Both Home and Professional can be upgraded from Windows 98, Windows 98SE, and Windows ME. Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 and Windows XP Home can all be upgraded to Windows XP Professional. Windows 95 is not a supported upgrade path from either version.
Secure Attention Sequence Title
To change the title of the Secure Attention Sequence (SAS = Ctrl+Alt+Delete), perform the following steps:
Start the registry editor (regedit.exe).
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Cu rrentVersion\Winlogon.
From the Edit menu, select New> String value.
Enter a name of Welcome, and press Enter.
Double-click the new value, add the text you want to display after Windows Security (e.g., for 5 Star Support), and click OK.
Close the registry editor.
Press the SAS sequence to see the new dialog box title.
Configure Auto Updates
Microsoft regularly releases security patches, programs, language packs, and bug fixes through its Windows Update site to keep your system in tiptop shape. On today's "Call for Help," we'll show you how to configure XP to automatically download Windows updates for you.
Here's how to configure Windows XP to automatically download updates:
Single-click the Start Menu and then the Control Panel.
Single-click the Performance and Maintenance icon and then the System icon.
On the System properties dialog, click the Automatic Updates tab.
Click the radio button next to the text labeled "Download the updates automatically and notify me when they are ready to be installed."
Click the Apply button.
The next time you're online and there happens to be an available update, you'll be prompted to install it.
System Information
When you view the System Information, you will find much useful information such as, the length of time that XP has ran since rebooting. To find this information and more follow the instructions below:
Open the Command Prompt
Type in : systeminfo press [Enter] on your keyboard
Cancel A Print Job
I know that most of you at one time or another have, in an effort to stop a print task resorted to pulling the paper out of the printer until the printer showed the "out of paper" error message. Well, you don't have to do that. This tip will show you alternate methods of canceling a print job.
Usually the easiest way to stop a print job is to double-click its icon in the system tray to open the "printer queue folder". Then click on the print job that you would like to cancel and press the delete key on your keyboard.
Or, you can right click the print job and select "Cancel" from the resulting menu.
If neither of the above will work for you. Try turning the printer off and restarting it. You should be prompted to resume your print job. You can then select "Cancel" from that menu.
Saving Space
All Windows Operating Systems have a folder on the hard drive where various applications temporary files are stored. On occasion, it is a good idea to relieve your hard drive of these unneeded files. There are a couple different ways you can find these files:
1. Open Windows Explorer and in the Address field type: %temp% (including the percent signs) [Enter]. You will then be taken to that folder.
2. Click Start>> Run, and type: %temp% [Enter] Any of these temporary files that are found using the above methods are safe to delete.
Note: Sometimes the files are still in use, so deleting them works best immediately following a reboot.
Monitor USB Bandwidth Usage
USB devices such as; digital cameras, mice, flash drives and keyboards all share the same bandwidth allocated by Windows. The Windows XP USB user interface does not support more than 10 host controllers. When the bandwidth reaches the 100% allocation, you will receive a "Stop Error 0x0000007E" message.
To check the bandwidth usage:
Go to Start>> Right click on My Computer.
Select Properties>> Hardware>> Device Manager
Once at the Device Manager, double click "Universal Serial Bus Controllers", then double click the first USB Root Hub listing (see Figure #1).
In the resulting window, select Advanced (see Figure #2).
Playing a DVD Movie using WinDVD
To play a movie, follow the instructions below:
Open the DVD drive door, place a DVD into the tray, shiny side down, and close the DVD drive door.
If a window pops up asking which application you would like to use, choose WinDVD and then select OK. If any other windows appear other than WinDVD, just close the window.
WinDVD should start automatically. If it does not, you can start it from the All Programs menu. Here's how:
In Windows 98 and Me: Go to Start>> Programs>> Accessories>> Entertainment>> DVD Player
In Windows XP: Go to Start>> All Programs>> Intervideo WinDVD
The WinDVD console and viewing window will now appear. The DVD should automatically start playing at this point, but in the event that it does not, try the following:
Click the Play control, a dark triangle that points to the right (see Figure #1).
If the DVD movie still does not play, click the small down pointing arrow directly under the WinDVD logo on the console to view the console menu options. You will also see a 'Help' option if further troubleshooting is required
Windows Keyboard Shortcuts
The keyboard shortcuts listed below are used as an alternate method of working with Windows XP. Many people find it faster and more convenient to use the keyboard when performing some tasks. You will need to experiment with them to find what works best and feels more comfortable to you.
