1. Easily Open Documents And Settings Folder In Windows XP!

Your Windows XP "Documents and Settings" folder contains all types of useful information about your account, including:

- Desktop icons
- Internet Explorer cookies
- Internet Explorer favorites
- Miscellaneous application data
- "My Documents" folder
- Start Menu settings

Normally, to get to this folder, you must run Explorer and access a folder name similar to "c:\documents and settings\YOUR USER NAME". That's a lot of typing or browsing. Here's an easier way:

1. Click "Start", selecting "Run".

2. When the "Run" dialog box appears, enter a period (.) and press the "OK" button or ENTER on your keyboard.

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2. Remember Which Windows Were Open Between User Sessions!

Tired of logging off your Windows XP computer with a bunch of useful windows open to various folders, then when you re-login to the system, all of the windows have disappeared?

Many people prefer to start their Windows XP session with a clean slate, which is why this is the default behavior in Explorer. However, if you'd rather it remember your open windows and reopen them when you re-login, do the following:

1. Open any folder in Explorer.

2. Choose "Tools" then "Folder Options".

3. When the multi-tabbed dialog box appears, select the "View" tab.

4. Check "Restore previous folder windows at logon".

5. Click "OK" to close the dialog box.

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3. Do Not Display Folder Size In Windows XP!

Normally, when you hover your mouse pointer over a folder in Explorer, Windows XP will automatically calculate the size of all files in the folder and subfolder, displaying the results as a tooltip popup.

Many people find this functionality useful. However, others do not need this information, or they don't want Windows XP wasting CPU cycles and spinning up the hard drive to calculate folder size. Also, if you have a laptop and commonly navigate files using the Explorer, calculating the size of every folder you hover your mouse pointer on can drain some power from the battery, as the hard drive must be accessed. Thus, to disable this feature:

1. Open any folder in Explorer.

2. Choose "Tools" then "Folder Options".

3. When the multi-tabbed dialog box appears, select the "View" tab.

4. Uncheck "Display file size information in folder tips".

5. Click "OK" to close the dialog box.
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5. Frequent Reboots During Intensive Operations!

Frequent reboots during intensive operations are more likely caused by hardware problems. There are several possible causes. First, your PC may be overheating owing to dust accumulation. Over time, dust can gather inside a PC chassis, layering over heat sink surfaces, memory modules, and circuit boards. You can blow the dust out with canned air. Open the case and check to see where dust has accumulated. Be sure to use short bursts, and get inside the surface of cooling fans mounted on CPU or GPU heat sinks. (Turn the system off before doing this.)

Another possible cause is power-supply problems. For example, if you've recently added a high-performance graphics card, you may have exceeded the power supply's capacity to deliver adequate power. Or it may simply be that the power supply is going south and failing.

Another common culprit is memory that's going bad. You can easily test for this by downloading a free copy of Memtest86+ ( http://www.memtest.org/ ). Run Memtest from a bootable floppy disk or CD. It will run a series of tests on your system memory to see if it's failing.

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6. Securing An Auto Logon In Windows XP!

Perhaps you prefer to have Windows XP automatically log you on to the system at start up, but because you're concerned with security you choose to manually log on. With an Auto-logon configuration, you can turn on your computer in the morning and, say, go get a cup of coffee.

When you return, your system has logged on, loaded all the start-up programs, and is ready for you to sit down and go to work—no waiting involved.

The bad thing is that while you're away, anyone can sit down at your computer and do whatever they want. Wouldn't it be nice if you could have your computer be totally ready to work, yet still password-protected when you return with your coffee? Well, you can!

Here's how:
1. Press [Windows]+R to access the Run dialog box.
2. Type Control userpasswords2 in the Open text box and click OK to access the User Accounts dialog box.
3. Select your user name and clear the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" check box.
4. Click OK to display the Automatically Log On dialog box, type your password in both the Password and Confirm Password text boxes, and click OK.
5. Right-click on the desktop and select New | Shortcut from the context menu to access the Create Shortcut wizard.
6. Type rundll32.exe user32.dll, LockWorkStation in the "Type the location of the item" text box and click Next. (Take note of the uppercase letters in the word LockWorkStation as you type it—if you don't use the exact case, the shortcut will fail.)
7. Type Lock Down in the Type A Name For This Shortcut text box and click Finish.
8. Double-click the Lock Down shortcut to make sure that is works correctly.
9. Drag the Lock Down shortcut over to the Start menu and place it in the All Programs | Startup folder.

Now when you turn on or reboot your system, it will automatically log on and then display the Unlock Computer dialog box or the Welcome screen while startup programs continue to load in the background.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Professional and Home when used in standalone or in workgroup configurations.

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8. Did You Know Windows Rearrange's Your Data On A Daily Basis!

Don't be shocked, but your computer can get sloppy; sometimes real sloppy. So bad that you will notice a decrease in performance. Your computer often breaks files side by side to increase the speed of access and retrieval. However, as files are updated, your computer saves these updates on the largest space available on the hard drive, often found far away from the other adjacent sectors of the file.

The result: a fragmented file. Fragmented files cause slower performance. This is because your computer must now search for all of the file's parts. In other words, your computer knows where all the pieces are, but putting them back together, and in the correct order when you need them, can slow your computer down. That’s where the next part of my story begins!

(Two things to note before moving on! If you have a large hard drive that is all one partition the defragmentation process is going to take a while. Second you may want to reboot the computer into Safe Mode and then run the Disk Defragmenter. There are less chances of programs writing to the hard drive and hanging Disk Defragmenter)

Windows includes a Disk Defragmenter program to piece all your files back together again and make them quicker to open.

To run the Disk Defragmenter:
1. In your Start menu, click My Computer.
2. In the My Computer dialog box, right-click on the drive you wish to check for errors (for most of us this will be the C: drive, unless you have multiple drives on your computer), and click Properties.
3. In the Properties dialog box, click the Tools tab, and then in the Defragmentation section, click Defragment Now….
4. In the Disk Defragmenter dialog box, select the Volume (most likely your Local Disk C:) at the top of the screen, and then click Analyze.
5. After analyzing your computer, the Disk Defragmenter displays a message stating whether you should defragment your computer. Press Defragment to clean up your computer if necessary. The Disk Defragmenter will reorganize files by placing together and organizing them by program and size.

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9. We All Like A Little Of Our Own Personality In Our Surroundings!
 
We all like a little of our own personality in our surroundings, at home and at work. Microsoft Windows XP makes it easy to personalize your computer. Add color, patterns, pictures, and even sounds to enhance your screen's appearance. Customize your mouse to make it easier to control. Set up your computer to load favorite programs automatically so they're ready when you are. And more. Personalizing your PC is one of the fun things you can do with your computer. You'll also increase your work efficiency and enjoy computing more!
 
Here's an easy way to start: Customize your desktop's background! You can repaint it any color of the rainbow, or fill it with a pattern, image, or favorite photo. Windows XP contains a selection of backgrounds to choose from. You can also capture photos and other graphics on the Web. Here's how to give your desktop a fresh look:
 
Customize your desktop's background!
1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Appearance and Themes.
3. Under Pick a task, click Change the desktop background.
4. On the Desktop tab, do one or more of the following:
- In the Color box, select a color.
- In the Background list, click a background picture. In the Position list, click Center, Tile, or Stretch to define how your picture will be displayed.
- Click Browse to search for a background picture in other folders or on other drives. You can use files with the following extensions: .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .dib, .png, or .htm. In the Position list, click Center, Tile, or Stretch to define how your picture will be displayed, and then click OK or Apply.
- If you want to use a picture from a Web site, on the site, right-click the image, and then click Set as Desktop Background.
 
To see a colored background you must select none from the Background drop-down menu. Also, if you choose an .htm document as your background picture, the Position options are unavailable; instead, the .htm document automatically stretches to fill the entire background.
 

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10. To Configure Client For Microsoft Networks In XP!

1. Open Network Connections in you Control Panel
2. Click a connection, and then then, under Network Tasks, click Change settings of this connection.
3. Do one of the following:
- If this is a local area connection, on the General tab, in "This Connection" uses the following items, click Client for Microsoft Networks, and then click Properties.
- If this is a dial-up, VPN, or incoming connection, on the Networking tab, in "This Connection" uses the following items, click Client for Microsoft Networks, and then click Properties.
4. In Name service provider, click an RPC name service provider.
5. If you selected DCE Cell Directory Service in Network address, type the network address of your provider.
6. If you use Banyan Vines networking software, select the Enable RPC support for Banyan check box.

Side Notes:
- To open Network Connections, click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network Connections.
- Only change your name service provider if instructed to do so by your system administrator.
- Windows Locator is the default name service provider.
- The Client for Microsoft Networks component is the equivalent of the Workstation service in Windows NT 4.0.
 

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To make a backup copy of your Outlook Express e-mail message files:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. On the Maintenance tab, click Store Folder.
3. Select the folder location, and then press CTRL+C to copy the location.
4. Click Cancel, and then click Cancel again to close the dialog box.
5. Click Start, and then click Run.
6. In the Open box, press CTRL+V, and then click OK.
7. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
8. On the Edit menu, click Copy, and then close the window.
9. Right-click any empty space on your desktop, click New, and then click Folder.
10. Type mail backup for the folder name, and then press ENTER.
11. Double-click the Mail Backup folder to open it.
12. On the Edit menu, click Paste.
13. Close the Mail Backup window.

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12. Export the Mail Setting Account to a File.

To make a backup copy of your Outlook Express mail account:
1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
2. On the Mail tab, click the mail account that you want to export, and then click Export.
3. In the Save In box, locate the Mail Backup folder on your desktop, and then click Save.
4. Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to export.
5. Click Close.

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Enter the name of another user on the same network, and give them appropriate rights of access—reader, co-owner, etc. To help close the loop, Windows Vista can even automatically compose an e-mail to the individuals with which you have shared the content. The auto-generated e-mail contains a hyperlink to the shared content, enabling the recipient to instantly be taken to the shared content.
 

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14. Enable Parental Controls On A Domain Computer Running Vista Ultimate.

If you are running Vista Ultimate on a domain, you will notice that Parental Controls is disabled by default. In order to utilize Parental Controls so you can limit access to the web, set hours that the account can access the computer, what games can be played and what applications can be run, you will need to enable this functionality. Parental Controls can only be applied to standard users, not administrators. To enable this Parental Controls on a domain computer, follow these steps:

1. Press the WinKey+R to bring up the Run dialog box.

2. Input gpedit.msc.

3. Click OK.

4. When the UAC prompt appears, select Continue.

5. The Group Policy Object Editor window will appear.

6. Under Local Computer Policy, expand Computer Configuration.

7. Expand Administrative Templates.

8. Expand Windows Components.

9. Select Parental Controls.

10. In the right pane, right-click Make Parental Controls control panel visible on a Domain.

11. Select Properties.

12. Select the Enabled radio button.

13. Click OK.

14. Close the Group Policy Object Editor.

15. Log off of the machine, and then back on for changes to take affect.
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This is not to say that there are no repair options, because there are; they simply work differently.
Recovery Console, for instance, does not exist in Windows Vista. Instead, if you want to repair your installation, you would be able to do so if you had previously created a Complete Backup of Windows Vista and saved it to either a separate partition or a series of DVDs.
 

For piece of mind it is wise to create the first backup of Windows Vista after you have installed the operating system and completed the installation of any additional applications. It is not wise to backup the system until the operating system has been officially activated.
 

While Microsoft recommends creating a backup image every six months or so, it may be far wiser to create a new backup image after any major alterations or upgrades to your system.
 

Creating a backup image using Windows Vista Backup application is quite straightforward. All you need to ensure is that you have adequate media (if you are saving to DVD) or enough hard disk space (if you are using a hard drive partition) to accommodate the backed up image.
 

It is unfortunate that the Windows Backup application doesn't support compression. If the drive is 20GB in size then the backup image will also be 20GB.
To start the backup image, proceed as follows:

1. Click the Start button
2. From the Start Menu, Click All Programs>Accessories>System Tools
3. On the System Tools menu, Click the Backup Status and Configuration option
4. In the backup Window, Click the Complete PC Backup option
5. In the Complete PC Backup window, Click the Create Backup Now option
6. User Account Control (UAC) asks for permission to continue. If you are the administrator, Click the Continue button. If you are not the administrator you will be required to supply the relevant authority before being able to continue.
7. Vista will now search for operating systems on your PC
8. After Vista has located the operating system details the 'Where do you want to save the backup' window appears
9. Select either the Hard drive or DVD option. Please ensure you have enough free disk space or the required quantity of DVDs before proceeding
10. Click the Next button
11. The next screen asks 'Which disk do you want to include'. You should note that, if you are using a dual boot system - for instance, Windows XP and Vista, both the XP and Vista drives will be marked up for backup, and that these options cannot be changed by the user. If XP is on the first partition, Windows Vista will store its boot-loader files there, hence the need to backup both partitions and drives
12. The Vista drive will already be selected. If you have other partitions/drives you wish to include in the backup now is the time to select them
13. Once you have selected the partition/drive you wish to include in the backup, press the Next button
14. In the Confirm your backup settings window, Check that everything you want to backup is listed in 'The following disk will be backed up' dialogue box, and then Press the Start Backup button
15. Windows will now prepare to Create a Backup
16. If you are using DVDs, you will now be asked to Insert a blank disk larger than 1GB into your DVD drive
17. Insert the DVD
18. The DVD will now be formatted. After formatting Windows will start to backup your PC's data
19. If you are backing up to a separate hard drive or partition the backup process will start as soon as you click the Start Backup Button

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