows to find the one you want, hold down the Windows key on your keyboard and press the Tab key until you find the right one.

Searching Windows 7

Using Windows 7 to search for files and folders can save you a huge amount of time. The way Windows searches your PC to find what you want was completely overhauled with Windows Vista - and it has been refined in Windows 7. All you need to do is click the Start button and type the name of the file or folder you are searching for into the Start Search box.
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Even as you begin typing, Windows 7 starts returning results. The more you type, the more accurate results you get. To make it even easier, your search results are divided into categories - Programs, Folders and Files. If you can see what you're searching for, just click on it.

If you want to narrow down your search, click See more results. Your results are then listed in the Search Results window, with the phrase you searched for highlighted in yellow to help you quickly figure out how relevant the result is.

Windows 7 not only searches file names for your match, but also searches inside files. So if you can't remember the name of a document, but you can remember a sentence or phrase that was written inside it, you can search for that.

If you get too many results, you can filter them. For example, if you are searching for an email, you can prevent Windows 7 from returning documents and programs with similar names by clicking the search box in the top right of the Search Results window. Under Add a search filter select Email - or the type of document you are searching for - and only matches of that type are returned. You can further narrow your results by adding file type, file size and the date the file was last edited.

Set up your browser

Your internet browser is your gateway to the most important technological invention in recent history: the internet. Setting up your internet browser can help you navigate the vast amounts of information available online, so you can find what you are looking for in an instant.

Internet Explorer is the most popular browser in the world, which means that almost all websites are compatible with it. Because it is created by Microsoft, it is integrated seamlessly into Windows 7 - and the new Internet Explorer 9 brings even more integration, with jump lists and taskbar pinning of individual websites.
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If Internet Explorer isn't to your liking, there are a number of great alternatives, such as Firefox and Google Chrome.

The first website you are presented with when you open your web browser is known as the home page. You can set your home page to be any website on the internet, so it's a great idea to set it to your favourite site.

If you have an internet email account, you could set your home page to be your inbox so that you get your emails straight away, or maybe your favourite news site to get the latest headlines.

To set a website as your home page, just go to the site in question then click the Settings icon in the top right-hand corner of Internet Explorer and select Internet options. Under Home page click Use current.

If there are other websites that you regularly visit, adding them to your Favorites (also known as bookmarking) can save you loads of time. Instead of typing in the address every time, by adding the website to your Favorites (when on the webpage click the Favorites star icon ➜ Add to favorites…) all you need to do in the future is open the Favorites list by clicking the Favorites star icon and clicking the name of the website.

You can speed things up even more by adding your favourite websites to Internet Explorer's Favorites Bar. Click the Star icon with the green arrow on the left-hand side of the screen and the site appears at the top of the window, enabling you to instantly navigate to your chosen website.

You can make Windows even better by tailoring it to your tastes

The best thing about all versions of Windows - and especially Windows 7 - is how customisable it is. You don't have to change your habits to suit Windows 7 - you can change Windows 7 to suit you.

Straight out of the box Windows 7 is incredibly user-friendly, but if you take the time to tweak and customise Windows to suit your needs and tastes, you'll find that using your computer is faster and easier than ever before.

One of the first things you can do to help feel at home when using Windows 7 is to personalise the look and feel of the system. Right-click anywhere on the desktop and select Personalize. You can choose from a number of different themes that come with Windows 7 or click Get more themes online.
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This takes you to a website where you can view even more fantastic themes to decorate your computer with.

Get some gadgets

Desktop gadgets were introduced in Windows Vista to add a whole new dimension of functionality to the Windows desktop. Gadgets are small programs that sit on your desktop and give you instant access to tools and information from your computer and the internet.
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From the local weather to headlines from your favourite sites, there are gadgets for everything. To see what's on offer, right-click the desktop and select Gadgets. Click the gadget you want on your desktop and drag it to where you want it displayed.

If you can't find a gadget that suits your needs click Get more gadgets online to take your pick from thousands of available desktop gadgets.

Set up user accounts

If you share your computer with other people, you can set up user accounts for each person. Setting up user accounts for each member of your family enables everyone to personalise Windows in a way that suits them. Having a user account for each person also means that their favourites, internet home page, browsing history and personal files are all saved and only accessible to them.
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o create user accounts, go to Start ➜ Control Panel and then under User Accounts and Family Safety, select Add or remove user accounts. Click on Create a new account, then enter the name of the person you are creating the user account for, make sure it is set to 'Standard user' so they can't change any important settings, and click Create Account.

Once you have set up the account, you can click on it to edit the name, create a password or change the picture that represents the account.

Keep your family safe

Another great reason to create user accounts for members of your family is that you can add parental controls to your children's accounts to ensure that they are kept safe. You can limit what programs each person has access to and if you are worried about the children using the computer for long periods of times, you can limit when and for how long they can use the PC.

Go to Start ➜ Control Panel and under User Accounts and Family Safety, click Set up parental controls for any user. Click the user account you want to add parental controls to and select On, enforce current settings. You can then set time limits for how long that family member can use the computer for, what age rating of games they can play and what applications they can use.

If you want to add further parental controls to the user account - such as website filtering - install Windows Live Family Safety 2011.

Security solutions

Making sure your computer is secure when you are on the internet is one of the most important things you can do. There are so many threats on the internet that can infect your computer and put your personal files and information at risk, that installing antivirus and anti-malware should be one of your top priorities.

Windows 7 itself does not come with antivirus protection, so you need to install your own copy of your chosen antivirus software. There are two types of antivirus software: paid-for and free.