Command Result
CTRL + C Copy
CTRL + X Cut
CTRL + V Paste
CTRL + Z Undo
DELETE Delete
SHIFT + DELETE Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin
CTRL while dragging an item Copy selected item
CTRL + SHIFT while dragging an item Create shortcut to selected item
F2 Rename selected item
CTRL + RIGHT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word
CTRL + LEFT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL + DOWN ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph
CTRL + UP ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
CTRL + SHIFT with any of the arrow keys Highlight a block of text
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document
CTRL + A Select all
F3 Search for a file or folder
ALT + ENTER View properties for the selected item
ALT + F4 Close the active item, or quit the active program
ALT + Enter Displays the properties of the selected object
ALT + SPACEBAR Opens the shortcut menu for the active window
CTRL + F4 Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously
ALT + TAB Switch between open items
ALT + ESC Cycle through items in the order they were opened
F6 Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F4 Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer
SHIFT + F10 Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
ALT + SPACEBAR Display the System menu for the active window
CTRL + ESC Display the Start menu
ALT + Underlined letter in a menu name Display the corresponding menu
Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu Carry out the corresponding command
F10 Activate the menu bar in the active program
RIGHT ARROW Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu
LEFT ARROW Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu
F5 Refresh the active window
BACKSPACE View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer
ESC Cancel the current task
SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive Prevent the CD from automatically playing.
Make a backup copy of your Windows XP Registry
Many of the tips and tricks here at 5 Star Support require editing the Windows Registry. In this tip, I will show you the correct way to perform a backup of your Windows Registry so that you can safely restore your systems registry files in the event something goes wrong.
Go to Start>> Run. Type in: regedit [Enter] or click OK.
Once in the Registry Editor, choose File from the toolbar.
Select Export
In the resulting Export Registry File window (click image below), locate the "Save in:" selection menu. Choose a location for this file that will be easily found if needed.
Name the file whatever you would like (I use the days date) in the "File name:" text box.
At the bottom of the window you will see the Export Range category. Tick the "All" selection.
Click the Save button.
Uninstall Windows Updates
Method #1
Windows Update is a very important tool that serves to protect or improve upon your computers functionality. In some cases, you may encounter problems due to an update that did not install correctly. If this happens, here is how you can uninstall the update package:
Go to Start>> Control Panel>> Add or Remove Programs
Select the Change or Remove Programs button
Locate the offending update, click it to highlight it, then click the Change/Remove button
If it is an updated device drive that is causing the problem, here's how you can uninstall the updated driver and go back to the previous one.
Go to Start>> Control Panel>> System
Click the Hardware tab
Select Device Manager
Double click the offending device
Click the Driver tab
Select Roll Back Driver
Method #2
Using System Restore, you can quickly and easily take your system back to a restore point before installing the update. Here's how:
Go to Start>> All Programs>> Accessories>> System Tools>> System Restore
Tick the task that states "Restore my computer to an earlier time"
Click Next, then follow the onscreen instructions
Microsoft Narrator
Microsoft narrator is an accessibility option to assist the hearing impaired. To activate this feature:
Select Start, Programs >> Accessories >>Accessibility >>Narrator. (Or press the Windows key plus the letter "U" to open the Utility Manager.)
Once you've read through the intro screen (or let the Narrator do it), click OK.
You'll now see a dialog box of Narrator options.
Assuming you want to leave Narrator running, select the desired options, then minimize its dialog box. And if you've opened the Utility Manager, feel free to close it.
To turn Narrator off, click the Exit button or right-click its taskbar item and select Close.
Install the NetBEUI Protocol
This tip describes how to install the NetBEUI protocol on a Windows XP-based computer. This may be useful because the NetBEUI protocol is not included in the list of installable protocols in Windows XP even though the files that are needed to install the protocol are included with the installation CD-ROM. It is important to note that the NetBEUI protocol is not supported on Windows XP.
The Netnbf.inf and Nbf.sys files are the files that are needed to install the NetBEUI protocol. To install the NetBEUI protocol:
Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Connections.
Right-click the adapter you want to add NetBEUI to, and then click Properties.
On the General tab, click Install.
Click Protocol, and then click Add.
Click Have Disk, insert your Windows XP CD-ROM, open the Valueadd\msft\net\netbeui folder, click the Netnbf.inf file, and then click Open.
Click OK, and then click OK to complete the installation.
Reinstall the Windows games
Follow the instructions for your version of Windows. Unless you have the Windows installation files on your hard drive, you will need your Windows installation CD.
