Computer tricks including windows XP tips and tricks and Internet secrets

The Network Time Protocol - Used in Computer Networks

2009-07-20T13:02:00.000+05:30

By description, this is a protocol designed for transfer of time around a computer network. It works through a hierarchy composed of several strata starting with Stratum 0 which provides the external source of time. Stratum 1 gets the accurate time from a hardware clock which can be got through GPS signals as they are the safest and most reliable. This is because of the many satellites that orbit the earth at any one time. The references are not limited to these as radio signals and broadcasts also provide a safe and relatively reliable source of time. The broadcasts vary with locations and are not as centralized as the GPS signals but they all provide related times, if not equal. Some common ones include MSF from the UK, JJY from Japan and WWVB from the USA.

Reliability being the main issue means that there is need for backup reference clocks in the unlikely event of a signal outage. These references provide the time with the same precision as the signals and are able to maintain a holdover for extended periods until the signals are regained. These backups are expensive however and the reasons for getting them should be more than the reasons for foregoing them. If you decide you need them to maintain the time then there are crystal oscillators that come at a good price.

NTP client software is usually provided with most OS. Linux has GNU public licence NTP client while Windows has Windows Time service. The advantage of having NTV servers is that is to make sure that the time-stamped transactions are carried out in the specified order. They are the missing link between network time distribution and the global time scale and should be an integral part of any company or organization.

Invisible Keylogger - Stealth Tool of Protection

2009-07-20T13:00:00.001+05:30

Invisible keylogger stealth software tools are what you need if you are looking to protect yourself from those who would commit misdeeds against your business, your web surfing children, or your emotional happiness. The latter is often what these software programs are used for, as it's the best way to catch a cheating lover in the act and then confront them with the cold, hard proof. After all, you can try to argue until you are blue in the face with only theory on your side... it won't be until you have actual facts and proof of them that you can make a solidly based confrontation about it.

This is especially important when you are trying to catch an employee misusing paid time on internet poker gambling or chatting with friends. You cannot fire someone or even reprimand them just on suspicion, you need proof of misconduct. But when using an invisible keylogger, stealth is the key. If there are any telltale signs that a computer is under surveillance, then you'll not be catching anyone in the act of anything... anyone in their right minds, anyway.

The best invisible keylogger stealth tactic is in being invisible. It should run automatically once the computer switches on, and it shouldn't have any icons waving flags about its existence on the computer. It should record everything onto invisible files and then covertly send it all off to your e-mail address with utter discretion. This way, you can view the playback of what's been going on at your leisure and then act accordingly.

If you would like to find the most covert and invisibly run keylogger downloads to use, you can find all the information you need at http://www.keyloggerdownloads.com

How Optimizing Windows Increases Computer Performance

2009-07-20T12:52:00.000+05:30

Ultra Optimizer is one of the best and effective registry cleaner among other registry cleaners and it greatly improves the performance of your system. It is greatly technically developed windows registry cleaner truly optimizes your computer. It is easily available almost everywhere in the world now. Along with enhanced performance, it also fixes a lot of errors that are found on your system. Because of the highly advanced scanning engine, it also competently detects and resolves faults on your PC as compared to any other registry cleaner on the market today. As Ultra Optimizer has several build in mechanism, this helps a greatly improved PC performance.

As the usage of computers is growing greatly, people generally face difficulties while they often use their computers. The slowdown in your work results to frustrations and you end up switching off your system. But this is not the solution to your continuous trouble. Its time to get a perfect registry cleaner for your system to improve its performance. While you are often using Windows, downloading or starting new programs and files, causes the systems registry cleaner to clutter. This decreases the performance of your system. So, Ultra Optimizer is here to save the computer resources and optimize Window performance. Apart from optimizing your PC, the Optimizer also fixes your PC errors as well as prevents any type of errors on it before they arise.

Ultra Optimizer is mainly created to Fine Tune each and every PC which functions on any Windows based operating system. This is very safe and easy too. The finest thing is that you need not be a professional to Fine Tune and optimize your PC perfectly. You will be amazed to know that this software actually scans your system completely, sets up back up as well as suggest what is best set up for your system. Even a beginner can improve the performance of his system and solve any type of mistake, thanks to the technically developed software.

Ultra Optimizer is used all over the world and it is regarded as the world's best registry cleaner by all the computer professionals worldwide. Your computer performs quicker and better, you feel more than satisfied due to the improved performance of your system with Ultra Optimizer! No need to waste your time and money on any other registry cleaner, just try Ultra Optimizer for satisfactory results. Not only this, It's also able to safeguards your privacy as you can eradicate all that you were surfing just by clicking your mouse a few times. This is the simplest way to protect your privacy.

There are many online stores that includes this optimizer with your new system. It is easily available and hence you can optimize Window and increase your Computer performance with this amazing software. You can now optimize the performance of you PC with Ultra Optimizer that is easily available in any online store. Thus, you get all in one, secure registry cleaner for your system, easy to operate and of course enhanced speed and performance of your system. Now you can enjoy all the benefits of Ultra Optimizer for your PC, so get one today.

How to take screenshot from Windows Media Player?

2009-07-14T12:15:00.003+05:30

When playing the video or when it is paused just press Ctrl and I button together (Ctrl+I). Windows media player then throws up a save as screen and you can save the screen shot as a JPEG file.