With antivirus software that you pay for, you get a copy that will receive updates for a year. After that year has ended, you need to buy a subscription for a further 12 months to continue to keep the software updated. This is essential because thousands of new viruses are released on the internet every day, and the updates make sure that the antivirus software can detect and protect you from the latest threats.

Free antivirus software offers basic protection without you needing to pay for a yearly subscription. Free antivirus software protects your computer from being infected, but it doesn't feature some of the more advanced features and technology that paid-for versions do, such as email scanning and website blocking.

If you know what you are doing and are careful on the internet, free antivirus software such as Microsoft Security Essentials or AVG Free should be adequate.

If you are not that confident on the internet, have a habit of opening attachments and clicking links in emails, download a lot of things or just want the best protection there is, consider paid-for antivirus. Trusted brands such as Norton and McAfee offer superb security.

Windows Update

Windows 7 isn't completely defenceless on its own against malicious threats from the internet, however. Microsoft continually updates the operating system through the Windows Update service. These updates include critical protection against the latest threats and most of the time they are downloaded in the background without you needing to do anything.
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Occasionally there is a non-essential update released that can improve your computer's performance. Non-essential updates are not downloaded automatically, so it is worth checking Windows Update once a month.

Click the Start button and type update into the Search box. Click Windows Update and you're presented with a window telling you how many important and optional updates are available. Click on Optional updates are available to view the list. Select the optional updates you want to install, then click OK ➜ Install updates.

Any important updates that you have yet to download and install are automatically selected and installed as well.

Create a network

Setting up or joining your home network has never been easier thanks to Windows 7. Simply plug your computer into your network router via Ethernet cable and follow our guide below to get your home network up and running.

If you have any problems, head over to the Network and Sharing Center by clicking Start and typing Network and Sharing Center. You'll find all the tools and help you need to get your internet and network fixed right here.

1. Search for networks
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All modern laptops and netbooks have wireless network receivers built in. If you have a desktop PC, you may need to buy a USB wireless receiver. If your computer can detect wireless networks, and there is one nearby, the 'Wireless connections are available' icon appears in your taskbar.

2. Find your wireless
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Click on the icon and all the wireless networks your computer can find are displayed. Click the name of your wireless network - if you haven't named it yourself, it will be named after the brand of your wireless router (Netgear, for example) or your ISP.

3. Enter your password and connect
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Click on your network and put a tick next to Connect automatically. This means Windows 7 connects to your chosen network straight away when you turn on your PC in the future. Click Connect and enter the network password. Wireless networks should always have a password to prevent strangers accessing them.

Keep your PC clean

All versions of Windows work best when they have just been freshly installed. Over time, they slow down as programs are installed and uninstalled. To keep Windows 7 running as though it's brand new, regular cleaning of the hard drive is essential. It doesn't take long and the results are well worth it.

To keep your hard drive neat and tidy, go to Start ➜ All Programs ➜ Accessories ➜ System Tools ➜ Disk Cleanup. Select the drive and click OK. Windows scans your hard drive for unnecessary files that take up precious disk space but can be safely removed.
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Temporary internet files, partially deleted files in the recycle bin and other temporary files can all add up and slow down your PC. Select the files you want to delete and then click OK ➜ Delete files.

Uninstall all your unwanted programs

If you have programs installed on your computer that you no longer use, it's a good idea to uninstall them to keep your hard drive clean and Windows 7 running smoothly.

To uninstall unneeded programs, go to Start ➜ Control Panel ➜ Uninstall a program. Select the program you no longer use and click Uninstall.

Installing and uninstalling programs can leave your hard drive in a bit of a state over time. Fragments of files can be left in various places on the disk, making it difficult for your computer to find the information it is looking for. The longer it takes for your computer to search the hard drive, the slower Windows 7 performs.

This is why defragmenting your hard drive is an essential part of Windows maintenance. The defragmentation process rearranges the data into a more logical and easier-to-read order, while combining the free space on your disk. After defragmenting your hard drive, you'll find you have a faster computer and more disk space.

Go to Start, type defrag and click Disk Defragmenter. Select your hard drive and click Analyze disk to see if the disk need defragmenting. If it does, click Defragment disk.

Windows 7 programs you should download

Windows 7 comes with a lot of great tools, but there are some other essential programs that you should install to make the most out of your computer. The following programs contain all the features you need to get the most out of Windows 7 and your computer.

Windows Live Essentials

Microsoft has gathered together some of the best programs for Windows in the Windows Live Essentials suite. Once installed, you'll find that there's a reason Microsoft has given these programs the name 'Essential'.
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Windows Live Messenger enables you to keep in contact with friends and family over the internet. You can share photos and videos while you chat, and if you have a webcam, you can have video chats as well - all for free. The latest version even integrates with the Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn social networks.

If you keep lots of digital photos on your computer, installing Windows Live Photo Gallery is a must. It features tools for organising, editing and sharing your photos. Instantly adjust the colour of photographs, remove red eye or create stunning panoramas with your snaps
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If you've shot some home videos, you can import them to Windows Live Movie Maker and add special effects, transitions and sound effects to create and share amazing movies.

Windows Live Mail is a fantastic email program that enables you to add multiple email accounts and calendars as well as send and receive emails straight from your desktop. And if you have a blog, Windows Live Writer is a great tool - instantly upload text, photos, videos, maps and a lot more to share them with the world.

Finally, Windows Live Family Safety contains additional parental controls to help you keep your children protected while they use the internet. An essential tool for peace of mind.