To reinstall Windows games in Windows XP and 2000
On the Windows taskbar, click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.
Click Add or Remove Windows Components.
Select Accessories and Utilities, and then click Details.
Select Games, and then click Details.
Uncheck all games.
Click OK on any open window.
Click Next on the Windows Component Wizard window.
When the process finishes, click Finish.
Repeat steps 1-8, this time rechecking the Games check box.
To reinstall Windows games in Windows 98, 95, and Me
On the Windows taskbar, click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.
On the Windows Setup tab, double-click Accessories.
Uncheck Games.
Click Apply, and then OK to close any open windows.
When the process finishes, repeat steps 1-4, but this time recheck the Games check box.
Print only selected text from web sites
If you have found a great recipe online but you don't want to print out the whole web page, here is how you can print only the text you select.
Highlight the text that you would like to print by left clicking once and while holding the click down, drag your mouse over the chosen text (see figure #1).
Once the text is highlighted, right click the highlighted area and select Print.
In the resulting Print window, tick the "Selection" entry under the Page Range option
Click Print.
Email a picture of your screen
If you ever need to copy something that appears on your screen, such as an error message or a section of a document to be emailed to another party, Windows makes this an easy task. Here's how:
Once you have the item that you would like to copy on your screen, press the Print Screen (prt scr) key on your keyboard. This key is right next to your F12 key on a standard keyboard. You have now captured the image and it is ready to be pasted into a picture editor. In this tip we will use Paint to edit this image. Here's how:
Go to Start>> All Programs>> Accessories>> Paint.
Go to Edit>> Paste. This will paste your captured image into the picture palette area.
Using the rectangular shaped (Select) tool from the left menu, you can select a rectangular area around the particular message that you would like to copy (see Figure #1).
With the area selected, go to Edit>> Copy.
Next, go to File>> New. Choose not to save the changes to the old palette. A new palette will now be created.
Now, go to Edit>> Paste. The selected area of your first palette is now in the new palette (see Figure #2).
Go to File>> Save as... Name the file whatever you would like and save it to a location that can be easily found later (such as your desktop).
Create a new email message and save this new image as either a picture to be inserted into the body of your email or as an attachment to your email.
Microsoft Photo Story 3 for Windows XP
Microsoft has made available for free, a program that will bring your digital photo's to life! With this powerful program you can:
Create slideshows
Touch-up, crop, or rotate pictures
Add stunning special effects and soundtracks
Narrate your photo stories
Personalize them with titles and captions
Send your photo stories in an e-mail
Watch them on your TV, a computer, or a Windows Mobile-based portable device
System Requirements:
Supported Operating Systems: Windows XP; Windows XP Home Edition; Windows XP Media Center Edition; Windows XP Professional Edition; Windows XP Service Pack 1; Windows XP Service Pack 2
Processor Required: Intel P3 700-megahertz (MHz)
or equivalent processor, an Intel P4 1.7-gigahertz (GHz) or equivalent
processor recommended.
Memory: 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM, 512 MB of RAM
or more recommended.
Disk space: 400 MB of available hard disk space.
Monitor: Super VGA (800 x 600) or
higher-resolution video adapter and monitor.
Windows Genuine Advantage.
Microsoft Windows Media Player 10.
Microsoft DirectX 9.0 or later.
Windows XP-compatible sound card and speakers.
Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing
device.
Microphone to record narration.
Learn more about Photo Story 3 and download it here:
CODE: SELECT ALL
Code:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx
Obtain Version Information
Using the Windows Registry, you can quickly and easily find your Windows version, build and service pack information for Windows NT, 2000, XP.
Go to Start>> Run, type in: regedit [Enter]
Drill to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
The following values tell the following information:
Value Information
CSDVersion Service Pack
CurrentBuildNumber Build Number
CurrentVersion Version Number
ProductName Windows Version Name
How to login as Administrator
[ XP Pro]
XP's built-in Administrator account is hidden from the welcome screen when a user account with admin privileges exists and is enabled. XP Home Edition allows you to login as built-in administrator in safe mode only. In XP Professional, just press CTRL+ALT+DEL twice at the Welcome Screen then type in your admin password into the resulting classic logon window that appears. Below, you will find two methods to have the admin account display in the welcome screen.
[1] TweakUI:
You can download Tweakui for free here:
CODE: SELECT ALL
Code:
http://www.5starsupport.com/info/xpinfo.htm#powertoys
1. Once you open Tweakui.
2. In the left pane, click the Logon option.
3. Then place a checkmark in the Show Administrator option.
4. Click OK
Once you logoff, the welcome screen should now list Administrator login.
