Windows - Useful Tips

Disable The Send Error Report, to Microsoft

To disable the stupid feature in WinXP which
tries to send a report to microsoft every time
a program crashes, you will have to do this:



Open Control Panel

Click on System.
Click on Performance and Maintenance.
Then click on the Advanced tab
Click on the error reporting button on
the bottom of the windows.
Select Disable error reporting.
Click OK
Click OK

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How to Disable or enable autoplay.


Type in run "gpedit.msc"(without "")-> computer
configuration->Administrative Template->SYstem-
Yurn autoplay on/off

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Creating a Keyboard Shortcut

1. Right-click a shortcut on the desktop or in the start menu, and then click Properties .


2. On the Shortcut tab, click in the Shortcut Key box.


3. Press the key you want to use. Windows will add Ctrl+Alt to it. So if you choose U the combination will be Ctrl+Alt+U.
You can also choose one of the function keys you don't use otherwise, F7 as example. Just one button to click then.


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Faster Application Access

Have you ever wanted to have your program shortcuts withing a clicks reach without crowding the desktop? And do you have to many apps to pin them all to the start menu? If so, then this might be a solution for you aswell.

1) Create a new folder anywhere you like and name it "Progz", "Gamez" or "Music" according to your will and pleasure.

2) Place shortcuts of the stuff you need into this folder.

3) Right-click on the windows tastbar and select "toolbars" and "New toolbar". Then you simply refer to your "Progz" folder.

And there you have it... all your applications within a clicks reach.... and a clean desktop aswell. I have my menues minimized, so I only see the names of the categories or folders, and then locked the taskbar, making room for the active applications to be shown.

Adding new items to the toolbar is done simply by copying or creating shortcuts into the original folder, then your menu updates itself.

This can also be a good way of organizing applications into different categories... you just make seperate toolbars.
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Correcting System Hang at Startup

If your system hangs about 2 or 3 minutes at startup, where you can't access the Start button or the Taskbar, it may be due to one specific service (Background Intelligent Transfer) running in the background. Microsoft put out a patch for this but it didn't work for me. Here's what you do:

1. Click on Start/Run, type 'msconfig', then click 'OK'.
2. Go to the 'Services' tab, find the 'Background Intelligent Transfer' service, disable it, apply the changes & reboot.



This problem with the Background Intelligent Transfer Service should have been corrected in Windows update Q 314862, part of Service Pack 1.

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A to Z Useful Windows Run Commands


Do you use the Run feature in Windows XP?
For most, this feature remains unused (or rarely used). Why is that? Well, First off nearly all of the Run Commands Correspond to a particular Control Panel Item or a Utility, Tool or Task that can be accessed through Windows. There are, however, tools and utilities that I bet you never knew you had that can be accessed through the Run feature. The main reason most people don't use the Run feature is because they don't know the Commands. So, to solve that problem, I decided to put together the following listing, which lists A to Z Run Commands and what they correspond too...

Accessibility Controls - access.cpl
Add Hardware Wizard - hdwwiz.cpl
Add/Remove Programs - appwiz.cpl
Adobe Photoshop (if installed) - photoshop
Administrative Tools - control admintools
Automatic Updates - wuaucpl.cpl
Bluetooth Transfer Wizard - fsquirt
Calculator – calc
Certificate Manager - certmgr.msc
Character Map - charmap
Check Disk Utility - chkdsk
Clipboard Viewer - clipbrd
Command Prompt - cmd
Component Services - dcomcnfg
Computer Management - compmgmt.msc
Date and Time Properties - timedate.cpl
DDE Shares - ddeshare
Device Manager - devmgmt.msc
Direct X Control Panel (If Installed)* - directx.cpl
Direct X Troubleshooter - dxdiag
Disk Cleanup Utility - cleanmgr
Disk Defragment - dfrg.msc
Disk Management - diskmgmt.msc
Disk Partition Manager - diskpart
Display Properties - control desktop
Display Properties - desk.cpl
Display Properties (w/Appearance Tab Preselected) - control color
Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility - drwtsn32
Driver Verifier Utility - verifier
Event Viewer - eventvwr.msc
File Signature Verification Tool - sigverif
Findfast - findfast.cpl
Folders Properties - control folders
Fonts - control fonts
Fonts Folder - fonts
Free Cell Card Game - freecell
Game Controllers - joy.cpl
Group Policy Editor (XP Prof) - gpedit.msc
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General Tips:

* Always wipe the CD from the center outward with stratight spoke- like strokes. Wiping CDs in circles will create more scratches.

* Do not scratch the graphics layer as you cannot repair the disc.
HINT: Hold the disc up to a light with the graphics layer facing the
light source. If you can see light thru the scratches at any point
then the disc may be irreparable and or exhibit loading or playing
errors.

* Clean your Disc players lens regularly with a suitable product to ensure optimal viewing pleasure.

* Make sure to use a soft, lint-free cloth to clean both sides of the disc. Wipe in a straight line from the centre of the disc to the outer edge.

* If wiping with a cloth does not remove a fingerprint or smudge, use a specialized DVD disc polishing spray to clean the disc.

* Only handle the disc by its outer edge and the empty hole in the middle. This will help prevent fingerprints, smudges or scratches.


