Operating system Tips and Tricks

The impersonation service, Runas, is a nice Windows 2000 feature. But Runas can't run Windows Explorer impersonated because in Win2K, new Windows Explorer windows are spawned as threads of the main explorer.exe invocation. You can circumvent this behavior in the following way:

1. Select Start, Run, and type

2. runas /user:administrator "\"c:\program files\internet

3. explorer\iexplore\" c:\\"

4. Click OK.

5. When the system prompts you, enter your Administrator password. This command executes Windows Explorer in the desired context; adding a local path makes Windows Explorer emulate the default (i.e., no Windows Explorer bars or buttons).

How can I add my own information to General tab of the System Control Panel applet?

When you receive a PC from a manufacturer you may see extra lines of description text and a company logo in the General tab of a System Control Panel applet, and this can be changed or added as follows:

1. Create a bitmap you want with dimensions 180 by 114. Save the picture in the %systemroot%/system32 folder (e.g. d:\winnt\system32) with a name of OEMLOGO.BMP. If the picture is greater than this size then it will be clipped from the top left corner. If it is smaller then a black border will be added.

2. Create the file %systemroot%/system32/OEMINFO.INI (e.g. d:\winnt\system32\oeminfo.ini) with the following format:
[general]
Manufacturer=Goyal Ltd
Model=SuperDuper 1
[Support Information]
Line1=" "
Line2="For support ...."
Line3=" "

How do I stop the last logon name being displayed?

For security reasons it may be desirable to stop the last logon name logged on being display so to stop perform the following:

Start the registry editor (Regedit.exe)

1. Move to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

2. Double click DontDisplayLastUserName

3. Set to 1 and click OK

4. Close the registry editor

This can also be done using the policy editor, and is under the Windows NT System - Logon tree, and tick "do not display last logged on username".

Under Windows 2000 dontdisplaylastusername has been moved to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system.

To assign using a Group Policy Object set under the Computer Configuration - Windows Settings - Security Settings - Local Policies - Security Options - Do not display last user name in logon screen

How to Access the Administrator Account

1. The Administrator account is not displayed on the Welcome screen. To access it, press Ctrl-Alt-Del, release just the Del key, and press Del again. This will display the Windows 2000�style log-on, from which you can now log on as Administrator.
2. Logged on as Administrator, you can control and demote all accounts (including the main user account). And in corporate environments, the IT department often uses the Administrator account to log on to and manage employee systems.

Windows 2000�Style Log-on

The Windows XP Welcome screen provides any intruder with a list of user accounts, some of which may even offer helpful password hints. To replace the Welcome screen permanently with the more secure Windows 2000�style log-on box, launch the Control Panel's User Accounts applet, click on Change the way users log on or off, and uncheck Use the Welcome screen. (This will also disable Fast User Switching.)

Find your IP address
use Ipconfig/all from a command prompt if you're running Windows 2000 or XP.

Net Diagnostics
Hidden in Windows XP's System Information utility is a very good tool for getting a lot more information about what's going on. Go to Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Information. Then choose Net Diagnostics from the Tools menu. The program will ping your DNS servers, gateways, SMTP and POP3 mail servers, and proxies; test your modem and network adapters; and supply very detailed reports about your settings, as well as which tests passed and which failed

Reduce Boot Time
Type msconfig in the Run dialog or the Address bar to invoke the System Configuration Utility, then choose the Startup tab. Here, you can disable items you think are unnecessary, such as media player launchers.

Shorten the Start Menu Delay
You can eliminate the built-in delay before a menu displays in Windows. To do this, open Regedit and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ControlPanel \Desktop\MenuShowDelay. The default value is 400 (milliseconds); lowering the value will speed up how quickly menus display. This change will take effect after you reboot.

Don't Reactivate After Reinstalling
If you reinstall Windows XP, you normally have to reactivate it, but there's a way around reactivation. Windows XP maintains the activation information in the file Wpa.dbl, which you'll find in the Windows\System32 folder. After you activate, and any time you add hardware to your system, back up the file to another disk. If you need to reinstall Windows XP for any reason, go through the installation routine, then copy the latest version of Wpa.dbl to the Windows\system32 folder.