[2] Edit Windows Registry:
Warning: Be sure to make a backup copy of the registry prior to making any changes.
Go to Start>> Run>> Type in: regedit [Enter]
Drill down to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/Winlogon/SpecialAccounts/UserList
Right-click an empty space in the right pane and select New DWORD Value. Type in the word Administrator as the value. Double-click this new value, and enter 1 as the data. Close the registry editor.
Download PowerToys for Windows XP
I just ran across this link and wanted to share it. There are many useful utilities listed in the link below. But the most useful is TweakUI which in my opinion is a "must-have"!
CODE: SELECT ALL
Code:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
Clear AutoComplete Entries from Web Forms
I'm sure that all of you have noticed that when you are filling out a web form, once you press a letter, many different text choices are available in the AutoComplete menu. To remove any of these items, just simply highlight the item and press delete on your keyboard. To completely clear all AutoComplete entries, follow the steps below:
Open Internet Explorer
Go to Tools>> Internet Options>> Content tab
Under the Personal Information category, press the AutoComplete button.
Press Clear Forms from the resulting menu.
How to tell if SP2 is installed
Here is a very easy method to show if you have SP2 installed:
1. Go to Start
2. Right click on My Computer
3. You will now see a similar image to that of my illustration below
Find out what programs are installed
To find out what Microsoft products are installed on your computer, follow the instructions below:
Go to Start>> Help and Support
In the left column of the Help and Support window and under "Pick a Help Topic", select "Windows basics".
In the left pane, click the plus (+) symbol to expand "Core Windows tasks".
Click "Searching for information".
In the right pane, under "Pick a task:", click "Get information about your computer".
In the right pane, under "What do you want to do?", click "View a list of Microsoft software installed on this computer".
Once you have the information in view, you can Print this information by clicking the Print button located in the toolbar above the list of information.
Questions you should ask yourself when buying a new computer
Is it the latest technology?
Make sure that you are getting the latest technology. With computers changing so rapidly, you could run the risk of having an outdated system in a very short period of time. It also may not be a bad idea to make sure that your new system is upgradeable.
Does it have everything I need?
Do you need a new monitor with it? Does it come with the software that you need? Do you need a new printer? Will the printer that your system comes with fit your needs? If you are buying a package deal, make sure that what you are getting is going to be good enough for you. At the same time, make sure you are not getting things that you will never use.
What technical support is included?
Almost all computers are essentially made from the same parts. It is the technical support that can often set one company apart from the others. There is great peace of mind in knowing that if a problem should arise, you have competent tech support at your service! Make sure that they have a toll free number and check to see what their hours of operation are. Be sure to check on the actual coverage. Many times the computer stores extended service coverage will only start when the manufactures warranty has expired.
Be sure to ask plenty of questions when purchasing a new computer. Feel free to shop around. The Internet has made shopping for computers very easy and most manufactures web sites have excellent descriptions and visual references to their systems and system components. If you do a little homework before you buy your new computer, you will help ensure that your system will work well for you.
Capture a Windows Screen
If for whatever reason you would like to capture what is on your computer screen, Windows makes this task easy. here's how:
Press the Printscreen (prt scr) key. This will place a digital image of your screen on to the clipboard.
Open any image editing software such as:
Paint
Word
PowerPoint
Select Edit and Paste
The image will now be available to edit. From here you can print it, save it to a file or post it to the Web like the screen capture below.
Limit Computer's Function
I would like to create a separate user account on Windows XP that would be given VERY LIMITED functions, similar to those system you might see in a library. It must not have any access to hard drives nor access any programs. I would like to be able to control Internet access at the Administration level if possible. How would I go about doing this?
It looks like you are looking for something like the Computer Toolkit for Windows. Computer Toolkit for Windows was designed to help administrators better manage and secure public computers, such as those in kiosks, libraries, Internet cafes, schools, etc. But the toolkit is useful for any situation in which multiple persons use the same computer, including family computing and small business offices where several employees must use the same machine. [More]
Also see: Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit
Easily re-activate your XP installation
In the event you need to reinstall your XP installation, you won't have to re-activate it. All you have to do is copy the wpa.dbl file located at WINDOWS\system32 folder prior to the reinstallation. Once the reinstallation is complete, replace the copied file with the newly created one.