Ad-Aware

If you want extra protection against spyware, you should install Ad-Aware. Spyware is software that is installed on your PC without your consent, which sends information about you and your computer across the internet. Sometimes this is sent to advertisers, other times to malicious users who want to steal your identity, but it is always annoying. Ad-Aware protects you against this.

Microsoft Security Essentials

If you want a free antivirus software solution, Microsoft Security Essentials is the tool you need. It is easy to use and is always kept up to date to protect your computer against viruses and other malicious software. There's no complicated jargon involved - you simply install it and it monitors your computer for you.

Foxit Reader
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PDF files are becoming increasingly common. Most user manuals are now saved on an installation disc, rather than printed out on paper. You're usually told to install Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF files, but Foxit Reader is a faster alternative that has all the features and doesn't take up as much disk space.

7-Zip

Adding files to a compressed .zip file is a great way to send and receive files over the internet. While Windows 7 can open and create .zip files straight away, 7-Zip adds even more functionality and the ability to open and create the popular .rar compressed file type, too.

Revo Uninstaller
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Revo Uninstaller is another example of a tool that expands on some of the functionality within Windows 7. While you can uninstall programs with Windows 7, the process is not perfect. Some files and folders can refuse to be removed, leaving your hard drive cluttered with the remnants of unwanted programs. Revo Uninstaller helps keep your computer completely clean.

VLC Media Player

Have you ever tried to play a movie file that Windows Media Player cannot read? Installing VLC Media Player means you never have to worry about that again. Its creators boldly claim that "it plays everything", and they are right - from DVDs to streaming media and any video file (even if it is damaged), VLC Media Player can handle them all.

Windows 7 hidden options and tools

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Microsoft has done a fine job with Windows 7. All you need do is pop in an installation disc and provide the installer with some internet access information, then you can leave the room and make a cup of tea.

When you come back you'll have a fully working PC, replete with features that make working and playing easier.

Windows 7's Taskbar makes it quicker to find, launch and manage your apps. There are also Libraries, which help you locate related files so you can view your work without spending ages browsing your hard drive.

You get improved security, a host of new and revamped applets, low-level tweaks that improve performance and much more.

However, for PC power users, there's a lingering question: life might never have been easier, but could it be better? With a little effort, some digging and a bit of clever tweaking, could we squeeze more from our machines?

With this in mind, we've gone on the hunt for Windows 7's hidden options and tools, which will enable you to tailor the operating system around your personal style of computing. Take your PC knowledge to a whole new level as you learn how to make Windows work your way!

Unlock your apps

Let's start our quest for hidden power in a familiar and frustrating place – program lockups. One moment your application is ticking along nicely and the next it's completely unresponsive. In the past there was nothing you could do other than wait an aeon and then close the program manually, often losing valuable data.
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If this happens to you, launch Windows 7's Resource Monitor (resmon.exe). When it's running, you'll see a list of processes that are plodding along happily. Look down the list and you'll probably see one process highlighted in red. This is likely to be your troublesome program.

Right-click it, select 'Analyse Wait Chain' and if the program is waiting for something else, you'll see it here. You'll be able to close that process in a few clicks.

If you opt to close a process, be careful. Kill a critical component and you'll bring your PC to its knees. Conversely, if you know the process in question isn't important, shut it down and your locked PC might start working again. There you go – proof that a little digging and taking control of your PC can save time and future hassle.

Windows remote access

Being a Windows 7 power user is generally a very good thing. You understand how everything works, know all the shortcuts and can freely bend Windows to your will. However, with this power comes responsibility.

As news of your guru-like status spreads, friends and family will start expecting you to solve their computer problems. Heading next door to fix your neighbour's PC isn't too much of a hassle, but if the system is much further away then you'll want an easier alternative. That's where Windows Remote Assistance can help.

This tool enables you to see the desktop on a remote computer, run programs, find the problem and make the tweaks needed to fix it, all from the comfort of your PC.

Preparations

The configuration process starts on the remote PC – the one that you're trying to view. First, ask your friend to click 'Start', then right-click 'Computer' or 'My Computer', select 'Properties' and view their Remote Settings. The 'Allow Remote Assistance connections' box must be checked, and if they click 'Advanced', the 'Allow this computer to be controlled remotely' box must also be checked.
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Once its core functionality is enabled, your friend can launch Remote Assistance (msra.exe). They should click 'Invite someone you trust to help you' to do this. If both of you have Windows 7 then, in theory, they can click 'Use Easy Connect' to get Remote Assistance working. However, this relies on Windows 7 being able to work with both your routers, and it's prone to being disabled for other reasons.

A more reliable option is to ask them to click 'Use email to send an invitation'. This will launch their email client with an invitation file attached, and they'll need to send this to your email address.

Taking control

Either way, Windows Remote Assistance should open a new window on your friend's PC with a 12-character connection password. They'll have to pass this to you separately, and you'll then have everything you need to log in.

If you've opted for the email approach, wait for the email attachment to arrive, open the file with Windows and Remote Assistance should fire up. Enter the password that your friend is looking at and you'll be connected.

If you're trying Easy Connect, you need to launch Remote Assistance (msra.exe) manually. Click 'Help someone who has invited you' and select 'Use Easy Connect'. If this works, Remote Assistance will then ask for your friend's password. If it doesn't, try the email method instead.

Your copy of Remote Assistance can't simply log in to your friend's PC, even if you have the necessary password – that could be a security issue. Instead they'll receive an alert, warning them that someone is trying to use Remote Assistance. This alert asks whether they're willing to allow you to connect to their PC.

This dialog will display your account username for reassurance that it's you, although if your username is something anonymous like PowerUser then it's best to tell your friend this in advance. They'll need to click 'Yes' to permit this connection. That's the first stage complete.