Statistics:

*Fingermarks/prints cause 43% of disc problems!
* General wear & tear causes 25% of disc problems!
* Player-related issues cause 15% of disc problems!
* User-related issues cause 12% of disc problems!
* PlayStation 2 machine scratches cause 3% of disc problems!
* Laser rot (a manufacturer error) causes 2% of disc problems!


another way of recovering data from scrached cd is to use a chemical called (isopropile) a chemical usualy used from cleaning circuit boards.

rub a piece of cloth weted with isoprpile in anticlock wise way.soon you yourself find your cd's sparkling.

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slow System start up

my task bar doesnt get ready at once on start up ,it takes few minutes for notifications {icons in task bar at right side}.
please give me some soln. fast . May 11 (21 hours ago) Vivek
I think u should disable startup. Goto run>type msconfig and goto startup and then uncheck some programs..U can alsocustomize ur notification by right-clicking taskbar(right side). May 11 (20 hours ago) 9-zone
try ccleaner and disable unnessary start up entries

also clean ur system wid it

and following registry hack helps u to increase start up speed:

Click on the start button then press R it will take u to Run well go to run
n type Regedit
press enter
this will open Registery Editor
now look for the key

HKEY_LOACAL_MECHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contr ol\ContentIndex

now there find the Key Called
"Startup Delay"
Double Click On It
Now where its Base
Click Decimal
Now its Default Value Is 4800000
Change The Value To 40000
here u go u have done it
now close the Registery Editor and Restart Your Computer
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Speed up your browsing of Windows 2000 & XP machines

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

Open up the Registry and go to :

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

Under that branch, select the key :

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

and delete it.

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

This fix is so effective that it doesn't require a reboot and you can almost immediately determine yourself how much it speeds up your browsing processes.
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Search For Hidden Or System Files In Windows XP

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

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

To search for hidden or system files in Windows XP:

Click Start, click Search, click All files and folders, and then click More advanced options.

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

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

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Amazing thing but true , Notepad knew about 9/11/2001 !

The flight number which hit the WORLD TRADE CENTRE in New York was Q33N !

See it yourself :
1. Open Notepad
2. Type : Q33N
3. Now, go to Format menu
4. Choose Font.
5. Now, change the size to '72'
6. Now, change the font to 'Wingdings'
7. See what is displayed !

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Read More

Problems & Solutions In Windows XP

50 Problems & Solutions In Windows XP

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Clear Up A Gamut Of Issues With Ease

