Tag: Format

Fix Common Computer Network Issues

October 05, 2008 by Jason

Are you experiencing problems with your computer network? Are these error messages appearing?:

  • Unable to clear the DNS cache
  • Unable to renew your IP address
  • An operation was performed on something that is not a socket
  • Unable to clear the ARP cache

If so, here are some potential solutions for Windows XP/Vista.

1. Check to make sure your computer is on and is connected to a network.

2. Be aware that Windows has a built in function to repair a network connection. This function can give valuable information in the form of an error message if you know what you are looking for. Some common error messages given are:

  • Unable to clear the DNS cache
  • Unable to renew your IP address
  • Unable to clear the ARP cache Read More»

How to create a USB drive you can install Windows Vista

September 29, 2008 by Jason

Get your hands on a USB drive that’s at least 3GB in size. You’ll also need a Windows Vista installation disk.

Format the USB Drive

1. Insert the USB drive into your computer.

2. Right-click Computer in the Start menu and then select Manage.

3. Select Disk Management under Storage in the left column of the Computer Management window.

4. Right-click the USB drive in the bottom center section of the Computer Management window and select Format. Warning: Make sure you select the right disk to format. Formatting a disk will erase all data on it.

5. Change the file system to NTFS and then click OK to format the USB drive.

6. Wait for the USB drive to be formatted. The formatting progress will be shown in the Computer Management window. Read More»

Install Windows Vista Lite from your Flash Drive

September 29, 2008 by Jason

Open up an administrator mode command prompt by right-clicking on the shortcut and choosing Run as Administrator, then type in diskpart to load up the disk partitioning command line tool.

The most important step is to run the following command, which will give you the numbers of the disks, so you can use it in the next command (and not accidentally remove a partition on another drive).

list disk

Now that you know the correct number for the disk, you can use the select disk command, substituting the number 1 for whatever number your flash drive is set to: Read More»

Word 2003 classic menu layout to Word 2007

September 14, 2008 by Jason

I have been using office 2007 for sometime now and become quite used to the know how, features and tools location in Microsoft Word 2007.

With Office 2007 released the old classic menu layout which includes File | Edit | View and so on is replaced by the new web 2.0 tabbed ribbon interface which includes Home | Insert | Page Layout and so on.

But, I have seen lot of people wasting so much time to actually locate different features like Format ,Tool and Table etc which appears simply in the old classic word 2003 menu layout.

Let’s see how can you restore the old classic word 2003 menu layout in word 2007.

There is a small program called MS Word 2007 Ribbon to Old Classic Menu Toolbar Interface Software 7.0 which lets you apply the old classic menu layout in word 2007. Read More»

WGA Antipiracy Mechanism Adapted to XP SP3

August 26, 2008 by Jason

Microsoft has adapted the Windows Genuine Advantage Notification tool to the third and last service pack for Windows XP. Designed to inform the end users that their operating system has failed to pass the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation process, the WGA Notifications component is now set up to integrate seamlessly not only with XP SP2 but also with Service Pack 3.

While avoiding terminology such as “pirated” and “counterfeit,” WGA Notifications will provide end users running Windows XP copies detected as non-genuine with the necessary information and assistance for them to get valid licenses for the operating system.

“Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications notifies you if a copy of Microsoft Windows XP is not genuine. The notification messages only appear on computers that have failed the Windows Genuine Advantage validation process and that are running a copy of Windows XP that is not genuine. If you are running a validated, genuine copy of Windows XP, you will not receive notification messages,” reads an excerpt from the tools description. Read More»

How to convert video to Apple’s iPhone

August 03, 2008 by Jason

Apple’s iPhone is likely to be one of the biggest gadget releases in 2007. It’s also unlikely to be sold with Apple’s iTunes Pro software so if you plan on converting your favourite movies or shows to your iPhone, you’re going to have to work it out yourself.

The reality is, however, you can start creating your iPhone video library right now because the tools already exist.

Although Apple has been reasonably scant on giving out the iPhone’s technical details, there’s enough information just from Apple’s iPhone website to help you create exactly what you need.

If you look at the technical specs of the iPhone, the Apple website says the screen is 480×320-pixels. Now if you read the fine print at the bottom of the screen it says “Up to 5 hours of battery life is based on H.264 1.5-Mbps video at 640-by-480 resolution combined with 128-Kbps audio”. Read More»

Run Check Disk from System Recovery Options

July 12, 2008 by Jason

This guide shows you how to run the check disk (chkdsk) command from the System Recovery Options included on the Windows Vista DVD.

So your computer won’t boot up and you need to run check disk (chkdsk) on it to try and repair errors on the hard drive. This guide shows you how to run check disk by booting from the Windows Vista DVD and running check disk from the System Recovery Options command prompt.

Run Check Disk from a System Recovery Command Prompt

1. Place a Windows Vista DVD in the DVD drive and restart or turn on your computer. Read More»

How Does Windows Product Activation Work

June 12, 2008 by Jason

Windows Product Activation (WPA) is Microsoft’s way of keeping you from installing a copy of Windows Vista on more than one computer. It basically marries the copy of Windows Vista you’ve purchased to the computer’s hardware it’s installed on.

The WPA Process

When you enter the product key three identifiers are generated and collected:

* Hardware ID: A unique identifier that’s generated from information gathered about the computer’s hardware.

* Product ID: A 25-character unique key supplied when you purchase Windows Vista.

* Installation ID: An identifier Windows Vista creates from the hardware ID and product ID. Read More»

Print A List Of Meeting Attendees In Outlook 2007

May 10, 2008 by Jason

Here is a pctipsbox for those of you who frequently schedule meetings using Outlook 2007. It is sometimes handy to have a hard copy of the names of attendees invited to a meeting, along with the name of the meeting organizer. Although it requires a few steps, you can print this information in Outlook 2007.

Your first step is to copy the names of attendees and the organizer:

1. Within Outlook, click the Calendar.

2. Open the appropriate meeting request.

3. On the Meeting tab, click Scheduling Assistant.

4. Select the names in the All Attendees list.

5. On the Format Text tab, click Copy.The names of the meeting organizer and attendees are copied. Read More»

How to dual boot Vista with Ubuntu

March 04, 2008 by Jason

There are two ways to run several operating systems on your computer. You can run them with virtualization inside one another, or you can install them alongside each other and boot each individually, this is the easiest method for most users.

You don’t even have to create a dual boot system with Linux, in this case, Ubuntu. It can be installed by itself without Vista or any other operating installed first. Most users purchasing a new computer will find Vista installed so this is the route I will take for this tutorial.

Let’s take a look at installing Ubuntu alongside Vista on a computer, assuming Vista is installed first as this will cover most instances. Read More»