You should now be able to see the remote desktop. It may not look very pretty – the background will have been removed and colour will be set to 16-bit for bandwidth reasons – but it's adequate. If you simply want to watch and understand what your friend is doing, then you can use the 'Chat' button to tell them so (it's text chat – no microphones required).

Your friend can then fire up whichever application is causing them problems and attempt whatever they're trying to do, while you observe. It's far more effective than relying on descriptions, which they may give you later, and could be enough for you to figure out exactly where they're going wrong.

If you need to take charge, click 'Request Control' on the Remote Assistance toolbar. Your friend will then be asked if they'll allow you to take control, and if they say yes, you'll be able to run programs on their PC yourself. You can browse the Start Menu, launch Control Panel, check their Registry, open the command line and generally apply whatever tweaks are necessary to get their system back into full working order.

How to set up a Virtual Private Network

1. Open the door
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A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a secure way to connect PCs over the internet.

First, configure a PC to accept incoming connections. Go to the 'Network and Sharing Centre | Change Adaptor Settings', press [Alt] + [F] and select 'New Incoming Connection'.

Choose the user account belonging to the remote person, or add one now. Click 'Next', check 'Through the internet' and click 'Next | Allow Access | Close'.

2. Make the connection
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On the other Windows 7 PC, go to 'Network and Sharing Centre | Set up a new connection | Connect to a workplace'. If you're asked if you want to use an existing connection, choose to create a new one.

Click 'Use my internet...', enter the remote computer name or IP address, then click 'Next'. Enter the username and password for your account on the other PC, click 'Connect' and watch the connection dialog.

3. Troubleshooting
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Can't connect? Configure your firewalls to open the Point-to-Point Tunnelling Protocol (PPTP) port 1723. If you have a router, turn on 'PPTP' or 'VPN' (or 'VPN pass-through'), and 'Generic Route Encapsulation'.

You may need to create a port forwarding rule to pass port 1723 traffic to your PC's local IP address. Check your firewall/router logs – they may report incoming connections and reveal where any problem lies.

How to share files easily with IIS

1. Getting started
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Install Windows 7 and you get a functional copy of Microsoft's internet Information Services (IIS) – a web server that you can use to share files over the internet, or locally on your network. IIS can be enabled in a moment.

Click 'Control Panel | Programs | Turn Windows features on or off', check 'Internet Information Services', then expand and select all the boxes for FTP Server and Web Management Tools.

2. Welcome screen
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Click 'OK' and Windows will install IIS and configure its settings. When it's done, confirm that it's working by entering http://localhost in your browser. If all is well then you'll see the IIS welcome page.

The same applies to other PCs on your network. If they can access you normally, they should be able to see the same screen by entering http://, followed by your PC's network name: http://MyPC, for instance.

3. Directory browsing
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The default folder for your site is C:\inetpub\wwwroot. You'll see two files there: iisstart.htm and welcome.png. Copy these to a backup folder (or delete them – they're not important), then drag and drop some files into the wwwroot folder.

Click 'Start', type IIS and click 'Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager'. Click 'Default Web Site', double-click 'Directory Browsing' and click 'Enable' in the right-hand Actions pane.

4. Share freely
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Return to a network PC, enter http://MyPC (using your host PC's network name) and you'll see an HTTP folder and the files it contains. Click on these to view or download them.

This isn't attractive, but it lets you share files locally with any http-capable device that can connect to your network: Linux systems, Macs, phones and more. To make it look better, you could create an iisstart.html file that provides links to the files.

5. MIME Types
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IIS only allows you to share files for which it has a MIME type – a mapping standard that tells the system what it is. Place an MP4 file into your wwwroot folder, for instance, and people will be able to see, but not download it.

To fix this, return to the IIS Manager and double-click 'MIME Type'. To add support for .MP4 files, click 'Add', then type .mp4 in the 'Extension' box and enter video/mpeg as the MIME type.

6. Going global
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f you'd like to share your files over the web then IIS must be allowed through your firewall. You'll also have to enable port forwarding in your router, passing http traffic (port 80) through to the internal IP address of your PC. Then anyone can enter your connection's IP address into their browser and view the files.

Opening your PC in this way does constitute a security risk, so launch IIS Help and read the IIS checklists first.

Windows 7 will generally do its best to work fully automatically, managing your PC with no intervention. There are, however, situations where a more hands-on approach pays dividends.

The Fault-Tolerant Heap (FTH), for example, is a smart feature. It looks out for processes that are particularly unstable, detects those that seem to crash due to memory issues and applies several real-time fixes that may help solve the problem. If these work, great; if not, it reverses the changes.

Although it's an excellent tool, FTH can be confusing because it makes application behaviour seem inconsistent. From your point of view, a program will seem horribly unstable, then start working again for no apparent reason. Or, if you've made some tweak yourself, you may think you've fixed the problem when the FTH deserves the credit.

To check for a situation like this, run REGEDIT, go to HKEY_ LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ Microsoft\FTH and examine the State key. Any executable protected by FTH will be listed there.

To turn off FTH monitoring, set the 'Enabled' value to 0. Your PC will probably be less stable, but if there are crashes you'll be able to spot the program responsible – FTH won't be masking things.

Experimentation is key here – you need to change the FTH monitoring algorithm to suit your needs and computing style. Drop the 'CrashVelocity' value from 3 to 2, for instance, and increase 'CrashWindowsInMinutes' from 60 to 120. FTH will now intervene if an application crashes twice in two hours, rather than three times in one hour. This will make it more likely to detect and fix problems.