Desktop, Taskbar &Start Menu Problems 1. Problem: Your Taskbar moves or changes when you're away from your PC. Solution: Lock your Taskbar. If your computer is accessible to others—to children, especially—your Taskbar and Taskbar icons can turn up in all kinds of places. Next time you clean up such a mess, prevent it from happening again by locking the Taskbar: Just right-click any blank area of the Taskbar and choose Lock The Taskbar. 2. Problem: You want to use your own picture as your Desktop background. Solution: No problem. Right-click any blank area of the Desktop and choose Properties. Click the Desktop tab, click the Browse button, find the picture you want to use, and choose Open. From the Position drop-down menu, choose Stretch, Center, or Tile; then click OK. 3. Problem: You'd like to temporarily clear your Desktop. Solution: Hide the icons. Right-click the Desktop and choose Arrange Icons By; then click Show Desktop Icons to uncheck that option. In a moment or two, your Desktop icons should disappear. 4. Problem: You want to access the Desktop without minimizing all your open windows and get back to your windows without restoring them one at a time. Solution: Press or click the Desktop toggle. Press the Windows-D keys and Windows whisks you directly to your Desktop, minimizing any open windows in the process; press the key combo again, and it restores your windows to their previous state. If you'd rather not use the keyboard, you can get the exact same result by clicking the Show Desktop icon, displayed on the Taskbar's Quick Launch toolbar. If you can't see the Show Desktop icon, it's most likely because your Quick Launch toolbar is not displayed; to display it, right-click the Taskbar and click Toolbars, then Quick Launch. 5. Problem: When your Taskbar gets crowded, Windows XP groups similar documents into single buttons, which means you have to do more clicking to find a document. Solution: Turn off grouping. Taskbar grouping is designed to let Windows fit more open windows buttons on the Taskbar without squeezing the buttons so small that you can't read their contents. But if grouping bugs you, get rid of it: Right-click any blank space on the Taskbar, choose Properties, uncheck Group Similar Taskbar Buttons, and click OK. 6. Problem: Whenever you use a program, Windows adds it to the Start menu, which you'd prefer contained the programs you use most often and no others. Solution: Take charge of the Start menu yourself. Instead of letting Windows determine the contents of the Start menu based on the programs you used most recently, you can control the contents yourself as follows. First, stop Windows from adding recently used programs to the menu: Right-click Start, choose Properties, click Customize, set Number Of Programs On Start Menu to 0, and click OK. Next, set certain programs to always appear on the Start menu: Click Start, click All Programs, navigate to the icon that starts the program in question, right-click it, and choose Pin To Start Menu. Repeat for any other program you want to always appear on the Start menu. 7. Problem: On your Start menu, some of your programs are in alphabetical order and others aren't. Solution: Re-sort the menu. When you install new programs, WinXP tacks them to the end of your All Programs menu, rather than inserting them in the correct alphabetical order. So every so often you have to re-sort it yourself: Click Start, choose All Programs, right-click anywhere on the menu, and choose Sort By Name. Note that the sort order is folders first, programs second—so new programs that don't create their own folders on your system will still appear at the end of the menu. Monitor/Screen Display Problems 8. Problem: You can't see enough on your screen without scrolling left or down. Solution: Increase your screen resolution. Right-click any blank area of the Windows Desktop and choose Properties from the shortcut menu; this displays the Display Properties dialog box. Click the Settings tab, and under Screen Resolution, move the slider to the right. Click Apply. You'll see more on your screen; you'll also notice that the screen display elements—menus, icons, toolbars—are smaller. Click OK to finalize the change. 9. Problem: Larger fonts look nice and smooth, but smaller ones look jagged. Solution: Use ClearType. ClearType smooths the edges of all fonts on-screen, including those in your program menus and display elements, making your entire Windows display easier to read. To turn it on, right-click any blank area of the Desktop and choose Properties from the shortcut menu. Click the Appearance tab and click the Effects button; under Use The Following Method To Smooth The Edges Of Screen Fonts, choose ClearType. Click OK, then Apply, and in a second or two, you'll see the effect of the change within the dialog box itself. Then click OK. 10. Problem: Your game or application asks you to switch to 256 colors, but you can't find the option in Windows' Display settings. Solution: Try an unsupported setting. WinXP doesn't officially support 256-color mode but lets you use it at your own risk. Right-click any blank area of the Desktop and choose Properties from the context menu. Click the Settings tab, click the Advanced button, click the Adapter tab, and then click the List All Modes button. From the list that appears, choose a color depth (and corresponding resolution and refresh rate), and click OK three times to make the change. (Note that you may be asked to restart Windows.) 11. Problem: Your Windows display does not fill your notebook or flat-panel screen. Solution: Choose a resolution with the proper aspect ratio. A screen's aspect ratio is the ratio of its width to its height. If an 800 x 600 resolution display fills your entire screen, your screen has a 1.33:1 (4:3) aspect ratio—as is the case with most LCDs (liquid-crystal displays). If you set your display for a resolution with a different aspect ratio—such as 1,280 x 1,024, a 1.25:1 aspect ratio—the display will not fill the entire screen. Right-click any blank area of the Desktop and choose Properties from the context menu. Click the Settings tab and under Screen Resolution choose a setting with the appropriate aspect ratio (popular 1.3:1 ratio resolutions include 800 x 600, 1,024 x 768, and 1,400 x 1,050). Click OK, and your display should fill the screen. 12. Problem: Your Windows display extends beyond the edges of your notebook or flat-panel screen, requiring you to scroll. Solution: Choose a resolution that doesn't exceed your monitor's maximum screen resolution. Even if your resolution matches your display's aspect ratio, it may exceed your display's maximum resolution. To find your monitor's maximum resolution, check the documentation or manuals that came with the monitor or notebook. Then, right-click any blank area of the Desktop, choose Properties, click the Settings tab, and under Screen Resolution, choose a resolution less than or equal to the maximum. Click OK. 13. Problem: When you move your Taskbar from the bottom of the screen to a side, a black space appears at the bottom of the screen. Solution: Refresh the display. Click any blank area of the Desktop and press the F5 (Refresh) key. Windows quickly redraws the display and solves the problem. Use this technique any time a portion of the display seems to disappear. Application & System Performance Problems 14. Problem: Windows starts too slowly. Solution: Don't shut it down. If your computer is equipped with automatic power management (and most newer computers are), you can put it on standby rather than shutting it down. On standby, your computer uses much less power than when it's turned on and only slightly more power than when it's turned off; most important, you can turn it back on in seconds. To put the computer on standby, save all your work. (Standby will not protect unsaved information in the event of a power outage.) Then click Start, choose Turn Off Computer, and click Standby. To turn the computer back on again, simply press your computer's power button. 