Microsoft XP Windows Pinball Hack

This is an amazing hack to windows pinball..watch and enjoy...

Tricks- Make Windows XP Start Faster

You can make faster your Windows XP by editing windows XP registry. As a precaution, you first copy the registry from windows folder to anywhere and type on run command "regedit" and enter.
After open registry, move to this path \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\PrefetchParameters.
and select the parameter "EnablePrefetcher" and right click on it and select the 'Modify' option, then change the value data from 3 to 5. Then Restart the system to see the effect.

If don't understand, see the video..

Tricks- Clean Your Windows XP Memory With One Click

We can clear the memory by creating a shortcut of rundll process program on desktop. Just create a shortcut and type or past this line and save with own name.

%windir%\system32\rundll32.exe advapi32.dll,ProcessIdleTasks

Just see the video

Tricks- Lock Your Computer With Just Two Keys

We can lock or logoff the computer suddenly by pressing Windows key + L Combination keys from Windows XP...

How To Save YouTube, MySpace. etc. Videos As AVIs

(Using only free tools!)

What You Will Need
- Firefox (I use 1.5.0.4)
- VideoDownloader Extension for Firefox
- MediaCoder (I use 0.5.0)

Instructions:
1) Download and install all of the free tools listed above.

2) Goto a site (such as Youtube, MySpace, GoogleVideo, iFilm, etc.

3) Search and find a video you would like to keep.

4) Click the VideoDownloader Button in the bottom right part of your Firefox Browser window.

5) A window will pop-up. Click the button that says 'Download Link.'

6) Click 'Save to Disk' and then click 'OK' in the 'Downloads' window.

***NOTE: If the file you download does not have the extension .flv, then rename the file and end the name with .flv***

7) Start up MediaCoder

8) Drag and Drop the .flv file(s) into the large white area

9) Click the 'Video' tab in the lower left-hand section on the window and select 'XviD' in the 'Format' drop-down menu.
10) Click the large 'Start' button (third from the right at the top of the window) to begin transcoding the video(s).

11) Once a window pops up saying that the transcoding has completed, then you are done!

Now that you have the videos in .AVI format, you can use Nero, dvdSanta, or some other DVD video burning program to burn these videos onto a DVD so you can watch them on any standard DVD player!



12. SUPER : http://www.download .com/SUPER/ 3000-2140_ 4-10557837. html )

Here is one way you could go about transcoding your video with SUPER:

After you have encoded the video, you can find the new .AVI version of the video in the C:\Program Files\eRightSoft\ SUPER\OutPut director

Replay A/V is a good commercial utility for recording ALL kinds of streaming video. The same company also makes Replay Converter which can convert those videos into AVIs or iPod/PSP formatted videos.

How to draw a car on MS Paint

The speeded up video of how this guy made a car using entirely tools on MS paint, cool video.

Painting of the Mona Lisa using Microsoft paint. Original painting time 2hrs 30mins. Plays in under 5 minutes.


Another video

Trace ip addresses

you can trace ip addresses so if someone is trying to hack your pc you trace the ip and then contact thier provider to cancel thier internet subscribtion

How to Make a Harmless & Fake Virus (no downloads nessesary)

In this tutorial I teach you how to make a harmless and fake virus. Basically what it does is just "Shutdown" your computer. It gives you the option to give the exact time before the shutdown is initiated, and it also gives you the option to leave a comment on the infected computer.

If you have any questions, please contact me visit this link,
www.knight47.com/fake_virus, or email me at
admin@knight47.com.

I take no responsibility on how you use this program, or what
you do with it!

How to Hack your Start Button

This shows you how to hack your start button but you will need resource hacker, download it at www.users.on.net/johnson/resourcehacker. This is a actual hack and you will need to Use a restore point before you do anything. I recommend to not do this unless you know what to do, and useless if youre bored of your start button. Creidts goes to the book "Hacking Windows XP" by Steve Sinchak. WARNING!!! If you tryed this and did a mistake and restarted, youre screen at the wallpaper will just show the wallpaper, nothing else. SO TRY AT YOURE OWN RISK!!! Do not blame me

Downlod Resource Hacker

Hacking a Computer with a calculator

Movie showing computer being hacked by a calculator.

How To Hack A Windows XP Password Without Any Prog

How To Hack A Windows XP Password Without Any Programs.

How to hack a password on windows xp

How to hack a password on windows xp, sorry but u do need administrative privledges to do this i was mistaken when i made the video

Easy Windows Password Hack

Learn how to recover lost or forgotten passwords, for all windows operating systems using three simple steps, with free software. Check the link above for more info. http://one.revver.com/watch/236140

Speed Painting in Photoshop [The king of Graphics]

Time lapse speed painting in Photoshop. 3 hours of work, 5 minutes to watch it.

LOST - John Locke - Speed Painting by Nico Di Mattia

A new speed painting in Photoshop, using a digital tablet. Music from "The Island OST".
About 3 hours of work. 4 minutes to watch it.

LOST - Sawyer - Speed Painting.

Spiderman black 3 speed painting in photoshop 7

This time the painting has been harder than other session (it takes 7 minutes in stead of 3 days). it has been performed free hand tecnique completely. i only used photoshop levels. the aim of my art is that one to always approach me the real image.

Part01

Part02

Create animation using Photoshop

A great tip from the Photoshop guys showing how to create a great self-contained animation using Photoshop

Search multiple search engines

Search multiple search engines and search services all from one place with Sputtr.


Sputtr's layout looks like a simple keyboard - and you use it kind of like a keyboard, too. Just type in what you're looking for and then click on the icon that represents the search service you'd like to use, anything from Google to Reddit to MySpace and much more. Over 30 different search options are available for you to use.

http://sputtr. com/index. php

Walk virtually on US streets!

Web browsers can now navigate around a city, checking out restaurants and landmarks Google Inc. said on Tuesday it was introducing street-level map views of various US cities, giving Web users a panoramic, 360-degree images as well as the overhead views Google Maps has offered.