How Do I configure a Second Hard Drive in Win XP?

You can use Disk management or DiskPart (command line utility) to setup an additional drive. To use Disk Management, log on as administrator, click Start, click Run, type compmgmt.msc, and then click ok.

You can also access Disk management by going to Control Panel, and then click Performance and Maintenance, Click Administrative tools, double click computer management and then in the left pane, click Disk Management.

More help is available at Microsoft site.

Where can I get updated Windows XP boot disks?

XP doesn't ship with boot disks, and you can't create these disks from the XP media. However, Microsoft provides downloads to create XP boot disks. As Microsoft continues to release service packs, the company will continue to update the downloadable boot disks, starting with new boot disks available for XP Service Pack 1 (SP1). You must download the correct set of boot disks for your version of XP (i.e., you can't use an XP Home Edition boot disk with an XP Professional Edition CD-ROM). XP Home SP1 boot disks are available at

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=42818 , and XP Pro SP1 boot disks are available at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=42819

Easy Desktop Lockdown with an Icon

If CTRL-ALT-DELETE seems like too much of a hassle, try this instead:

Right click an empty spot on the desktop, point to New and click Shortcut.

In the Create Shortcut dialog box, type the following into the Type the location of the item text box:
%windir%\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation

Click Next.

In the Select a Title for the Program dialog box, type Lock the Desktop in the Type a name for this shortcut text box. Click Finish.

If you're running a quick launch taskbar, drag the new icon to it for easy access.

Now the desktop will lock when you click your new Lock the Desktop icon.

Synchronize System Clocks

If you have several PCs connected to your network, keeping the time synchronized between all of them is a snap. Designate one system to be the timekeeper. On the others, create a shortcut in the \Windows\StartUp folder with the command line C:\WINDOWS\NET.EXETIME\\MAIN/SET/YES, in which MAIN is the network name of the system that keeps the time.

Reboot Without Launching Programs In The Startup Folder

When you're troubleshooting a problem, it helps to reboot without launching the items in the Startup folder. In some cases, the problem may go away, which indicates that the problem is a conflict with one of those applications. In cases where these items have no effect on the problem, skipping the Startup folder may still speed up the reboot considerably, which is convenient if you have to restart repeatedly. To skip loading the items in the Startup folder, hold the Shift key down during boot-up.

Clean Up The Add/Remove Box

Sometimes, when you uninstall a program, its entry remains in the Add/remove programs listing. Or you might delete something manually and find that the entry remains in the list of uninstallable programs. You can clean up the list and remove programs that you've already uninstalled. Run Regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall. From there, you can remove any unwanted items, which are in the form of Registry keys

Roll Back Drivers

Updating a driver can sometimes have an adverse effect on your system. You may experience problems such as system crashes and malfunctioning devices. If this happens, use Windows XP's Device Driver Rollback feature to restore a previous driver.

Go to the Control Panel and open the System applet. Under System Properties, choose the Hardware tab and select Device Manager. Expand the menu for the type of device you want to roll back. Right-click on the device, choose Properties, and click on Roll Back Driver.

Clear The Prefetch

If you're using Windows XP, add C:\Windows\Prefetch to the list of directories to empty periodically. This folder is probably full of prefetch directions for applications you no longer use. (You can safely remove these files; any files that are needed will be created again automatically

Put this procedure into a batch file (call it XP_SpeedStart.bat) containing the single line:

del c:\windows\prefetch\*.* /Q

Then either schedule that batch file to run weekly or include it in the Startup folder

Lose XP "New Program" Pop-Ups

After a new program is installed under Windows XP, a little yellow message appears on clicking the Start button. There is a way to get rid of that

Right-click on the taskbar, choose Properties, and click on the Start Menu tab. Make sure that Start menu is selected rather than Classic Start menu; click on the Customize button next to Start menu. Click on the Advanced tab, locate the box near the top titled Highlight newly installed programs, and uncheck it. Click on OK to accept the change.