The system does have its limits. If the crash isn't heap-related it'll do nothing, but there's no harm in trying and tweaking further. Find out more about FTH by visiting Microsoft's Ask The Performance Team blog.

Windows 7 has many other weapons in its fault-finding arsenal. Chief among these are the management and monitoring tools. These do a great job of monitoring your PC's boot and shutdown processes, and will alert you to any programs that are slowing things down.

Launch the Event Viewer (eventvwr.exe) and browse to Applications and Services Logs\ Microsoft\Windows\Diagnostics – Performance\Operational to take a look. Scroll down the list and you'll see many services, programs and processes that are listed as compromising your computer's performance. Many of these will be essential drivers or Windows components, but if a program you've installed seems to be causing regular system slowdowns, consider uninstalling or updating it.
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If you want a more in-depth look at how your PC is being used, the upgraded Windows 7 Resource Monitor is a useful tool. To access, it, click 'Start', type resmon.exe and press [Enter]. You'll find tabs that detail your running processes and their use of CPU, RAM, hard drive and network bandwidth.

Do you want to know which programs are accessing the internet? Click 'Network | TCP Connections' to view them all. Is your hard drive thrashing for no apparent reason? Click 'Disk | Disk Activity' to spot the culprit.

Perhaps a file is locked, making it impossible to move or delete. If this happens, you'll need to know which program is to blame. Click 'CPU | Associated Handles', type the file name in the Search box and press [Enter]. The more you use Resource Monitor, the more you'll grow to love it. It gives you a great handle on what's happening under the hood and is an indispensable tool.

Monitor calibration

1. Launch the wizard
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If you use your monitor's default settings, there's no way to be sure it's displaying images accurately. Your photos may look great to you, but appear washed out or with poor colour balance to everyone else. The solution?

Calibrate your display. Use any software that came with your monitor first, otherwise launch the Windows Display Calibration Wizard, either from Control Panel or directly (it's dccw.exe).

2. Gamma
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The program is a straightforward wizard, albeit in the slightly odd Windows Vista/7 style (the 'Back' button is top-left on the screen, making it easy to miss). Read the instructions and keep clicking 'Next' until you reach an explanation of the first test: the gamma check.

You need to use the slider on the next page to minimise the visibility of the dots in the centre of each circle. Click 'Next' to give this a try.

3. Brightness
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The next test is for brightness. You'll need to access and tweak the brightness control on your monitor so that you can distinguish the man's black shirt from his black jacket, while keeping the 'X' in the background at a point where it's only just visible – it shouldn't stand out, as it does here in the right-hand 'too bright' picture. Click Next and adjust your brightness, clicking 'Back' to remind yourself of the sample images.

4. Compare and contrast
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Click 'Next' and you'll be presented with the contrast test. Turn your monitor's brightness setting up so that the two colours in the background are a bright white and deep black (neither should be tending towards grey). Go too far, however, and the creases in the man's shirt begin to disappear. You need to turn the contrast up as far as you can, but stop just before the point where you start to lose detail.

5. Colour balance
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The colour balance test follows. Click 'Next' after this explanatory screen and you'll see a range of grey bars – or at least that's the idea. If your colour balance is incorrect then you may see a slight colour tint to the greys, which will also influence colour images. Use your monitor's colour balance controls to correct this. Click 'Next', and if you're happy with what you've done, click 'Finish' to recalibrate your display.

6. Tune your text
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Windows 7 now displays the ClearType Text Tuner, which checks that your PC is displaying text as clearly as it can. A range of text samples is displayed and you need to click the ones that look best. Windows should now display images and text accurately and clearly. Bear in mind that this calibration is affected by variables such as room lighting, and you should calibrate the monitor again if there are any dramatic changes.
The Windows 7 incarnation of Media Center is streets ahead of its Vista cousin. The interface has been tweaked to make navigation easier, and there's a Media Center Gadget for simpler control. But the more time you spend in Media Centre, the more you become aware that it's good, but not perfect.

However, with a little power user trickery you can make it a whole lot better. TunerSalad, removes the four-tuner limit. It does this by modifying system files, so although it's well-regarded, you should always save any work and back up your PC before you start.

If you don't have a TV tuner, Media Center won't show you much. Install TunerFree MCE for instant access to live TV. You can stream content from BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4 on Demand and Demand Five at 720p resolution, as well as BBC Radio and BBC HD. Media Center may provide higher image quality than you get on your TV.

Configure your Windows PC as a media server

1. Getting started
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You've probably built up a sizeable collection of multimedia files, so why limit them to your PC? Apply a few tweaks and you'll be able to access them from anything connected to your network. However, this will only work if your PC currently accesses your network using the Home or Work Network type. Right-click the network icon in your system tray and select 'Open Network' and 'Sharing Center' to take a look.

2. Sharing the right way
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If your main network is labelled 'Public network', but it's only used to connect trusted PCs in your home, click the 'Public network' link and choose 'Home or Work network' instead. Make the same check on any other Windows 7 PCs on your network. This will provide access to shared Media Player music libraries. Open Media Player on one of the network PCs and it will discover the tracks on your main computer.

3. Tuned sharing
http://cdn1.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20301/PCP301.feat1.mediawalk3-580-90.jpg
To share all your media across the network, launch Media Player and click the 'Stream' button. Then click 'Automatically allow devices to play all my media' to enable full-scale media sharing. If that's not appropriate, you can click 'Stream | More Streaming Options' and decide which devices can access your media files. Remember, this is for secure networks only – don't turn it on unless you trust every system.