With the new "Street View" feature in Google Maps, street level imagery is available for maps of the San Francisco area, New York, Las Vegas, Denver and Miami, and will soon expand to other metropolitan regions, Google said in a statement.

Users looking at Google Maps through a Web browser can navigate around a city, "virtually" walking the streets, checking out restaurants and landmarks and even zoom in on bus stops or street signs to make travel plans.

Further Reading

http://www.themoneytimes.com/articles/20070530/google_enhances_maps_by_adding_street_view_feature-id-104282.html

Windows Vista did not steal ideas from Mac OS X!

For the New York Times, David Pogue reviews Windows Vista, trying to prove in his video that "Microsoft did not steal ideas from Mac OS X."




Apple WWDC 2006-Windows Vista Copies Mac OS X

Vista install in 2 minutes (FUN)

Here is the best way to install Vista

WINDOWS VISTA AERO VS LINUX UBUNTU BERYL

It is really very amazing.......

We want to now pull back Windows vista, that is the LINUX UBUNTU BERYL have really very very real 3D Desktop effects.

Just see this video and decide, what will choose?

Ubuntu Beryl save Windows XP...The Real "Wow"

You can see more videos of Ubuntu Beryl

3D Desktop! TouchScreen and XGL on Linux (part 2)

Yes! Linux is free!

This video shows what is possible when you use touchscreen + XGL on linux.

Touch the Cube!

3d desktop- It'z really Amazing!!!

showing a preview of a 3 dimensional desktop, the desktop of the future ?

Itz amazing, right? That is we can use this computer, like , files and documents on the table.

That is, we can take and put files from one place to another like natural or real view
(more)

Future Computer a Look

GMail Drive shell extension description

	Download
GMail Drive is a Shell Namespace Extension that creates a virtual filesystem around your Google GMail account, allowing you to use GMail as a storage medium. GMail Drive creates a virtual filesystem on top of your Google GMail account and enables you to save and retrieve files stored on your GMail account directly from inside Windows Explorer. GMail Drive literally adds a new drive to your computer under the My Computer folder, where you can create new folders, copy and drag'n'drop files to.GMail Drive shell extension is a tool that creates a virtual filesystem. Ever since Google started to offer users a GMail e-mail account, which includes storage space of a 1000 megabytes, you have had plenty of storage space but not a lot to fill it up with. With GMail Drive you can easily copy files to your GMail account and retrieve them again. When you create a new file using GMail Drive, it generates an e-mail and posts it to your account. The e-mail appears in your normal Inbox folder, and the file is attached as an e-mail attachment. GMail Drive periodically checks your mail account (using the GMail search function) to see if new files have arrived and to rebuild the directory structures. But basically GMail Drive acts as any other hard-drive installed on your computer. You can copy files to and from the GMail Drive folder simply by using drag'n'drop like you're used to with the normal Explorer folders. Because the GMail files will clutter up your Inbox folder, you may wish to create a filter in GMail to automatically move the files (prefixed with the GMAILFS letters) to your archived mail folder. Please note that GMail Drive is still an experimental tool. There's still a number of limitations of the file-system (such as total filename size must be less than 40 characters), and it doesn't make full use of the secure internet protocols available. You can try Xmail alternative for portability.

10 Windows XP tips and tools to simplify your work

Launch System Restore from a command prompt in Windows XP

If your Windows XP system begins acting strange, a typical fix is to use System Restore to remove any system changes made since the last time you created a Restore Point. However, what if the problem is so bad that you can't start Windows XP normally—or even start the system in Safe Mode?

The good news is you can run System Restore from a command prompt. Here's how:


1. Restart your computer and press [F8] during the initial startup.
2. When you see the Windows Advanced Options Menu, select the Safe Mode With A Command Prompt option.
3. Select the Windows XP operating system.
4. Log on to your computer with an administrator account or with an account that has administrator credentials.



5. Type the following command at a command prompt:

C:\windows\system32 \restore\ rstrui.exe

When you see the System Restore window, the graphics may look odd, but you can still follow the onscreen instructions to restore your computer to an earlier state.

Speed up Windows XP's Search Companion

One reason that Windows Vista's Search tool is so fast is that instead of searching your whole hard disk, it searches only the Documents folders. So the next time that you pull up Windows XP's Search Companion, click All Files And Folders and select My Documents in the Look In drop-down list. This prevents the Search Companion from searching the entire hard disk.

If you want to search documents stored in the root folder, you can still speed up the process by removing system folders from the search. Click All Files And Folders, open the More Advanced Options panel, and clear the Search System Folders check box. If the Search Hidden Files And Folders check box is selected, clear it too.

If you have a lot of ZIP files (or compressed folders, as Windows XP calls them) on your hard disk, the Search Companion will search through each of those as well, albeit more slowly. To prevent the Search Companion from searching through compressed folders, either move all your compressed folders to the root folder and then configure the Search Companion to search only the My Documents folder or disable Windows XP's support for compressed folders.


It's not unusual to use System Restore to fix strange Windows XP system behavior—but depending on how damaged your system seems to be, you may need to call for more advanced measures. Here's how to launch System Restore from a command prompt.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.

There's lots of buzz about Windows Vista's speedy search features, but what can you do to speed up Windows XP's Search Companion? Here's how to optimize your search with speed in Windows XP.


Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional. Also remember that editing the registry is risky; so be sure you've performed a full backup

One reason that Windows Vista's Search tool is so fast is that instead of searching your whole hard disk, it searches only the Documents folders. So the next time that you pull up Windows XP's Search Companion, click All Files And Folders and select My Documents in the Look In drop-down list. This prevents the Search Companion from searching the entire hard disk.

If you want to search documents stored in the root folder, you can still speed up the process by removing system folders from the search. Click All Files And Folders, open the More Advanced Options panel, and clear the Search System Folders check box. If the Search Hidden Files And Folders check box is selected, clear it too.