If “use video mixing renderer” option under Tools=>Options=>Performance=>Advanced is checked then Ctrl+I works, otherwise plain old screen print works!

Windows XP keyboard tricks - Help, my screen is upside down!

2009-07-14T11:45:00.001+05:30

Here are some Windows keyboard tricks you can use to impress your friends! These are nothing but less known features of the Windows XP operating system. To revert back the screen to previous state, repeat the key combination again.

Trick 1 (High Contrast) - Hold Shift, Alt and Print Screen keys together. Click on “OK” when a message appears (this enables high contrast on Windows system). The screen should change to black!

Trick 2 (Magnifier) - Hold Windows key (logo key) and R key together. Type magnify in the run box and then press Enter. This enables magnifier tool and anything near the mouse trail will now appear magnified on top!

Trick 3 (Invert Windows screen) - This is one of the scariest tricks which turns Windows upside down. You can press Ctrl, Alt and then any of the four arrow keys (Ctrl-Alt-Down will rotate screen by 180 degrees)! I have noticed that this doesn’t work on certain Windows XP machines (It is dependent on video driver).

Convert a FAT Partition to NTFS

2009-07-05T17:23:00.001+05:30

To convert a FAT partition to NTFS, perform the following steps.

Click Start, click Programs, and then click Command Prompt.

In Windows XP, click Start, and then click Run.

At the command prompt, type CONVERT [driveletter]: /FS:NTFS.

Convert.exe will attempt to convert the partition to NTFS.

NOTE: Although the chance of corruption or data loss during the conversion from FAT to NTFS is minimal, it is best to perform a full backup of the data on the drive that it is to be converted prior to executing the convert command. It is also recommended to verify the integrity of the backup before proceeding, as well as to run RDISK and update the emergency repair disk (ERD).

Convert.exe will attempt to convert the partition to NTFS.

Rename the Recycle Bin

2009-07-05T17:18:00.000+05:30

To change the name of the Recycle Bin desktop icon, open Regedit and go to:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/CLSID/{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

and change the name "Recycle Bin" to whatever you want (don't type any quotes).

Faster Way To Shut Down And Log Off Windows XP

2009-07-05T17:17:00.000+05:30

If you’re experiencing slow shutdowns and log offs on your Windows XP, this trick will help you.

Instead of accessing the shutdown menu via Start->Turn Off Computer, open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

Press “Shut Down” at the top of the Task Manager and choose what you want your Windows XP to do

Bypass The Recycle Bin When Deleting Files

2009-07-05T17:07:00.000+05:30

If you are absolutely sure you want to delete a file, why send it to the Recycle Bin? Windows lets you bypass it really easily:

To delete a file or a group of files, select them with and when they are highlighted, press Shift+Delete. Press “Yes” in the confirmation box that opens and you’re done!

Gmail password recovery

2009-06-28T17:17:00.002+05:30

We are human and all humans are liable to forget important information. You are certainly not the only one to forget your Gmail password - there would be hundreds, if not thousands of subscribers who have would have lost this password before you. I too have been guilty of this in the past.

Anyway, if you've lost your Gmail password, it's not difficult to get back the access to your account. And this depends on whether you remember some other important pieces of information. Let us start the process of retrieving the login detail.

Gmail being a reliable and helpful service has a whole section dedicated to providing solutions to common problems. Point your browser to the password recovery page. Enter your username and hit the "Submit" button.

Enter Gmail username and hit the submit button to recover your lost Gmail password

You will now be shown the captcha image (image with wavy text) and you need to enter the characters you see. This is done to ensure you are indeed a human. Assuming you were able to complete this step, the password retrieval details will be sent to your alternate email address. Gmail won't tell you exactly which email address the instructions were sent but it would inform you the domain of the email address as "instructions sent to your hotmail.com email address".

What is the alternate email address? Well, this was the "optional" field in the Gmail account creation form in which you had to enter another email address of yours. You may have ignored this field or left it blank intentionally if Gmail was your first email account - I understand and so does Gmail. If this is the scenario, you can get back the access of your account ONLY after five days by answering the security question.

The security question is a protective measure against the theft of your Gmail account password. When you were filling the form to create the Gmail account, you were asked to either select a security question or enter your own which was followed by a request for the answer. The security question and answer would now be the key to getting your Gmail account password... but only after 5 days of inactivity. Google clearly mentions that this period of five days cannot be waived off.
No alternate email and cannot answer security question

If you didn't enter an alternate email or don't have access to it anymore and have also forgotten the security question and answer... hard luck! There is no way to get your account back. So what do you do?

I offer two pieces of advice - forget about the account with the lost password, get a new Gmail address. I suppose this account was not very important as we don't tend to forget vital information do we?

Having said that, there is a way to get hold of the lost account again. All inactive Gmail accounts are removed after 9 months (at the time of writing). Mark the day in your calendar and signup for a new account with the same username once the period is over. Yes, all your old emails will be deleted but you at least get your old account (with the same email address) back!

Microsoft to provide free Windows 7 to Vista Users

2009-06-26T16:34:00.002+05:30

Microsoft plans to allow PC makers to offer customers who buy Windows Vista machines as of July 1 free upgrades to Windows 7 once it ships.

