41 Move My Documents (XP)
Now that hard disks are larger and cheaper than ever, it’s easy to keep documents and programs separate. If you’ve added a new hard disk, it’s easy to move the My Documents folder over to it. Click the Start button, right-click My Documents and select Properties. Click the Move button and then choose a folder on the new disk. Click OK once again and click Yes to move existing documents to the new folder.
42 Create XPS documents (Vista)
Much like PDF files, XPS documents created in Windows Vista will look the same on any computer used to view them. Any document can be converted to XPS format. To do this choose to print the file, then select the XPS Document Writer. XPS files can be opened and viewed in Internet Explorer 7, or using the free XPS viewer program. This can be downloaded.
43 Restore Preview option to image files (XP)
By default, Windows XP uses its own image preview tool if you double-click an image file. Annoyingly, though, other programs will sometimes take over so double-clicking an image opens that program instead. For those who prefer the preview tool, open the Control Panel, then Folder Options. Select the File Types tab, and scroll down to find the file type in question, such as JPG, then click the Restore button.
44 Disable Windows Defender (Vista)
Windows Vista includes a tool that helps to protect Windows Vista against spyware. If you prefer to use another program to defend against spyware it’s possible to disable Defender. Launch Windows Defender from the Start menu and click Tools, then Options. Scroll down to the bottom of the list and untick the box labelled ‘Use Windows Defender’ before clicking Save.
45 Different web browser for each user (XP)
Windows XP remembers which web browser you prefer to use, but if several different users share a computer it annoyingly assumes they all prefer the same one. To allow different users to choose different web browsers, download a free copy of the DefaultBrowser tool. Double-click the ZIP file and copy the defaultbrowser.exe file to somewhere safe on the hard disk.
Each user can now double-click this program file and select a browser from the menu.
46 Watch your network (Vista)
Vista includes a handy tool that gives a quick visual indication of how busy a home network is. Look for the network icon in the notification area at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen – this looks like two computer monitors, one in front of the other. Right-click it, and select ‘Turn on activity animation’ – the icon will now show when the network is busy.
47 Manage notification area icons (XP)
If you install lots of programs on your computer, the notification area in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen can become full. To make it more manageable, right-click the Taskbar, select Properties and tick the box labelled ‘Hide inactive icons’. This generally works well, but sometimes useful icons can disappear.
If this happens, right-click the Taskbar and select Properties again, then click the Customize button. Click the icon you want to see, then select ‘Always Show’ from the menu to its right and click OK.
48 Copy file location (Vista)
Sometimes it’s useful to know where a file is stored. It’s possible to type the location of a file manually, but this can lead to errors. Instead click Start, select Computer and navigate to the file in question. Hold down the Shift key and right-click the file, then select the option to ‘Copy as Path’. It’s now easy to insert the file location into an email or document – choose paste from the menu or press the Control and V keys together.
49 Advanced Autoplay (XP)
When you insert a CD or DVD into a Windows XP computer, Windows will pop up an Autoplay window asking you what to do with it. This can be very handy, but if you want to do the same thing each time it can be skipped. Open My Computer, right-click on the CD or DVD drive and select Properties, then click the Autoplay tab.
Select a type of file from the dropdown menu, then choose the action you want the computer to perform from the list below it. For example, we like to set ‘Mixed Content’ discs so Windows will ‘Open folder to view files’ without asking us each time. Different options can be set for each different type of files.
50 Quick internet test (XP)
Sometimes it can be hard to tell whether a broadband internet connection is broken, or whether there’s a problem with your web browser. For a quick way to tell, press the Windows key and R together to launch the Run box, then type cmd and press Enter. A black window will appear. Type ping www.computeractive.co.uk and press Enter. Windows will attempt to connect to our website.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
50 Windows Tips & Tricks -4
31 Keep track of notes
It’s easy to lose notes kept on scraps of paper, so why not keep them handy on the desktop? Right-click the desktop, select New then Text Document. Call it ‘notes’. From now on, to make a note simply double-click the file, press F5 to insert the date and time, type a note then press the Control and S keys together to save.
32 Clever keyboard (Vista)
Windows Vista has an on-screen keyboard that can be accessed by pressing the Windows key and the R key together, then typing osk.exe and pressing Enter. For a more useful version, right-click the Taskbar, then select Toolbars followed by Tablet PC Input Panel. Click the icon that appears in the Taskbar, then click the keyboard icon in the dock that appears.
Select ‘Dock at Bottom of Screen’ from the Tools menu to dock this keyboard at the bottom of the screen. When the keyboard is not needed click the usual close button, and to bring it back click the small floating panel to the side of the screen.
33 Add a shortcut for updates (XP)
Windows Update means Windows XP can be set to check for security updates automatically. If you prefer to check yourself, you can create a desktop icon to simplify the process. Right-click an empty spot on the desktop and select New, then Shortcut. In the box that appears type www.windowsupdate.com, then click Next. Enter a name such as ‘Check for updates’ and click Finish.
Simply double-click this icon to start the update process.
34 Change Start menu power button (Vista)
By default, the power button in Vista’s Start menu activates sleep mode rather than switching the computer off. To fix this open the Control Panel, then Power Options, and click the ‘Change plan settings’ link beneath the currently selected power plan. Click ‘Change advanced power settings’ and expand the ‘Power buttons and lid’ entry.
Expand the ‘Start menu power button’ entry, click the menu next to Setting and select Shut down before clicking OK.