This feature is also controlled by a value in the Registry, specifically the DWORD value Start_ NotifyNewApps in the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. If it's set to 1 (the default), new applications will be highlighted in the Programs menu and the message balloon will appear. If it's set to 0, neither will happen.

How can I configure the folders to retain settings?

The real answer
start>settings>folderoptions>view
look at 'remember each folder's view settings'
UNCHECK THE BOX! UNCHECK THE BOX! UNCHECK THE BOX!

Then open a folder.
Set it as you want all folders to be.
Then go view>folderoptions>view tab and hit 'like current folder', and apply.

DON'T check 'remember each folder's view settings'
DON'T DO IT this will mess it all up again!

How can I configure the number of customized folders that Windows XP remembers?

XP lets you customize different appearance settings for different folders (e.g., some folders might display details while others display thumbnail images). XP remembers these settings for as many as 400 customized folders and stores this information under the

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags registry subkey.

However, you can increase or decrease the number of customized folders that XP remembers by performing the following steps:

1. Start a registry editor (e.g., regedit.exe).

2. Navigate to the

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell registry subkey.

3. From the Edit menu, select New, DWORD Value.

4. Enter the name BagMRU Size, then press Enter.

5. Double-click the new value, set it to the number of folders that you want XP to remember, then click OK.

6. Repeat Steps 3 through 5 under the

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam registry subkey as well.

7. Close the registry editor, then reboot the system for the change to take effect.

How can I clear my customized folder settings in Windows XP?

To clear any customized folder settings, perform the following steps:

Start a registry editor (e.g., regedit.exe).
Navigate to the
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell registry subkey.
Delete the Bags and BagMRU subkeys.
Navigate to the
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam registry subkey.
Delete the Bags and BagMRU subkeys.
Close the registry editor, then reboot the machine for the changes to take effect.

How can I clear Windows XP's Search Companion cache of previous searches?

XP's Search Companion feature, which you can access by clicking the Search button in Windows Explorer, lets you locate files, folders, computers, and media. When you start to type the search criteria, Search Companion will list all previous search criteria that match the current search. To clear the search cache, perform the following steps:

1. Stop all Windows Explorer sessions.

2. Start a registry editor (e.g., regedit.exe).

3. Navigate to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\SearchAssistant\ACMru registry subkey.

4. Select and delete each subkey under ACMru, or simply delete the entire ACMru subkey.

5. Close the registry editor.

6. Log off and log on before performing new searches; otherwise, XP will recreate the search cache and store the recreated cache in memory.

Where is Microsoft NetMeeting in Windows XP?
NetMeeting is a standard XP component that's hidden until initial configuration. NetMeeting lets you participate in virtual meetings, work in shared applications, share data over the Internet or an intranet, and share live video with others in faraway places.
To enable NetMeeting, perform the following steps:
1. Go to the Start menu and select Run.
2. Type

Conf
and click OK.
3. After the NetMeeting configuration wizard starts, click Next.
4. Enter your personal details and click Next.
5. Select listing directory options and click Next.
6. Select your connection media and click Next.
7. Configure the shortcut options to your liking and click Next.
8. Click Next to configure volume options and click Next again to confirm that the microphone works.
9. Click Finish.

To begin a NetMeeting session, start NetMeeting (e.g., run conf.exe again to start the application or select the appropriate shortcut from the Start menu or desktop), click the Phone button, and enter the IP address of the machine you want to communicate with.

Create a Pop-out Control Panel Menu

To gain quick access to the items in your Control Panel, add a pop-out Control Panel folder to your Start menu. To do this, right-click the Start button, and select Open. In the Start Menu window that appears, select File, New, and then Folder. To name the folder, type:

Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
and press Enter. (Note: there's no space between the period and the opening bracket.) Click Start, select the new folder, and you'll see a menu of all Control Panel items.

