Changing the Start Screen's Theme

The Start screen is what you see when you first log into Windows. It is the place where your tiles are displayed and you can quickly start the apps associated with those tiles. By default the Start screen is shown in a shade of blue with some squiggly lines (a strange sort of design) visible at the bottom of the screen.

If you don't like the default squiggly lines, you can modify them by picking any of twenty themes that Microsoft has created for Windows. Further, you can modify the colors used in any theme you choose. Here's how to make your modifications:

1. Display the Charms bar at the right side of your screen. (Do this by swiping right-to-left or moving the mouse to the very upper-right or lower-right of the screen. You can also accomplish this step by pressingWin+C.)
2. Click Settings. Windows displays the Settings bar at the right side of the screen.
3. Choose the Change PC Settings option. Windows displays the PC Settings screen.
4. Choose Personalize at the left side of the screen.
5. Choose Start Screen at the right side of the screen. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The PC Settings screen.

At the top of the screen is an indication of what your Start screen looks like. Immediately under that you can see twenty different blocks, each with a different trendy design to display on the Start screen. Click on any of them and the sample screen is updated to show your choice.

When you find a design you like, you can then use the color slider, under the theme tiles, to customize the color of the theme. Each theme has 25 different color variations available. (The colors are the same for each theme; they don't vary by theme.)

In total, there are 20 themes and 25 color variations for the themes, so Windows offers a total of 500 possible combinations for your Start screen. What you can't do is modify the Start screen beyond the themes and colors offered. So, for instance, you can't change the Start screen background to your favorite photo or your own non-squiggly design.

If you tire of all of the trendy designs offered by Microsoft, consider picking the plainest theme of all—the tile at the bottom-right of the available themes. It gets rid of all the squiggly lines and uses plain colors on the Start screen.

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Understanding Data Execution Prevention

Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a security feature built into the Windows operating system. It is designed to close programs that it detects as viruses or other security threats. Depending upon your CPU, DEP runs in either a hardware-enhanced mode or a software-enhanced mode.

By default, DEP works on certain Windows programs and services. You can, however, customize DEP to have it monitor other programs as well. To do this, click the Start button, then right-click Computer and select Properties. This brings up the following screen. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Computer Properties screen.

Click the Advanced System Settings link at the left of the screen, and Windows displays the Advanced tab of the System Properties dialog box. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. The Advanced tab of the System Properties dialog box.

In the Performance group, click Settings. Windows displays the Performance Options dialog box. Make sure the Data Execution Prevention tab is selected. (See Figure 3.)

Figure 3. The Data Execution Prevention tab of the Performance Options dialog box.

Note that this is showing the Data Execution Prevention tab, and as you can see, the default action is already selected. If you want to turn on DEP for all programs and services except those you specify, click the second radio button. This enables the Add button. When you click Add, a file browser opens to allow you to select which programs should not be checked by DEP. (You cannot add an essential Windows program or service to be precluded.) When you're satisfied when your selections, OK your way out.

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Encrypting a File Folder

Windows includes a feature that allows you to encrypt information stored on the hard drive. This security feature means that anything in the folder is "scrambled" in such a way that only you can access it. If someone other than you logs into your system (using a different user account), they won't be able to access the information in the folder.

The encryption feature is technically referred to as EFS, or Encrypting File System. It has been available since Windows 2000, but is not fully supported in all versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8. (It is only fully implemented in Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions. In Windows 8 it is only fully implemented in the Pro and Enterprise editions.)

To encrypt a file folder, follow these steps:

1. Use Windows Explorer to display the file folder you want to encrypt. (Display the actual file folder, not the file folder's contents.)
2. Right-click the file folder and choose Properties from the resulting Context menu. Windows displays the Properties dialog box for the folder.
3. On the General tab, click the Advanced button. Windows displays the Advanced Attributes dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Advanced Attributes dialog box for a folder.
4. Select the Encrypt Contents to Secure Data check box.
5. Click OK to close the Advanced Attributes dialog box.
6. Click OK to close the Properties dialog box for the folder.

The change is immediately applied and the folder contents are encrypted. You won't notice any difference in how you use the folder or its contents. The real difference is when others, using a different Windows user account, try to access the information in the folder. They will not be able to use it.

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Changing User Permissions for an Entire Drive

In Windows, every disk drive has an associated security profile which determines who is allowed access to the drive and what kind of access (e.g., read or write) a user is entitled to. If you are an administrator or have Control access to the drive, you can change the drive's permissions, thereby allowing or denying certain types of access.

To see a drive's permissions, click the Start menu button and then Computer. This displays all the drives accessible through your system. Right-click on the drive whose permissions you want to change and choose Properties. In the resulting dialog box make sure the Security tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Permissions associated with drive E:.

This particular screen shot shows that user "Jim Olin" has three permissions for the drive: Read & Execute, List Folder Contents, and Read. To deny that user access, click the Edit button and again select user Jim Olin. Windows presents a dialog box that allows you to specify permissions for the user. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. Editing permissions of drive E: for user Jim Olin.

Now click the Deny checkboxes that are beside the three checked boxes and OK out of the Properties dialog boxes. Now, when user Jim Olin attempts to access the "E:" drive he gets an error message and is prevented from accessing the drive.

Adding a Tile to the Start Screen

The Start screen is what you see when you first log into Windows. It is the place where your tiles are displayed and you can quickly start the apps associated with those tiles. Since the Start screen acts as a sort of "dashboard" for your most commonly performed Windows tasks, it makes sense that at some point you'll want to modify the tiles visible on the screen.

Adding a tile to the Start screen is a natural thing to do. In fact, you should give some thought to which programs you use most often and then add tiles for each of those programs to the Start screen. (That way you can start using those programs quickly and easily.)