4. Make it available
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http://cdn2.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20301/PCP301.feat1.mediawalk4b-580-90.jpg
Click 'Stream | Allow remote control of my player | Allow remote control on this network'. If you have any other Windows 7 PCs in your network, repeat this and the previous step on each of them. (They must be in a HomeGroup, too.) Now right-click a song, video, picture or other media, choose 'Play To' and you'll be able to send it to another PC, a DLNA-certified device, or a media extender such as the Xbox 360.

5. Playlists
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Windows Media Player will display a 'Play To' window that enables you to add other media, then push it directly to your chosen PC or device. That's good, but there's a better way to share a playlist. Windows Media Player now enables you to share your media collection online, making it accessible from almost anywhere. Click 'Stream | Allow internet access to home media' to start setting this up.

6. Remote access
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You can also access your media from a PC not on your network. To do so, click 'Link an Online ID | Link Online ID' and sign in with your Windows Live ID account. Then select 'Allow Internet Access to Home Media'. Remember, business networks may block the necessary ports, or you might have to configure your router manually. See Microsoft's guide (www. ????????bpcMuP) for details on how to do this.

Handy Windows 7 shortcuts

Many of Windows 7's features appear straightforward, yet have considerable hidden depths.

The Taskbar, for instance, is far more powerful than many people realise, and mastering its secrets can make a real difference to your PC. Taskbar icons can launch more than applications. They can also represent folders, drives – anything that you can place in a shortcut.

To try this, create a text file on your desktop, rename it to example.exe, then drag and drop it onto your Taskbar and delete the original file. Right-click the shortcut, right-click its file name and select 'Properties'. Change the 'Target' and 'Start In' boxes to point at the drive or folder of your choice, and click 'Change Icon' to choose an appropriate icon. Click 'OK', and that's it – the drive or folder you've specified is now accessible with a single click.
http://cdn3.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20301/PCP301.feat1.clickdrag-580-90.jpg
f you prefer keyboard shortcuts, hold down the [Windows] key and press 1 to launch the first Taskbar icon, 2 the second and so on, up to 0 for the 10th. Alternatively, press [Windows] + [T] to move the focus to the Taskbar, then use the left and right arrows to select an icon and press [Enter] to launch it.

Once an application is running, hold [Shift] and click or middle-click its Taskbar button to launch another instance. Holding down [Ctrl] while you click on a Taskbar button cycles through all instances of that application (an app-specific, faster version of [Alt] + [Tab]).
http://cdn1.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20301/PCP301.feat1.taskbarposition-580-90.jpg
If this becomes too chaotic, you can hover your cursor over a Taskbar button, then middle-click an Aero thumbnail to close that application.

Libraries

If your hard drive is untidy, try Libraries – another underused feature. Libraries aggregate the contents of several folders and list them in a single view. This enables you to collect related documents, wherever they're stored on your hard drive. Best of all, it lets you search only those folders, so you'll always get results quickly.

To begin your exploration, Click 'Start', type Libraries and click the 'Libraries' link, then double-click the 'Documents' Library. Initially the Library says it includes 'Two locations', but click that link, then 'Add' and you can include any other folders that you like. These stay in the same disk location – the only change is that the contents will be visible in the Documents library.

To create custom locations, right-click in the Libraries folder, select 'New | Library', and add a library for your projects. Next, add folders from across your PC to bring all your work files together.

Libraries take a little getting used to, but when you understand their benefits you'll wonder how you ever lived without them.

22 common Windows 7 problems solved





2. DVD drive not found

In some cases your DVD drive may not be found by Windows 7, even if it's visible in the BIOS and using the standard driver.

The standard solution here is to run REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}, then delete both UpperFilters and LowerFilters in the right-hand pane (UpperFilters.bak and LowerFilters.bak entries can be ignored).

No change? Resetting the drive letter has worked for some. Click Start, type Disk Management and choose the "Create and format hard disk partitions" link. If your optical drive is visible here then right-click it, select Change Drive Letter and Paths, click Change and choose a new letter. If the drive is now visible in Explorer, then repeat the process to change the drive letter back; if it's still not visible, reboot and it should appear.




TS, wala pong UpperFilters and LowerFilters nakita ko dun eh. tsk2.

Tsk. pero nagawa ko na po yung Disk Management.
Reboot.
Then, wala pa rin. :noidea:

pa help po :praise:

stay tune ako kay ts para may matutunan pang iba ahaha

salamat!!

TS, wala pong UpperFilters and LowerFilters nakita ko dun eh. tsk2.

Tsk. pero nagawa ko na po yung Disk Management.
Reboot.
Then, wala pa rin. :noidea:

pa help po :praise:

pag ayaw parin ito na ang gawin mo.

No change? Resetting the drive letter has worked for some. Click Start, type Disk Management and choose the "Create and format hard disk partitions" link. If your optical drive is visible here then right-click it, select Change Drive Letter and Paths, click Change and choose a new letter. If the drive is now visible in Explorer, then repeat the process to change the drive letter back; if it's still not visible, reboot and it should appear.

thanks po TS

pag ayaw parin ito na ang gawin mo.


ah. okay po :yipee:

gumagana na po sya :salute:

Thanks rin po sa info.. :thumbsup:

pa bookmark :D

Pwede po ba magtanong kung may iibahin po bang configuration para sa mabagal mag-read na HD.
Kasi po kada bukas ko nang isang folder sa Drive C or D, nagloload pa siya nang ilang segundo, minsan umaabot ng minuto, tapos ang bagal lumabas ng files. Paisa isa pa minsan yung pagpapakita ng folders and files.
Sa HD na kaya yun? or sa OS?