15. Problem: You want to start an application via the keyboard, rather than with the mouse. Solution: Assign a keyboard shortcut to the application. On the Desktop, Taskbar, or Start menu, find the icon used to start the application, right-click it, and choose Properties. Click the Shortcut tab and place your cursor in the Shortcut Key box; then press the keystroke combination you want to use to start the program—a letter, number, or symbol plus any two of the CTRL, ALT, or SHIFT keys. (Try not to choose a commonly used shortcut from one of your most-used applications; the Windows shortcut will not work when that application is active.) Click OK. 16. Problem: An application crashes once or twice, then won't restart. Solution: Check to make sure it's not still running. When you can't restart an application after it crashes, it's often because the application is still running (even though it crashed). Press CTRL-ALT-DELETE to display the Task Man- ager. In the Processes Tab, look for the program you're trying to start. If it's listed once or more, right-click each listing and choose End Process. Once you eliminate all of the listings, you should be able to restart the application. 17. Problem: You run out of memory, even though you don't have that many programs open. Solution: Keep Windows from loading programs you don't need at startup. Click Start, choose Run, type msconfig, and click OK. This starts the System Configuration Utility. Click the Startup tab to display a list of the programs your system currently loads at startup and uncheck any you don't need. If the name in the Startup Item column is cryptic, try to get an idea of the software or hardware with which it is associated from the corresponding Command and Location fields. (Note to Microsoft Office users: You don't really need the Microsoft Office startup item.) When you're finished, click OK and restart your computer. A dialog box may appear telling you that because of the changes you made, Windows needs to start the System Configuration Utility; check Don't Show This Message . . . to keep this from happening and prevent this message from appearing again. 18. Problem: When you try to defragment your hard drive, the process keeps restarting. Solution: Shut down programs that access your hard drive. When a program accesses the hard drive, it changes the arrangement of data on the drive and forces the defragmenter to start over. So before you defragment, close any programs you know are open. Then press CTRL-ALT-DELETE to display the Windows Task Manager, click the Applications tab, and right-click each task and choose End Task to shut it down. Close the Task Manager and start the defrag. Printer & Peripheral Problems 19. Problem: You want to uninstall a device without disconnecting it from your computer. Solution: Disable the device. Suppose a hardware device, such as a second hard drive or a DVD drive, is giving your trouble. Until you can fix it, you want to uninstall it, but physically uninstalling it is neither practical nor appealing. No problem: You can disable it, which stops it from functioning even as it remains physically connected to the computer. Right-click My Computer, choose Properties, click the Hardware tab, and then the Device Manager button. Click the plus sign (+) next to the appropriate device category; then right-click the device and choose Disable. Click OK. You can use the same steps to enable the device—without reinstalling it—whenever you're ready. 20. Problem: Graphic images print incompletely or poorly. Solution: Disable advanced printing features. If you're having trouble get- ting graphic images, particularly .WMF (Windows Metafile) or .EMF (Enhanced Metafile) images or drawings you've created with the drawing features in Microsoft Office applications, to print correctly, you can often fix the problem as follows: Click Start, choose Control Panel, and double-click the Printers And Faxes icon. Find the printer causing the problem, right-click it, and choose Properties; click the Advanced tab, uncheck Enable Advanced Printing Features, and click OK. Note, however, that turning Advanced Printing Features off may disable other features your printer supports, such as booklet printing or printing multiple pages per sheet. 21. Problem: Your printer keeps setting itself to be used offline and won't work until you undo this setting. Solution: Try disabling bi-directional support. Click Start, choose Control Panel, and double-click Printers And Faxes. Right-click the printer in question and choose Properties; click the Ports tab, uncheck Enable Bi-Directional Support, and click OK. Applications rarely use bi-directional support, so you shouldn't miss it. 22. Problem: You repeatedly make the same printer setting change every time you print a document because the change won't stick. Solution: Make the setting a default in the Control Panel's Printer folder. To make a permanent printer setting change, click Start, then Control Panel, and double-click the Printers And Faxes icon. Right-click the appropriate printer icon and choose Printing Preferences; the same dialog box you see when you choose an application's Print command appears. Make any settings changes you want to be defaults and click OK. 23. Problem: A printer gives you persistent trouble. Solution: Uninstall it and reinstall it using the latest driver. Although WinXP offers a wizard for troubleshooting your printer, in the vast majority of cases, the fastest and most effective way to correct a persistent printer problem is to reinstall it with the very latest driver from the manufacturer. Visit the printer manufacturer's Web site, download the latest driver for your printer, and print out the manufacturer's installation instructions. Next, physically disconnect the printer from your computer. Click Start, then Control Panel, and double-click Printers And Faxes; find the problem printer, select it, click Delete This Printer, and click Yes to confirm. Finally, follow the manufacturer's instructions to reinstall the printer. 24. Problem: Your screen saver keeps appearing when you play a game using a joystick instead of a mouse. Solution: Shut down your screen saver. Alas, WinXP's screen savers don't detect joystick movements. If you're going to play a game with a joystick, you'd best shut down your screen saver. Right-click any blank area of the Desktop and choose Properties. Click the Screen Saver tab, select (None) from the drop-down menu, and click OK. You can reactivate the screen saver after you finish your game. Internet & Web Problems 25. Problem: You surf to a site with small text and change Internet Explorer to use larger fonts; then you surf to another site with larger text and have to change IE to use smaller fonts, and so on. Is there an easier way? Solution: Change font sizes on the fly with your mouse wheel. Hold down the CTRL key and roll the wheel upward to display smaller fonts; hold down the CTRL key and roll the wheel downward to display larger fonts. Unfortunately, this does not work with other Web browsers. 