If you have a lot of ZIP files (or compressed folders, as Windows XP calls them) on your hard disk, the Search Companion will search through each of those as well, albeit more slowly. To prevent the Search Companion from searching through compressed folders, either move all your compressed folders to the root folder and then configure the Search Companion to search only the My Documents folder or disable Windows XP's support for compressed folders.

To disable this support, access the Run dialog box, type the command regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll in the Open text box, and click OK. You'll need to restart the system for the change to take effect. (To re-enable Windows XP's support for compressed folders, use the command regsvr32 zipfldr.dll.)

What if the Search Companion is disabled?


If you've disabled Windows XP's Search Companion interface and are using the Windows 2000 Search interface instead, you'll need to make the following adjustments to this tip:

To search My Documents, select My Documents from the Look In drop-down list.

To remove system folders from the search, click Search Options, select the Advanced Options check box, and then clear the Search System Folders check box. (If the Search Hidden Files And Folders check box is selected, clear it too.)

To prevent the searching of compressed folders, you can use the same technique as you would for the Search Companion

Working with multiple Windows XP computers from the same screen? Clear up potential confusion by using BGInfo, or Background Information. Here's a look at the benefits of this free program.

Keep track of multiple Windows XP computers with BGInfo

Do you regularly work with multiple computers using a Keyboard Video Mouse (KVM) switch? If so, you know that it's easy to get confused about which computer you currently have on the screen. Of course, you can find out on your own, but doing so takes several steps and can be distracting—especially if you're in the middle of an important or lengthy task.

Fortunately, there's a solution in a program called BGInfo, which is short for Background Information. When Microsoft acquired Sysinternals, it also acquired a whole library of cool little utilities that fall along the lines of Microsoft's own PowerToys, and BGInfo is one of them.

Once installed, BGInfo displays relevant information about a computer on the desktop's background. For example, you can configure BGInfo to display the computer name, IP address, service pack version, boot time, amount of free space, and much more. You can even choose the font and background color.

You can download BGInfo from Microsoft's TechNet site. You'll also find detailed instructions on how to install and use BGInfo.

Remove clutter with Windows XP SP2's Duplicate Finder tool

Even if you're a conscientious computer user (i.e., you regularly delete unnecessary files, empty the Recycle Bin, and run Disk Defragmenter) , you may be unaware of a potentially big waster of hard disk space: duplicate files. Applications can litter your hard disk with duplicate files, and you can create duplicate files yourself by copying files from one folder to another.

Hidden clutter exists on your Windows XP machine in the form of duplicate files. Here's how to free up valuable hard disk space by doing some spring cleaning with the Duplicate Finder tool.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.

Even if you're a conscientious computer user (i.e., you regularly delete unnecessary files, empty the Recycle Bin, and run Disk Defragmenter) , you may be unaware of a potentially big waster of hard disk space: duplicate files. Applications can litter your hard disk with duplicate files, and you can create duplicate files yourself by copying files from one folder to another

Windows XP's default installation doesn't provide you with a decent utility for tracking down duplicate files. However, Microsoft does have a tool called Duplicate Finder, which is part of the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Support Tools. Here's how to install and use the Duplicate Finder tool:


1. Download the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Support Tools and follow the instructions for installing the Complete installation version.
2. Open the Run dialog box by pressing [Windows]R.
3. Type Dupfinder in the Open text box and click OK.
4. Once DupFinder loads, simply select the drive or folder to search and then click the Start Search button.
5. When DupFinder completes its search, you can scan through the list and examine the duplicate files.

Here are some tips for working with the list of duplicate files:

Use either the Print Report or Export Data command on the File menu to create a permanent record of the duplicate files.

Use the Sort command on the View menu to reorganize the list for better analysis.



To get more detailed information about any file, select the file, pull down the File menu, and select the Info command.



Leave duplicate files in the Windows folder and its subfolders alone.



If you don't recognize the duplicate file, it's better to use the Rename or Move commands on the File menu rather than the Delete command.



Launch Windows Explorer with administrative privileges on Windows XP Pro



Do you ever need to perform an on-the-fly administrative task when you're not on your computer? If the computer runs Internet Explorer 6 or 7, you can launch Windows Explorer with administrative privileges on a Windows XP Pro limited user machine.



Note: This tip applies only to Windows XP Professional

When you're working on a user's computer and need to perform an administrative task from within his or her Windows XP Pro limited user account, you can use the Run As command to launch certain utilities with administrative account privileges.

However, if you try to use Run As to launch Windows Explorer with administrative privileges, nothing happens. This is because Explorer.exe is already running and only one instance of Explorer can run at a time. More specifically, when you launch Explorer.exe, the first thing it does is check to see whether it is already running. When the second instance of Explorer.exe sees that the first instance of Explorer.exe is running, the second instance of Explorer.exe closes without any outward notification. Here's how you can work around it.

Internet Explorer 6

Internet Explorer 6 will work with Run As and will allow you to tap into Windows Explorer. Here's how:


1. Right-click on the Internet Explorer icon in the Quick Launch toolbar and choose Run As. (Keep in mind that you can't access Run As from the Internet Explorer icon that appears on the desktop or on the Start menu.)

2. Fill in the appropriate administrative account credentials in the Run As dialog box.

3. When Internet Explorer launches, type C:\ in the Address bar.

After you follow these steps, Windows Explorer will appear in the same window, and it will be running with administrative privileges.

Internet Explorer 7

If you're using Internet Explorer 7, the steps for Internet Explorer 6 won't work because, as part of the new security features in version 7, Internet Explorer is no longer integrated with Windows Explorer. You must use the standard method for launching Windows Explorer with administrative privileges. Here's how:

1. Log on to the computer with the Administrator account.

2. Access the Control Panel and launch Folder Options.

3. When you see the Folder Options dialog box, select the View tab.

4. Scroll down the Advanced Settings list and select the Launch Folder Windows In A Separate Process check box, click OK, and then log off.

The next time you work on that user's computer and need to perform an administrative task from within the limited user account, you can use Run As to launch Windows Explorer with administrative privileges.

Get a GUI for RoboCopy in Windows XP

Step up your copying operations with RoboCopy. This Windows 2003 Server tool is also at home on your Windows XP system. Learn why you'll want to tap into this free, powerful resource.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.

If you're like most IT professionals, you probably use the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tool called RoboCopy with Windows XP. RoboCopy is an extremely powerful copy tool that allows you to perform more advanced copy operations than you can with Windows XP's standard copy tools. For example, with RoboCopy, you can create mirror images of large folder tree structures on the same computer or on a network drive.

The only drawback to using RoboCopy is that you have to run it from the command line. This means that to use RoboCopy, you have to remember and type a lot of switches and parameters to really take advantage of all its features.

Fortunately, Derk Benisch, a systems engineer with Microsoft's MSN Search group, created an add-in called RoboCopy GUI. This six-tabbed user interface makes configuring and using RoboCopy a real snap. Not only does the interface provide you with a large set of configuration options via check boxes, radio buttons, text boxes, and Browse dialog boxes, but it also can save your settings, which makes reusing the tool that much easier. Furthermore, RoboCopy GUI comes with a Help file and an extensive reference guide to help you get a handle on all that RoboCopy can do.

You can download RoboCopy GUI. Keep in mind that you must have Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0 installed prior to installing RoboCopy GUI

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional

Take advantage of the Windows XP Start menu's pinned items list

The left panel of the Start menu consists entirely of a divided list of programs that Windows XP thinks will come in handy for you: the pinned items list above the separator line and the most frequently used programs list, displayed below the line.

By default, Windows XP places links to your Internet browser and your e-mail application in the pinned items list and will place as many as 30 shortcuts to the programs you've recently used in the most frequently used programs list. (The most frequently used programs list is, by default, six shortcuts long.)

To really take advantage of the Start menu as a launching area for all the programs you use most often, you can configure the entire left panel as a pinned items list. Here's how:

1. Right-click the Start button and select the Properties command to display the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box.

2. Click the Customize button adjacent to the Start Menu radio button to display the Customize Start Menu dialog box.

3. In the Programs panel, use the Spin button to set the Number Of Programs On The Start Menu setting to 0. Click the Clear List button.

4. In the Show On Start Menu panel, you can clear the Internet check box because the Internet Explorer icon already appears in the Quick Launch menu by default, and maybe even the E-mail check box, depending on how you launch your e-mail application.

5. Click OK twice—once to close the Customize Start Menu dialog box and once to close the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box.

6. Click the Start button and access the All Programs submenu.

7. Locate and right-click on the shortcut to a program you use often and select the Pin To Start Menu command.

You can pin as many as 30 of your most often used programs to the Start menu, depending on your screen resolution setting. With your actual favorite programs on the pinned items list, you can now really take advantage of the Start menu.

Investigate Internet Explorer add-ons in Windows XP

You're probably familiar with Start's left-hand menu—but do you know why the program list is divided in two? Here's what you need to know about the pinned items list found in Windows XP and how you can customize it to easily access your favorite programs.


Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.

When you visit various Web sites, your Windows XP computer may download add-ons—usually ActiveX controls designed to enhance your use of that particular site. Add-ons can include toolbars, software installers, and multimedia file viewers. However, some add-ons may be spyware, which could have devastating effects on Windows XP's performance. So it's worth your time to periodically investigate add-ons in Internet Explorer to make sure that they are all legitimate

Here's how:

1. In Internet Explorer, go to Tools | Manage Add-ons.

2. In the Manage Add-ons dialog box, make sure the Show drop-down is set to Add-ons That Have Been Used By Internet Explorer.

3. Scan through the list and take note of each add-on's name, publisher, status, type, and file.

4. If you discover an add-on you do not recognize, select it and then select the Disable option. Click OK.

5. Point your browser to your favorite search engine and search for the add-on's name to see what you can learn about its origins. If you discover that it is indeed a legitimate add-on, simply return to the Manage Add-ons dialog box and re-enable the add-on.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Professional editions.


Before you connect a USB device to your Windows XP machine, learn how to determine whether a USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 controller is on your computer.

Determine whether USB 2.0 is on your Windows XP machine

If you plug a USB 2.0 device into a USB 1.1 port, Windows XP will display a warning message indicating that it will drop back to the slower data transfer speed. (USB 2.0 clocks in with a data transfer speed of 480 Mbits/second to USB 1.1's 12 Mbits/second. ) To find out what version of USB controller is on a computer before you connect a USB device to it, follow these steps:

1. Press [Windows][Break] to access the System Properties dialog box.

2. Select the Hardware tab and click the Device Manager button.

3. When Device Manager appears, click the + sign next to the Universal Serial Bus Controllers branch.


If you see an entry containing the words Enhanced USB Controller, the system has a USB 2.0 controller. If you see an entry containing the words USB Controller, the system has a USB 1.1 controller

The most recently used list is designed to make it easier for you to launch the same Windows XP applications again and again—until the list gets so long you can't find anything. See how to set up a shortcut that clears the list from the Run command.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Professional editions.

Clear the Windows XP Run command's MRU list

The most recently used list is designed to make it easier for you to launch the same Windows XP applications again and again—until the list gets so long you can't find anything. See how to set up a shortcut that clears the list from the Run command.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Professional editions

If you regularly use the Run command to launch applications, you know that Windows XP keeps a record in the registry, called the MRU (most recently used) list, of all the applications you recently launched. When you have the Run dialog box open, you can access the MRU list by clicking the drop-down arrow adjacent to the Open text box.

The MRU list is designed to make it easier for you to relaunch the same applications at a later date. However, this list can grow quite long, making it difficult to find what you want.

Fortunately, you can create a registry shortcut that clears the Run command's MRU list. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Launch the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) .

2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_ USER\Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentV ersion\Explorer\ RunMRU.

3. Right-click on the RunMRU key and select Export.

4. Name the REG file Clear Run MRU, click the Save button, and close the Registry Editor.

5. Open the Clear Run MRU.reg file in Notepad.

6. Add a minus sign to the beginning of the key name just inside the square brackets.

7. Delete all lines that follow the line containing the key path.

8. Save the file and close Notepad.

9. Reboot Windows (or at least log off and then log back on) for this change to become effective. Now, any time you want to clear the Run command's MRU list, simply locate and double-click on the Clear Run MRU.reg file. When you do so, the Registry Editor will display two dialog boxes: one that prompts you to confirm the operation and the other to let you know the operation was successful

How to Speed Up Windows Boot Time

There are a variety of factors (both hardware and software) involved in lowering the amount of time it takes for Windows to load. All of these changes are optional, and do not need to be carried out. Instead, they are offered as suggestions to try to lower the time it takes for Windows to boot. Some of these changes are very advanced and should only be attempted if you are comfortable with making the changes and have your data backed up.

System BIOS Changes

One of the first places to help speed boot time in Windows is to make some simple changes to the system BIOS. The BIOS or Basic Input/Output System is a set of instructions and commands built into the motherboard that allows the computer to know what type of hardware is connected and how to communicate with that hardware. You'll first have to gain access to the BIOS setup screen to make any changes. Do not make changes to the system settings in the BIOS lightly, one mistake can render the computer unbootable and cause more problems than its worth. For this reason, do not attempt making changes to the system BIOS unless you are willing to accept the risk along with it. With that said, you'll want to follow the directions below and make some simple changes to speed up the boot process.

1) You must start with the computer completely off, not in sleep or hibernation mode. Then turn the computer on.

2) Enter the system BIOS screen by the manufacturers suggestion. Depending on the computer, this may involve pressing the DEL key, pressing F1, Pressing F10, holding down CTRL-ALT-S, or a variety of other keystrokes to get to the BIOS screen. For a more complete list of keystrokes to enter the BIOS screen, visit Michael Steven's page on the subject.

3) Once in the BIOS setup, look for a BOOT menu and select it with your keyboard arrow keys, Tab, and Enter.
4) In most modern BIOS screens, you'll find an option for Quick Boot. Enable this to skip memory tests and other minor Power On Self Tests (POST).




5) Find an option for Boot Device Priority next, and change the first boot device to be the hard drive. Changing this option will speed up the boot process, but it will also not allow the computer to boot from a floppy disk or CD-ROM. If booting from anything other than the hard drive is important to you, please skip this step. If later on, you need to boot from a CD-ROM, simply re-enter the BIOS setup and make the CD-ROM the first boot device.

6) Choose the option to Exit and Save Changes and the computer will reboot.

There are other options in the BIOS to speed up boot time such as choosing the exact settings for your hard drive, and disabling AUTO DETECT of hard drives and other media. However I am skipping those changes and leaving them for a later discussion.

Changes to Windows Settings

The next group of changes to consider will be to the many Windows settings. We will use a handy tool called the System Configuration Utility to accomplish most of these changes. Follow the steps below to open and use this tool.

Startup Tab Changes

1) Click on Start, Run and type MSCONFIG and press Enter

2) Click on the STARTUP tab in the System Configuration Utility to view all the items that begin on Startup. An example is shown below.


Each item on the Startup tab that is checked loads immediately after Windows starts. If there are lots of items here, this will slow down the boot time for Windows considerably. Each of these items can be toggled on or off simply by using the checkmark box to the left of the item.

The column directly to right of the checkmark is the Name of the program, while the next column over is the location on the hard drive or other device of the file. Finally the last column shows where in the computer the file is started from. This location could be in the registry as is the case with all the locations that begin with HKLM or HKCU, or it could be in the Windows Startup folder found under ALL PROGRAMS in Windows XP.

You can examine each of these startup items and uncheck any that are not necessary. How do you know which ones are not necessary? Well, in most computer configurations, you'll want drivers running for your graphics or video controller and sound card, and most likely an antivirus and firewall running. Other startup items are usually extras that could be eliminated from boot up. To discover what a particular item is used for, jot down the name for the item and go over to a site called Process Library, type in the name of the process and click Find. This is a very handy tool for discovering which startup items are truly needed.

When you are done modifying the checkmarks to the Startup tab, click OK and you'll be asked to reboot the system.

Windows Services Changes

Once the computer is rebooted, click on Start, Run and type MSCONFIG and press Enter again. This will reopen the System Configuration Utility. Click on the Services tab, then click on the option at the bottom called "Hide All Microsoft Services" to see what unnecessary Windows services are running that can be removed. Generally speaking, you want services related to your video/sound cards and antivirus or firewall programs left running. Other services may not be essential and can be removed. Remember to only remove unessential services or you risk experiencing boot problems. Use Google to search for information on unfamiliar services. Another good resource is Black Viper's Strange Services page.

Hardware Changes to Increase Boot Time

Adding more Memory (RAM)

Other than upgrading the motherboard and CPU, you can generally increase the amount of RAM in your computer to make it load programs and applications faster and provide a more enjoyable computing experience. You'll want to check your motherboard to make sure you have available slots and the maximum amount of RAM you can add to your particular motherboard.

Replacing your Hard Drive with a Faster RPM Drive

If you have a slower hard drive such as a 5400 RPM or slower, you may want to consider upgrading to a faster 7200 RPM
hard drive. The difference in RPM speed will generally be quite noticeable.

Changing to Static IP

If your computer is connected to a local area network that you control and you have a DHCP server enabled on your router, during the boot process the computer queries the network to valid IP address. You can shave seconds off your boot time by assigning a valid IP address to your computer instead of using DHCP to assign it. To setup a Static IP for your computer, follow these directions.

1) Click on Start, Run
2) Type NCPA.CPL and press Enter to open the Network Connection Control Panel
3) Right-click on the Local Area Connection and choose Properties
4) Click on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties
5) You should see a screen similar to the one below. Fill in your static IP, subnet, default gateway, and DNS server information and click OK. If you aren't sure of your IP ranges on your router, consult your router manual or a friend that is more knowledgeable in networking terminology. Again, this is an optional item and does not necessarily need to be accomplished. Using DHCP is fine, although you sacrifice a few seconds for an IP to be assigned to from the network.

Switching from Master/Slave to Cable Select

Changing the configuration on the hard drive from Master to Cable Select reduced the boot time on this particular machine by 2 minutes.

Other Windows Performance Tips

Reduce the Number of Fonts installed

Every font that is installed in Windows has to load when Windows starts. The more fonts you have installed, the slower Windows loads. Although you can safely have around 1000 fonts loaded in Windows, I like to keep my font list closer to 300-500 or fewer if possible. There are certain fonts that are definitely required by Windows, so be careful in removing any fonts from your computer unless you know they are not needed. Fonts such as Verdana,Arial, Trebuchet, Tahoma, Tahoma, Times New Roman, MS Sans Serif, and Courier New should be left on your system. Follow the directions below to remove extra fonts from Windows XP.

1) Open My Computer
2) Double-click on Drive C
3) Click on File, New Folder and title it Fonts Backup
4) Double-click on the Windows folder to open it
5) Double-click on the Fonts folder
6) Highlight the fonts you wish to remove, click on Edit and choose COPY
7) Navigate back to the C:\Fonts Backup folder and PASTE these fonts into your backup folder
8) Return to the Fonts Folder and right-click on any fonts you previously copied to the backup folder, then choose Delete.

If you accidentally removed a font, simply reverse the procedure by copying and pasting the font back into the Windows\Fonts folder.

Disk Cleanup, Scandisk, and Defrag

Performing regular hard drive maintenance on your computer every few months will not only catch problems before they cause serious damage but also make your hard drive run at its optimal level. Follow these instructions to clean up the drive and defrag it.

1) Open My Computer
2) Right-click on the hard drive usually Drive C
3) Click on the Tools tab
4) Under Error Checking, click on Check Now. Optionally, you may want to check the boxes to "Automatically Fix File Errors" and "Scan For and Attempt Recovery for Bad Sectors"
5) Next, click on the General tab and click on Disk Cleanup. After the computer calculates the amount of files to remove, place a checkmark next to the type of files you wish to remove and click Ok. Read the descriptions for each type of file to determine if you should delete it.
6) Finally, click on the Tools tab again and under Defragmentation click Defragment Now
7) Click on the hard drive you wish to defrag, click on Analyze and then click on Defragment. This process may take some time to complete.

Virus/Spyware Scans

Finally, you'll want to complete a thorough virus and spyware scan of your system. I recommend running an online virus scan first, then a check for spyware. You can click on the following links to check your system for viruses.

Online Virus Scanners

Trend Micro Housecall
BitDefender Scan Online
Ewido Online Scanner
Jotti's Online Malware Scan
Kaspersky Online Scanner
Panda Activescan
McAfee FreeScan
eTrust Antivirus Web Scanner
Symantec Security Check
Dr.Web Online Check

Trojan Scanner
TrojanScan by WindowsSecurity. com

Spyware Scanners

Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE 1.06
Spybot Search and Destroy 1.4
Microsoft Windows Defender

Using a Different Antivirus, Firewall, or AntiSpyware Program

If your computer is still running slow after changing and checking all of these options, it might be time to use a different program for antivirus, firewall, or antispyware security. A blog on the net called The PC Spy has a graph displaying the boot delay time from most of the popular products on the market including Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro, ZoneAlarm, and more.

Not surprisingly, Symantec's Internet Security products top the list with a 40+ % boot delay, followed by Panda Antivirus, and Zone Alarm. So, while these products may help prevent infections and attacks, they also are contributing greatly to the slowdown your computer is experiencing. Avast, AVG, NOD32, and others perform much better according to this chart.

Tips or Myths

There are other miscellanous tips on the web that may help speed up the Windows boot time, but there are also some very controversial ones.

Emptying the Windows Prefetch Folder

The Prefetch folder found at C:\WINDOWS\PREFETCH is often a source of controversy concerning its effect on boot time. This folder preloads some applications to enable faster opening of the most used programs. There are tips on the web that point to changing a registry value or emptying the prefetch folder will improve boot time. From my experience, deleting the contents of the prefetch folder DOES NOT improve boot time and only slows the time required to open programs. There is a limit to how many items will be loaded into the folder so it doesn't get overloaded, so why would anyone empty this folder when its purpose is to speed up loading of applications. You can read more about the Prefetch Myth on XP Myths.

Disable the Windows Boot Logo

Many sites recommend disabling the animated Windows boot logo to help speed up the time it takes to boot. Although it may decrease the time by a couple seconds, the anxiety caused by facing a blank screen and wondering if Windows has stalled or froze during bootup outweighs the second or two you may save. Although if you wish to disable the Windows boot logo, follow these steps:

1) Click on Start, Run and type MSCONFIG and press Enter
2) Click on the BOOT.INI tab
3) Click the NOGUIBOOT checkbox and click OK
4) Reboot the computer

Using BootVis

When Windows XP first came out, Microsoft had a utility called BootVis, which was a performance tracing tool that Microsoft developed from software developers and system designers. It was used to identify performance issues while developing new PC products, but is no longer distributed. Microsoft states on their web page for BootVis

"Please note that Bootvis.exe is not a tool that will improve boot/resume performance for end users. Contrary to some published reports, Bootvis.exe cannot reduce or alter a system's boot or resume performance. The boot optimization routines invoked by Bootvis.exe are built into Windows XP. These routines run automatically at pre-determined times as part of the normal operation of the operating system."

I personally have tried Bootvis and saw a couple seconds improvement on overall boot time, but nothing extreme in lowering overall bootup speed.

Free NaturalReader

Overview: NaturalReader software is a professional text to speech program that converts any text into spoken words. It lets you listen to text instead of reading on screen! Just one click, you can have your computer speak any text aloud in a clear, natural sounding human voice. It's never been so easy to use a text-to-speech program. As long as the software is running, just press Control plus F9, and you can have the computer speak any selected text on the computer screen. You can choose to copy and paste text to the reading area of the software, or more conveniently, with the add-in toolbars in the Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office Word, PowerPoint and Outlook programs, you can listen to any online news, web information, Word documents, Presentation files and emails without copy and paste. The software also allows you to convert text into an MP3 or WAV audio file, so you can listen later in iPod or burn it into a CD. Version 6.5 adds support for Windows Vista, Office 2007, and improves usability.

Format: Software | Size: 8,820KB | Date: Apr 2007 | Version: 6.5 | System Requirements: Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/ XP/2003 Server/Vista | License: Free | Downloads: 11186

Wild and Crazy Computer Mods

	Wild computer mods from Euskal Encounter 2006 While attending Euskal Encounter 2006, Webshots member katxikamo, snapped pictures of serious computer case mods. From aliens to aluminum cases, these wild mods are definitely not your everyday computer cases.
	More crazy computer mods A computer coffin, gas can case, and something that looks like a pink PC Tribble are featured in this gallery of wacky cases.
	Aluminum briefcase computer This pc case mod enthusiast turned an aluminum briefcase, a few PC components, and an LCD screen into a very cool computer that would make James Bond proud.
	Computer case mods See creative case mods, such as a water-cooled PC that heats a fish tank and a completely clear case that lights up the room.
	Water-cooled toolbox PC This creative computer mod incorporates a water cooling system and a bright red toolbox.
	Five years of Mini-ITX mods As it hits a milestone, a look back at some of creative places modders have found for the tiny motherboard. Think accordians and waffle irons.
	Modified Amiga 1000 hides modern PC Follow along, as a Commodore enthusiast turns an old Amiga 1000 into a modern computer.
	Yellow hot rod PC case mod This amazing auto-inspired mod includes an under-the-hood optical drive, polished hard drives, CD-ROM rims, and cool blue lights.
	Extreme red-light PC mod Unfortunately, some people don't when enough is enough. This clear-case PC has enough red lights to land small planes.
	Linux server penguin case mod This tricked-out Linux server has a penguin-shaped front panel, a glass window, red lights, a painted frame, and more.
	Blue light monitor mod This lighted blude CRT monitor adds something extra to the average PC mod.
	Add an arcade to your game room with a MAME cabinet or console With emulation software, a little wood working knowledge, and a bit of wiring skill, retro gaming enthusiasts can now experience arcade gaming in their dens without spending their 401K.
	Give an old Mac new life by turning it into an iWipe Shawn Morton turns an old Macintosh SE case into an Apple-powered, wireless, portable toilet paper dispenser -- the iWipe.

Master/Slave Settings

Now for a refresher course on hard drive connections. When connecting more than one hard drive to a computer on the same IDE controller, you generally have to assign one as the primary (master) and one as the secondary (slave). You do this by changing the jumpers on the hard drive next to the power connector. Normally, the drive will have a diagram to let you know which jumper should be set for a master drive and which to set for a slave drive. You'll notice in the picture below the jumpers are circled on the end of the drive and the top of the drive shows the diagram to follow.

After changing the jumpers, connect the hard drive cable from the motherboard to the hard drives. Under normal circumstances, the end of the drive cable attaches to the Master hard drive, while the inside connector on the cable connects to the Slave drive.

What About Cable Select?

Cable Select (CS) settings were designed to make it easier to connect hard drives because you didn't need to bother with setting the Master/Slave jumpers. You just connect the drives and depending on where you connected them to the cable the computer would know which is Master and which is Slave...in theory. Now comes the confusing part.

With cable select, you first needed a special 40 conductor IDE cable that would determine master/slave connections. This was different from the normal IDE cables at the time. Also, the Master connector on CS cables was the inside connector not the end connector. This made for a very confusing switch from everyday master/slave configurations.

80 conductor Ultra DMA cables WILL determine the Master/Slave settings through Cable Select however. So as technology advances, Cable Select as a concept may still catch on. With the newer Ultra DMA cables, you can set both drives to Cable Select (CS), connect them and they will work. Another change with the 80 conductor cables, the Master connector is on the end of the cable where it should be. In situations where you are using a newer Ultra DMA drive and cable, you can use Cable Select or standard Master/Slave jumper settings and the drive will boot properly.

In my scenario to start this article, the change from Master/Slave to Cable Select for this particular computer reduced the Windows boot time by more than 2 minutes.

For more information on Master/Slave settings versus Cable Select visit the following pages:

Mike's Hardware: How to Connect IDE Hard Drives

Configuration using Cable Select

UnixWiz.Net: Using IDE Cable Select

How to Troubleshoot and Fix Windows XP SP2 Limited or No Connectivity Error Message

"This connection has limited or no connectivity. You might not be able to access the Internet or some network resources. "

Solutions to the problem are varied, however most of the solutions found on the web just mask the problem by simply guiding the user through turning off this notification. Now this solution may work great for systems that are showing a false positive error, but what if the system genuinely has lost its local area connection or the connection is unstable, what then?

One possible answer involves a bug in Service Pack 2 of Windows XP dealing with a loss of network connectivity for workstations that use Microsoft’s L2TP-based virtual private networking (VPN) client to connect to servers that are connected to NAT-based networks. However, this bug seems to appear in situations that are not associated with VPNs either.

If patching Windows XP for this bug does not fix the problem, read through the list below of other causes and fixes. You may have to reinstall yourfirewall, rebuild the configuration in your router, drop your connection speed from 100Mbps to 10Mbps, or assign static IP addresses to your computers in the network to resolve this issue.