Pwede po ba magtanong kung may iibahin po bang configuration para sa mabagal mag-read na HD.
Kasi po kada bukas ko nang isang folder sa Drive C or D, nagloload pa siya nang ilang segundo, minsan umaabot ng minuto, tapos ang bagal lumabas ng files. Paisa isa pa minsan yung pagpapakita ng folders and files.
Sa HD na kaya yun? or sa OS?

sir sa HD mo yan, wala yan sa OS mo, gumamit ka ng mga cleaning tools para mawala ang mga errors ng HD, mas maganda rin kong mag disk check ka, nakaka bawas ng log po yun sa pc mo, ugaliin mo na tuwing ma aabotan ang pc mo ng block out, pag pag meron ng power disk check agad para di bumagal ang performance ng pc mo, ganyan ang ginagawa ko sa lappy ko.

pasubok po nito TS...:clap:..UP UP UP UP

pa subscribed muna..
helpful ito

pa marka po.

Set a Video as Your Desktop Wallpaper with VLC

Are you tired of static desktop wallpapers and want something a bit more entertaining? Today we’ll take a look at setting a video as wallpaper in VLC media player.

Download and install VLC player. You’ll find the download link below. Open VLC and select Tools > Preferences.

http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot237.png

On the Preferences windows, select the Video button on the left.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot614.png

Under Video Settings, select DirectX video output from the Output dropdown list.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot715.png

Click Save before exiting and then restart VLC.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot817.png

Next, select a video and begin playing it with VLC. Right-click on the screen, select Video, then DirectX Wallpaper.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot21copy.png

You can achieve the same result by selecting Video from the Menu and clicking DirectX Wallpaper.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot19copy.png

If you’re using Windows Aero Themes, you may get the warning message below and your theme will switch automatically to a basic theme.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot1711.png

After the Wallpaper is enabled, minimize VLC player and enjoy the show as you work
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When you are ready to switch back to your normal wallpaper, click Video, and then close out of VLC.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot24copy.png

Occasionally we had to manually change our wallpaper back to normal. You can do that by right clicking on the desktop and selecting your theme.
http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sshot1612.png

Conclusion

This might not make the most productive desktop environment, but it is pretty cool. It’s definitely not the same old boring wallpaper!

Download VLC (http://www.videolan.org/)
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Opera Browser Performance Tweaks - Improve Page Load Times

The already fast Opera browser got even speedier with the release of its 10.60 Beta version (http://www.opera.com/browser/next/). But as always, there's room for improvement. You can further improve (significantly) its page load times by doing the following:

1. Type opera:config in the address bar

2. Click "Performance", configure the following settings then save:
Max Connections Server = 32
No Connection Keepalive (checked)
Non-Compliant Server 100 Continue (checked)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IC1JplshPOs/TB7QqD4yFgI/AAAAAAAAALI/5QgRXzcT7lQ/s400/opera-performance.jpg

3. Click "Extensions", check "Delayed Script Execution" then save
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IC1JplshPOs/TB7S0VgauRI/AAAAAAAAALM/sK-uBnjfs60/s400/opera-extensions.png

4. Restart Opera
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Use the "Windows" Key to Launch the Main Menu in Ubuntu

If you're a Windows user and new to Ubuntu, you may prefer to have the "Windows" key (the key with a Windows logo) launch the main menu. To do this, you need to run the Gnome Configuration Editor:

1. Press ALT+F2 and type: gconf-editor in the dialog box, then press ENTER;

2. On the left pane, go to Apps-->metacity-->global_keybindings;

3. On the right pane, double-click the panel_main_menu, change the value to: Super_L then click "OK".

That's it. Now everytime you press the "Windows" key, the main menu will pop up.
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How to Fix an Ubuntu Error: "No init found. Try passing init= bootarg"

This morning, a friend came to me with his laptop that won't boot. At every boot attempt, his Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx system outputs the following error messages:

mount: mounting /dev/disk/by-uuid/***************************** on /root
failed: Invalid argument
mount: mounting /sys on /root/sys failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting /dev on /root/dev failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting /sys on /root/sys failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting /proc on /root/proc failed: No such file or directory
Target file system doesn't have /sbin/init
No init found. Try passing init= bootarg

Busybox v1.13.3 (Ubuntu 1:1.13.3-1ubuntu7) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands
(initramfs) _

Booting into "Recovery Mode" as well as choosing the other kernels listed in grub didn't help at all.


Solution:

1. Boot from the Ubuntu Live CD;

2. Open/Run Terminal;

3. Type: sudo fdisk -l (to get the device name) then press ENTER;

Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: **********

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 30238 242886703+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 30239 30401 1309297+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 30239 30401 1309266 82 Linux swap / Solaris

The device name for my friend's system based on the above: /dev/sda1

4. Type: sudo fsck /dev/sda1 then press ENTER;

5. Restart the system and boot normally.


* The laptop booted normally after the fix.
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Hard Drive not Recognized/ Found/ Detected/ Accessible


If you install a new hard drive and install an Operating System on it and it suddenly acts like it is not there, it may be a loose connection.

If a bootable CD, such a s Knoppix, is not able to read your hard drive, it can have several causes. The list of possibilities below can also be used for troubleshooting hard drives, floppy drives, and CD/DVD drives.


CAUTION: Make sure the power is off and that the PC is disconnected from power. Also be sure to avoid static electricity, or you will need a new PC. Do not force any thing. All parts should easily fit together if they are properly aligned. Sometimes you may have to push or pull harder than you think. Just be careful to make sure any levers or buttons that hold it in place are not overlooked.