To add Printer, type:

Printers.{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}

How can I rip MP3 files at high-quality data rates in Windows Media Player (WMP) 8?
WMP 8 includes a built-in, high-quality Windows Media Audio (WMA) ripper but includes only a low-quality MP3 ripper that stores audio at 56Kbps. To enable high-quality MP3 ripping, perform the following steps (you don't need to perform these steps if you've purchased third-party MP3 ripping software):

1. Start a registry editor (e.g., regedit.exe).

2. Navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Settings\MP3Encodingsubkey.

3. Create or modify the following DWORD values:

- LowRate - 64000 (decimal)

- MediumRate - 128000 (decimal)

- MediumHighRate - 192000 (decimal)

- HighRate - 320000 (decimal)

4. Close the registry editor.

5. Log off and log back on for the change to take effect.

How can I get the new windows to open up to the screen size I like�?

Open the two-thirds display and use the mouse to make it the size you want it to be when it comes up. Next go to the upper right-hand corner and click in the big square box (the maximize command). Now go to the upper left side of the window and click on the Restore command in the resulting drop-down menu. The window will go to the size you set it for. Now close the window by clicking the X in the upper right-hand screen.

Next time the window will open up as desired.

"Make Windows Explorer Open Where You Want It"

%windir%\Explorer.exe /e,/root,C:

Replace c: with folder or any other drive letter

Change Font Size Fast

Hold down Ctrl, and scroll with your mouse wheel to adjust the zoom or the font size in various applications.

Fast New Folders

Here is a way of significantly reducing the time required for the File | New menu in Windows Explorer to come up? If you want to create new sub folders, than your best bet is to bypass the New menu completely. Select Folder Options from Explorer's Tools menu, click the File types tab, choose File Folderfrom the list, and click the Edit... button (the Advanced button in Windows 2000 or Windows ME). In the Edit File Type dialog box, click the New... button. Enter New Subfolder in the Action box, and in the Application box enter this line:

command.com /c md "%1\New Folder"

Click OK, then click New... again and create an action named Five New Subfolders with this command:

command.com /c for %%v IN (1 2 3 4 5) DO md "%1\New Folder (%%v)"

Click OK to close all the option windows.

If you're running Windows 2000 or Windows NT4, simply replace command.com with cmd.exe in both of the commands. Be especially careful when entering the commands in Windows 2000, as the default permissions will prevent you from editing or removing the new commands using the Edit File Type dialog. If you need to change or remove these items in Windows 2000, you'll have to use the Registry Editor (navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell\New Subfolder).

Now when you right-click a folder icon, you can choose one of the new commands directly from the pop-up menu. You'll have to rename the created folders right away, but that's still a lot faster than waiting for File | New to come up.

Note: Do not set the new action to default, because Normally, the default action for any file type is Open. If this new action becomes default, then repair the problem by launching regedit and navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Shell. Double-click on the (Default) value in the right-hand pane and set its data to open.

Note 2: To quickly create multiple folders from the run window, use: cmd.exe /c for %v IN (1 2 3 4 5) DO md "New SongsFolder (%v)"

Create folder using current date or time or both

Make a batch file for the code below. Modify content if you only need date. Then double click to create the folder or use run window to specify path where the new folder is to be created. Create File MyFolder.bat

@Echo Off

Set CURRDATE=%TEMP%\CURRDATE.TMP

DATE /T > %CURRDATE%

Set CURRTIME=%TEMP%\CURRTIME.TMP

TIME /T > %CURRTIME%

Set PARSEARG="eol=; tokens=1,2,3,4* delims=/,: "

For /F %PARSEARG% %%i in (%CURRDATE%) Do SET YYYYMMDD=%%l%%j%%k

Set PARSEARG="eol=; tokens=1* delims=/,: "

For /F %PARSEARG% %%i in (%CURRTIME%) Do SET HHMM=%%i-%%j

MKDIR "%1"%YYYYMMDD%_%HHMM%

Usage: To create folder under c:\temp, type MyFolder.bat c:\temp\

GOTO MyDos page for further help on dos commands

How to create a list of files in a folder? Like a list of all mp3�s on a CD.
Downloading a freeware utility CDROM List Creator by a generous programmer named Lior Ostrowsky at www.leeos.com can do it.