26. Problem: You get too much un- wanted email or spam. Solution: Be stingy with your cookies. One excellent way to minimize spam is to be very selective about which first-party cookies you accept and to automatically reject all third-party cookies (those from companies that have advertising or marketing relationships with the sites you visit). Open IE, choose Tools, then Internet Options. Click the Privacy tab and click the Advanced button. Place a check mark in the box next to Override Automatic Cookie Handling. Under First-Party Cookies, click Prompt. Under Third-Party Cookies, click Block. Make sure Always Allow Session Cookies is unchecked. Then click OK twice to finalize the settings. Next time you surf to a site that wants to send you a cookie of its own, you'll see a Privacy Alert asking you if you want to accept it. Click Apply My Decision To All Cookies From This Web Site. If it's a site you trust, click Allow; otherwise, click Block. Click OK. This way you'll build a list of cookies you'll accept, and your browser will reject all others. Take these steps without changing your email address and you should see a lot less new spam; take them after you change your email address and you should see a dramatic reduction in all spam. 27. Problem: You get way too many pop-up ads while surfing. Solution: Surf with Mozilla. Although many antipop-up programs prevent most pop-up ads, Mozilla, a free browser that is also the basis of the Netscape browser, is the only program we've encountered that eliminates all pop-ups. Surf to http://www.mozilla.org and download and install the browser. Choose Edit, then Preferences. Under Category, click the arrowhead next to Privacy & Security and select Popup Windows; in the right pane under Popup Windows, check Block Unrequested Popup Windows. Then start surfing with Mozilla and enjoy a pop-up-free lifestyle. (Note that Mozilla may require you to reinstall certain plug-ins and may not be compatible with as many Web sites as IE or Netscape.) 28. Problem: You want a browser other than IE to appear on your Start menu. Solution: Make the change. If you start using another browser, you'll likely want it on your Start menu, where you can get at it right away. To put it there, right-click the Taskbar and choose Properties. Click the Start Menu tab, and next to Start Menu, click Customize (these instructions will not work for Classic Menu). In the General tab, under Show On Start Menu, select the browser from the Internet drop-down menu, and click OK, then OK again. Your new browser will appear on the Start menu. 29. Problem: You want to use a Bcc (blind carbon copy) field in an Outlook Express email message but can't find one. Solution: Display all mail headers. This is a simple one: In Outlook Express, click Create Mail; when the email form appears, choose View, then All Headers, and the Bcc field appears. It will appear in each new email message you create. (Use Outlook instead of Outlook Express? To add a Bcc field, open a new message form, click View, and click Bcc.) 30. Problem: You can't connect to the Internet via your high-speed (cable, DSL [Digital Subscriber Line], or LAN [local-area network]) connection. Solution: Let Windows fix the problem for you. Click Start, then Connect To. In the window that appears, under LAN or High-Speed Internet, find and select your Internet connection; in the right side of the window, click Repair This Connection and let Windows take care of the rest. 31. Problem: You frequently misplace files you download. Solution: Download to your Desktop. Lots of folks advocate creating a new folder specifically for downloads, but we think it makes more sense to simply download to your Desktop because it's really difficult to lose a file on your Desktop. An added bonus is tidiness: You're more likely to delete a downloaded ZIP or EXE file from your Desktop when you're through with it, whereas you might leave it in a folder indefinitely. 32. Problem: Many of the files you download are named setup.exe. How do you tell them apart or prevent them from overwriting each other? Solution: Rename as you download. Renaming the file won't change how it works. When IE's File Download dialog box appears, click Save; in the Save As dialog box, type a new name that will help you remember what the file is for. For instance, if you're downloading a disk defragmenter program, you might rename the file defragsetup.exe. Be sure to keep the .EXE extension. Click Save. 33. Problem: Even though you've set Windows to automatically enter your dial-up connection information, it displays the dial-up connection box every time you connect to the Internet. Solution: Put a lid on the connection box. Click Start, choose Control Panel, and double-click Network Connections. Find your dial-up connection, right-click it, and choose Properties. Click the Options tab, uncheck Prompt For Name And Password, Certificate, Etc. and Prompt For Phone Number and click OK. File & Folder Problems 34. Problem: Every time you delete a file, Windows asks you if you're sure you want to delete it. Solution: Turn off the Recycle Bin's Delete Confirmation feature. Because the Recycle Bin makes file deletion a pretty impermanent experience, WinXP's "Are You Sure?" message is a waste of time and mouse activity. To eliminate the message, right-click the Recycle Bin, choose Properties, click the Global tab, remove the check mark from the box next to Display Delete Confirmation Dialog, and click OK. 35. Problem: You miss Windows Explorer's handy folder-tree view in the left pane of your folder windows. Solution: Get it back with a click. In any folder window, click the Folders icon. WinXP replaces the options on the left side of the window with the familiar Explorer folder tree. 36. Problem: Sorting folders helps, but you still wish files were easier to find. Solution: Sort them into groups, too. The folder windows' Details view lets you sort files by date, name, or whatever other category makes them easier to find, but you can make finding files easier still by displaying them in groups based on your sort criteria. From the folder window menu, choose View, Arrange Icons By, and Show In Groups. If you've sorted the files by Date Modified, Windows groups them under Today, Yesterday, Last Week, etc.; if you've sorted by Name, it groups them by Other, A, B, C, and so on. Pretty handy. 37. Problem: How can you add other destinations to the Send To context menu? Solution: Add a shortcut to the Send To folder. You can put any folder, device (such as a printer), or application on the Send To context menu. First, click Start, then Run, type sendto, and press ENTER to open the Send To folder. Next, click Start and My Computer, and in this second window, navigate to the folder or item you want to add to the Send To menu. (If you want to add a printer or other device, you'll find it in the Control Panel.) Once you locate the item you want to add, select it and use the right-mouse button to drag it to the Send To folder. When you release the mouse button, click Create Shortcuts Here. Close the Send To folder window and your other folder window. Your item is installed on the menu. 38. Problem: Some of your folder windows show files in List view, others in Detail view, others in Thumb- nail view. You want them all to use the same view. Solution: Specify a default view in any folder window. Click Start, then My Computer and open any folder or hard drive. Choose View, then click one of the View options. Next, choose Tools, then Folder Options; click the View tab, check Apply To All Folders, and click Yes. From now on, all of your folders will display the selected view. 39. Problem: You wish your Detail view showed a little more detail. Solution: Add fields to the Detail view. In