To add a tile for a program, begin with the Start screen visible. Start typing the name of the program you want to appear there. For instance, if you want the Calculator app to appear on the Start screen, just start typing "Calculator," without the quote marks. As you start to type, Windows assumes you want to search for the item and immediately complies with your request. You'll see the search results on the screen, meaning you'll see the apps that match what you type.

Once the app is visible on the screen, select it by using one of the following methods:

• If using a mouse, right-click on the app.
• If using a touch screen, perform a short, downward swipe on the app.
• If using a keyboard, use the arrow keys to navigate to the app and then press the spacebar.

With the app successfully selected, you should not that a number of options appear near the bottom-left of the screen.

To have the app appear on your Start screen, choose the Pin to Start option. A tile for the app is immediately added to the Start screen.

If you prefer to do most of your work from the Desktop, you can also add tiles for some of the items that appear there. The easiest way to figure out what you can add a Start screen tile for is to display the icon for the item in the Desktop and then right-click it. (For instance, you might right-click the Recycle Bin or a program shortcut.) You can then choose Pin to Start from the resulting Context menu.

What you cannot add Start screen tiles for is document files. In other words, if you've got a bunch of Excel workbooks or Word documents on the Desktop, right-clicking on those does no good; you cannot create Start screen tiles for them.

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Stopping Windows from Creating Thumbs.db Files

The Thumbs.db files is a system (typically, hidden) file that gets created in order to speed up the viewing of graphic thumbnails in a folder. Its existence sometimes poses some problems, though, so many users would just as soon not have the files created at all. To stop Windows from creating Thumbs.db files, click the Start button, type "gpedit.msc" (without the quotes), and press Enter. Windows displays the Local Group Policy Editor. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Local Group Policy Editor.

In the left pane, navigate to User Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Windows Explorer. Once there the screen displays a number of different configuration settings for the computer. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. Turning off Thumbs.db.

Double-click the item on the right which says "Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files." You are then presented with a screen dedicated to the changing of this policy. (See Figure 3.)

Figure 3. Changing the Thumbs.db policy.

Note, although it may seem backward, you are enabling the turning off of Thumbs.db, so be sure and click the Enabled radio button. OK your way out, and you won't have to bother with Thumbs.db files any more. (You may need to delete existing Thumbs.db files, but Windows won't create any new ones or make changes to any existing ones.)

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Renaming Files Using the Command Line

If you don't mind doing a little more typing and a little less mouse clicking, you can perform a lot of actions from the command line. (Displaying the Command Prompt Window is covered under another tip.) One thing you can do from the command line is rename files. The command-line rename command is REN (or RENAME) and it takes two parameters. The first parameter specifies the file that is to be renamed, and the second parameter specifies what its new name should be.

Let's say you have a file called "C:\Temp\OldFile.txt" and you want to rename it to be "NewFile.txt". You would type the following at the command line:

C:\> REN C:\Temp\OldFile.txt NewFile.txt

Note the fact that the second parameter to the REN command does not include any path information but the first one does. This means you cannot rename a file to a different device or directory.

You can also rename multiple files at once by using the wildcard characters "?" and "*". The "?" character stands for exactly one actual character in the file name; the "*" character stands for one or more actual characters in the file name. So, for example, you can easily rename all of the .tmp files in a given directory to instead be .txt files:

C:\> REN *.tmp *.txt

You can use the "?" to be more specific and/or rename only a part of the file name. Let's say you have several files in a folder and some are named like "file01.tmp", "file02.tmp", "file03.tmp", etc. You just want to rename the "file??.tmp" files to have a ".txt" extension. One way to do this is like this:

C:\> REN file??.tmp file*.txt

You can even rename part of the name piece (regardless of extension) with a little creativity. So if the files to be renamed are like "file01.txt" and "file02.txt" the following command will rename them to "file71.txt", "file72.txt":

C:\> REN file??.tmp file7?.txt

Finally, you can use REN to remove pieces of a file name. Say that you have files named "Jan-numbers.xlsx", "Feb-numbers.xlsx", thru "Dec-numbers.xlsx". You can rename these files to remove the "-numbers" part of the name like so:

C:\> REN ???-numbers.xlsx ???.xlsx

The rename command, especially with wildcards, can be a great timesaver if you're careful with your parameters. Personally, if I want to do anything more sophisticated than the examples presented here I use one of the free file-renamer tools available from various download sites.

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Editing File Properties

Every file stored on your hard drive has associated with it a set of properties. These file properties indicate characteristics of the file, such as whether it is read-only hidden. The file properties can also provide information about the file, such as how much disk space it uses and what program it is opened with.

In order to change those file properties you are allowed to change (some, such as file size, cannot be changed directly) you need to display the Properties dialog box for the file. The normal way is to simply right-click on the file and choose Properties from the resulting Context menu. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Properties dialog box for a file.

The number of tabs and properties displayed in the dialog box will differ for different types of files. You can

You can modify some properties displayed in the dialog box while others are for your information only. Making changes to properties can affect how the file is treated by Windows or by other programs. For instance, some searching programs allow you to search based upon information stored in a file's properties.

Creating and Using Compressed Folders

Windows has the ability to automatically deal with compressed files and folders. The idea of using compression is to reduce the size of files, thereby freeing up disk space. Though there is a slight performance degradation when compressing and uncompressing files, if you're low on disk space and can free up a lot of it, compression is a useful strategy.

You can create a compressed folder through Windows Explorer. Navigate to the place where you want to create your compressed folder, right-click an empty area in Explorer's right pane, and select New | Compressed (zipped) Folderfrom the resulting Context menu. (See 

Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Creating a compressed folder.