Customers will receive the free Windows 7 updates some time after Windows 7 becomes generally available

Windows Vista Home Premium purchasers will get a free upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium, the site says. Windows Vista Business users will get an upgrade to Windows 7 Professional. And users who buy PCs running Windows Vista Ultimate starting July 1 will get a free upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate.

Move My Documents Folder

2009-06-25T19:04:00.001+05:30

Keeping the My Documents folder on a partition separate from the operating-system files can save you pain if you have to reformat the boot partition. You may also want to store it on a network share that gets backed up regularly.

Right-click on My Documents on the desktop or in the Start menu and choose Properties.
Click on Find Target to select the new location, and click on OK.
In the Move Documents box, click on Yes to move the documents.

Make your own icons

2009-06-25T18:55:00.000+05:30

It's shockingly easy to create your own icons in Windows XP. Let's do it: Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, and then click Paint. On the Image menu, click Attributes. Type 32 for both the Width and Height of the document, and make sure that Pixels is selected under Units. Click OK to create a new 32x32-pixel document: the size of an icon.

Now add type, color, or do whatever you'd like to your image. I like to shrink photos (headshots work best) to 32x32 and simply paste them into my Paint document. When you're finished, open the File menu and click Save As. Use the dialog box to choose where you want to save your file, then give it a name followed by ".ico" (without the quotes), and click Save. (The extension ".ico" tells Windows that it's an icon file.) You just created an icon! Now you can change any shortcut or folder to your own icon—just browse to it on your hard drive.

Speed up the Start Menu

2009-06-25T18:47:00.000+05:30

The default speed of the Start Menu is pretty slow, but you can fix that by editing a Registry Key. Fire up the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop \ MenuShowDelay

By default, the value is 400. Change this to a smaller value, such as 0, to speed it up.

If this doesn't work for some reason, then you might try the following:

Navigate to Display Properties then Appearance then Effects and turn off the option titled Show menu shadow. You will get much better overall performance.

The Importance of Online Backup in Your Company

2009-06-25T18:30:00.000+05:30

All the files in every company are crucial and confidential. It is important for these companies to keep their data safe to avoid possible problem in the future, thus having a backup copy of all their files is what they need to do. Tape drive is what some companies are using to store their files and to make sure that they are safe. However, there are times wherein tape drives are not that reliable.

Through the ability of the technology to provide services that give convenience to people, the backup file-saving method becomes easier now. All the disadvantages of these tape drives have been improved in the form of an online backup. Not only that this backup system is the new innovation of the fast paced technology, it is also another tool that can be used for a more hassle-free working method.

Your company may experience a great relief when it comes to storing your files in your backup tool if you will try to use an online backup. You may leave the traditional tape drive behind and make an advance move in giving your company a favor. Having a backup file through online is more convenient and more affordable.

This new online service is very safe to use. It assures you that your data are secured in a trusted server that is being supervised 24 hours a day seven days a week. Your data has a round-a-clock maintenance and you will never get worried losing the valuable data of your company.

Let go of using tape drives that can get lost and worn out. Tape drives have a life span limit unlike the online backup. Do not put your data at risk when the tape drives themselves need to be repaired. Backing up those data via online is what you need due to the fact that it is a more secured method. And since you consider your data confidential, there will be no way that a third party can have an access in your backup even if it is stored via online.

A company can save a lot of money and time when they use this online backup service. You know how every company treasures budget and time and how these things are related in the company's success. The management not just in your company but in other companies as well is already handling a lot of responsibilities. It is a huge help if troubles in backup data will be eliminated in the list of their worries.

Having this kind of system in your company's computer will be the included in the tools that would take care of your precious business. Once in your company's system, all that you have to wait is an email message which confirms that your data is securely backed up. Unlike the tape drives, you can restore the data anytime you want by yourself. Be one of the companies who are gaining advancement by using this online backup system. It is very simple and cost effective method that secures your company's profits.

Data Recovery Software - how it works?

2009-06-25T18:28:00.000+05:30

"You mean to tell me just because I deleted it, that don't mean it's gone?"

Ever accidentally deleted something really important from your computer's hard drive, such as a school report paper or some sort of work document that you worked really hard on? What if I told you you could have easily retrieved that file because it was never really deleted, but rather just hiding from you? I bet it would really boil your noggin at first, especially if you had to recreate your entire English Lit. essay from scratch at 4:30 in the morning like some sort of dummy. Hey, we've all been there. But that doesn't mean we have to put up with it again. So how does data recovery work exactly? Settle in and I'll explain to you the quick and dirty way to recover lost, deleted or corrupted files through the process known as data recovery.

The reason data recovery works is based on the way computers store information. Microsoft Windows operating systems use something called a file allocation table (FAT for short) to map out exactly what files are on your hard drives and exactly where each file is located on the hard drives. But the actual files are stored separate from the maps that detail where each file is located on your hard drives.