any folder window, choose View, then Choose Details. Check any item you want to appear in Detail view (Date Created and Author are two we use frequently) and click OK. Note that you'll see these details in Detail view only. 40. Problem: You want to compress a file before you attach it to an email message, but you don't want to download or purchase WinZip. Solution: Compress them with Windows. On your Desktop or in any folder window, right-click on a blank space and choose New, then Compressed (Zipped) Folder. Drag any file you want to compress to this folder, and Windows will compress it. Upgrade Problems 41. Problem: You really miss the old Windows 95/98/2000 interface. Solution: Switch to the Classic interface. You can have the old Windows interface back by making a few simple changes. First, change the screen display. Right-click any blank area of the Desktop and choose Properties from the pop-up menu; this displays the Display Properties dialog box. Click the Appearance tab, and under Windows And Buttons, choose Windows Classic style; if necessary, under Color Scheme, choose Windows Standard. Click OK; Windows will seize control of your screen for a few seconds before making the change. Next, change the Start menu: Right-click any empty part of the Taskbar and choose Properties; click the Start Menu tab, and select Classic Start Menu; then click OK. Problem 42. Miss your old Windows? You can change Windows XP to look just like it. 42. Problem: Your Classic Start menu doesn't display all of your programs. Solution: Turn off Personalized menus. If you switch to the Classic Start menu as described above, you may get a little surprise when you choose Start, then Programs: The Programs menu displays your most recently used programs, forcing you to click a double-arrow button to see the rest. If you'd rather see all of your programs right from the start, right-click the Taskbar, choose Properties, click the Start Menu tab, and click Customize. Under Advanced Start Menu options, uncheck Use Personalized Menus and click OK twice. 43. Problem: You miss the list of recently used documents you had in earlier versions of Windows. Solution: Put it back. Right-click the Taskbar, choose Properties, click the Start Menu tab, and click the Customize button. Click the Advanced tab, and under Recent Documents, check List My Most Recently Opened Documents. Click OK twice. The next time you click Start, My Recent Documents should appear just below My Documents on the Start menu. 44. Problem: After upgrading to WinXP from Win98, you have two My Documents folders. Solution: Keep the real one and delete the other. In Win98, the default My Documents folder was usually C:\MY DOCUMENTS. But because WinXP is designed to support multiple users on the same computer, it puts the My Documents folder in C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\DEFAULT\MY DOCUMENTS or C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\USERNAME\MY DOCUMENTS. To make matters more confusing, when you upgrade from Win98 to WinXP, the latter keeps your old Win98 My Documents folder and makes the new WinXP My Documents folder accessible through a simplified My Documents shortcut that makes the new one seem just like the old one. To eliminate the confusion, move any files remaining in your old C:\MY DOCUMENTS folder to your new C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\ . . . \MY DOCUMENTS folder; delete your old C:\MY DOCUMENTS folder; and change any applications that are currently set to save documents to the C:\MY DOCUMENTS folder to save them to the C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\ . . .\MY DOCUMENTS folder. Problem 45. When older programs won't run in Windows XP, try running them in Compatibility Mode. 45. Problem: A program that ran well in an earlier version of Windows does not run or runs poorly in WinXP. Solution: Try running the program in Compatibility Mode. Click Start, then All Programs, and navigate to the program menu shortcut for the program in question. Right-click this shortcut, choose Properties, and click the Compatibil- ity tab. Check Run This Program In Compatibility Mode For, and from the drop-down menu, select the version of Windows for which the program was made; under Display Settings, choose any setting that you know or think might improve the program's performance. Click OK. Note that Compatibility Mode doesn't always work. In particular, it usually doesn't help programs built for Windows 3.x that used to run in Win95/ 98/Me but won't run in WinXP. In these cases, you may just have to bite the bullet and upgrade or find another program that does the same thing. Miscellaneous Problems 46. Problem: You want Windows to stop telling you about every update the moment it's available, but you don't want to miss any crucial updates. Solution: Turn off Automatic Update and manually update Windows every so often. To turn off Automatic Update, right-click My Computer and from the shortcut menu choose Properties. Click the Automatic Updates tab, uncheck Keep My Computer Up To Date and click OK. Then, every so often (once a week is probably plenty), launch IE and choose Tools, then Windows Update. When you arrive at the Windows Update Web site, click Scan For Updates. (You may have to install software first.) Here, you can pick and install whatever updates you want or need. 47. Problem: The animated search dog, like Windows' other animated assistants, drives you nuts. Solution: Send it to the pound. Whether you think the search dog is annoying, condescending, or about to soil your carpet, you can remove him pretty easily. Click Start, then Search; click Change Preferences, and under How Do You Want To Use The Search Com- panion, select Without An Animated Screen Character. The dog walks away and (rather disconcertingly) falls off an unseen ledge, never to be seen again. 48. Problem: Every time an application crashes, you're prompted to report the error to Microsoft, which you'd rather not do. Solution: Stop the prompts. On your Desktop, right-click My Computer and choose Properties. Click the Advanced tab and click Error Reporting. Select Disable Error Reporting; you may want to leave But Notify Me When Critical Errors Occur checked. Then click OK twice. 49. Problem: Your Windows Media Player does not display your CD's album art when you're online. Solution: Make sure your settings are in order. First, make sure that you really are online; a good way to do this is to open Windows Media Player, then click the Media Guide button and make sure the Media Guide appears. Next, click Now Playing; choose View, then Now Playing Tools, and if the box next to Show Media Information is not checked, place a check mark in it. Next, choose View, then Visualizations, and make sure Album Art is checked. If the album art still doesn't appear, exit and restart the Media Player. If the album art still doesn't appear, click Find Album Info, wait for the information to appear, and click Finish. If you still don't see album art, there is no album art available for this CD. 50. Problem: Windows Media Player displays a CD's album art when you're online, but does not display it when you're offline. Solution: Let Media Player know you're offline. Once Windows Media Player downloads the album art associated with your CD, it stores it in a cache for offline use but won't access the cache unless it knows you're working offline. So in the Media Player menu, choose File, then Work Offline. Assuming your player is still set to display media information and album art, you should see your album art; if not, try restarting the player.