Protect your data during a power outage
I'm sure that many of you have been victims of data loss due to a power outage. In some cases, devastated by this event. Most people that need certain safe guards from power outages use a Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). It used to be that a UPS would only be used at places such as data centers or critical business applications. Since the cost of a UPS has come down considerably over the years, this is now a cost effective solution for personal computers too.
A UPS is nothing more than a battery backup. So, knowing that the UPS is giving you 'battery' power during a power outage, you know that you are not going to be able to continue working on your computer, but you will have enough time to save the work that you've already started. That is its sole purpose.
If you have unsaved data and are away from your computer during a power outage, you can configure your 'Power Option' settings to ensure that your computer will go in to Hibernate mode before the battery backup power is gone. Once a computer enters Hibernate mode, it takes all of the data that is in memory and stores it on your hard drive. Here is how to configure this setting:
Go to Start>> Control Panel>> Performance and Maintenance>> Power Options.
In Power Option Properties, select the Hibernate tab.
Place a checkmark in the checkbox titled: Enable hibernation. Click Apply
Click the Power Schemes tab.
In the Power Schemes drop down menu, select Max Battery from the list.
In the "System hibernates" category, select a time that is less than your maximum backup battery life. Click Apply
Exit all windows.
Store all of your passwords on one secure database
If you have a long list of user names and passwords used for a variety of different frequently accessed programs, then it will interest you to know that there is a free utility that uses a high level encryption to keep these sensitive items safely stored in its database. This free utility is called "KeePass". It is an open-source password manager designed to store all of your passwords and user names in a safe and secure way, and all on one database.
Instructions for use:
Download and Run the KeePass program.
From the 'File' menu select "New Database".
Enter a Master Password or select a "Key Disk".
You can now store your passwords in Groups. As an example; Store all of your banking, asset management or home business passwords in a group named "Financial". Store all of your game site passwords in another group named "Games".
Populate each group by selecting each group in the right pane and right click the group entry. Select "Add Entry" from the resulting menu.
Note: To get familiar with this powerful utility, you can browse their help files. Click on the "?" for help.
BIOS Settings
As your system boots, Windows has created a method to gain access to the BIOS settings. Most commonly, this entails pressing the DELETE key on your keyboard repeatedly as the system boots. If you have created a BIOS password, you will be prompted as some point to enter it. If you have forgotten your BIOS password, we have a web page that can help:
BIOS Generic Passwords
Once you've gained entrance to the BIOS settings you will see many self explanatory settings. The settings you see will depend on the manufacturer of your motherboard.
Windows Utilities Shortcuts
Here are some popular shortcuts to handy Windows utilities:
Simply type the shortcut command in to the Run textbox (Start>> Run), then click OK.
Shortcut
Utility
compmgmt.msc Computer Management
devmgmt.msc Device Manager
dfrg.msc Disk Defragmenter
diskmgmt.msc Disk Management
eventvwr.msc Event Viewer
fsmgmt.msc Shared Folders Manager
gpedit.msc Group Policies Editor
lusrmgr.msc Local Users and Groups Manager
perfmon.msc Performance Monitor
secpol.msc Local Security Settings
services.msc Services
Create a Password Reset Disk
Creating a password reset disk is a great backup idea for when/if you should ever forget your login password. You will need to be running XP Professional as a local user in a workgroup environment. Here's how to create the disk:
Go to Start>> Control Panel>> User Accounts
Select your account name.
Under the Related Tasks category, select "Prevent a forgotten password".
The Forgotten Password Wizard will now be invoked. Follow the onscreen instructions to successfully create your Password Reset Disk.
Important: Be sure to store this disk in a safe place. Anyone having access to it can easily access your information.
Using the Windows Key
The Windows logo key, located in the bottom row of most computer keyboards is a little-used treasure. Don't ignore it. It is the shortcut anchor for the following commands:
Windows: Display the Start menu
Windows + D: Minimize or restore all windows
Windows + E: Display Windows Explorer
Windows + F: Display Search for files
Windows + L: Lock the workstation
Windows + M: Minimize all windows
Windows + Q: Quick switching of users (Powertoys only)
Windows + Q: Hold Windows Key, then tap Q to scroll thru the different users on your pc
Windows + R: Display Run dialog box
Windows + U: Open Utility Manager
Windows + Ctrl + F: Display Search for computer
Windows + F1: Display Help and Support Center
Windows + Pause/ Break: Display System Properties dialog box
Windows + Shift + M: Undo minimize all windows
Windows + Tab: Cycles through all open programs and taskbar buttons. Press [ENTER] to select.
No comments:
Post a Comment