One way to look at it is that the FAT is sort of like a book's table of contents, and the actual files on your hard drives are like the pages that make up the book. So pretend you're holding in your hands your favorite (or least favorite) book, and picture yourself flipping to the table of contents. Now imagine yourself violently tearing the table of contents out of the book, soaking it with gasoline and lighting it on fire. After you've safely extinguished the flames and placed the ashes in a proper waste receptacle, picture yourself picking up the book again. Did you destroying the table of contents in any way, shape or form affect the pages and chapters of the book? Can you still read the book just fine without the table of contents? The obvious answer is yes, the book reads just fine with or without the table of contents, but it would take a lot more time for you to find your favorite chapter. It's the same thing with your hard drive, and often it's just the FAT (the table of contents) that is troublesome, not the actual files on your computer. If the file still exists on your hard drive, it can be recovered assuming it is not damaged and it is not encrypted.

The FAT for every file and folder on each of your hard drives is stored in a portion at the beginning of your hard drives. Windows uses this collection of information to form your system's directory tree structure. When you erase the FAT, the operating system won't be able to find the file, and it will report to you that the file is missing or deleted. But this is where data recovery steps in! But how does data recovery work?

Data recovery functions to reassemble your operating system's file system so your files can be accessed again. The file system is the way your operating system indexes and "remembers" where all your files are located. But if you've lost some data you will quickly realize that file systems can really be a pain in the rear, and navigating them can be quite like a maze.

There exist many recovery engineers who have been trained in the art of data recovery. These brave souls will endure and dominate even the most confusing of data trees and screwed up file systems, so you don't have to. There also exist many software companies that will sell you all sorts of DIY automatic fix programs, claiming it can automatically and easily diagnose and fix any lost data problems on your hard drive. But hiring a trained professional is your best bet, especially when it comes to very important or sensitive materials. A lot of data recovery actually involves physically repairing the disks by hand to properly and completely recover lost data. This is something automatic fix software just can't do.

XP Start ==> Run commands

2009-06-23T12:32:00.000+05:30

These are GUI applications that can be opened from the run line. These applications are not located in the C:\windows\system32\ directory, the keys for these applications are located in the registry under:

HKLM\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\app paths

	CONF.EXE - NetMeeting
	DIALER.EXE - Phone Dialer
	HELPCTR.EXE - Help and Support
	HYPERTRM.EXE - HyperTerminal
	ICWCONN1.EXE - Internet Connection Wizard
	IEXPLORE.EXE - Internet Explorer
	INETWIZ.EXE - Setup Your Internet Connection
	INSTALL.EXE - User's Folder
	MIGWIZ.EXE - File and Settings Transfer Wizard
	MSCONFIG.EXE - System Configuration Utility
	MSIMN.EXE - Outlook Express
	MSINFO32.EXE - System Information
	MSMSGS.EXE - Windows Messenger
	MSN6.EXE - MSN Explorer
	PBRUSH.EXE - Paint
	WAB.EXE - Windows Address Book
	WABMIG.EXE - Address Book Import Tool
	WINNT32.EXE - User's Folder

These .EXE files reside in (c:\windows\system32\) or(c:\windows\) directory.

	ACCWIZ.EXE - Accessibility Wizard
	CHARMAP.EXE - Character Map
	CLEANMGR.EXE - Disk Space Cleanup Manager
	CLICONFG.EXE - SQL Client Configuration Utility
	CLSPACK.EXE - Class Package Export Tool
	CMSTP.EXE - Connection Manager Profile Installer
	CONTROL.EXE - Control Panel
	DCOMCNFG.EXE - Component Services
	DDESHARE.EXE - DDE Share
	DRWATSON.EXE - Doctor Watson v1.00b
	DRWTSN32.EXE - Doctor Watson Settings
	DXDIAG.EXE - DirectX Diagnostics
	EUDCEDIT.EXE - Private Character Editor
	EVENTVWR.EXE - Event Viewer
	EXPLORER.EXE - Windows Explorer
	FXSCLNT.EXE - Fax Console
	FXSCOVER.EXE - Fax Cover Page Editor
	FXSEND.EXE - MS Fax Send Note Utility
	LOGOFF.EXE - System Logoff
	MAGNIFY.EXE - Microsoft Magnifier
	MMC.EXE - Microsoft Management Console
	MOBSYNC.EXE - Microsoft Synchronization Manager
	MPLAY32.EXE - Windows Media Player version 5.1
	MSTSC.EXE - Remote Desktop Connection
	NARRATOR.EXE - Microsoft Narrator
	NETSETUP.EXE - Network Setup Wizard
	NSLOOKUP.EXE - NSLookup Application
	NTSD.EXE - Symbolic Debugger for Windows 2000
	ODBCAD32.EXE - ODBC Data Source Administrator
	OSUNINST.EXE - Windows Uninstall Utility
	PACKAGER.EXE - Object Packager
	PERFMON.EXE - Performance Monitor
	PROGMAN.EXE - Program Manager
	RASPHONE.EXE - Remote Access Phonebook
	REGEDIT.EXE - Registry Editor
	REGEDT32.EXE - Registry Editor
	RESET.EXE - Resets Session
	RSTRUI.EXE - System Restore
	RTCSHARE.EXE - RTC Application Sharing
	SFC.EXE - System File Checker
	SHRPUBW.EXE - Create Shared Folder
	SHUTDOWN.EXE - System Shutdown
	SIGVERIF.EXE - File Signature Verification
	SNDREC32.EXE - Sound Recorder
	SNDVOL32.EXE - Sound Volume
	SYNCAPP.EXE - Create A Briefcase
	SYSEDIT.EXE - System Configuration Editor
	SYSKEY.EXE - SAM Lock Tool
	TASKMGR.EXE - Task Manager
	TELNET.EXE - MS Telnet Client
	TSSHUTDN.EXE - System Shutdown
	TOURSTART.EXE - Windows Tour Launcher
	UTILMAN.EXE - System Utility Manager
	USERINIT.EXE - My Documents
	VERIFIER.EXE - Driver Verifier Manager
	WIAACMGR.EXE - Scanner and Camera Wizard
	WINCHAT.EXE - Windows for Workgroups Chat
	WINHELP.EXE - Windows Help Engine
	WINHLP32.EXE - Help
	WINVER.EXE - Windows Version Information
	WSCRIPT.EXE - Windows Script Host Settings
	WUPDMGR.EXE - Windows Update