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Windows XP Error Codes
Where to Start
First check out this full list of error messages for Windows XP Professional from SearchEnterpriseDesktop.com: Error messages for Windows XP Professional Windows XP Events and Errors Database The Windows XP Events and Errors search page provides an easy-to-search, online reference for the error and event messages generated by Windows XP Professional. Find detailed explanations, recommended user actions, and links to additional support and resources. Source: Microsoft.com WebCast: Basic "Blue Screen" Error Troubleshooting Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 325011 - In this session, we will cover the basics of "blue screen" errors, what they mean, and some common methods to troubleshoot the problems. We will provide some background information about blue screen errors, and we will talk about how to interpret the information, as well as how to recover from these errors. How to Troubleshoot a Stop 0xC0000218 Error Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 314874 - On your Windows-based computer, you may receive one of the following messages about a Stop error:  Troubleshooting a Stop 0x0000000A Error in Windows XP Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 314063 - This article discusses how to troubleshoot the following Stop error in Windows XP:  Windows XP Generates a "Stop 0xA0" Error Message During Hibernation Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 320899 - When you try to hibernate a Windows XP-based computer, you may receive a "Stop 0xA0" error message on a blue screen. How to Debug a Stop 0xC2 or Stop 0x000000C2 Error Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 314492 - This article explains how to debug Stop C2 errors. "Stop 0x000000EA" Error Message When You Run Video-Intensive Programs Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 314215 - When you run a video-intensive program, such as a movie or a video game, you may receive one of the following stop error messages and bugcheck information:  "STOP 0x000000ED UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" Error Message During Windows XP Upgrade Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 297185 - When you first restart your computer during the upgrade to Windows XP or when you start Windows XP, you may receive the following error message:  Stop 0x000000ED Error Message When Volume on IDE Drive with Caching Enabled Is Mounted Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 315403 -  When you use volumes that use the NTFS file system on integrated device electronics (IDE) drives with caching enabled, you may receive the following error message during startup: Stop 0x000000D1 Error Message When You Turn Your Computer Off Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 317326 - When you shut down your computer that has one or more universal serial bus (USB) devices attached to it, you may receive the following error message on a blue screen:  "STOP 0x0000001E" Error Message During Windows Setup Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 314451 - When you run Windows XP Setup, you may receive an error message similar to the following: HOW TO: Troubleshoot "Stop 0x0000007B" Errors in Windows XP Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 324103 - This step-by-step article describes how to troubleshoot "Stop 0x0000007B" error messages in Windows XP. A "Stop 0x0000007B" error message may appear on a blue screen when you start your computer. The error message includes the following information  General Causes of STOP 0x0000007F Errors Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 314102 - This article discusses the possible causes and the meaning of the following Stop message, which you may receive while you are running Windows XP.  "STOP: C0000221 Unknown Hard Error" or "STOP: C0000221 STATUS_IMAGE_CHECKSUM_MISMATCH" Error Message Occurs Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 314474 - You may receive any of the following STOP error messages:  A Stop: 0xc000026C or Stop: 0xc0000221 "Unable to Load Device Driver" Error Occurs When You Start Windows XP Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 315241 - When you start Windows XP, you may receive one of the following errors:    Troubleshooting a Stop 0x9F Error in Windows XP Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 315249 - You may receive the following error:  Windows XP Generates a "Stop 0xA0" Error Message During Hibernation Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 320899 - When you try to hibernate a Windows XP-based computer, you may receive a "Stop 0xA0" error message on a blue screen. You Receive a Stop 0x0000007B Error After You Move the Windows XP System Disk to Another Computer Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 314082 - After you move the system (boot) disk to a backup computer, you may receive the following Stop error when you try to start the Windows-based backup computer: You Receive a Stop 0x0000007B Error After You Move the Windows System Disk to Another Computer Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 314082 - After you move the system (boot) disk to a backup computer, you may receive the following Stop error when you try to start the Windows-based backup computer:

    000 - Unexpected Intelligent User Detected; Please Reload Everything

    001 - Intimidation Failed; Attempting to Crash Repeatedly

    002 - Erroneous Error; No Error Occurred (Yet)

    003 - RAM Depleted; Annex Japan (Y/N)?

    004 - Deluxe Error. Please Send $75 to Upgrade Your Error

    005 - Long File Name Error; Tape Erased to Make Room for Filename

    006 - Insufficient RAM to Crash Properly; Attempting Fake Crash

    007 - Alphanumeric Sequence “OS2″ Prohibited

    008 - This License Has Expired; Please Purchase Another Copy

    009 - Error Buffer Overflow; Too Many Errors

    00A - Non-Microsoft Application Encountered

    00B - Push Error; Removing Files to Make Room for Advertisement

    00C - Windows Loaded Correctly This Time

    00D - User Error; Lemming Not Found

    00E - Open Standard Encountered; Attempting to Redmondize

    00F - Reserved for Future Coding Errors

    010 - Virus Error - Other Applications Will Be Closed Instead

    011 - Orwell Not Found; You Must Use MSN

    012 - Cash Underflow - Credit Card Number Will Be Assimilated

    013 - Keyboard Error; User Must Learn to Slow Down

    014 - User Error; Reading License Agreement Mandatory to Continue

    015 - Error Message Deleted

    016 - Expected Error Did Not Occur; Attempting to Restart Error Sequence

    017 - Multitasking Attempted; System Confused

    018 - Network Error - Your Crash Will Be Replicated to All Stations

    019 - Freedom-of-Choice Error; Select a Microsoft Browser To Continue

    01A - Insult Detected — Your Bill Gates Joke Will Be Deleted

    01B - Error Removing Temp File; a Permanent File Will Be Substituted

    01C - Wrong Disk Formatted. Sorry About That.

    01D - Mandatory Error Inserted to Meet Error Quota

    01E - Please Insert Your Favorite Error Here

    01F - Error In Progress; Please Wait….

    020 - Unknown Error Occurred But Was Lost. Windows Will Try To Remember

    021 - Error Parsing Error List; Please Wait For Next Error

    022 - Upgrade Error; Please Format Your Drive And Reload Everything

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PC Troubleshooting Guide

PC Troubleshooting Guide


Here you will learn about the computer troubleshooting tips, how to fix hardware errors, networking how to, and learn how to fix the software errors. Troubleshooting the computer problems is a very vital role of the system administrators, hardware technicians and system specialists. Every hardware component in the computer system has its own configurations methods and troubleshooting techniques. If you use a computer at your home or in office, this guide will be wonderful help for you in diagnostic and troubleshooting your basic computer problems.

There are some basic techniques and you should be aware of them. If you encounter a slow boot up problem, there are some basic tips and by implementing these tricks you can increase the speed of your computer and laptop.

How to Speed up the Computer

1. Windows Defragmenter utility: You can use this utility by using this path Start > Programs > Accessories > System tools > Disk defragmenter. This is built-in utility in Windows operating systems and this will automatically analyze the empty disk space on the hard disk and defragment and all scattered files.

2. Shutdown Unnecessary programs: By using this path Start > Run > Msconfig > Startup, you can close all unwanted programs at the Windows startup and this will automatically increase the windows loading time and speed of the computer will also be increased.

3. Increase RAM: By increasing the RAM in your system you can get exceptional fast speed of your computer.

4. Disk Cleanup: By using the disk clean up utility Start > Programs > Accessories > System tools > Disk clean up utility, you can delete unwanted programs and files from your computer and this will be helpful in increasing the speed.

5. Empty Recycle Bin: When you delete a file or a folder form your computer it first goes to the recycle bin and it covers the disk area of your C drive. It is imperative, to delete all the files and folders from the recycle bin and you will get the space of C drive for reusability. 

6. Delete Temporary Files: Delete the temporary files and cookies from your computer to get the better speed. You can do this like Internet explorer > Tools > Internet options > Generals > Settings > View files > here you can delete all the temporary internet files.

How to Troubleshoot the Computer?

Here you will learn the basic troubleshooting methods of your computer.

1. Trial and error: When you find a faulty component in your computer, first of you check it with the other computers so that you can make sure whether the fault is in the component or not.
2. Check cables: In case of any device failure, check all the cables of your computer such as data cables, power cable, internal circuitry cables etc and make sure that all the cables are plugged in and working fine.
3. Hardware settings: Check the hardware settings in the CMOS and in the device manager of the system and make all the device drivers and up to date and all the cards are plugged in properly.
4. Notice changes: When you notice a software or hardware error in your computer, determine what was changed before the problem occurred.
5. Event viewer: Use the event viewer utility by going to Start > Control panel > Administrative tools > Event viewer. In the event viewer you will find the error or warning messages associated with any faulty hardware or software.
6. Make notes: Troubleshooting is big learning option and we can learn a lot when we face any kind of troubleshooting in our computer. Make notes including the error messages and their solutions, so that you have a record that how a certain problem occurred and how did you solve it.

Data Recovery Tips

Accidental loss or deletion of the critical data of your organization can cause big problems for you and for your company. If you are a system administrator or a hardware technician and responsible for your company’s data, it is your duty to equip yourself with the great system restore and data recovery utilities and if you are empty handed and you encounter such problems, there can be big financial loss for your company in case of completely removal of data and wastage of precious time. Following are the few tips for recovering the lost data.

1. Use some good data recovery utilities such as File recovery, Recovery My Files, R-tt and a free utility Handy Recovery.
2. If you are responsible for the data and system administrations, use backup tapes drives and regularly take backups of your server’s data.
3. Use UPS and diesel generators if power failure occurs regularly in your area because sudden shutdown can crash your server and other systems.
4. Make a clean humid and dust free environment for your server room.

Diagnostics with Beep Codes

Following are the beep messages associated with the IBP bios.

1 short beep specifies a normal post
2 short beeps tells about POST errors that can be find on screen. 
Continuous beeps indicates power supply and other cards errors.
One long and short beep indicates system board problems
3 long beeps defines keyboard errors
No system beep tells about power supply errors.

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