This creates the compressed folder with the default name selected. Begin typing the name you want to assign to the folder and press Enter. Now you can copy or move files into that folder, and Windows will automatically compress whatever you put in there. (Obviously, if your goal is to free up disk space you'll want to move large files into the compressed folder as opposed to copying files.) Naturally, if you move a file out of a compressed folder, Windows will automatically uncompress the file when it is put in its new location.

If you have a group of files that you want to place into a new compressed folder, a great way to do it is to select all the files in Explorer, then right click on those files. One of the options is Send To, and you can select Compressed (zipped) Folder from the available options. The result is that Explorer creates a new compressed folder that uses the same root name as the file on which you right-clicked.

One thing to note about files in a compressed folder. What you can do with these files is somewhat limited. For example, you can't do an edit, open with, or rename on these file while they're in the folder. Moving files to compressed folders is in that regard akin to having a compressed online archive.

Single Click To Shutdown Windows

Did you know that in Windows XP you can shut down your computer from the (eventually DOS prompt)

command line box? Moreover, you can do this by clicking your mouse only once.

All you need to do is... right-click on an empty Desktop spot -> select New -> Shortcut -> type  shutdown followed by a space, and then enter one or more of the parameters listed below -> click Next -> type a suggestive name for your new shortcut -> finally, click Finish.

This is the Shutdown.exe (located in %systemroot%\System32, usually C:\Windows\System32) syntax:

shutdown [-i|-l|-s|-r|-a] [-f] [-m \\computername] [-t xx] [-c "Text"] [-d[u][p]:xx:yy]

Valid command line switches:

-a = Abort system shutdown in progress ONLY IF the -t xx timeout option was already set to ANY value other than 0. ALL switches except -l and -m are ignored during abort.

-c "Text" = Text comment (case insensitive) to be displayed in the Message area of the System Shutdown window. MUST be enclosed between quotes. Maximum allowed 127 ASCII characters.

-d [u][p]:xx:yy = Reason code for shutdown:

u = User code.

p = Planned shutdown code.

xx = Major reason code. Positive integer number less than 256.

yy = Minor reason code. Positive integer number less than 65536.

-f = Force running applications to close without warning.

-i = Display the shutdown interface (GUI). MUST be the first option!

-l = Log off the current user of the local computer (default action). Can NOT be used with the -m option unless the current user has Sysadmin rights, in which case the -m switch takes precedence.

-m \\computername = Remote/network computer name (most always case sensitive) to log off/restart/shut down. Current user MUST have Sysadmin rights to be allowed to use this switch!

-s = Shut down the local computer.

-r = Shut down and restart (reboot) the local computer.

-t xx = Set shutdown timer to timeout for xx seconds. IF NOT specified defaults to 20 seconds.

Allowed values between 0 and 99 seconds. The -a switch is the ONLY one that CAN be used during

the timeout period.

NOTES:

The dash (-) in front of these switches can be replaced by a forward slash (/).

Spaces are NOT required to separate the shutdown command from ANY following switches, but ARE

required to separate ANY switch from its following parameter(s), if any.

For example:

shutdown -s -c "Shutting down!" -t 3

tells your computer to shutdown after waiting for 3 seconds while the System Shutdown window will display text above in the Message area.

Optional: after you're done creating your customized shortcut for shutdown -> right-click on it -> select Properties -> enter your desired key "combo" in the Shortcut Key box (e.g. Ctrl + Alt + End) -> click OK/Apply.

From now on just left-click on your shutdown shortcut or hit that key combination to turn off/restart/log off your computer.

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PC Maintenance Guide

"Take good care of your PC, and it will take good care of you."

It's a nice sentiment, but reality is more like "Take good care of your PC, and it won't crash, lose your data, and cost you your job--probably." Follow these steps to stop PC problems before they stop you.

Your PC's two mortal enemies are heat and moisture. Excess heat accelerates the deterioration of the delicate circuits in your system. The most common causes of overheating are dust and dirt: Clogged vents and CPU cooling fans can keep heat-dissipating air from moving through the case, and even a thin coating of dust or dirt can raise the temperature of your machine's components.

Any grime, but especially the residue of cigarette smoke, can corrode exposed metal contacts. That's why it pays to keep your system clean, inside and out.

If your PC resides in a relatively clean, climate-controlled environment, an annual cleaning should be sufficient. But in most real-world locations, such as dusty offices or shop floors, your system may need a cleaning every few months.

All you need are lint-free wipes, a can of compressed air, a few drops of a mild cleaning solution such as Formula 409 or Simple Green in a bowl of water, and an antistatic wrist strap to protect your system when you clean inside the case.

Think Outside the Box

Before you get started cleaning, check around your PC for anything nearby that could raise its temperature (such as a heating duct or sunshine coming through a window). Also clear away anything that might fall on it or make it dirty, such as a bookcase or houseplants.

Always turn off and unplug the system before you clean any of its components. Never apply any liquid directly to a component. Spray or pour the liquid on a lint-free cloth, and wipe the PC with the cloth.

Clean the case: Wipe the case and clear its ventilation ports of any obstructions. Compressed air is great for this, but don't blow dust into the PC or its optical and floppy drives. Keep all cables firmly attached to their connectors on the case.

Maintain your mechanical mouse: When a nonoptical mouse gets dirty, the pointer moves erratically. Unscrew the ring on the bottom of the unit and remove the ball. Then scrape the accumulated gunk off the two plastic rollers that are set 90 degrees apart inside the ball's housing.

Keep a neat keyboard: Turn the keyboard upside down and shake it to clear the crumbs from between the keys. If that doesn't suffice, blast it (briefly) with compressed air. If your keys stick or your keyboard is really dirty, pry the keys off for easier cleaning. Computer shops have special tools for removing keys, but you can also pop them off by using two pencils with broken tips as jumbo tweezers--just be sure to use a soft touch.

Make your monitor sparkle: Wipe the monitor case and clear its vents of obstructions, without pushing dust into the unit. Clean the screen with a standard glass cleaner and a lint-free cloth. If your monitor has a degauss button (look for a small magnet icon), push it to clear magnetic interference. Many LCDs can be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol; check with your LCD manufacturer. Wipe your LCD lightly: The underlying glass is fragile.

Check your power protection: Reset the cables plugged into your surge protector. Check the unit's warning indicator, if it has one. Surge protectors may power your PC even after being compromised by a voltage spike (making your system susceptible to a second spike). If your power protector doesn't have a warning indicator and your area suffers frequent power outages, replace it with one that has such an indicator and is UL 1449 certified.

Swipe your CD and DVD media: Gently wipe each disc with a moistened, soft cloth. Use a motion that starts at the center of the disc and then moves outward toward the edge. Never wipe a disc in a circular motion.

Inside the Box

Before cracking open the case, turn off the power and unplug your PC. Ground yourself before you touch anything inside to avoid destroying your circuitry with a static charge. If you don't have a grounding wrist strap, you can ground yourself by touching any of various household objects, such as a water pipe, a lamp, or another grounded electrical device. Be sure to unplug the power cord before you open the case.

Use antistatic wipes to remove dust from inside the case. Avoid touching any circuit-board surfaces. Pay close attention to the power-supply fan, as well as to the case and to CPU fans, if you have them. Spray these components with a blast of compressed air to loosen dust; but to remove the dust rather than rearrange it, you should use a small vacuum.

If your PC is more than four years old, or if the expansion cards plugged into its motherboard are exceptionally dirty, remove each card, clean its contacts with isopropyl alcohol, and reseat it. If your system is less than a couple years old, however, just make sure each card is firmly seated by pressing gently downward on its top edge while not touching its face. Likewise, check your power connectors, EIDE connectors, and other internal cables for a snug fit.

While you have the case open, familiarize yourself with the CMOS battery on the motherboard. For its location, check the motherboard manual. If your PC is more than four or five years old, the CMOS battery may need to be replaced. (A system clock that loses time is one indicator of a dying CMOS battery.)

Look for Trouble

Give your PC a periodic checkup with a good hardware diagnostic utility. Two excellent choices are Sandra Standard from SiSoftware and #1-TuffTest-Lite from #1-PC Diagnostics. Download the free version of Sandra (the full version of the application costs $35) or to download #1-TuffTest-Lite (the fully functional version is $10).

Adding and removing system components leaves orphaned entries in the Windows Registry. This can increase the time your PC takes to boot and can slow system performance. Many shareware utilities are designed to clean the Registry.

Windows stores files on a hard drive in rows of contiguous segments, but over time the disk fills and segments become scattered, so they take longer to access. To keep your drive shipshape, run Windows' Disk Defragmenter utility. Click Start, Programs (All Programs in XP), Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter. If your drive is heavily fragmented, you could boost performance. Defragging may take hours, however. Disable your screen saver and other automatic programs beforehand to keep the defrag from restarting every few minutes.

Disk Defragmenter won't defragment the file on your hard drive that holds overflow data from system memory (also known as the swap file). Since the swap file is frequently accessed, defragmenting it can give your PC more pep. You can defragment your swap file by using a utility such as the SpeedDisk program included with Norton SystemWorks 2004, but there's a way to reset it in Windows.

In Windows XP, right-click My Computer and choose Properties. Click Advanced, and then choose the Settings button under Performance. Click Advanced again and the Change button under Virtual Memory. Select another drive or partition, set your swap file size, and click OK.

If you have only one partition and no way to create a second one, and you have at least 256MB of RAM, disable the swap file rather than moving it: Select "No paging file" in the Virtual Memory settings. If you have trouble booting, start Windows in Safe Mode and re-enable this option.

Hard-Drive Checkup

Windows XP offers a rudimentary evaluation of your hard disk's health with its error-checking utility: Right-click the drive's icon in Windows Explorer and select Properties, Tools, Check Now. (Windows can fix errors and recover bad sectors automatically if you wish.) If the check discovers a few file errors, don't worry, but if it comes up with hundreds of errors, the drive could be in trouble.

The program works only with drives that support S.M.A.R.T technology, but nearly all drives released since 2000 are S.M.A.R.T.-compliant.

Many hardware and software designers humbly assume you want their program running on your PC all the time, so they tell Windows to load the application at startup (hence, the ever-growing string of icons in your system tray). These programs eat up system resources and make hardware conflicts and compatibility problems more likely. To prevent them from launching, just click Start, Run, type "msconfig" and press Enter. The programs listed under the Startup tab are set to start along with Windows. Uncheck the box at the left of each undesirable program to prevent it from starting automatically.

Four Tips for Longer PC Life

1. Keep your PC in a smoke-free environment. Tobacco smoke can damage delicate contacts and circuits.

2. Leave your PC running. Powering up from a cold state is one of the most stressful things you can do to your system's components. If you don't want to leave your PC running all the time, use Windows' Power Management settings to put your machine into hibernation rather than completely shutting down. In Windows XP, right-click the desktop and select Properties. Click the Screen Saver tab and select the Power button. Choose the Hibernate tab to ensure that hibernation is enabled, and then select a time beneath "System hibernates" under the Power Schemes tab. (Note that this option is not available on all PCs.) Computers running older versions of Windows may or may not provide similar power-management features. Look under the Power Management icon (Power Options in Windows 2000) in Control Panel to evaluate your machine's capabilities.

3. Don't leave your monitor running. The best way to extend your display's life is to shut it off when it's not in use.

4. Avoid jostling the PC. Whenever you move your system, even if it's just across the desktop, make sure the machine is shut down and unplugged.

Make Your PC Faster

1. First, run a scandisk or checkdisk. Let Windows fix any errors.

2. Run a disk cleanup utility...this will flush your temporary internet folder, trash can, temp system files, etc.

3. Delete any garbage files or data...if possible, run a Duplicate File Finder program.

4. Run Defrag on all partitions (NOTE: run this after you have deleted all trash and excess files!)

5. Run a registry cleaner utility and delete or get rid of any orphaned entries in that registry.

6. Check your exisiting swap file for it's size and location (*will explain location later in the post). If you have alot of ram (i.e. 1 gig and over) set this swap file to something small, like 250 mb. The reason is that this will force Windows to load more into memory, resulting in faster performance (note: some games and applications actually require a certain sized swap file so check your applications performance after making a size adjustment for any error messages.)

7. Under XP, you can tell Windows to use Classic Style on your desktop, - this will remove the neat single click and internet-style desktop but for lower end systems this will improve performance in other areas, such as gaming and multi-tasking.

8. Run msconfig and under startup and only keep the programs that are essential to load in the tray icon (and hence stay resident in memory). Uncheck anything else non-essential, like an ATI or Nvidia control panel, Quicktime utility, Real Audio, etc.

9. Upgrade drivers! Check for the latest BIOS, video, motherboard, sound, etc drivers from the manufacturers. Alot of my friends had chipsets on their motherboard that had advanced disk management capabilities or AGP port settings but the drivers weren't loaded for them so they were never being used. A simple upgrade realized a noticeable difference. For instance, they didn't have the latest driver for their AGP port so it was set to 1x, instead of being used at 4x!

10. (OK, so this won't speed up your PC but it could save you alot of time and trouble later on!) After making all these improvements, make a working backup! I use Ghost, but for XP users you can also use System Restore...

-FOR ADVANCED USERS-

1. Take a look under the hood (for IDE owners). How are your IDE devices configured? If you have more than 1 hard drive, put the master hard drive on the primary IDE channel and the secondary hard drive on the secondary IDE channel (most motherboards have two IDE channels).

2. Place all CDROM drives, DVD readers etc. on the secondary IDE channel (or SCSI bus, etc). This will reduce I/O contention with your master hard drive which should have your OS and apps installed...

3. Remember when I mentioned the location of the swap file? OK, if you have 2 hard drives and you have one on the primary IDE channel and the other on the secondary IDE channel, move the swap file to a partition ON THE SECOND hard drive (on the secondary IDE channel). This will greatly improve system performance as the PC can write to the swap file while loading and running OS and system commands without I/O contention on the primary IDE channel!

4. Take a look under the hood (for SCSI owners) What kind of SCSI do you have? If it's the newer Ultra 160/320 etc cards then guess what? Any devices placed on the same bus will automatically default to the slowest drive on the chain...this means that if you have say, an Ultra 160 SCSI card, and it has an Ultra 160 drive (capable of transferring 160 mb/sec) on the same chain as a SCSI cdrom drive (capable of only 40 mb/sec) then the whole bus slows down to the 40 mb/sec speed...use different chains for the slower devices and maximize those hard drives!

5. Run a utility like WCPUID and check the settings...is your CPU/front speed bus/AGP port running as fast as they should be? If not, check your drivers and BIOS configuration options. Also, are all of your chipset features enabled? If not, then enable them! (usually done in your BIOS!)

6. Dig in to the BIOS...check settings like boot order, for example...is it checking the floppy first? Change this! Select your order to reflect the hard drive first, then CD, then floppy for a noticeable boot time improvement. Also disable any non-used on board peripherals...for instance, - does your motherboard come with an on-board NIC card? Guess what, if you don't use that NIC card and it is enabled it will eat up valuable CPU cycles and can be detrimental to your systems' performance. DISABLE THAT MUTHA! Also, see if you can play with memory timing and CPU clock frequencies (NOTE! This is for expert users only!) Set these timings to "Aggressive" and see what happens in your games and apps...Also, check to see what your video aperature is set to. If you have a video card with 128 megs of on-baord memory, your aperature should be set to this amount too. Read the BIOS owner manual for further non-general performance tricks or improvements! Do you have the latest BIOS firmware version?

7. Under hardware properties, check to see that everything is working properly, and fix any hardware contention issues. You'll see the dreaded yellow exclamation point (!) beside any hardware component that is not working correctly.

8. Evaluate the potential for system/hardware upgrades...usually, the best bang for the buck is adding memory so buy all that you can afford (don't go much above 512 megs for Win 98 or ME). If you have a motherboard with an 8x - capable AGP port but you are using an older 4x video card, consider upgrading to an 8x card. You get the idea here...

9. Quit using software pigs like Norton system utilities, etc. These place files everywhere and can be a real system resource hog on lower end PCs.

10. Did I mention to make a good backup? Do it now! Also, while you're at it, run a good virus program with the latest definitions.

There are more options to make your system faster, such as overclocking, etc. but (just about) everything I've mentioned in this tech post costs you nothing and will result in faster system performance! Good luck and if you have any questions on how to do anything mentioned here, ask a knowledgeable friend or consult a book, - don't mess up something trying to do something you are not sure of!

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      How to fix corrupted files in XP

 Contents 

(1) Introduction
(2) Required
(3) Actual Tutorial
(4) Copyright Notice

 Introduction 

This tutorial has been made so people that are having problems with corrupted files, can learn how to fix them easy.

 Required 

+ Windows XP operating system
+ Windows XP cd

Right to the tutorial 

+ Place the xp cd in your cd/dvd drive
+ Go to start
+ run
+ type in 'sfc /scannow' (without the ')

Now it should all load, and fix all your corrupted file on windows XP :)


Note: We are not responsible for any loss or damage. Do at your own risk

 How to Bypass BIOS Passwords

BIOS passwords can add an extra layer of security for desktop and laptop computers. They are used to either prevent a user from changing the BIOS settings or to prevent the PC from booting without a password. Unfortunately, BIOS passwords can also be a liability if a user forgets their password, or changes the password to intentionally lock out the corporate IT department. Sending the unit back to the manufacturer to have the BIOS reset can be expensive and is usually not covered in the warranty. Never fear, all is not lost. There are a few known backdoors and other tricks of the trade that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS

DISCLAIMER

This article is intended for IT Professionals and systems administrators with experience servicing computer hardware. It is not intended for home users, hackers, or computer thieves attempting to crack the password on a stolen PC. Please do not attempt any of these procedures if you are unfamiliar with computer hardware, and please use this information responsibly. PAR Forums is not responsible for the use or misuse of this material, including loss of data, damage to hardware, or personal injury.


Before attempting to bypass the BIOS password on a computer, please take a minute to contact the hardware manufacturer support staff directly and ask for their recommended methods of bypassing the BIOS security. In the event the manufacturer cannot (or will not) help you, there are a number of methods that can be used to bypass or reset the BIOS password yourself. They include:

Using a manufacturers backdoor password to access the BIOS

Use password cracking software

Reset the CMOS using the jumpers or solder beads.

Removing the CMOS battery for at least 10 minutes

Overloading the keyboard buffer

Using a professional service

Please remember that most BIOS passwords do not protect the hard drive, so if you need to recover the data, simply remove the hard drive and install it in an identical system, or configure it as a slave drive in an existing system. The exception to this are laptops, especially IBM Thinkpads, which silently lock the hard drive if the supervisor password is enabled. If the supervisor password is reset without resetting the and hard drive as well, you will be unable to access the data on the drive.


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Backdoor passwords

Many BIOS manufacturers have provided backdoor passwords that can be used to access the BIOS setup in the event you have lost your password. These passwords are case sensitive, so you may wish to try a variety of combinations. Keep in mind that the key associated to "_" in the US keyboard corresponds to "?" in some European keyboards. Laptops typically have better BIOS security than desktop systems, and we are not aware of any backdoor passwords that will work with name brand laptops.

WARNING: Some BIOS configurations will lock you out of the system completely if you type in an incorrect password more than 3 times. Read your manufacturers documentation for the BIOS setting before you begin typing in passwords

Award BIOS backdoor passwords:

ALFAROME ALLy aLLy aLLY ALLY aPAf _award AWARD_SW AWARD?SW AWARD SW AWARD PW AWKWARD awkward BIOSTAR CONCAT CONDO Condo d8on djonet HLT J64 J256 J262 j332 j322 KDD Lkwpeter LKWPETER PINT pint SER SKY_FOX SYXZ syxz shift + syxz TTPTHA ZAAADA ZBAAACA ZJAAADC 01322222
589589 589721 595595 598598

AMI BIOS backdoor passwords:

AMI AAAMMMIII BIOS PASSWORD HEWITT RAND AMI?SW AMI_SW LKWPETER A.M.I. CONDO

PHOENIX BIOS backdoor passwords:

phoenix, PHOENIX, CMOS, BIOS

MISC. COMMON PASSWORDS

ALFAROME BIOSTAR biostar biosstar CMOS cmos LKWPETER lkwpeter setup SETUP Syxz Wodj

OTHER BIOS PASSWORDS BY MANUFACTURER

Manufacturer Password
VOBIS & IBM merlin
Dell Dell
Biostar Biostar
Compaq Compaq
Enox xo11nE
Epox central
Freetech Posterie
IWill iwill
Jetway spooml
Packard Bell bell9
QDI QDI
Siemens SKY_FOX
TMC BIGO
Toshiba Toshiba

TOSHIBA BIOS

Most Toshiba laptops and some desktop systems will bypass the BIOS password if the left shift key is held down during boot

IBM APTIVA BIOS

Press both mouse buttons repeatedly during the boot


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Password cracking software

The following software can be used to either crack or reset the BIOS on many chipsets. If your PC is locked with a BIOS administrator password that will not allow access to the floppy drive, these utilities may not work. Also, since these utilities do not come from the manufacturer, use them cautiously and at your own risk.

Cmos password recovery tools 3.1
!BIOS (get the how-to article)
RemPass
KILLCMOS

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Using the Motherboard "Clear CMOS" Jumper or Dipswitch settings

Many motherboards feature a set of jumpers or dipswitches that will clear the CMOS and wipe all of the custom settings including BIOS passwords. The locations of these jumpers / dipswitches will vary depending on the motherboard manufacturer and ideally you should always refer to the motherboard or computer manufacturers documentation. If the documentation is unavailable, the jumpers/dipswitches can sometimes be found along the edge of the motherboard, next to the CMOS battery, or near the processor. Some manufacturers may label the jumper / dipswitch CLEAR - CLEAR CMOS - CLR - CLRPWD - PASSWD - PASSWORD - PWD. On laptop computers, the dipswitches are usually found under the keyboard or within a compartment at the bottom of the laptop.
Please remember to unplug your PC and use a grounding strip before reaching into your PC and touching the motherboard. Once you locate and rest the jumper switches, turn the computer on and check if the password has been cleared. If it has, turn the computer off and return the jumpers or dipswitches to its original position.


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Removing the CMOS Battery

The CMOS settings on most systems are buffered by a small battery that is attached to the motherboard. (It looks like a small watch battery). If you unplug the PC and remove the battery for 10-15 minutes, the CMOS may reset itself and the password should be blank. (Along with any other machine specific settings, so be sure you are familiar with manually reconfiguring the BIOS settings before you do this.) Some manufacturers backup the power to the CMOS chipset by using a capacitor, so if your first attempt fails, leave the battery out (with the system unplugged) for at least 24 hours. Some batteries are actually soldered onto the motherboard making this task more difficult. Unsoldering the battery incorrectly may damage your motherboard and other components, so please don't attempt this if you are inexperienced. Another option may be to remove the CMOS chip from the motherboard for a period of time.
Note: Removing the battery to reset the CMOS will not work for all PC's, and almost all of the newer laptops store their BIOS passwords in a manner which does not require continuous power, so removing the CMOS battery may not work at all. IBM Thinkpad laptops lock the hard drive as well as the BIOS when the supervisor password is set. If you reset the BIOS password, but cannot reset the hard drive password, you may not be able to access the drive and it will remain locked, even if you place it in a new laptop. IBM Thinkpads have special jumper switches on the motherboard, and these should be used to reset the system.


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Overloading the KeyBoard Buffer

On some older computer systems, you can force the CMOS to enter its setup screen on boot by overloading the keyboard buffer. This can be done by booting with the keyboard or mouse unattached to the systems, or on some systems by hitting the ESC key over 100 times in rapid succession.


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Jumping the Solder Beads on the CMOS

It is also possible to reset the CMOS by connecting or "jumping" specific solder beads on the chipset. There are too many chipsets to do a breakdown of which points to jump on individual chipsets, and the location of these solder beads can vary by manufacturer, so please check your computer and motherboard documentation for details. This technique is not recommended for the inexperienced and should be only be used as a "last ditch" effort.


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Using a professional service

If the manufacturer of the laptop or desktop PC can't or won't reset the BIOS password, you still have the option of using a professional service. Password Crackers, Inc., offers a variety of services for desktop and laptop computers for between $100 and $400. For most of these services, you'll need to provide some type of legitimate proof of ownership. This may be difficult if you've acquired the computer second hand or from an online auction.

iPhone & iPad Do Not Show Up in Windows Explorer & My Computer as USB Storage

Update Windows OS – make sure that Windows has all its latest updates and hotfixes.Sometimes, when plugging in iPhone or iPad to the USB port of computer, the iOS device is not showing up in My Computer or Windows Explorer (File Explorer in Windows 8), even though the iPhone or iPad may already been recognized in Apple iTunes software. Or worse, the iPhone or iPad may not be detected or recognized by the iTunes and the computer.

There are many possible issues that may cause the issues above. Here’s some tricks that you may try to resolve the problems.

1. Update iTunes – make sure that iTunes software is up-to-date.
2. Update iPhone or iPad firmware – make sure that the iOS running in iPhone or iPad is of latest version. The availability of new firmware can be checked in Settings -> General -> Software Update.
3. Restart the iPhone or iPad by pressing and holding down the Sleep/Wake button until a red slider appears, then slide it to power off. Press and hold the same button again for a few seconds to turn on the phone.
4. Restart the Apple Mobile Device Service (AMDS). To do so, go to Control Panel and open Administrative Tools, then Services (or search for Services). Select Apple Mobile Device and click Stop the service. After the service has stopped, click Start the service.
   
5. Ensure that Apple Mobile Device USB Driver is installed. To check, open the Control Panel, click on Hardware and Sound and then look for Device Manager under Devices and Printers section. Then, expand Universal Serial Bus controllers. Locate the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver in this list. The driver is successfully installed if it is displayed without any downward arrow, “!” or “?” symbols over it.
   If there is a downward arrow, it means that the driver is disabled. To enable this device, right-click its entry in Device Manager and choose Enable from the shortcut menu.
   
6. Restart the PC.
7. Use the original Apple USB 30-Pin to USB or Lightning to USB cable to connect the mobile device to the computer.
8. Remove the USB hub if you’re using any to connect between the iDevice and the computer.
9. Try another USB port.
10. Unplug and plug in the iDevice into USB port of computer for a few times.
11. If you’re running iOS 7, iPhone and iPad will ask if you want to trust the computer. Remember to tap on Trust if you see the message been prompted on your iDevice, or else the mobile device will not be connected to the computer.
    
    Note that if you have iTunes installed and iPhone or iPad is running iOS 7, the iTunes may prompt a message to ask to permission to allow the computer to access the information on the mobile device. Or, it may prompt a error message stating that iTunes could not connect to the iPhone or iPad because it’s locked with a password, and you must enter your password on the iPhone or iPad before it can be used with iTunes. In either cases, do unlock the iPhone or iPad and tap on Trust to allow the mobile device to connect to the PC. Try to disconnect and reconnect the USB cable if you don’t see the prompt for trust relationship.
12. Update the driver for the iPhone or iPad may also cure the problem that the device does not show up in Windows File Explorer or in iTunes.
    To update the driver for iPhone or iPad, open the Control Panel, click on Hardware and Sound and then look for Device Manager under Devices and Printers section. In Device Manager, look for Apple iPhone or Apple iPad under the ‘Portable Devices’ section. Right-click on it, and select Update Driver Software.
    
    In the wizard, choose Browse my computer for driver software.
    
    Click on Browse and navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers, and then click OK, then Next.
    
    If you’re seeing a message stating that the best driver is already installed, it means nothing is been done. However, if the message stating that the new driver was installed, try to reconnect the iDevice to see if it turns up in Explorer, My Computer or iTunes.
13. Repeat the above steps for Apple Mobile Device Driver, especially if Apple Mobile Device Driver is not found or has “!” or “?” symbols on it which indicates there are problem with the driver.
14. If all the steps above failed to resolve the issues, try to reinstall iTunes. Firstly, go to Control Panel -> Programs and Features to uninstall the following Apple-related applications:
    Apple Application Support
    Apple Mobile Device Support
    Apple Software Update
    Bonjour
    iTunes
    Then, download and install the iTunes.

When everything is working properly, Windows (including Windows Explorer, File Explorer and My Computer) and iTunes should detect the name you given to your iPhone or iPad correctly, instead of just Apple iPhone.

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How to Boot into Safe Mode (F8) in Windows 8 & 8.1

Acknowledging the issue, Microsoft designs an automatic failover behavior in Windows 8 that will take you directly to the boot options menu inside the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) whenever Windows detects for multiple times that there is a problem that would otherwise keep the PC from loading Windows, or if the PC is unusable in actuality even though the boot has succeeded.The Safe Mode of Windows one of the well known special state of operating system that is effectively a diagnostics mode for Windows. In Safe Mode, Windows OS loads only the bare minimum drivers and services that are required by the operating system. By loading only the minimal set of features, Safe Mode is useful in isolating the root cause and troubleshooting the problem of the Windows operating system, such as faulty device driver, corrupted software, virus infection and malware attack, which may prevent the PC from booting normally, or cause the Windows to be unstable and unusable.

In Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP and earlier versions of Windows OS together with its corresponding Windows Server variants, getting into Safe Mode is pretty easy – simply by pressing the F8 key or Shift + F8 keyboard shortcut while the initial boot up to access an advanced boot options menu to select options such as Safe Mode and “Disable driver signing”. However in Windows 8, the boot process has been improved and fasten due to hardware and software optimization which makes the duration which Windows to read and respond to the F8 keystroke shorten to less than 200 milliseconds. In other words, Windows 8 boot process is too fast for user to press the F8 key in order to interrupt the boot process, and that’s why to many Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users especially those running on SSD, the F8 function key appears to be no longer work as a way to bring up advanced boot options or entering Safe Mode.

But what if you want to get into the Safe Mode or advanced boot menu to configure other settings manually? Or when the automatic failover solution built by Microsoft does not work (did not go into Safe Mode) as it should? Microsoft has designed several options where you can rely on to enter the Safe Mode reliably. Note that methods listed below are the first step which is required to take in order to boot into boot options menu, from which you have several options available, including going into Safe Mode (details below).

Method 1: Using Windows System Configuration Utility

1. Bring up the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows + R keys simultaneously.
2. Type MSConfig.exe and hit Enter to open the System Configuration utility.
   
3. Go to the Boot tab and enable the Safe Boot under “Boot options”, then hit the OK button.
   
4. Follow the onscreen prompt to select Restart to reboot the computer directly into Safe Mode on Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. You may also opt Exit without Restart in order to reboot later to allow you to continue to work on the computer.
   

If you want to restart into normal full desktop after getting to Safe Mode via method 1, run MSConfig.exe again and uncheck the Safe Mode option in the Boot tab.

Method 2: Press Shift Key While Restarting

In order to instruct Windows to enter Safe Mode, press and hold the Shift key, and click or tap on theRestart command (which can be accessible via Power button on the Charms Bar or Start Screen, or under “Shut down or sign out” of Windows 8 quick access power user menu).

Method 3: Via Advanced Startup of PC Settings

1. Slide out the Charms Bar, and go to Settings charm, and then click or tap on Change PC settings.
2. In windows 8, go to General tab. In Windows 8.1, go to Update and recovery tab, thenRecovery tab.
3. Scroll to the bottom, and hit or tap on Restart now button under “Advanced startup” section to go to the boot options screen and start the normal restart process.
   

Method 4: Using shutdown Command

Launch a command prompt window, and type the following command:

shutdown /r /o /f /t 00

All of the steps above, with the exception of method 1, will bring you to a Windows 8 boot options menu. Getting to Safe Mode from the advanced boot options menu will require few more steps, as outlined below:

1. In the boot options menu, choose Troubleshoot.
   
2. Select Advanced options.
   

Next, go to Windows Startup Settings or just Startup Settings.

1. Next, click or tap on Restart.
   
2. After rebooting, use number or function key to select an option presented on the screen. Among the options available are as below (with Safe Mode options 4, 5 & 6 in italic):
   • F1 or 1 – Enable debugging
   • F2 or 2 – Enable boot logging
   • F3 or 3 – Enable low-resolution video
   • F4 or 4 – Enable Safe Mode
   • F5 or 5 – Enable Safe Mode with Networking
   • F6 or 6 – Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt
   • F7 or 7 – Disable driver signature enforcement
   • F8 or 8 – Disable early launch anti-malware protection
   • F9 or 9 – Disable automatic restart after failure
   

Well, if all the tricks above is not convenient for you, and you simply want the usual F8 method to access the Advanced Boot Options menu where you can select how the Windows would boot, including to Safe Mode, then run the following command in a Command Prompt (Admin):

bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy legacy

After enabling the legacy boot loader, the F8 function key should work as is Windows 7 and earlier OSes to bring out the Advanced Boot Options menu.

To disable the legacy mode and return to Windows 8 original fast boot loader, use the following command:

bcdedit /set {default} bootmenupolicy standard




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