The following are Control Panel applets that can be run from the run line. They are located in the c:\windows\system32 directory, and have the file type extension ".CPL".

	ACCESS.CPL - Accessibility Options
	APPWIZ.CPL - Add or Remove Programs
	DESK.CPL - Display Properties
	HDWWIZ.CPL - Add Hardware Wizard
	INETCPL.CPL - Internet Explorer Properties
	INTL.CPL - Regional and Language Options
	JOY.CPL - Game Controllers
	MAIN.CPL - Mouse Properties
	MMSYS.CPL - Sounds and Audio Device Properties
	NCPA.CPL - Network Connection
	NUSRMGR.CPL - User Accounts
	ODBCCP32.CPL - ODBC Data Source Administrator
	POWERCFG.CPL - Power Options Properties
	SYSDM.CPL - System Properties
	TELEPHON.CPL - Phone and Modem Options
	TIMEDATE.CPL - Date and Time Properties

The following are Microsoft Management Console Snap-ins that can be opened from the run line. These applications have the file type extension ".MSC".

	CERTMGR.MSC - Certificates
	CIADV.MSC - Indexing Service
	COMPMGMT.MSC - Computer Management
	DEVMGMT.MSC - Device Manager
	DFRG.MSC - Disk Defragmenter
	DISKMGMT.MSC - Disk Management
	EVENTVWR.MSC - Event Viewer
	FSMGMT.MSC - Shared Folders
	LUSRMGR.MSC - Local Users and Groups
	NTMSMGR.MSC - Removable Storage
	NTMSOPRQ.MSC - Removable Storage Operator Requests
	PERFMON.MSC - Performance Monitor
	SERVICES.MSC - Services
	WMIMGMT.MSC - Windows Management Infrastructure

Hibernate in XP

2009-06-23T12:28:00.000+05:30

Whenever you want to logoff, shut down or reboot your Windows XP machine you have only 3 choices
(1) Standby ONLY IF the ACPI/APM function is properly enabled BOTH in your motherboard's BIOS AND in WinXP!
(2) Restart
(3) Shutdown.

To properly enable Hibernation in WinXP:

Start button -> Control Panel -> Power Options -> Hibernate tab -> check Enable hibernate support box -> Apply/OK -> reboot.

NOTE: If the Hibernate tab is unavailable your computer does NOT support it!
For some reason Microsoft did NOT enable the 4th option:
(4) Hibernate, which should be available on power saving (ACPI) enabled PCs and laptops.
But you CAN bring it back: just hold the Shift key while the Shut down menu is displayed on your screen, and notice the Standby button being replaced by a new, fully functional Hibernate button, which can be clicked with the left button of your mouse.

If you release the Shift key, the Hibernate option will disappear once again, to be replaced by Standby.

Disable CD Autorun

2009-06-23T12:25:00.000+05:30

1) Click Start, Run and enter GPEDIT.MSC

2) Go to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, System.

3) Locate the entry for Turn autoplay off and modify it as you wish.

Make folders private

2009-06-23T12:23:00.000+05:30

•Open My Computer
•Double-click the drive where Windows is installed (usually drive (C:), unless you have more than one drive on your computer).
•If the contents of the drive are hidden, under System Tasks, click Show the contents of this drive.
•Double-click the Documents and Settings folder.
•Double-click your user folder.
•Right-click any folder in your user profile, and then click Properties.
•On the Sharing tab, select the Make this folder private so that only I have access to it check box.

Note

•To open My Computer, click Start, and then click My Computer.
•This option is only available for folders included in your user profile. Folders in your user profile include My Documents and its subfolders, Desktop, Start Menu, Cookies, and Favorites. If you do not make these folders private, they are available to everyone who uses your computer.
•When you make a folder private, all of its subfolders are private as well. For example, when you make My Documents private, you also make My Music and My Pictures private. When you share a folder, you also share all of its subfolders unless you make them private.
•You cannot make your folders private if your drive is not formatted as NTFS For information about converting your drive to NTFS

Set Permissions for Shared Files and Folders

2009-06-23T12:17:00.000+05:30

Sharing of files and folders can be managed in two ways. If you chose simplified file sharing, your folders can be shared with everyone on your network or workgroup, or you can make your folders private. (This is how folders are shared in Windows 2000.) However, in Windows XP Professional, you can also set folder permissions for specific users or groups. To do this, you must first change the default setting, which is simple file sharing. To change this setting, follow these steps:
•Open Control Panel, click Tools, and then click Folder Options.
•Click the View tab, and scroll to the bottom of the Advanced Settings list.
•Clear the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) check box.
•To manage folder permissions, browse to the folder in Windows Explorer, right–click the folder, and then click Properties. Click the Security tab, and assign permissions, such as Full Control, Modify, Read, and/or Write, to specific users.