* Least likely is that a new hard drive has failed. Try the other options before assuming it is the new hard drive. If all of the below do not work, and it is a new hard drive, contact the manufacturer. New hard drives should include very good instructions for installation and troubleshooting. When in doubt read the instructions.

* Open the case and make sure that all the connections are correct.

* Unplug the power supply connection, make sure there are no bent pins, and plug it in securely.

* Repeat the procedure with the connection to the motherboard, make sure no pins are bent.

* If you have multiple drives, try hooking up just one drive to make sure you can read it.

* Make sure that the power supply, and other components are working correctly. It is possible that another component of the PC has failed.

* If you have another PC available, try connecting it to the other PC. This could point to failure of the power and/or motherboard cables in the original PC.

* If none of the above works, call in professional help. You can also beg a friend or family member to help. If you cannot pay a friend or family member, a good meal, is a nice way to get them to rescue you again.

windows xp
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How to Increase Broadband Connection Speed in Windows XP/Vista


This trick requires Standard Network Interface cards (NIC) that are connected to ADSL modems, or when using any directly-connected USB ADSL modem.

To speed up the Internet connection speed we need to configure a special buffer in the computer's memory in order to enable it to better deal with interrupts made from the NIC or the USB modem.

This tip is only recommended if you have 256MB RAM or higher.


Step 1 - Identify the IRQ used by the NIC/USB modem

Follow these steps:

1. Open the System Information tool by running MSINFO32.EXE from the Run command.

2. Expand System Summary > Hardware Resources > IRQs.

3. Look for the listing made for your NIC (in my case - a Intel® PRO/100+ Management Adapter). Note the IRQ next to the specified line (in my case - IRQ21).


In case of USB modems you will first need to find the right USB device used by your modem. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Device Manager tool by running DEVMGMT.MSC from the Run command (or by right-clicking My Computer > Hardware tab > Device Manager button).

2. Scroll down to Universal Serial Bus controllers and expand it.

3. Right-click the USB Root Hub and select Properties. Note that you might need to do so for all listed USB Root hubs (if there are more than one) in order to find the right one.

4. In the Power tab, look for your USB ADSL modem.

5. In the Resources tab look for the assigned IRQ (in this case - IRQ21).

6. This is the IRQ we're looking for.


Lamer note: IRQs and modem names might vary...


Step 2 - Modify the system.ini file

Follow these steps:

1. Run SYSEDIT.EXE from the Run command.

2. Expand the system.ini file window.

3. Scroll down almost to the end of the file till you find a line called [386enh].

4. Press Enter to make one blank line, and in that line type IrqX=4096 where X is the designated IRQ number we found in step #1, in my case it's IRQ21.

Note: This line IS CASE SENSITIVE!!!

5. Click on the File menu, then choose Save.

6. Close SYSEDIT and reboot your computer.


You are done. Speed improvement will be noticed after the computer reboots. The most speed improvement is visible with USB.


::General Tips::

1. If your connection speed is slow then don’t use downloads, e-mail, chat, and audio or video streaming simultaneously. Use one or two service at a time.

2. Upgrade your connection speed.

3. Connect to the internet through an Ethernet port.

4. Increase your RAM.

5. Use fast browsers (e.g. Mozilla Firefox).
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Use Computer Monitor as TV | PC Monitor as Television


Following information will help you to use Computer Monitor as TV:

Cable

First of all, you need cable box with DVI or HDMI output. If you have a cable box with an HDMI output you will need an HDMI to DVI Cable (If your monitor has HDMI input you don't need it, but most do not have that facility). Next you need speakers that accept RCA audio cables (or digital, whatever kind of sound cable your cable box supports).


Monitor
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2U2Sk-qcX28/SdMIsu4vHrI/AAAAAAAAAF8/sA9Qr5OgYyU/s320/computer-monitor-as-tv.jpg

Monitor should be HDCP Compliant (High Definition Content Protection, think TV DRM). Next, it must have a DVI or HDMI input. Also, make sure that it can display at Least 720p.(Use this image as reference).

Doing Set Up

The basic set up is as follows:
One of the cable from cable box will be connected to sound box of your system and other cable (DVI or HDMI) to the monitor.


After Set Up

After setup, if you don't see any picture on your display, your cable box is probably trying to display a resolution which your monitor can not display. Find out how to enter HD setup mode, or change the maximum resolution (Get help of information manual). After you find the instructions, follow them to change the maximum resolution to the resolution of your monitor (most likely 720p). Also, if the cable box says your monitor is not HDCP compliant, either you bought the wrong kind of monitor, or it is like my setup which flashes that message everytime I turn on the monitor, but only for half a second or so.
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thanks po dito.......:praise:

:thanks: TS.. Very informative..

Sticky na dapat to..:D

thanks...nadagdagan ang knowledge ko..hehe..hintay ulit aq s mga bago mong update n knowledge..tnx

pa BM muna ts

maraming salamat sa pagshare tol. galing mo.:clap:

salamat dito ts!

subscribe po

very useful tricks

:thanks::happy::happy::happy::happy:

bos galing nito, salamat marami ako matututonan sau, pa update nman po ng SS please

tambay muna ako ditots

yung vlc wallpaper, pag ka cnlose mo na yung player mawawala nadin directx wallpaper, ang gusto ko kase nakaloop lang yung video, any possible way?

Thanks for sharing TS.... :)

salamat ts very informative

maraming salamat deathnote99. very nice thread. keep it up.:clap:

BM i can use this in the future thanks for all the info. here:thumbsup:

maraming salamat sir, keep it up. :dance:

pa bm sir. :thanks:

maraming salamat sir:yipee: