Windows 7 Slow Startup - Improve Windows 7 Slow Startup for Free

Windows 7 slow startup upsets you? Finally fed up with it and going to spend a huge amount of money to get Windows 7 slow startup fixed? Before you do so, why not have a glance at this article to boost up the slow start-up speed of Windows 7 for free?

<1>Improper DPI value renders Windows 7 slow startup

Start-up time may be slowly lengthened, if DPI is set to a value other than 96 on a Windows 7 computer that is connected to a high resolution CRT/LCD. Please perform the following steps to determine if improper DPI value is the reason why Windows 7 starts up slow:

1. Go to "Control Panel"
2. Enter "Hardware and Sound"
3. Run "Make text or other items larger or smaller"

If the DPI value is different from "Smaller - 100%(default)", you should start to apply the hotfix showed in the end of this article to speed up Windows 7 slow boot.

<2> Excessive software running simultaneously slow Windows 7 startup

It doesn't matter how high computer specifications are, excessive resource-eating programs loading themselves up inevitably extend the startup time that Windows 7 needs to slowly boot. To disable unnecessary startup programs, there are two ways:

1. Press" Win+R" to Run "Msconfig", select "Startup" tab, uncheck unwanted items.
2. Download "Autoruns for Windows" which is a much more powerful Microsoft product in comparison with "Msconfig".

<3>Antivirus products make Windows 7 slow startup

Poorly-coded or buggy antivirus products often make Windows 7 start up slow, to deal with this issue, antivirus products should always be kept up to date, or choose better ones. And what you should also know is turning off real-time monitoring helps increase the speed of Windows 7 & XP slow startup. Turn it back on whenever you want after computer boots up.

<4>Jamming registry causes Windows 7 to start up slow

The registry is as important to Windows 7 as smooth traffic to a city. When we install and uninstall applications, over time, registry gets jammed up with broken keys, entries, etc, which slows Windows 7 startup down, it is exactly like what heavy traffic would do to a city. To manually maintain registry, run "REGEDIT", but it is not recommended, why not? Think about this When someone fools around with traffic regulations, what would happen? The whole city would be paralyzed, as well as Windows 7, if we blindly make changes to the essential registry. Nonetheless, in order to take good care of the registry and fix Windows 7 slow startup, it is crucial to choose the right registry optimizer, choosing free registry tools is a way to go, but not a good one, since you don't get any after-sale service, when a free but poorly-designed registry tool doesn't speed up Windows 7 slow startup and brings more severe system problems. Why not choose one that comes with a satisfaction guarantee?

Tag : computer,computer repair,windows 7,computer softwere

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicole_R._Miller

Tips to Protect Windows Vista Operating System

So far, Windows Vista can be considered the safest operating system but not most perfect one. In its early configuration, Vista still uncovers the possibility of leaking out the user's data to Internet through Windows Firewall, or some bots which can change settings without letting you know.

Consult the WINDOWS SECURITY CENTER

In order to have an overview of security settings, come to Windows Security Center where you can see the status of firewall system, automatic updating, malware protection and other security settings. Press "Start" - "Control Panel" - "Security Center", or simply click the shield-shaped icon on the taskbar.

If there are any red or yellow entries, it means that you are not completely protected. If you have not installed antivirus software, for example, or the existing antivirus program is expired, the "Malware" entry in Security Center will be marked yellow. Windows does not integrate any antivirus software so that you have to install yourself.

Use WINDOWS DEFENDER as a diagnosis device

Malware entry in Security Center is also supposed to report the anti-spyware capacity, and Vista depends on Windows Defender to do this job. Although anti-spyware capacity in security or anti-virus utilities is usually better than that of Windows, there are some good reasons to maintain the existence of Windows Defender. One of those is that each spyware utility uses a different definition to identify the spyware. Therefore, an abundant protection sometimes brings about practical benefit.

Another reason to keep Windows Defender in standby status is diagnosis capacity. Click "Tools", select "Software Explorer". Here you will find a list of all programs by category: Currently Running Programs, Network Connected Programs and Winsock Service Providers, but Startup Programs seems to be the most useful. Click ant names in the left window, the full details will display on the right. By checking any listed program, you can uninstall, deactivate or reactivate that one.

Deactivate the Start Up

Windows Vista monitors all documents and programs you generate in Start Up. This is convenient for some users, but on the other hands, it can be harmful for your privacy if the computer is shared in office or family. Fortunately, Window Vista provides a simple way to change this setting. The steps should be taken as follow:

Right-click the taskbar and select Properties, then select "Start Menu" tab
Uncheck "Store and Display a list of recently opened files"
Uncheck "Store and Display a list of recently opened programs"
Press OK.

2-way Firewall

Almost every PC is equipped with Firewall software, currently. However, even when Security Center states that you are protected, you might not be protected at all.

The Windows Firewall function in Vista is able to "block" any input data which can endanger system, and that is really a good thing. Nevertheless, the off-line security function is not activated by default, so that this may be a dangerous situation if some new harmful software finds a way to break into your PC.

Microsoft has equipped Windows Vista with tools to deploy 2-way firewall feature, but finding these settings is a little complicated. In order to activate 2-way firewall feature of Windows Vista, press "Start", select "Run", then type "wf.msc", then press "Enter". Click the icon of "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security". This interface will display the principles of monitoring system inbound/outbound information. Select "Windows Firewalls Properties". You can see a dialog box containing some tabs. For the profiles: Domain, Private and Public, you should change the settings of "Block", then press "OK".

However, 2-way firewall activation can prevent all the applications from connecting to Internet. Therefore, before getting out of "Windows Firewall with Advanced Security", scroll down, select "Outbound Rules" and "New Rules" on the top right of the screen. Select "Program", on the next screen. Then select the path for Internet Explorer, iTunes or some of your applications requesting to connect to Internet. For each program, on the next screen, select "Allow the Connection", then name each principle/rule created. You will have to set a new rule for all applications which have access to the Internet.

Besides, you can use a firewall utility of third party such as Comodo Firewall Pro or ZoneAlarm, which are all free and able to offer other features in addition to firewall.

Close the doors to unexpected guests

If you share your computer with others (even if you don't), Windows Vista provides a good way to prevent unexpected guests from guessing your password of admin account. When you create a new user and assign someone to be admin (with full rights and authority), Windows Vista allows other users to guess your selected password. The following steps are to restrain the penetration of strangers:

Select "Start", type "Local Security Policy".
Press "Account Lockout Policy"
Select "Account Lockout Threshold"
At the prompt, fill the maximum allowed invalid log-on attempts (e.g.: 3).
Press "OK" and close the window.

Verify the attackers

With proper Account Lockout policy, you can activate the feature of verifying attempts to attack your account. In order to start verify the invalid log-on, the steps are as follow:

Select "Start", type "secpol.msc, click "secpol" icon.
Press Local Policies then press "Audit Policy"
Right-click "Audit account logon events policy" option and select "Properties".
Check the dialog box "Failure" and press OK
Close "Local Security Policy" window.
Now, you can use Event Viewer feature (by typing the command: eventvwr.msc) to view the log-on history recorded in Windows Logs and Security.

INTERNET EXPLORER settings security

Windows Security Center also has function of reporting if security status of Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8 is as required or not. If the status is marked red, you should rapidly modify the IE settings

In the menu, select Tools, then select Internet Options
Select Security tab
Select Custom Level

Now you will see a window containing all options relating to IE's security issue. If the options are lower than required (can be changed by some malwares), those will be marked red. To modify a setting, click the corresponding one. In order to reset the original settings, press "Reset" button at the bottom of the tab. If you want, you can change the general security settings of the browser from Medium - High (by default) to High or Medium as required. Press "OK" to save these changes

Use OPEN DNS

DNS (Domain Name System) servers play the role of a telephone directory. When you type a domain name dantri.com.vn, for example, in the address bar, Internet Explorer will send the requirement of common domain name to DNS servers of the your ISP, then these servers are supposed to transform the character sequence to a string of numbers or an IP address. The DNS servers have been attacked over the past few years because the hackers have tried every possible way to redirect the common DNSs to the servers which they can control. A solution to prevent this abuse is to use Open DNS.

Click "Start" à "Control Panel" à "Network and Internet"
Select "Network and Sharing Center". Under the taskbars listed on the left, select "Manage Network Connections". In the window of "Manage Network Connections", follow these steps:
Right-click the icon of your network card
Select Properties.
Then select "Internet Protocol Version 4".
Click "Properties" in the next displayed screen.
Select "Use the following DNS server addresses".
Input 208.67.222.222 into the primary address
Input 208.67.220.220 into the secondary address
Press OK

Cohabit with USER ACCOUNT CONTROL

There is a setting status that some users want it marked red. That is Vista's User Account Control (UAC) - the controversial security function of Vista operating system.

Designed to prevent the remote malware/spyware from automatically installing or modifying system settings, UAC tends to block legal installations by stopping the ongoing process with unnecessary error messages. In Windows 7, you can set up UAC as you want. Up to then, you will have more options.

There is an option of invalidating UAC. However, you should consider this risky choice because UAC can warn you of potential dangers. Instead, install Tweak UAC - a free utility that allows you to turn on or turn off UAC and simultaneously provides an intermediate "quiet" mode (this mode keeps UAC on but suppresses administration elevation prompts). With TweakUAC in "quiet" mode, UAC seem to be turned off to those who use administration accounts, but those who use standard account will still receive the warning messages.

Verify the results

By modifying the security settings of Windows Vista, now you can monitor the safety of system via System Health Report. This diagnosis tool receives the input date from Performance and Reliability Monitor and transforms them into a report with general information. To some extent, this report can provides you with information of potential security issues.

Open Control Panel.
Click System.
In Tasks list, select Performance (near the bottom of the list).
In resulting Tasks list, click Advanced tools (near the top of the list).
Click the last item on the resulting Task list: Generate a system health report.
This report will list any missing drivers which can cause errors, reporting to you if the antivirus protection is installed or not, or if the UAC is on or off. To make sure of the best condition of your Pc, run this report monthly.

Dinh Cong Tuan is now working for a software company that provides IT solutions and software development services. If you want to know more about his work, visit the website: http://attsoftware.net see how he can optimize your business.

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Windows XP Registry Tips & Tricks

Introduction:

Most settings can be done easily within Windows. However, for some setting you need to dive into the registry or use one of the many registry utilities and some interesting registry tweaks which you can do yourself, using the registry editor.

NOTE: We must be careful editing the registry because worst case scenario will happen such as Windows won't boot anymore. If you are not sure, leave things unchanged! My advise: create a system image before making major changes!

Windows XP Registry Hacks

Structure of Windows XP Registry:

When you will open the Windows XP Registry , you will see it's divided into two panes. On the left side there are Five main
Keys as shown below. These can be expanded to several Sub-Keys, which further have many Sub-Keys.
+HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
+HKEY_CURRENT_USER
+HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
+HKEY_USERS
+HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG
Before you try out the Tweaks, learn how to Backup and Restore Windows XP Registry.

Types of Registry Backups :
It is very important that before you do editing you make a backup of the current registry. If you ignore this warning, it might prove deadly for you.

Open your registry. Go to Start>Run , type regedit . When you invoke the Export function from File>Export, you are given a choice of different file types that can be saved :
Registration Files (*.reg)
Registry Hive Files (*.*)
Text Files (*.txt)
All Files

Each one of the different file types above plays an important role in how the data you export is saved. Choosing the wrong type can give you unexpected results. So let me explain you quickly these file types.

Registrations Files : The Registration Files option creates a .reg file. This is the most well known file format used for backing up the registry. The Registration File can be used in two ways. As a text file it can be read and edited using Notepad outside of Registry Editor. Once the changes have been made and saved, right clicking the file and using the [Merge] command adds the changed file back into the registry. If you make additions to the registry using regedit and then merge the previously saved Registration File, anything that you've added via regedit will not be removed, but changes you make to data using regedit that previously existed in the saved Registration File will be overwritten when it is merged

Registry Hive Files : Unlike the Registration Files option above, the Registry Hive Files option creates a binary image of the selected registry key. The image file is not editable via Notepad nor can you view its contents using a text editor. However, what the Registry Hive Files format does is create an image perfect view of the selected key and allow you to import it back into the registry to insure any problematic changes you made are eliminated.

Text Files : This option does just as the name suggests. It creates a text file containing the information in the selected key. It's most useful purpose is creating a record or snapshot of a key at a particular point in time that you can refer back to if necessary. It cannot be merged back into the registry like a Registration File.

Out of the give above choices , the safest method of backing up registry is to use Registry Hive Files option. No matter what ever you do or goes wrong in editing, importing the image of the key will eliminate all changes.

Windows XP Registry Tips & Tricks

1. Customize Windows Media Player Title Bar
Change the title bar to read Windows Media Player provided by , so if I had entered text ?Abhishek Bhuyan? , it would read: Windows Media Player provided by Abhishek Bhuyan
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft
Create the Key [WindowsMediaPlayer]
Create String value named [TitleBar]
Data Type: REG_SZ // Value Name: TitleBar
Double click TitleBar and Enter the text to be displayed in the title bar.
Exit Registry / Reboot

2. Minimize Outlook 2002 to the System Tray

If you frequently access Outlook during the day it?s more convenient to have it minimized to the system tray rather than invoking it each time you need to send/receive e-mail. This tweak minimizes Outlook 2002 to the system tray:
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\10.0\O utlook\Preferences
Modify/Create Data Type DWORD named [MinToTray]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]
Exit Registry / Reboot

3. Specify Default IE Download Directory
This tweak changes the default directory where downloads initiated in Internet Explorer are stored on the system.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [Download Directory]
Value Data: [Enter Path to Directory to be Assigned as Defualt for Downloads]
Exit Registry / Reboot

4. Force Use of Classic Start Menu
This tweak loads the Classic Start Menu and makes it impossible to change back to the Windows XP version
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer
Modify/Create the DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NoSimpleStartMenu]
Value Data: [0 = Default / 1 = Force Classic Start Menu]
Exit Registry / Reboot

5. Hide/Show Internet Explorer Desktop Icon
By default, Windows XP does not show the Internet Explorer icon on the Windows desktop. Using the registry tweak below allows you to control whether or not the Internet Explorer icon is displayed.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NoInternetIcon]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]
Exit Registry / Reboot

6. Increase Menu Display Speed
When you click on the Start Menu there is some delay to display the contents , just for no reason. Effects are pretty though. The default speed can be adjusted with a quick registry entry.
The default value is 400. Set it to 0 and the delay is gone. If you are not able to adjust pick a number that suits your style and make the change.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Modify/Create String value of Data type REG_SZ Named [MenuShowDelay]
Value Data: [Default = 400 / Adjust to Preference]
Exit Registry / Reboot

7. Change the Location of Special Folders
This tweak allows changing the location of special folders on the system. Any of the folders listed in the registry key may be moved.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to : HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\UserShell Folders
Modify/Create String value of Data type REG_SZ Named [Various Folder Names]
Data Type: REG_SZ [String Value] // Value Name: Consult RegEdit for Folder Names
Value Data: [Move the folder to the new desired location using explorer, and then edit the matching folder in RegEdit to reflect the new folder location]
Exit Registry and Reboot

8. Faster Browsing in Windows Explorer on Network Computers
By default, a Windows XP machine connecting to a Windows 95/98/Me computer will search for scheduled tasks or enabled printers on the remote computer. Two sub-keys control this behavior. Deleting them will speed up browsing on the remote computer.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace

To Disable Scheduled Task Checking
Value Name: {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF}
Delete the sub-key in the left pane of Registry Editor

To Disable Printer Checking
Value Name: {2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
Delete the sub-key in the left pane of Registry Editor

Exit Registry / Reboot

9. Add Administrator Account to Log In Screen
When Windows XP is first installed it requires you to enter at least one name of a user who will access the computer. Once you create this name the default Administrator account vanishes. To access it, press Ctrl-Alt-Delete twice at the Welcome screen to retrieve the standard Windows 2000 logon dialog. Log on as Administrator from this point. To log the Administrator off, click [Start] [Log Off] and [Log Off] when the [Log Off Windows] selection box appears. The Log On screen with the available users will be displayed.

To Make the Administrator Account Always Visible on the Login Screen use this Registry Tweak.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_LOCALMACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserLis t
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Administrator]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]
Exit Registry / Reboot

10. Increase Internet Download Connections
Increase Simultaneous Internet Download Connections. Increases the number of allowed simultaneous connections to ten (10).
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Internet Settings
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server]
Setting for Value Data: [0000000a]
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [MaxConnectionsPerServer]
Setting for Value Data: [0000000a]
Exit Registry / Reboot

11. Connected Web Files and Folders
Connecting web files and folders allows a primary .htm or .html file to be moved in conjunction with files associated with the primary document. Once the primary document has been defined, create a sub-folder using the same name as the primary document but assign it a .files extension. Whenever the primary file is moved, the sub-folder will also move and remain as a sub-folder of the primary.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NoFileFolderConnection]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Enabled (Default) / 1 = Disabled]
Exit Registry / Reboot

12. Hide/Show My Documents Folder on Desktop
By default, Windows XP does not show the My Documents folder on the Windows desktop. Using the registry tweak below allows you to control whether or not My Documents is displayed.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\CLSID\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}\ShellFolder
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Attributes]
Setting for Value Data: [Default = 0xf0400174 / Hidden = 0xf0500174]
Exit Registry / Reboot

13. Create a Hidden User Account
This tweak allows an account that is normally displayed on the Welcome screen to be hidden from view. To log on using the account it's necessary to use the Log On To Windows dialog box similar to the one in Windows 2000 i.e. press CTRL+ALT+DEL twice.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Cu rrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Type Name of Account to be Hidden]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Account is Hidden / 1 = Enabled]
Exit Registry / Reboot
While the account is hidden on the Welcome screen, note that the account profile will be visible in C:\Documents and Settings or wherever user profiles are stored as well as in Local Users and Groups.

14. Create Legal Notice Logon Dialog Box
In situations where you need users to read a legal notice before logging on, this tweak will create the caption for the notice.
Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [LegalNoticeCaption]
Value Data for LegalNoticeCaption: [Type the Caption for the Dialog Box]
Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [LegalNoticeText]
Value Data for LegalNoticeText: [Type the Data for the Legal Notice]
Exit Registry / Reboot
15. Manage Internet Explorer Error Reporting
This tweak removes the IE Error Reporting tool from appearing with the option to send browser debugging reports to Microsoft.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
Note:- Create both values listed below and set according to the bold type for the tweak to function properly.
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [IEWatsonEnabled]
Value Data: [0 - Disabled / 1 - Enabled]
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [IEWatsonDisabled]
Value Data: [0 - Disabled / 1 - Enabled]
Exit Registry / Reboot

16. Customize Logon and Security Dialog Title
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [Welcome]
Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]
Exit Registry / Reboot

17. Customize Logon Box Message
This is the message displayed on the Classic Logon box, not the XP ?Welcome? logon screen
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [LogonPrompt]
Value Data: [Enter the text of the message]
Exit Registry / Reboot

18. Welcome Screen Logon Vs Classic Logon
This tweak specifies whether the Welcome screen or the Classic logon will be used to access Windows XP.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [LogonType]
Value Data: [0 - Classic Mode / 1 - Welcome Screen]
Exit Registry / Reboot

19. QoS (Quality Of Service) Bandwidth Reserve Setting
By default, Windows XP reserves 20% of the connection bandwidth for QoS traffic. This tweak allows the setting to be altered to a different percentage of connection bandwidth. If the system uses more than a single adapter for network connections, each adapter may be set individually by navigating to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Psched\Parameters\Adapters\{Adpater-ID} rather than HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Win dows\Psched
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Win dows\Psched
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NonBestEffortLimit]
Setting for Value Data: [Enter as a Percentage / Default Value = 20]
Exit Registry / Reboot

20. Enable/Disable Save Password in DUN
This tweak saves user passwords for Dial Up Networking so they do not have to be re-entered each session.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RasMan\Parameters
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [DisableSavePassword]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled (Passwords Saved) / 1 = Enabled (Passwords Not Saved)]
Exit Registry / Reboot

21. Change the Registered Organization/Owner of Windows XP
This tweak allows modification of the registered owner and organization of the Windows XP software.
Note:- This tweak has nothing to do with Windows Product Activation (WPA) and will not allow you to register illegal XP software.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [RegisteredOrganization] or [RegisteredOwner]
Setting for Value Data: [Modify the Values to Reflect Current Information]
Exit Registry / Reboot

22. Remove Links Folder in Favorites
The Links folder is part of Favorites whether it's being accessed through Internet Explorer or the Favorites menu in the Start Menu. This tweak will remove it from those locations.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar
Modify/Create String Value of Data type REG_SZ Named [LinksFolderName]
Value Data: [Set the String Value to a blank string]
Open Internet Explorer and manually delete the Links folder from Favorites Menu.
The Links folder will not be recreated.
Exit Registry / Reboot

23. Enable/Disable Active Window Tracking to Mouse Movements
When the mouse is moved over an open window it automatically sets the focus to that particular window. It does not bring the window to the foreground of the open windows.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [ActiveWindowTracking]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = ActiveWindowTracking Disabled / 1 = ActiveWindowTracking Enabled]
Exit Registry / Reboot

24. Auto Disconnect for Internet Explorer
Use this edit to automatically disconnect from Internet Explorer after a specified length of time has elapsed. Use this trick on anyone whom you don’t like using your computer with net J
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\LanmanServer\Parameters
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Autodisconnect]
Value Data: [Enter a new disconnect time. Use Hexadecimal if you are unfamiliar with Binary]
Exit Registry / Reboot

25. Auto Reboot on System Crash
By default, when the Windows XP operating system crashes an automatic reboot of the system occurs. While this behavior can be convenient, the downside is the error message accompanying the crash is not visible. Often times this information can be a great help in troubleshooting the source of the crash. This behavior can be modified in two ways; via the registry or using the System Properties property sheet.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\CrashControl
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [AutoReboot]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = AutoReboot Disabled / 1 = AutoReboot Enabled]
Exit Registry / Reboot
Open System Properties via Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > System
[System Properties may also be opened using the WinKey+Pause key combination]
Select the Advanced tab and then click Settings in the Startup and Recovery section
In System Failure section, clear the checkbox next to Automatically Restart
Click OK and OK to exit

26. Modify Control Panel Categories
Even if you like the new style for Control Panel, you might at times wish you could shift some items around into a different category. It's possible.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Control Panel\Extended Properties\{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74} 2
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [Choose one of the applets with .cpl extension]
Setting for Value Data: [Select the value from table below]
Other Control Panel Options 0
Appearance and Themes 1
Printers and Other Hardware 2
Network and Internet Connections 3
Sounds, Speed, and Audio Devices 4
Performance and Maintenance 5
Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options 6
Accessibility Options 7
Add or Remove Programs 8
User Accounts 9
Exit Registry / Reboot

To further customize the items that appear in the new Control Panel, do a search of your system for all files that end in .cpl extension. If they aren't already listed, you can add them with a new DWORD value and then assign them to a category of your choosing.

27. Enable/Disable Run Commands Specific to the Registry
This tweak controls the use of the Run command on the local machine
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Policies\Explorer
Create a DWORD value of Data Type REG_DWORD for each Run function that will be disabled.
Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableLocalMachineRun]
Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableLocalMachineRunOnce]
Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableCurrentUserRun]
Modify/Create the Value Name [DisableCurrentUserRunOnce]
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]
Exit Registry / Reboot

28. Enable/Disable System Properties Access from My Computer
This tweak removes access to System Properties via My Computer as well as via Control Panel.
[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Modify/Create DWORD Value of Data type REG_DWORD Named [NoPropertiesMyComputer]
Value Data: [0 - Display Properties / 1 - Hide Properties]
Exit Registry / Reboot

29. Uninstall Programs Manually
Just because Windows XP has the Add/Remove Programs feature it doesn't mean your application will appear in the list. Furthermore, even if it does appear, it's no guarantee that the uninstall feature will work. When you run across one of these situations the items listed below will help in getting rid of the application. Be aware that these steps may not remove everything associated with the application and can impact other applications on the computer. Have a backup or restore point and use caution.
Find the directory for the application and delete all the files in the directory. Delete the directory.
Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE and find the folder for the application. Delete the folder.
Open regedit and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE and find the folder for the application. Delete the folder.
To remove the application entry from Add/Remove Programs (if present) open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall and find the folder for the application. Delete the folder.
Some applications have Services attached to them. If this is the case, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services, locate and delete the service.
In Windows Explorer, navigate to the individual user settings and delete program references. Common places to check would be:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs and delete relevant entries.
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and delete relevant entries.
C:\Documents and Settings\%YourUserID%\Start Menu\Programs and delete relevant entries.
[Do this for each User ID listed]

C:\Documents and Settings\%YourUserID%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup and delete relevant entries.
[Do this for each User ID listed]
If no entries were found in the previous step and the application launches automatically, navigate to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
and delete the entry.

30. Create a right-click command prompt option
You can right-click a folder to get a list of actions you can apply to it. Hare’s a way to create an action on that right-click menu that opens a command prompt window with that folder as the current directory. In a text editor such as Notepad, type the following exactly:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\Cmd Here]
@=?Command &Prompt Here?
[HKEY_CLASSES-ROOT\Folder\shell\Cmd Here\command]
@=?cmd.exe /k pushd %L?
Save the file with any name you want, with a .reg extension. Then double-click the saved file and choose Yes to merge the file’s information into the Registry. You can delete the file. Right-click any folder and you’ll see the Command Prompt Here option.

31. Adjusting System Restore values
The new System Restore feature in Windows XP automatically backs up a snapshot of your system, including your Registry, every 24 hours. It also saves restore points for 90 days. Neither of these values is directly editable in the System Restore program, but you can change them in the Registry. Go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Cu rrentVersion\SystemRestore
You’ll find an assortment of settings here. To change the interval between automatically created restore points, change the RPGlobalInterval setting. To change the number of days that a restore point is retained, change the RPLifeInterval setting.
System Restore time intervals are measured in seconds, not days, so you must convert the number of days you want into seconds. There are 86,400 seconds in a day, so multiply 86,400 by the number of days you want to determine the value. (There are 3,600 seconds in an hour, I hope you know)

32. Erase the swap file at shutdown
You might be concerned about someone browsing your users? swap files and gathering up little bits of their sensitive data. A remote possibility, to be sure, but it could happen. For that extra measure of security, go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Session Manager\Memory Management
Set the ClearPageFileAtShutdown DWORD to 1. This will make shutdowns take longer, because it overwrites everything in the swap file with zeroes. Don’t turn this feature on unless you have a serious security threat.

33. Delete the Files Stored on This Computer category in the My Computer window
In Windows XP, the My Computer window’s listing is broken down by categories: Hard Disk Drives, Devices with Removable Storage, and so on. One of these categories is Files Stored on This Computer, which appears at the top of the My Computer window. If a user doesn’t need it, you can get rid of it. To do so, go to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace\Delegate Folders
Delete the {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c55595fe6b30ee} sub key to remove the category.

34. Change the desktop cleanup frequency
Through Display Properties (Desktop tab, Customize Desktop button, General tab), you can turn on and off a feature that runs the Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days. You don?t have an option to set a different interval there, but you can change the interval in the Registry. To do so, go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\CleanupWiz
Change the Days Between Clean Up Value to some other number of days (in decimal format).

35. Sort menus alphabetically
When you install a new program for a user, it doesn?t find its place in the alphabetical Start menu hierarchy right away; it hangs out at the bottom for a little while. If your users employ the Classic Start menu, they can re-alphabetize it manually by right-clicking the taskbar and choosing Properties, clicking the Customize button next to the Classic Start Menu, and clicking the Sort button. With the Windows XP style of Start menu, however, you don?t have an equivalent button. To make Windows always alphabetize the list, remove the permissions from the Registry key that controls the sort order for the Start menu. To do so, go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MenuOrder
Choose Edit | Permissions and click the Advanced button. Deselect the Inherit From Parent The Permission Entries That Apply To Child Objects check box and then click Copy when the Security dialog box pops up. Click OK and clear the Full Control entry for your account and all security groups you are a member of. Leave only Read permission.

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10 Tips on How to Properly Maintain Your Computer

In order for a computer to stay fast and reliable it must be well maintained. a computer can stay in good condition for many years if it is properly maintained. Here are ten tips on how to properly maintain your computer.

1. Be sure to have a good antivirus software installed in your computer and make sure that it is always updated. Viruses are among the main causes of computer failure. A complete virus scan should be performed regularly. avoid visiting websites that are suspected to be infested with malware. Do not open e-mails whose sender seemed shady, they could contain deadly malware that can put your system at risk.

2. Defragment your disk regularly. Defragmenting your disk once in every two or three months is a good way to ensure that your computer stays in top condition. Fragmentation happens when your computer's operating system fail to allocate enough contiguous space to store a complete file as a unit and instead places parts of it in gaps between other files. To illustrate this, let us compare it to a library where some users do not return the books to the proper place after they read them. The books in the library are arranged in a manner that would make it easy to locate any particularly book easily. If many books are no longer in their proper places it would take longer to find them. A fragmented file system is like a library where the books are not in their proper places.Think of defragmentation as a process of returning the books in their proper places so that it will be easier to find them using the card catalog. Windows XP and Vista have their own built in defragmenting software but they are very slow. There are good defragmentation software that can do the job in a fraction of the time it would take for the Windows default defragmenter to finish. I recommend Power Defragmenter and Contig.

3. Clean your Windows Registry regularly. When your Windows registry is clogged with bad keys and entries the performance of your computer will slow down. There manual cleaning of the registry is not advisable to non-experts. There are some good registry cleaners like RegVac and Registry Mechanic that are very easy and safe to use.

4. Regularly get updates for your operating system and other important software. Some softwares do not offer automatic updates so it is advisable to regularly check with their website and download and install updates manually.

5. Delete cookies.It is a good advice to periodically delete internet cookies to ensure that your internet runs at optimum speed. It is easy to delete cookies with Firefox, just go to Tools then click on Options. Select the "Privacy" tab then click the "Show cookies" button. Another box with the "remove cookies" button will pop up. Click on the "remove cookies" button. If you are using Internet Explorer 7, do this: exit Internet Explorer 7 then click start, then click run, then type inetcpl.cpl in the text field and click enter. The General tab will appear. Click "delete" under browsing history in the Internet Properties dialog box. The delete browsing history dialog box appears. Click delete cookies. Click "Yes".

6. Regularly run Windows XP's error-checking computer maintenance tool. It can be found by right-clicking the local disk icon in My Computer folder and selecting "Properties". Click the Tools menu and click on the Error-Checking button. In the dialog box that pops up you can choose to run the error checker and scan for errors, or also fix system errors as it finds them.

7. Uninstall programs that you do not use. These programs occupy space in your hard disk. the more space you have in your hard disk the faster your computer runs.

8. Always run your computer on a UPS. Sudden electric surges are harmful to your computer.

9. If you are familiar with the inside of the casing, physically clean your computer. Remove dust that gather in the casing with cloth or vacuum. Be careful not to damage any part though.

10. Give your computer a rest by turning it off every once in a while.

It is important to maintain your computer. If you follow the above tips you can be assured that your PC will last longer and will always have optimum performance.

Ms. Pinky is a Computer Support Specialist for more than 25 years. Has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Engineering, MS Research work in Systems Engineering.

Get more free computer tips on her blog at http://www.computerhelpdeskandsupport.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pinky_Mcbanon

Antivirus 2009 Removal

Antivirus 2009 :--
In current scenario, many computer users experiencing external threats like spywares, adwares, malwares and many more. Antivirus 2009 is new rouge antipsyware software and it is a clone of Antivirus 2008. Generally it comes up with many fake alerts, messages and pop-ups. Most of time, Antivirus 2009 comes with pop-up message to install this program.

Antivirus 2009 Symptoms:--
Antivirus 2009 pop-ups generates following warning messages:--
1. Your computer is infected with virus and so scan your computer using Antivirus 2009.
2. WARNING! Antivirus Pro 2009 has found some useless and unwanted files on your computer
3. You need to register Antivirus 2009 to clean the unwanted files found. Click "Register now" button below to obtain the license key and remove useless or compromising material from your PC.
4. Malware threat.
5. Smart Antivirus 2009.
6. Flashing icons appear on your system tray (Near your system clock).
7. Critical System Error.
8. Hijacked homepage to obscure web page.
9. Your computer is infected.

Antivirus 2009 Manual Removal Steps :--
We need to delete some dll files, processes and registry entries to get rid of Antivirus 2009. We have to also delete the directories "C:\Program Files\Antivirus 2009". These are the following files that associated with Antivirus 2009 infection:--

1. %UserProfile%\Desktop\Antivirus 2009.lnk
2. %UserProfile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\Antivirus 2009.lnk
3. %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\S96PZM7V\winsrc[1].dll
4. %UserProfile%\Start Menu\Antivirus 2009
5. %UserProfile%\Start Menu\Antivirus 2009\Antivirus 2009.lnk
6. %UserProfile%\Start Menu\Antivirus 2009\Uninstall Antivirus 2009.lnk
7. c:\Program Files\Antivirus 2009
8. c:\Program Files\Antivirus 2009\av2009.exe
9. c:\WINDOWS\system32\ieupdates.exe
10. c:\WINDOWS\system32\scui.cpl
11. c:\WINDOWS\system32\winsrc.dll

We need to unregister the following "dll files" that associated with Antivirus 2009 infection:--
1. shlwapi.dll
2. wininet.dll

These are the following processes that we need to kill to get rid of Antivirus 2009:--
1. av2009.exe
2. av2009[1].exe
3. AV2009Install.exe
4. Antivirus2009.exe

These are the following registry entries that we have to kill to get rid of Spyware Protect 2009:--
1. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\75319611769193918898704537500611
2. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{037C7B8A-151A-49E6-BAED-CC05FCB50328}
3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{037C7B8A-151A-49E6-BAED-CC05FCB50328}
4. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "75319611769193918898704537500611"
5. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "ieupdate"

Antivirus 2009 Automated Removal Steps:--
We should follow these troubleshooting steps to get rid of Antivirus 2009 :--
1. We should delete all the Internet temporary files like temp, %temp% and prefetch files.
2. Scan computer using any updated antivirus program.
3. We should install and download the "Antimalwarebytes" (freely available).
4. We should update "Antimalwarebytes".
5. Scan computer using the "Antimalwarebytes".
6. We should follow the same procedure for "Super antispyware" as we have done for "Antimalwarebytes" (Safe Mode).

By all the above discussion, we can conclude that Antivirus 2009 is a fake antispyware program. Antivirus 2009 is mainly responsible for the malfunction and slow down the computer performance. It is highly recommended to never click on fake pop-ups or messages. So, it is very necessary to scan computer using updated anti-spyware software on regular basis.

About the Author

Alina Wilson is a technical and security specialist, associated with numerous tech firms including iYogi. iYogi is synergistic ally aligned to offer tech support, Microsoft support, computer repair, PC help services, computer support, online technical support, data back-up services to its clients in Australia, US, UK and Canad

Article Directory: http://www.articlerich.com

Files, Folders and Defrag - Help Organise Your PCFiles, Folders and Defrag - Help Organise Your PC

What is a file?

A file on your computer is much like a file that you would keep in your filing cabinet. Each file has a unique name and is kept in a specific location. Each computer file has a three character extension which is separated from the file name by a period. The extension is often hidden however there is an option in Windows to display this if you wish. The extension relates to a specific program. This tells the computer which program to open it with. For example, a file extension xls or xlsx relates to Microsoft Excel.

Some file extensions, such as.mp3 can be opened in a variety of programs.

What is a Folder?

A folder usually contains a collection of files similar to a folder in a filling cabinet. You can have folders within a folder. These are known as subfolders. You may sometimes hear folders referred to as directories.

What is a Path?

A path relates to the exact location of the folder leading to the files. For example, the location of the files for a program installation on a Windows PC is commonly c:program files.

File names can be whatever you like however there are some characters which cannot be used. e.g. *! % etc.. If you store files in the manner which you would in a manual filling system then you should be easily able to locate the one you are looking for.

Any file can have a shortcut, which is like a bridge to the original file and can be placed in any location on the computer. The Desktop is a where you are likely to find several shortcuts.

Keeping Your Desktop Tidy

It is good practice to keep you desktop tidy and uncluttered. Remove all unused shortcuts and create folders for scattered files. In Windows there is a desktop clean up wizard to help with this process.

To access this right click on the desktop, choose properties, then select the tab, desktop. Then click the button customise desktop button. There will be an option to clean the desktop. You could of course just delete any unwanted shortcuts or icons.

Performing a Defrag on a hard disk for a Windows based computer is a useful way to help speed up access to files and folders on your computer.

What is Defraging (Defrag)?

If you were to index a filing cabinet, you would probably organise it alphabetically with labels on the individual files to enable you to find them easily. If someone moved around the draws on the filing cabinet and switched the labels on your files to

a random order, beside being a tad annoying to say the least, it would take a great deal longer to find a particular file. Now a computer saves files wherever it finds space. This can be almost anywhere on the hard drive. So when the computer accesses a file it may have to look across the entire hard drive to find it, so over time this process will take longer. What a defrag does is to group together files of similar types thereby increasing the speed of access to them. So carrying out a defrag on a regular basis can help optimise the time your computer takes to access files and folders. Windows 7 and Windows Vista have an option to schedule a defrag at regular intervals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Gold

Computer Speed Tweaks For the Computer Illiterate

As time goes by, your brand new computer would eventually slow down. There are easy computer speed tweaks that you can do. But before you start ranting about how difficult and complicated tweaking your system can be, let me first tell you that even someone with no background experience with computer tweaking would be able to handle these simple computer speed tweaks so don't worry too much.

The list below would give you an idea about what could be causing your computer to slow down. Read them and check if they really are the culprits. This isn't the most comprehensive list available on the internet but these are among the easiest computer speed tweaks out there. So if you're ready, here we go:

1. Defragment Your Hard Drive

Doing this would put back all your data in order. Because over time, the data on your hard drive gets scattered around, degfragmenting would help restore order thus making it easier for Windows to access it. Do you know what that means? That means you wont have to wait forever when trying to open a certain program and the performance of you PC would improve.

2. Scan Your Hard Disk

Did you experience a computer crash thus making it impossible for you to shut your computer down properly? Or have you experienced a power outage whilst using your PC? All these things could cause problems as well as damage your files. Windows comes equipped with a special utility called scandisk which would automatically find as well as fix much of the damage thus improving your PC's performance in the process.

3. Scan Your Computer for Viruses

Everyone knows the damage a virus can do to your computer so detecting as well as cleaning out viruses is one of the best computer speed tweak option out there. Simply choose a antivirus, there are many available on the internet, then download and run it on your computer.

4. Check Your Computer for Adware and Spyware

Spyware, just as its name suggests, acts like a spy for certain companies so that they could monitor which websites you're visiting. Why do they do that? I don't know. But the bad thing is not only can a Spyware monitor your computer, it can also access it. An Adware on the otherhand, is a software that displays unwanted advertisements. Both use a significant amount of your computer's resource thus slowing it down. Detecting and removing these things would improve your system performance, for sure.

5. Uninstall Unneeded Programs

Remove programs that you no longer have any use for. These would free up disk space and speed up computer performance. If you think deleting is enough, think again, you should properly uninstall them to see improvement.

6. Adjust Your Computer's Visual Effects for a Better Performance

Windows XP provides a lot of fun effects you can use such as animated windows and fun fading menus. But these effects, no matter how cool they may seem can cause your computer to slow down. So, don't abuse them and if you can live without them, don't use them at all.

7. Stop Programs from Launching themselves during Start-up

This is another great computer speed tweak. You simply disable programs which you don't really need during start up. Not only do these programs cause delay during windows start up, they will also continuously slow down your computer because they eat up a significant amount of your system's resources.

The things in the list might not seem much but doing those things would definitely improve your system's performance. So try them and see the change.

Kris Mainieri is an accomplished Computer Tech focusing on innovative and unique ways to help people take their computing performance to a whole new level free.

For a limited time, you can claim the "Secrets That Most People Will Never Know About Computers" e-book absolutely free Windows XP Tweaks CLICK HERE!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kris_Mainieri

Learn Office 2007 And Windows Vista The Easy Way - Videos!

Are you tired of searching through Microsoft help to only become even more confused than you were when you started?

Do you want access to how to videos for the current Office 2007 application you are working with right from inside the Office 2007 ribbon?

Do you believe that video help is the future of software help?

If so then you need Mhelp.

Mhelp is a revolutionary new type of software that gives you just in time help for all the popular Microsoft Office applications and even Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Imagine you have a deadline and your boss has asked you to insert a table of contents into a meeting brief. What do you do? You have no idea how to use this new feature of Office 2007.

You could search Microsoft text help and become even more overwhelmed with information.

You could search Google and get even more frustrated.

Or you could simply click the Mhelp Office 2007 ribbon tab (available after you install Mhelp), type in 'Table of contents' into the search bar and watch the Mhelp clip titled 'How to add a built in table of contents in Word' or 'How to add a built-in table of contents in Word'.

As you watch and listen to the Mhelp clip you simply copy what you see and apply it to your own work to achieve the desired results.

That is really all there is to Mhelp at its most basic level. But Mhelp also allows you to create your own playlists of Mhelp clips so that you can easily have access to help when you needed. You can also use Structured Learning to complete a course of Mhelp clips that teach you how to achieve a certain task.

Mhelp also has the ability through Version Translation to tell you how to achieve something from Office 2003 in Office 2007 which is great for those who find the ribbon confusing.

We have an Mhelp YouTube page which showcases some examples of the Mhelp clips that we offer and gives you an idea of what sort of help we provide. Basically we are like the best bits of a Greatest Hits CD or movie. We only tell you what you need to know, nothing more and we do not provide filler to make it look better.

The average size in length of an Mhelp clip is roughly 30 seconds. This means that you can simply learn what you need to know and then get back to doing more important stuff like having fun or spending time with your family. No more hours spent slaving over a hot search engine trying to figure out how to insert tables into a presentation!

For more information on Mhelp please visit the following links.

Our YouTube page:

http://www.youtube.com/user/MHELP2U

Our blog:

http://mhelp2u.blogspot.com/

A sample of our content:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=MHELP2U&view=playlists

We are also on Twitter: Mhelp2U

You can download a free trial of Mhelp here:

http://www.mhelpict.com/download.htm

You may read all this and think that Mhelp sounds crazy! That is okay.

Remember that ten years ago we had no YouTube and now see how popular it is now.

Mhelp is the next big thing in IT and it can help everyone no matter their age or job which is the real beauty of it.

Mhelp can also be modified to support other applications so if you want an application that you feel would benefit from being added to the Mhelp catalog (so that you could then use Mhelp to teach your staff for example) then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

And one final thing. The next time you are stumped over Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows you will be wishing that you had not just asked for help but that you had asked for Mhelp!

And now you can! Thank you for reading this.

Here at Mhelp we look forward to helping you in the future.

By: Ian Walker

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

7 Tips to Consider When Buying an Inexpensive Notebook Computer

Buying a new inexpensive notebook computer can sometimes be a real challenge. There are so many things you have to consider. You have to make sure you get the best deal for the price that you pay. Also make sure you're not ripped off or overpay for any of the features. This is why I have seven tips and tricks for you to implement when you're buying a new inexpensive notebook computer.

1. Make sure that you don't opt in for the five-year guarantee- yet always seemed like a good option because they say that they will protect your computer if anything happens. This can be useful but most computers can usually go about for years without getting damaged. And as for the five-year guarantee, most people will get tired of their computers in about three years and they will want the latest and greatest technology. So all in all there really is no need for a five-year guarantee. It is just an extra cost and you may never even need it.

2. Ports- Only buy the ones you need. Usually for most people, the only important ones are HDMI, SD card ports and USB. If you go for more than that, they usually cost more money. You may end up paying money for ports you don't even need.

3. Don't fall for the latest and greatest items. They may seem great but they usually way overpriced. For example the older version might be up to $300 cheaper than the new version. Yes I agree the new versions are all cool, but why not stick to the older version and save money, when that's all you really need.

4. Check out the battery life. If the battery life is not all that great and the laptop is very expensive, you know that that is not a good buy. Picture the battery life is good and seems about right for the price.

5. Try to avoid additional accessories when buying an inexpensive notebook computer. Sometimes they will ask you to buy additional mouses or may be WebCam accessories. However most of the time they are not necessary. So if you want inexpensive notebook computers make sure they don't fall for these tricks and end up paying more than you should.

6. Screen Size- You don't need a enormous screen size. Usually up to 15 inches is good enough. Actually in some states, there Is an extra charge for inexpensive notebook computers that are over 15.6 inches. But if that is something you need, by all means, go ahead.

7. Stick to the basic versions. Don't fall for the icing on the cake. If there is an option between Windows home professional and Windows ultimate and the pricing is $200 apart, you should go for the Windows home professional. If you really feel like you'd need Windows ultimate, then buy it separately. Don't pay $200 extra for already installed software.

If you follow those seven tips and tricks, it is a given that you will end up paying much less for your inexpensive notebook computer. Actually, you will be putting money back into your pocket.

Antivirus Software For Vista

Windows Vista promises to have enhanced security against internet related threats. One of the most talked about addition is UAC (User Access Control), which attempts to automatically sense potentially dangerous situations and temporarily suspends running programs and processes. UAC works by detecting and halting any malware that may be trying to install itself on the machine or run itself with administrative privileges. UAC will prompt/warn you when something attempts to install itself. Unfortunately this is not an end-all solution. Some viruses or malware have the ability to automatically click 'OK' or 'Yes' on these warnings allowing the virus to proceed with it's self installation. Also, it may be difficult to determine whether or not the warning is coming from a legitimate source. And, finally, some people have been 'conditioned' to click 'Yes' or 'OK' to simply get rid of the annoying, invasive, warning window and get back to what they are doing. Some other built-in security features include Windows Defender and Windows Firewall. However, depend upon these features without third-party antivirus software at your own risk. Although these built-in features help to some degree, they are not foolproof, and in addition to the the reasons above, there are many reasons to use separate third-party antivirus software. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Email attachments - there are millions of virus infected emails currently in circulation and to the uneducated user, these emails appear completely legitimate and persuasive in getting you to open the attachment. A well written virus by a competent programmer will exploit the weaknesses an any operating system. If you are one of the unfortunate victims, prepare for some serious headaches.

2. P2P downloads - Peer to peer, and other file sharing programs, are some of the most common ways for computer viruses to spread. Viruses hidden in seemingly legitimate installation packages will make there way into your computer faster than you can say - "Woops".

3. Browser related exploits - Vista's new version of Internet Exploerer (IE 7) claims to have enhanced security features such as pre-enabled Active-X protection, and a Protected Mode. However, many users will undoubtedly disable these features in order to be able to run flash programs, or other embedded applications which require Active-X. And as for executing unknown ActiveX components - it's been permitted before, and it will continue to be permitted.

Although Windows Vista is the most secure Windows operating system to date, there are still many ways for viruses to make their way through Vista's defenses. We strongly recommend, especially if you use the internet frequently, that you install a reliable antivirus program. Antivirus software is designed specifically to solve all of the problems I've discussed and more. A good antivirus software will also regularly self update, protecting against the latest virus and malware threats. Let Vista focus on being an operating system and let your antivirus software focus on blocking and removing viruses. Surely you've heard the maxim 'You're better safe than sorry'. Well, it certainly applies here as well.

If you are interested in learning more about antivirusl software such as features and prices, be sure to check out our antivirus software comparison chart and antivirus software reviews.

Stephen is a publisher, editor, and reviewer for TopChoiceReviews.com. TopChoiceReviews.com provides comparisons, reviews, articles, and information about a variety of products in a variety of categories.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Mulberry

Using InstallAware 7 To Patch Software Products

Overview

This whitepaper describes how to use InstallAware for patching software products. While many third party patching tools are available, most are loosely integrated with installation tools. This makes the patch delivery and installation awkward, resulting in a less than satisfactory user experience. Certain setup authoring tools do provide an integrated mechanism for building patches, improving the user experience. However, in these cases the patch authoring process is very complex and requires special training. Patches are treated as a special kind of setup project, with many authoring pitfalls that the developer has to be conscious of both before and during actual patch development. Since patches are distributed after the actual product has shipped, this results in difficult situations where the original setups can no longer be modified, but were required to be authored differently for the patches to be successful.

InstallAware addresses these challenges in patch authoring using a unique technology: One-Click Patching. InstallAware literally builds patches for older versions of your products in a single click. You simply refer the IDE to the old, built versions of your setup to upgrade, and click the "Build Patch" button. No additional coding or development effort is required at any time. InstallAware takes care of the rest for you.

Despite this remarkable ease of use, in the InstallAware tradition, extensive customization of the patch process and patch user experience remains possible. This makes it possible for you to integrate your business logic into your installer at runtime, dramatically reducing development overhead that would otherwise be required to support that logic. For instance, before applying a patch, dynamic validation of the user's existing product license may be performed, barring the software upgrade if the license has expired or is invalid. Similarly, a single patch may be applied onto multiple targets - making it possible to reduce integration workload when patching products in different target languages, editions, and other configurations.

InstallAware further aids patch deployment by reducing the payload size, improving compression ratios, and caching old version setup sources. Patches are built using binary incremental differencing technology, which includes only the delta between the old and new versions of your files in your patch packages. This data is then compressed using LZMA/BCJ2 compression technology, which pre-processes files to increase their compressibility for even more space savings. At runtime, InstallAware simply refers to cached setup sources, eliminating unnecessary CD/DVD and other kinds of original setup media prompts, which would otherwise derail patch deployment (other setup authoring mechanisms do not cache setup sources on the end-user system).

While offering these unique benefits, InstallAware is completely standards based - every InstallAware patch is a native Windows Installer patch package (MSP) that can execute directly, without requiring a third-party scripting runtime to be previously installed. Windows Installer is the only Microsoft approved installation technology and is a requirement of Microsoft logo certification programs. It offers several other advantages such as elevated-privilege installations in high-security contexts and automated corporate deployment using Active Directory Group Policy. These benefits make MSP format patches the only accepted software distribution format for large enterprises.

Building the First Version Installer

While it is possible to upgrade products built using any setup authoring technology using InstallAware, those upgrades cannot take advantage of InstallAware's One-Click Patching technology. Any product which you wish to patch using InstallAware must have originally been installed with InstallAware.

To build the installer for the first version of your product, perform the following steps.

1. Our hypothetical product is comprised of two files, an application file and a data file. Windows's standard text editor Notepad, located in your Windows folder, will serve as our application file.

We'll go ahead and create the data file. Right click your Desktop, and choose New - Text Document. Name the file Notepad Data, double click it, and edit it so its contents look like the screenshot below:

2. Now that our first version product files are ready, we can get started building the first version installer. Launch the InstallAware 7 IDE using the Windows Start Menu. Then, on the Project tab, in the New group, click the Basic Setup button. The New Project window is displayed.

3. The Basic Setup project type is pre-selected. Additionally, the New Project window lists other types of templates, wizards, sample projects, and project converters.

The Basic Setup project type contains all the plumbing we need to build a fully working installation - with out of the box support for multiple features, application repair and maintenance, uninstall, and also patching, our area of focus in this whitepaper.

4. Under the Project Name field, accept the default value of My Setup, or provide your own project name. Projects are normally created under your My Documents folder, and reside inside their own subfolders. If you would like to use a different folder, enter that folder name here, or use the suggested value. Click OK when you're ready to create the project.

5. Now that our setup project is ready, we'll begin to flesh it out with our products's logical organization. On the Design tab, click the Files and Settings button. Select the Features designer under the Setup Architecture heading and define two features, so your setup project looks like the screenshot above. Use the Rename button to rename existing features, and the New button to insert new features. The Up-Down buttons on the top right corner of the design view let you sort your features. You may also customize feature descriptions by highlighting a feature, and then editing its description in the Feature Description field.

When you're finished, select the Files designer under the Setup Architecture heading to add your actual product files to the setup project.

6. The top section of the Files designer lists the files available on your development system. The bottom section of the Files designer lists the files that are installed by your setup. Notice the list of variables that are displayed under the Target Folders list. $TARGETDIR$ is a special variable which indicates the destination directory chosen by the user at install time. Select $TARGETDIR$ before adding any files to make sure they will be installed into the end-user's chosen destination.

The Filter Files by Feature check-box lets you associate individual files with your product's logical organization (the features defined in the previous step). After checking this box, be sure to choose the product feature that you wish to associate files with.

From your Windows folder, add the file notepad.exe under the Program Files feature. Then browse to your Desktop folder, and add the file Notepad Data.txt under the Data Files feature.

7. Shortcuts will let us easily open installed files and test that the patch is working. Select the Shortcuts designer under the Setup Architecture heading, and then click New to display the New Shortcut dialog.

It's easy to create shortcuts in a variety of locations using this dialog. Click the Browse button to visually locate your shortcut targets from among the files you're installing, or alternately type any file or folder location directly in the Shortcut Target field. Be sure to name your shortcut using the Text field, and pick at least one location to create the shortcut under from the Shortcut Placement group. Click OK to save your changes.

Create two shortcuts - one called My Data which points to our dummy text file, and another called My Program which points to the copy of Notepad that we're installing. We're now ready to build our first version setup!

8. On the Project tab, in the Build group, click Web Deploy. We choose the Web Deploy build mode, because when a setup is built this way, it locally caches its setup sources on the target system - eliminating the need for source media prompts that would be occurring with other build modes, such as the CD or DVD build mode. It's also possible to build a setup in Web Deploy mode without actually deploying anything on the web - we'll revisit this subject in the second half of this guide.

When the build is complete, click the downward arrow on the Output Folder button in the Build group, and choose the Web Deploy location. Explorer opens up with our built setup, with the following files located inside the folder:

* My Setup.exe: This is the main setup executable, which contains the installer engine.

* Data Files.7zip: This setup data file contains all the files which were included in the Data Files feature.

* Program Files.7zip: This setup data file contains all the files which were included in the Program Files feature.

9. Create a new folder on your Desktop, calling it Version One. Copy all built setup files inside this folder. This folder serves as your backup location for your old version installer, which is all that is needed for building a patch targeting this first version. Old product files or setup sources are not required.

Building the Second (and further) Version Installers

Now that we've successfully built and saved a copy of our first version setup, we're ready to make the changes to the product and setup project for building the second version.

1. Edit the text file on your Desktop created in step 1 of the previous section, and edit its contents so it looks like the screenshot below:

2. Save your changes to the text file, and rebuild your setup following the procedure in step 8 of the previous section. Remember to create another folder on your Desktop called Version Two, and again copy all built setup files into this folder, backing up the second version installer for use with future patches.

3. If necessary, make further changes to your product files and setup project (such as adding more files), and build further version installers as necessary. Just be sure to backup each built setup, so you can patch them later on.

Building the Patch

There are absolutely no additional steps required to build a patch, above and over the changes made to your product files and the new version installer. Follow the steps below to create your patch:

1. On the Design tab, in the Views group, click the Deploy button.

2. Under the Deployment heading, choose the Patches designer. Click the Add button in the Patches designer and add the file My Setup.exe from the Version One folder created earlier on your Desktop.

3. If there are other product versions to patch, add their installers from their backup folders as well. These saved old version installers are all InstallAware needs for creating a patch!

4. Click the Build Patch button. Once your patch has been built, click the Browse button to open Explorer inside the folder containing your patch file, My Setup.exe. This patch will successfully upgrade all referenced old versions to your latest version!