How do I know if my system is affected by this bug?

If you have installed Windows XP Service Pack 2 and are experiencing any of the following symptoms, this bug is affecting your system.

· After installing Windows XP SP2, your network connection reports a problem with "Limited or No Connectivity"

· You have trouble connecting to the Internet or your local area network after installing Windows XP Service Pack 2.

· Your network connection gets stuck "Acquiring IP Address"

What Steps Can I Take to Fix This Problem?

If you are receiving this error, you should run the Microsoft patch (KB884020) for it. Follow the instructions below to do this. Alternatively, you can download a zip file with the patch, registry file.

1) Download the patch from Microsoft's site
2) Run the update to install it
3) Run this short Registry fix to complete the update. Type the following lines in Notepad and save the file as FixReg.reg on your desktop, then double click on it to install into your registry.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_ MACHINE\SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSe t\Services\ IPSec]
"AssumeUDPEncapsulat ionContextOnSend Rule"=dword:00000002

4) Reboot your computer

If you experience the error message again, reboot your computer first. In most cases this will solve many connectivity issues that are not associated with this SP2 bug.

My Connection Works, Can I just disable the warning message?

If your local area connection is working properly and you simply want to disable the warning message follow these steps.

1) Open Control Panel
2) Open Network Connections and Right Click on the Local Area Connection and click on Properties
3) Uncheck the following option on the General Tab

"Notify me when this connection has limited or no connectivity"

4) Click OK and close the Network Connections window

What If Installing this Patch Doesn't Help?
Other Causes For This Problem

If you are still experiencing this error message even after running the patch shown above, you may be experiencing one of several problems shown below:

1) Your Network or DSL router may have bad or missing information. Powercycle your router and/or rebuild the configuration in your router.

2) Double-check your cabling to the computer. Make sure you have the correct type of cabling, straight-through CAT 5 or possibly a crossover cable and try another cable or test the cable to make sure its working properly.

3) Check your network card to make sure its configured correctly and working properly. Many times setting the network card to 10Mbps/Full Duplex will solve this issue. To do this, open Control Panel, System, Device Manager. Go to the properties of the Network card, click on the Advanced tab and find the Link Speed and Duplex section. Change it from Auto Detect to 10Mbps/Full Duplex.

4) Check and test your firewall. Your firewall, especially if its a software firewall like ZoneAlarm, Black Ice, Norton Firewall or something else could be blocking the connection. Disable your firewall and test the connection. You may have to resolve the problem by even uninstalling and reinstalling the firewall.

5) Check your IP address assignments and workgroup settings in the computer for accuracy. Statically assign IPs to the computers in your network.

6) Reset your TCP/IP stack by downloading and running WinsockXPFix. exe a Visual Basic program designed to fix corrupted TCP/IP issues, host file problems and a variety of other connectivity issues.

Emerging technology:” e-cigarette"

E-cigarettes are already available in China, Israel, Turkey and a number of European countries


"e-cigarette" to replace regular cigarette

The n ew cigarettes are battery-powered, cigarette-shaped devices that deliver nicotine to inhale rs in a bid to emulate actual smoking. An official said "It feels like a cigarette, looks like a cigarette, it even emits vapour. In many ways, it is like an actual smoking experience, and that's what makes us different".

HONG KONG: It feels like a cigarette, looks like a cigarette but it isn't bad for your health.

A Chinese company marketing the world's first "electronic" cigarette hopes to double sales this year as it expands overseas and as some of China's legions of smokers try to quit.

Golden Dragon Group Ltd's Ruyan cigarettes are battery-powered, cigarette-shaped devices that deliver nicotine to inhalers in a bid to emulate actual smoking.

"The nicotine is delivered to the lungs within 7 to 10 seconds," said Scott Fraser, Vice President of SBT Co. Ltd., the Beijing-based firm that first developed the electronic cigarette technology in 2003 and which is now controlled by Golden Dragon.

"It feels like a cigarette, looks like a cigarette, it even emits vapour. In many ways, it is like an actual smoking experience, and that's what makes us different," he told Reuters.

The cigarettes sell for around 1,600 yuan ($208) apiece and are already available in China, Israel, Turkey, and a number of European countries, but not yet the United States.

Golden Dragon's competitors include global giants Pfizer and Novartis AG, which sell more familiar nicotine replacement products such as chewing gum, patches, and inhalers.

But Golden Dragon's financial results show it might be onto a good thing. Sales more than doubled to HK$286.1 million in 2006, after surging more than ten-fold to HK$135.6 million in 2005, a year after the technology was perfected.

China - home to 400 million smokers and a roughly $160 billion dollar tobacco industry - accounts for 65 percent of Ruyan sales. The firm estimates around 10 percent of China's smokers are attempting to quit, and averaging a 2 percent success rate.

Yahoo! Plus

Yahoo Messenger's group to support international users of Y!M Plus add-on.

Help you to discover, use, and personalize Yahoo! Messenger, and others Yahoo!'s services too...

Features & Content :

• Y! Pilot, Y! Mate, and Y! Bar ;
• Shortcuts to Yahoo!'s services,
• Launch instant searches on Internet,
• Change chatroom server in real-time (France, Canada, USA, UK, etc)... More than thousand chatrooms all around the world !
• Change current skin,
• Take control of Y! Messenger, Y! Tunnel, etc.
• Y! Emotions ; to personalize your chatroom emotion's list,
• Y! Skin and Y! BitSkin ; to install (or uninstall) new themes (skins) from Zip files,
• Y! Setup Plus ; configuration wizard to setup yours options according to your language and/or country (french, english, spanish, italian, USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, etc).

And it's 100% F-R-E-E !!!
(without spyware)

Requires :

• Windows 98 (or higher)
• Yahoo! Messenger 6, 7, or 8
  (any languages)

Download & Install :