You can set file and folder permissions only on drives formatted to use NTFS, and you must be the owner or have been granted permission to do so by the owner.

Windows tips at your click

2009-06-23T12:14:00.000+05:30

As you know, Windows will show a tip at the startup with the heading "Did you know..." Maybe you've disable it to stop it from getting in the way of getting to your work when you turn on the computer. If you still find the tips it provide useful, here's how to make the "welcome window" show up only when you want to -- by double clicking.

Right click on the desktop or a folder
Select "New | Shortcut"
Type "welcome.exe" without the quotes and press ENTER
Type "Windows Welcome Window" and press ENTER

Now you can just double click on the newly created icon/shortcut whenever you feel like reading a tip.

Look before you click!

2009-06-23T12:00:00.000+05:30

Links on web pages are there to be clicked on, right? Well, yes, but, you might want to think twice before clicking on links to things other than web pages, such as files with unfamiliar extensions and familiar extensions such as EXE (PC executable files). This is because your browser might try to automatically bring up the associated helper application in order to read/view/print (whatever the default action is for that file type) the file you clicked on, even when you want to just download and it. For example, clicking on an EXE file might cause your browser to first download it and then automatically execute it (and by doing so possibly infect your computer with a computer virus).

If you're not sure what you're about to click on, try Right Clicking on that link and selecting "Save as..." (or similar action). This way you'll simply download the file without executing it or bringing it's default viewer.

IP changer

2009-06-22T17:26:00.000+05:30

These days, most people still don't realize how important hiding their IP address is when they're surfing the Internet. Some may be aware of the ways how to surf behind a proxy server, but it is more important for them to actually understand why such masking is helpful and even crucial.

An Internet Potocol or IP address is a series of numbers assigned to devices within a computer network. It is absolutely necessary that each one of these devices knows its own IP and that of another device to allow communication to happen. This address is, of course, integral if a computer or device is expected to participate in any such communication within a group. Each of the components of this network should have its own IP address because this will either be the destination to which information will be sent or the source that will be identified by the computer to which the information is transferred.

Just by looking at an IP address, one is able to obtain geographic information about its user. Many websites offer a service that allows the user to determine his or her own IP. In fact, these websites don't only show an IP but also background information about the user such as the state or country he is currently located and the ISP that supplies the Internet connection. While this website may not be able to obtain the exact home address of the user just basing on his IP, it can track geographic information based on the closest network hub. The more advanced websites will also give the user's area code and whether or not his computer is using a proxy server. This is obviously a grave invasion of privacy and it is something no Internet user would like to expose himself to given the right information and tools.

Masking IP addresses as allowed by an anonymous proxy is a a good step to take considering the rising incidences of identity thefts and other illegal online activities that take advantage of an unsuspecting user's personal information. However, even a proxy can be a source of abuse sometimes. In this case, a specially designed software would be much preferable, particularly that which enables you to hide behind a fake IP address to avoid being hacked or spammed. When you surf with a fake IP provided by an IP hider, you can explore the depths of the Internet without being tracked because you're not even using your real IP address. This way, you protect yourself from hackers, not to mention those annoying marketing emails.

Especially if you have very delicate and confidential files in your computer, you would definitely want to secure them from those who may have malicious intent in accessing them. When you surf with a fake IP address provided by a software that hides your real IP address, nobody knows you're even surfing, therefore, nobody's going to do anything to your files aside from you.

Retrieve a Forgotten Excel Spreadsheet Password

2009-06-22T17:20:00.000+05:30

Have you forgotten your Excel spreadsheet password? If so, here's how you may retrieve your data. There is software that you can find on the internet that can help you access your documents. The basic software is free and on most occasions the only program required for users.

To remove the password that was set on the excel file you can use the password remover software. This is is a program that may be used to remove, retrei or unlock a password on an Excel sheet or workbook.

Most passwords that are used to protect files are usually given to the workbook or individual spreadsheets. This allows users to view the file without making any changes to the structure. The only person who can modify the data is the creator of the file.

Download the software and when complete it will automatically open Excel and ask you if you will like to enable macros that are part of the add-ins. You should click enable and then open the spreadsheet that you want to unlock. Two new options will appear under the Tools button; Unprotect Workbook and Unprotect Sheet. This program only works on 2000 and 2003 versions of Windows. Windows 2007 uses a more complex encryption method making it too difficult to crack.

If the forgotten Excel password is associated with the file that contains the workbook then this password also needs to be bypassed. You will need to find software that unlocks all types of passwords, for files, workbooks and spreadsheets. Some of these products offer a free demo that will show you the first two characters of your password. This may be enough to jog your memory, otherwise you will need to purchase the product.