It's a tiny download of less than 250 kilobytes and leaves one with a program that can scan any number of CD-ROMs and create a list of every file on every one, including the name of the CD, the exact path to find the file on that CD, the size of the file and the date it was created.

The program lets you feed disc after disc into the computer. It then creates a huge master file in text showing the data. The program also lets you open the file in the Windows Notepad text-editing program, where you can either page down through the list or use the Find command to seek out exact files.

How to move a big document between two computers? Like breaking up a 10 MB file into two 5mb files.

The answer is a freeware utility that enjoys rave reviews among the propeller- headset. You can download it by pointing your browser to www.downloads.com and using the search term File Monkey.

This neat little utility includes a split/join function that lets users chop a big file up into bite- size, e-mail-friendly pieces on one machine and then join it back together on another.

Disable IE's Macromedia Flash plugin ads, with no error-download

Install the Flash plugin

Close IE

Run regedit

Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000}\MiscStatus\1

Change the value from 131473 (or whatever) to 1024

This disables ALL Flash, and stops it from prompting you to download it. Remember to save the original number in step 5 in case you ever want to turn it back on without reinstalling.

NOTE: This will also disable any websites that use flash! There are quite a few! Flash is not just used for ads.

How do I restore or configure my own Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) start and search pages?

A. Some users have reported seeing adult content when they start IE or click Search in IE. Adult Web sites sometimes modify the values IE uses to tell the software which URLs to use for the default IE start and search pages. To resolve this problem, you can reset the registry values that control these settings by performing the following steps:

1. Start a registry editor (e.g., regedit.exe).

2. Navigate to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\InternetExplorer\Main registry subkey.

3. Review the settings for the Search Bar, Search Page, and Start Page.

4. If any of the values indicate adult-based URLs, you can either delete the value, which causes IE to use the default setting, or modify these values to point to more-acceptable URLs.

5. Close the registry editor.

How can I easily view which cookies are stored on my machine?

NirSoft released IECookiesView, a free utility you can download from http://www.simtel.net/pub/pd/59299.html that lets you easily view cookies on your machine, check the values within the cookies, and delete those values. To view the contents of a cookie, you simply select the cookie in the GUI, and to delete a cookie, you press Delete and click yes to confirm

How to transfer Internet Explorer Favorites from a old PC?

The best approach is to use the "Import and Export" function of Internet Explorer, which you'll find on the File Menu. On the old computer, select this option, then choose "Export Favorites" and select a Favorites folder. Next, select "Export to a File or Address." Use the Browse button to direct the program to place the file on your desktop. Press "Next" and then "Finish."

After the export is finished, go to your desktop, find the file named "bookmark.htm," and copy it to a floppy disk, a USB thumb drive, a CD-ROM or some other portable storage medium you can carry to the new computer. Insert this disk or drive into the new computer and copy the "bookmark.htm" file to the new computer's desktop.

On the new PC, launch Internet Explorer, and select the "Import and Export" function again. This time, choose "Import Favorites," and then "Import from a File or Address." Use the browse button to navigate to the desktop and locate the file "bookmark.htm." Select a Favorites folder and press "Next" and then "Finish." Your old Favorites should now show up on your new PC.

How to stop the "Do you want to display the nonsecure items" prompt?

In IE 6 there is a security setting to "Display Mixed Content" (disable, Enable, Prompt). Override the prompt by enabling this setting.

Change the Title Bar in Internet Explorer

Want to customize your IE title bar (for instance, I can have it read "Deb's Web" instead of "Microsoft Internet Explorer")? Here's how:

Click Start | Run and type regedit to open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY CURRENT USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main.
In the right pane, double click the value called "Window Title."
In the data value box, type whatever text you want to display in the title bar.
Close the registry editor and open a new instance of IE. Your new title bar text should be displayed.

