Tag: start button
December 23, 2008 by
Jason
Youâve read the reviews and digested the key feature enhancements and operational changes. Now itâs time to delve a bit deeper and uncover some of Windows XPâs secrets.
1. It boasts how long it can stay up. Whereas previous versions of Windows were coy about how long they went between boots, XP is positively proud of its stamina. Go to the Command Prompt in the Accessories menu from the All Programs start button option, and then type âsysteminfoâ. The computer will produce a lot of useful info, including the uptime. If you want to keep these, type âsysteminfo > info.txtâ. This creates a file called info.txt you can look at later with Notepad. (Professional Edition only).
2. You can delete files immediately, without having them move to the Recycle Bin first. Go to the Start menu, select Run⊠and type âgpedit.mscâ; then select User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Explorer and find the Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin setting. Set it. Poking around in gpedit will reveal a great many interface and system options, but take care some may stop your computer behaving as you wish. (Professional Edition only). Read More»
Posted in Windows XP | No Comments »
November 18, 2008 by
Jason
Use the following steps to identify your chipset using the Microsoft Windows* Device Manager.
1. Open Device Manager.
for Windows Vista
Click Start » click Control Panel » click System and Maintenance » clickDevice Manager
for Windows XP
Click Start » click Control Panel » double-click the System icon » click the Hardware tab » click Device Manager
for Windows 2000
Click the Start button » click Settings » click Control Panel » double-click the System icon » click the Hardware tab » click Device Manager Read More»
Posted in Hardware | No Comments »
Most programs written for Windows XP also work in this version of Windows, but some older programs might run poorly or not at all. If a program written for an earlier version of Windows doesn’t run correctly, use the Program Compatibility Wizard to change the compatibility settings for the program. To change settings for a program manually, use the individual program’s Compatibility tab.
If changing the settings does not fix the problem, go to the program manufacturer’s website to see if there is an update for the program.
Do not use the Program Compatibility Wizard on older antivirus programs, disk utilities, or other system programs because it might cause data loss or create a security risk. Read More»
Posted in Computer | No Comments »
If you want to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your hard disk to free up disk space and help your computer run faster, use Disk Cleanup. It removes temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and removes a variety of system files and other items that you no longer need.
1. Open Disk Cleanup by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking System Tools, and then clicking Disk Cleanup.
2. In the Disk Cleanup Options dialog box, choose whether you want to clean up your own files only or all of the files on the computer. Administrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. Read More»
Posted in Computer | No Comments »
November 06, 2007 by
Jason
For power users Command Prompt is where you go to get work done quickly and efficiently. If you spend a lot of time using Command Prompt, why not customize the appearance and operation to your preferences? There are actually a few Command Prompt customizations that will make it more useful and good looking.
Just follow these steps to customize your Command Prompt:
1. Click on the Start Button and key in Command Prompt and hit Enter. Read More»
Posted in Computer, Windows Vista | 3 Comments »
In early builds of Windows Vista, testers were shown a new 3D interface powered by the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) that was filled with animations of all sorts. This interface was very cool looking. However, because of delays, Microsoft had to cut the use of WPF in the UI and most of the âWOWâ was removed.
Thankfully, there are some very talented developers out there that have made utilities to bring back the excitement of the cut features. The one I am covering in this article, is the animated user picture shown on the Start Menu.
Using a great utility called 3D User Picture, you can easily make your start menu look just like the video above. Read More»
Posted in Computer, Windows Vista | 1 Comment »
Windows Vista works in the background to automatically index all the files in the Start Menu, user profile folders and files setup for offline access by default. If you have many files in these locations and the files change often, the indexing service may slow down your system’s performance. Unlike Windows XP, Vista now allows you to easily tweak the indexing service following the steps below. It is recommended that you disable indexing for the other locations other than the Start Menu for maximum performance. Bear in mind that while this tweak speeds up your overall system performance, it will also slow you down when searching for files in those locations. Read More»
Posted in Windows Vista, Windows XP | 2 Comments »
Is your drop down address bar full of old addresses that you will never use again? Mine isn’t, because I have fixed that problem by getting rid of them. Want to know how? Then keep reading.
Warning: This tip involves entering the registry. If at any point you get confused or are not completely sure what I mean, STOP , and re-read the steps to make sure you are doing this exactly right. If followed correctly these procedures are completely safe. I would also not recommend messing around in the registry unless you know what you are doing. Read More»
Posted in Internet, Software, Windows Vista, Windows XP | 8 Comments »
Are you a user of Windows Vista Enterprise or Business edition and would like to know the status of activation of a specific computer? Want to make sure that the computer connected properly to the Key Management Server (KMS) or used your Multiple Activation Key (MAK) properly? Or are you a home user and just want to make sure your computer is fully activated?
Included in Windows Vista is very useful utility that will help you check the status of activation of your computer: Read More»
Posted in Windows Vista | No Comments »
Microsoft Update was first released a few years ago for Windows XP and Server 2003 as a great way to update all of your Microsoft software installed on your PC. Not only would it update Windows, but it would also update Microsoft Office. Are you a Microsoft Outlook user? If so, Microsoft Update would even download updated junk mail signatures when they are released.
In Windows Vista the new Windows Update application is no longer web-based. Microsoft has built-in the old Microsoft Update functionality into the new interface but you need to turn it on before you can use it. Follow these steps to turn on updates for other Microsoft applications: Read More»
Posted in Windows Vista, Windows XP | No Comments »