Top 10 Freeware Programs You should have

2009-06-22T17:09:00.000+05:30

To make sure our PC would ready to go for any missions and challenges we have to equip them with flexible, reliable, and capable applications. Today there are a huge number of free applications available to download and install on your computer, however having all of them could affect your computer performance and even causing them to break down, so in order to avoid this incident we have to be smart and reconsider before having any software install on our computer and here are the most recommend top 10 freeware you should have on your PC.

1 Avira Antivirus Personal Freeware This is the most reliable and effective free anti-virus software at the present. The software is simple to set up and use ,extensive to recognition of viruses, Trojans, backdoor programs, worms, automatic incremental updates of antivirus signatures, engine and entire software, permanent virus protection, with virus guard real time monitoring. To download and have more information please visit their website

2. ZoneAlarm Free Personal Firewall Making a personal firewall as a second layer of your home and help protect your computer from unauthorized network intrusions. This software is very easy to set up and use. To download and have more information please visit their website

3. Firefox 3 New experience on surfing internet with this fabulous browser, faster, easier and safer like never before. The feature are easy to install and use. You can separate tab for each webpage your have visited for easy to access and no confusing. The software has ability to grab and download video from You tube and save them on your computer. To download and have more information please visit their website

4. Google Earth This software is fabulous and excellent so, thanks for the Google. You can visit anyplace in this world, seeing your own home area, your neighborhood, making a site survey for your vacation, looking down to the sea. For the further information and download the software please visit their website

5. YouTube Downloader: Opening the window to the largest video source on YouTube.com and save them directly to your computer is fast and easy. Moreover, you can edit and save them in a new format as well. To download the software and have more information please visit their website

6 Free Download Manager Making your download easier and faster. This is the best solution for internet connection broken down during the download session. You will have more reliable, faster with ability to resume broken download. To download and have more information please visit their website

7. MSN Messenger This software will help you to connect with your family and friends. You can chat and share information with them easily. Moreover, if you have a web camera and microphone you also can make a video conversation. This great software will allow you to access news source and your mail box easily. For further detail and download please go to their website

8 PhotoScape This is an all-in-one style photo editor with fun and ease of use. Major capabilities are: viewer, editor, batch editor, page, combine, animated GIF, print, splitter, screen capture, color picker, rename, raw converter, resizing, brightness/color/white-balance adjustment, backlight correction, frames, balloons, text, drawing pictures, cropping, filters, red eye removal and blooming. For further detail and download software please visit their website

9 VLC Media Player This is a one stop service for video player. The most excellent and ideal application for playing video. If you have this free software, you can play almost every format of video file such as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, MP3, and OGG, as well as for DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols on this software. For further information and software download please visit their website

10 Advanced SystemCare Free It's a time to maintenance with this small utility will help you to fix and heal for broken file and corrupt registry on your computer. The maintain windows section focuses on four areas of maintenance: spyware removal, Registry cleaning, a privacy sweep, and deletion of junk files. The diagnose system button provides system optimization tools, detects spyware, defragments your disk, and scans for hijacked. For further information and software download please visit their website

Prevent users from copying your data with USB

2009-06-22T13:08:00.000+05:30

Useful trick if u have something on your computer and you don’t want being copied by someone in a USB

Click on start–>Run type regedit

Expand to the following:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE–>System–>CurrentControlSet001–>Control Add a new key and name it “StorageDevicePolicies”.

In the window on the right then create a new DWORD value and label it WriteProtect, give it a value of “1″ and users can no longer write to USB drives.

Changing the value to “0″ will allow to users to write again.

Go ahead protect your data :)

Protect yourself from cyber pirates

2009-06-22T12:04:00.000+05:30

Today we use our personal computers to run our lives. We use them to access bank accounts, buying items access to employer information and more. Unfortunately there are other unscrupulous individuals who also want access to the same information for their own means.

These are not children but thieves who are more than likely earning a living by stealing the identities of innocent, law abiding individuals and then selling those identities to others who want to slip by the system. And the only protection against these seedy people is prevention.

These 5 steps will reduce the probability of you experiencing identity theft by making your computer as hacker-proof as possible.

1. Install an anti-virus/anti-spyware program. Anti-virus/anti-spyware software will stop malicious code from downloading and installing onto your computer while you peruse the Internet. Known as viruses, worms, or spyware, this malicious code can destroy important files and render your computer good for only one thing: sending sensitive data back to the server of an identity thief.

2. Don't store sensitive data on your computer in the first place. Should your computer get infected with a virus, worm, or piece of spyware, you can thwart the individuals responsible by not storing your personal information on your PC so that when and if your computer does send back data - it won't be anything valuable. Hackers look for things like full names, social security numbers, phone numbers, home addresses, work-related information, and credit card numbers. If these things aren't saved onto a computer, there's nothing critical to worry about other than restoring your computer to a non-virus condition.

3. Don't open files without scanning them with an anti-virus/anti-spyware program. In the past, the warning was to avoid opening files from people that you don't know. Today it's really not safe to open files from anyone (without scanning the files) because that's how viruses get spread - through files - even by mistake. So even though your co-worker may have emailed a funny video, it's no more safe to open than a video downloaded from a complete stranger. Be safe and scan each and every file you download from the Internet or receive through email regardless of where it came from.