How to disable gray "Messenger" pop-up ads, even when you are not browsing the Web without disabling Instant Messenger?

These irritating, intrusive ads force their way into your PC via a legitimate feature of Windows that was designed to allow network administrators to communicate with network users. This messaging method is different from instant-messaging programs like AOL Instant Messenger or Windows Messenger. You can disable the ads by shutting down the messaging conduit they use, without affecting your instant-messaging activities. Here's how:

First, go to the Start Menu, and open the Control Panel. Open the item called "Administrative Tools." Then, double-click on the choice called "Services." In the long list of services that is displayed, locate the entry called "Messenger" and double-click on it.

A tabbed window will open. In the "General" tab, you will see an option called "Startup Type." Microsoft sets this option to "Automatic." You should change that. To do so, just click on the arrow at the right to display the list of choices, and select "Disabled." Then click "OK" at the bottom of that window, and close all the other windows you've opened in this process by clicking the "X" in the upper right-hand corner.

How can I uninstall hidden Windows components? (Remove Hidden Windows Components)

When you start the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel applet and select Add/Remove Windows components, the system doesn't display all of the components because Windows doesn't want them uninstalled. However, you can change which components the system displays.

Perform the following steps:

1. Open the sysoc.inf file located in the %systemroot%\inf folder.

2. Go to the [Components] section.

3. Locate the entry you want to make uninstallable and remove the word "hide." For example, for MSN Messenger Service, change the line

msmsgs=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7

msmsgs=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,,7

4. Save the sysoc.inf file.

Roll Back Drivers

Stop Error Messages on Bootup

You removed a piece of software using the Add/Remove Programs applet, and now you see that "thus and such thing didn't start up" error dialog box every time you start up. It wouldn't be so bad if you hadn't seen the same dialog box 500 times before! Here's how you get rid of it:

Click the Start button and click the Run command. Type Regedt32 in the Open text box and click OK.

Navigate to the following key In the Registry Editor:

HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows

Click the Edit menu, point to New and click DWORD Value. Change the name of the new value to NoPopupsOnBoot. Double click the value and change the Value Data to 1. Click OK in the Edit DWORD Value dialog box.

Restart the computer.

Now you won't have to see those error messages on boot up anymore!

Allowing Limited Users to Burn CDs in Windows XP Home

If you run Windows XP Home, you probably set yourself up as an Administrator and have other family members set up as "limited" users. Setting up the kids as limited users is a good idea, because it can prevent them from making changes to the computer that can create difficult to solve problems. One problem that many of you might have run into is that limited users can't burn CDs. While you don't want the kids changing your networking settings, it would be nice to allow them to burn music to CDs. Here's how you can allow them to do it:

Click the Start button and click the Run command. Type Regedt32 in the Open text box and click OK.

Navigate to the following key In the Registry Editor:

HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

In the right pane of the Registry Editor, look for the AllocateDASD entry. Double click on it. Change the value to 2 and click OK.

Restart the computer and logon as the limited user. The user can now burn CDs!

Clean Up Email Messages

One thing that we really hate about forwarding email messages is that there are often a million of those little ">" characters in them, indicating material quoted from another message. While you can configure Outlook or Outlook Express to not add more of them to your messages, you're still stuck with those that were already there when you received the mail. If this bugs you, here's some good news. There are two FREEWARE utilities that automatically remove those characters from text. One of them is emailSTRIPPER the second program is StripMail. A nice thing about both programs is that you don't have to install them. Just click the downloaded file and run it!

emailSTRIPPER StripMail

How to configure Microsoft Outlook Express to perform only as a newsreader and not as an email client?

To disable the email capabilities within Outlook Express, simply add /outnews to the end of the Outlook Express command. For example, from the command prompt, type

msimn /outnews

When you start the application in this mode, you'll notice the Inbox folder is missing and the Mail option under the Accounts menu is no longer available. You can also place the /outnews option outside the quotes to alter shortcuts. For example, you can change the shortcut path

"C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe"

"C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe" /outnews

to launch Outlook Express as a news client only.