Congratulations! You have now built a patch for your software product using InstallAware. Install your first version install, open the text file to verify its contents; then install the patch and verify that your text file has been updated. Experiment with making more changes to your setup project, and let InstallAware take care of building more patches for you with a single click!

Deployment Scenarios

Patch Source Resolution

All Windows Installer patches require access to the old version product's setup files. The setup files for the old version must be successfully identified (resolved) before any patches may be applied. This section describes how InstallAware patches handle this source resolution requirement.

Patch Source Resolution for Web Deployed Setups

Since web deployed setups always locally cache their setup files, patch source resolution for web deployed setups is automatic. No manual steps are required during patch source resolution. It is also possible to author web deployed setups such that they do not require an Internet connection at any time during installation; these advantages make web deployed setups ideal for patching in InstallAware.

Patch Source Resolution for CD or DVD Setups

If it is undesirable to cache setup sources locally, CD or DVD setups may also be used. When patching a CD or DVD setup, a dialog box will ask for the original setup files. At this stage, the end-user simply needs to insert the original installation media, and select the drive containing the setup sources. If a CD or DVD setup was not stored on a removable medium but resides on a hard drive folder, simply selecting that folder will again suffice during patch source resolution.

Patch Source Resolution for Single File Setups

A single file setup packs all setup files into a single self extracting file. This self extracting archive, when run, first expands all setup files into a temporary folder, and then initiates setup. When patching against these setups, therefore, it is not sufficient to point to the folder containing the single self extracting file. Instead, the self extracting file should be run, allowing it to complete to the stage of extracting its setup files to a temporary folder, and then that temporary folder should be chosen. Identifying this folder can be a little daunting for novice end-users, therefore single file setups are not recommended as patch targets; however if necessary it is still possible to patch single file setups.

A practical step by step method to locate the temporary folder where setup files are extracted into is as follows:

1. Click the Windows Start button, choose Run, and type in %temp% into the Open field. Then click OK.

2. Windows Explorer opens, displaying the contents of the user's temporary folder.

3. Look for a folder that starts with the characters mia and ends with the characters .tmp, with some random numbers and letters in between. In the rare event that there are multiple folders fitting this pattern, simply try each folder until the patch installer accepts one of your choices (the patch installer will check to make sure valid sources are specified).

The main advantage of using a single file setup is to create a monolithic package that contains everything needed to install an application without requiring an Internet connection or a CD/DVD (and other types of removable media). It is possible to build web deployed setups which are still monolithic and do not require access to the Internet at any time during installation, so in cases where a monolithic single file setup is desired, the Web Deploy build mode can be preferred over the Single File build mode. Patch source resolution is automatic with all web deployed setups, and the output of a setup built using the Web Deploy build mode can still be a single physical file, as described in the following section.

Building Monolithic Web Deployed Setups

Since web deployed setups are the easiest base setups to patch against, it is desirable to use them when deploying your full version installers. In certain situations you may want to build setups which do not require an Internet connection at any time. InstallAware makes it easy to build monolithic web deployed setups - that are fully self-contained - so they always cache setup files, contain all setup data in a single setup file, and are easy for your end-users to patch against. To convert any existing setup to a monolithic web deployed setup, follow these steps:

1. Open your setup project in the InstallAware IDE, and choose the MSIcode tab to access the full sources of your installation.

2. Inside the MSIcode editor, choose the tab immediately to the right of the Welcome Page tab. For our hypothetical setup, this tab is called My Setup.

3. Notice the two drop-down combo boxes immediately above the MSIcode script. Select Web Media Blocks in the left combo box. Then expand the right combo box to display a list of all your Web Media Blocks (parts of your setup that are downloaded from the Internet at runtime).

4. Select a Web Media Block from the open combo box. The MSIcode editor positions the cursor at the exact location in the script where the Web Media Block is defined.

5. Right-click the highlighted Web Media Block line, and choose Comment Out/In. This comments out the Web Media Block definition, directing the InstallAware setup compiler to ignore this directive.

6. Repeat steps 4-5 until all Web Media Blocks in the MSIcode script have been commented out.

7. Press the Page Up key repeatedly until you are on top of the installation script.

8. Using the mouse, drag-drop the Web Media Block command from the MSIcode command palette (on the right of the MSIcode editor) to the top of your script. This inserts a new Web Media Block command into the MSIcode script.

9. The Define Web Media Block dialog box appears. Without making any changes in this dialog, simply click the OK button. This inserts a new line into your MSIcode script called [OFFLINE CONTENT]. This instructs the InstallAware setup compiler to include each file of your setup package directly inside the main setup.exe file, instead of an Internet location where they will be downloaded from at runtime.

Building your setup in the Web Deploy build mode will now create a monolithic web deployed setup, which does not require access to the Internet at any time during installation, providing the easiest targets to patch against thanks to automated patch source resolution.

Customizing Patches

Compiler Variables

InstallAware features Compiler Variables, which offer an easy way to build multiple setup files from a single setup project. Using Compiler Variables, which are similar to conditional directives found in most programming languages, you may conditionally include/exclude parts of the MSIcode script, and build different flavors of an existing setup, all based on a single setup project.

Built-In Compiler Variables

InstallAware provides various built-in Compiler Variables. For instance, the internal BUILDMODE Compiler Variable evaluates to PATCH when building patches in InstallAware. This makes it very easy to add additional logic to your MSIcode script, that is only compiled during a patch build (for instance, when clicking the Patch button in the Build group on the Project tab). Additional, custom Compiler Variables may be defined using the Project Options window (accessible by clicking the Project Settings button in the Manage group on the Project tab). Compiler Variable values can also be set from the command line when using the miabuild.exe command line build tool, for added convenience.

Conditional Compilation using Compiler Variables

Three MSIcode commands offer the possibility to test the values of Compiler Variables, and selectively include/exclude parts of the MSIcode script at build time. These commands are found on the Compiler Directives group of the MSIcode command palette (accessible on the MSIcode tab, to the right of the MSIcode editor):

* Compiler Variable If: Opens a new conditional compilation block. Simply drag-drop this command into your MSIcode script to create a new conditionally compiled block.

In the Variable field of this command, enter the Compiler Variable to test for. You may test for both built-in and custom Compiler Variables using this command. To start a new conditionally compiled block included only when building patches, enter BUILDMODE in this field. In the Comparison field, choose a type of comparison to perform. Accept the default comparison of Equals for testing patch builds. If you need to reverse the type of comparison, check the Reverse Comparison (If Not) check-box. In the Compare With field, enter the literal value to test the value of the Compiler Variable against. For patches, enter PATCH in this field.

* Compiler Variable Else: Branches a previously started conditional compilation block, such that if the immediately preceding Compiler Variable If test failed, the MSIcode commands following the Compiler Variable Else command are conditionally compiled.

* Compiler Variable End: Closes a conditional compilation block previously opened with a Compiler Variable If command. Each Compiler Variable If command must have a corresponding Compiler Variable End command.

You may freely nest multiple conditional compilation blocks as you see fit. You may also use any kind of MSIcode commands within your conditionally compiled blocks.

InstallAware internally uses Compiler Variables to make One-Click Patching possible. Most InstallAware templates (including the Basic Setup template used in this whitepaper) provide a properly constructed MSIcode script with all necessary Compiler Variable If/Else/End commands that provide effortless patch construction from the same setup project used for the main setup.

Using Compiler Variables in this way provides out-of-the-box One-Click Patching convenience for developers, while retaining developer flexibility and permitting additional customizations to patches being built based on a single setup project. You may freely customize any of the InstallAware templates to suit your requirements and embed any kind of business logic to your installations for patching, while avoiding the problems and overhead associated with having to create and maintain new, separate patch projects from scratch.

Additional Resources

Please visit the InstallAware website publications section at the following URL for more information on InstallAware technologies:

http://www.installaware.com/home/publications.asp

Whitepapers providing an in-depth analysis of InstallAware's scripting and web deployment technologies, as well as a Reviewer's Guide, are available at the above URL.

About The Author:
Candice Jones is employed at InstallAware Software Corporation.

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