4. Create a barrier between your computer and prying eyes. Anti-virus/anti-spyware programs are only effective after the effect. But you can prevent identity theft from occurring by installing a firewall. A firewall is software that checks all data entering and exiting a computer and it then blocks that which doesn't meet specified security criteria.

5. Don't click on website links in spam messages. In an effort to obtain personal information, some spammers will send email that asks you to click on a link. The email messages are often disguised as important messages from well-known online establishments, and they often try to scare their readers into clicking links with threats of closing an account of some sort. Sometimes the links are harmless and attempt to con the reader into volunteering personal information (credit card number), but other times the links attempt to download harmful software onto a computer.

Folder Lock without using any software

2009-06-21T17:19:00.000+05:30

This is easy process to folderlock with out any software

follow the instructions :

1.Copy and Paste the code given below in to notepad and 'Save' it as batch file
(with extension '.bat').

2.Any name will do.

for example :- Ace.bat
code is :

if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST Locker goto MDLOCKER
:CONFIRM
echo Are you sure u want to Lock the folder(Y/N)
set/p "cho=>"
if %cho%==Y goto LOCK
if %cho%==y goto LOCK
if %cho%==n goto END
if %cho%==N goto END
echo Invalid choice.
goto CONFIRM
:LOCK
ren Locker "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
attrib +h +s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
echo Folder locked
goto End
:UNLOCK
echo Enter password to Unlock folder
set/p "pass=>"
if NOT %pass%==type your password here goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Locker
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Locker
echo Locker created successfully
goto End
:End

3.Then you see a batch file. Double click on this batch file to create a folder locker.

4.New folder named 'Locker' would be formed at the same location.

5.Now bring all the files you want to hide in the 'Locker' folder. Double click on the batch file to lock the folder namely 'Locker'.

If you want to unlock your files,double click the batch file again and you would be prompted for password.

Enter the password and enjoy access to the folder............. :)

Conficker - The Dog That Hasn't Barked Till Now!

2009-06-21T12:55:00.000+05:30

To quote from Arthur Conan Doyle ...

Gregory: "Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
Holmes: "To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
Gregory: "The dog did nothing in the night-time."
Holmes: "That was the curious incident."

There was much speculation in the media about what the Conficker botnet would do on the 1st of April and, as with previous virus scares (Michelangelo, CIH, SoBig etc) it turned out to be more about hype than reality. The Conficker botnet remains dormant ... so far.

The main activity in the run up to the supposed activation date of the first of April was a huge increase in the number of rogue security tools masquerading a Conficker clean-up packages. The botnet itself has yet to do anything but the act of spreading has already caused problems and claimed a number of high profile victims include the UK Ministry of Defence.

Conficker started spreading in November 2008 and, like many such worms, it uses a variety of techniques to spread including exploiting Windows vulnerabilities and spreading across network shares. Conficker can also spread using removable media such as USB memory sticks.

Earlier versions include a type of peer-to-peer functionality, this means that computers infected by this version of Conficker can communicate amongst themselves without needing to "call home" to a central server or servers.

Some versions call home to 250 different domains on a daily basis to check for updates. On Wednesday 1st April the latest version of Conficker began calling home to a sample of 500 out of 50,000 domains on a daily basis.

While Conficker hasn't done anything yet it is a very real possibility that it could in the near future. So should you be panicking, no ... as long as you keep your anti-virus package up to date as most up to date anti-virus programs will have no trouble detecting Conficker.

2009-06-21T12:21:00.000+05:30

Is your computer working at a snail's pace? Have you ever felt like smashing your computer with a hammer because it is slow, crashes or freezes all the time?When this begins to happen pretty frequently, you most likely have a Windows registry issue. And if you have tried fixing the problems with various virus or adware/spyware removal software, you know they are not the answer. This is because the Windows registry is unique in that it is easily corrupted by loading or unloading programs - and it has nothing to do with viruses, adware or spyware.

Luckily there is an easy fix to your registry problems. If you search the Internet, you will find multiple registry clean download software on the Internet that will scan your system for free - but which ones are worth it?

Here are 3 easy steps to choose a registry clean download software :

1. Locate your issues

First of all, write down the exact issues you are having. Does it take forever to start-up your computer? Does it sometimes think it has a mind of its own? Do programs take years to open? Do you have frequent .dll file error issues?

Document these issues so that you can pinpoint the best solution. Only then are you on your way to choosing the best registry clean download.

2. Identify a registry clean download software online that will give you a free scan of your registry

These days pretty much every registry software offers a free scan of your system to identify registry issues. They are simple to download and typically only take a few minutes. But make sure you go with one of the more popular ones because this typically will indicate that it has had a number of satisfied customers. The more popular ones are Regcure, Regfix, Registry Mechanic and Error Nuker.

3. Purchase the software and follow the prompts

After the free scan, the registry clean download software will prompt you with how many errors it has found. You are then given the option of purchasing the software and cleaning your registry. So, at this point, all that is left to having a like new computer is to pay for the software and fix your registry.

In these current economic times, a registry clean download can literally save you thousands of dollars by fixing your old computer. And by following these steps, you will have a clean Windows registry that should keep your computer running like the day you bought it.

To find out which Windows registry cleaner will give you the maximum benefit for the least cost, please visit http://www.RepairMyRegistryNow.com for facts and test results of the top 6 online registry clean download software on the market.