Viewing multiple drive properties

Need to view the properties for more than one drive at once?

Open My Computer and select all your hard drives by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking on each drive. Right-click on any one of the drives and choose Properties from the Context menu that appears. Windows will create a dialog for each drive chosen.

It also works for floppy, removable and mapped network drives.

Administrative group policy

If you use Windows XP Pro, then you can use the group policy editor to set multiple settings like Trashing the recycle bin from destop, enabling or disabling the screensaver. On XP Pro you can follow the steps below to take change the settings.

Go to the Start menu and select Run
Type GPEDIT.MSC
Navigate to User Configuration / Administrative Templates / Click on Desktop
On the right hand panel find "Remove Recycle Bin icon on the desktop" and double-click it

There's also a solution for those of you out there using other versions of Windows such as XP Home or Windows 98. To remove the recycle bin icon in these other operating systems, download TweakUI. TweakUI allows you to customize a host of other options in Windows that are usually not available for tweakin'. It's fun to get your hands into altering things to the way you want them. Visit this page on the Annoyances.org site for the proper version of TweakUI.

I hope this tip will help you to avoid smelling what Microsoft's cooking.

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How to always win at Minesweeper�?

You can configure Minesweeper to display either a white or black Pixel on screen, depending on if the cursor is over a mine (black) or not (white) by following these steps:

1. Start Minesweeper.

2. Type

xyzzy

Then press Shift+Enter.

3. Minimize all windows and begin play.

The pixel in the top left-hand corner of the desktop will be black if the cursor is over a mine square or white if the cursor is over a safe square. This trick works on all versions of Minesweeper supplied with Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 3.1.

Can't Save JPEGs as JPEGs

If when saving pictures from Web sites, the only option you get for saving is BMP. Then,

It may be that the URL for the JPEG image contains a username:password string, you may be limited to saving the graphic as a bitmap. To save the image as a JPEG, Microsoft suggests copying the image from Temporary Internet Files or copying the URL and editing it to remove the username: password.

This problem can also occur when your Temporary Internet Files folder has reached the size limit specified in Tools | Options. In that case, simply clear the Temporary Internet Files. Another possibility is that you have checked Do not save encrypted pages to disk on the Advanced tab of Tools | Options, and the picture is on a page reached by a secure https:// connection.

Ten-Digit Dialing

In Windows XP and 2000, go to Control Panel | Phone and Modem Options and click on Dialing Rules. If your location exists, click Edit; otherwise, select New. Go to the Area Code Rules tab and select New. Type in your area code, and place a check mark next to Include the area code.

Broadband Tips:

So how can you protect your computer from spyware? There are a couple of steps you can take to do so.

First of all, you should install an anti-spyware utility that will detect and remove any spyware when it is found. A popular anti-spyware program is Spybot-S&D.
Set your privacy settings within Internet Explorer to at least Medium.
Using the Restricted Sites zone within Internet Explorer, create a list of restricted spy ad sites. For more information, see this.
Make sure that you keep the anti-spyware database up-to-date for whatever anti-spyware software you are using.
Scan your computer using the anti-spyware software on a regular basis.

Take advantage of those Web sites that offer free online scanning to identify any spyware that may be on your computer.

Check your shields (Audit your computer�s security)

http://www.securityspace.com/sspace/index.html

http://security.symantec.com/ssc/home.asp?j=1&langid=us&venid=sym&plfid=22&pkj=ICPHPJUIYCZRWEJGSSK

http://grc.com/intro.htm

DCOMbobulator..quickly check system's DCOM vulnerability

Web-Site Optimizer

Want a simple Web Server

http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/network/sswww.htm

For Mail & FTP Server

http://www.argosoft.com/

Dynamic DNS

http://www.technopagan.org/dynamic/

Last revised: 12/13/04

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