35 Type in quick shortcuts (XP)
There are a few programs in Windows that can be very handy but which are hidden in the Start menu. If you’re busy doing something else and don’t want to rummage around in the Accessories folder for the Calculator, though, don’t worry. Simply press the Windows key and R together, type calc and press Enter.
Similarly, for a quick way to start a text file press the Windows key and R together, type notepad then press Enter.
36 Preview documents (Vista)
To save having to open a document to see what it contains, turn on Vista’s file preview option. Open a folder, click the Organize button and select Layout followed by Preview Pane. Select a file, and a preview will be displayed to the right.
37 Give hard disks a friendly name (XP)
If your computer has more than one hard disk, it’s often a good idea to store different files on each one – programs on drive C, for example, and music files on drive D. If so, why not give each disk a friendly name? Open My Computer, right-click the hard disk and select Rename, then type in something appropriate – we called our second disk ‘music and video’.
38 Disable User Account Control (Vista)
Vista’s User Account Control (UAC) is a useful security feature, but some people find it incredibly annoying. It can be disabled. Open the Control Panel, then User Accounts, and click the link labelled ‘Turn user account control on or off’ before clicking Continue. Untick the box labelled ‘Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer’ and click OK.
Re-enabling UAC is simple – follow these steps again, then re-tick the box.
39 Check your specs (XP)
Sometimes it’s helpful to know some basic information about the parts inside your PC. For details on the processor and memory, right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties. Look at the bottom of the box that appears: under the word ‘Computer’ you’ll find, the type of processor inside, along with its speed (in MHz or GHz), and then the amount of memory, which will look something like ‘512MB of Ram’.
40 Scan again for wireless networks (Vista)
Wireless networks don’t always show up the first time you perform a scan. Vista will re-scan after a while, but there’s no need to wait. Simply press F5 to start another scan immediately.
It’s easy to lose notes kept on scraps of paper, so why not keep them handy on the desktop? Right-click the desktop, select New then Text Document. Call it ‘notes’. From now on, to make a note simply double-click the file, press F5 to insert the date and time, type a note then press the Control and S keys together to save.
32 Clever keyboard (Vista)
Windows Vista has an on-screen keyboard that can be accessed by pressing the Windows key and the R key together, then typing osk.exe and pressing Enter. For a more useful version, right-click the Taskbar, then select Toolbars followed by Tablet PC Input Panel. Click the icon that appears in the Taskbar, then click the keyboard icon in the dock that appears.
Select ‘Dock at Bottom of Screen’ from the Tools menu to dock this keyboard at the bottom of the screen. When the keyboard is not needed click the usual close button, and to bring it back click the small floating panel to the side of the screen.
33 Add a shortcut for updates (XP)
Windows Update means Windows XP can be set to check for security updates automatically. If you prefer to check yourself, you can create a desktop icon to simplify the process. Right-click an empty spot on the desktop and select New, then Shortcut. In the box that appears type www.windowsupdate.com, then click Next. Enter a name such as ‘Check for updates’ and click Finish.
Simply double-click this icon to start the update process.
34 Change Start menu power button (Vista)
By default, the power button in Vista’s Start menu activates sleep mode rather than switching the computer off. To fix this open the Control Panel, then Power Options, and click the ‘Change plan settings’ link beneath the currently selected power plan. Click ‘Change advanced power settings’ and expand the ‘Power buttons and lid’ entry.
Expand the ‘Start menu power button’ entry, click the menu next to Setting and select Shut down before clicking OK.
35 Type in quick shortcuts (XP)
There are a few programs in Windows that can be very handy but which are hidden in the Start menu. If you’re busy doing something else and don’t want to rummage around in the Accessories folder for the Calculator, though, don’t worry. Simply press the Windows key and R together, type calc and press Enter.
Similarly, for a quick way to start a text file press the Windows key and R together, type notepad then press Enter.
36 Preview documents (Vista)
To save having to open a document to see what it contains, turn on Vista’s file preview option. Open a folder, click the Organize button and select Layout followed by Preview Pane. Select a file, and a preview will be displayed to the right.
37 Give hard disks a friendly name (XP)
If your computer has more than one hard disk, it’s often a good idea to store different files on each one – programs on drive C, for example, and music files on drive D. If so, why not give each disk a friendly name? Open My Computer, right-click the hard disk and select Rename, then type in something appropriate – we called our second disk ‘music and video’.
38 Disable User Account Control (Vista)
Vista’s User Account Control (UAC) is a useful security feature, but some people find it incredibly annoying. It can be disabled. Open the Control Panel, then User Accounts, and click the link labelled ‘Turn user account control on or off’ before clicking Continue. Untick the box labelled ‘Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer’ and click OK.
Re-enabling UAC is simple – follow these steps again, then re-tick the box.
39 Check your specs (XP)
Sometimes it’s helpful to know some basic information about the parts inside your PC. For details on the processor and memory, right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties. Look at the bottom of the box that appears: under the word ‘Computer’ you’ll find, the type of processor inside, along with its speed (in MHz or GHz), and then the amount of memory, which will look something like ‘512MB of Ram’.
40 Scan again for wireless networks (Vista)
Wireless networks don’t always show up the first time you perform a scan. Vista will re-scan after a while, but there’s no need to wait. Simply press F5 to start another scan immediately.
50 Windows Tips & Tricks -3
21 Reduce window borders (Vista)
Vista’s Aero graphics can give program and folder windows a fairly chunky border. When using a program that has several floating windows, such as image-editing software, the wasted space can become annoying. To shrink the borders down to size, right-click the desktop and select Personalize before clicking ‘Window Color and Appearance’.
If the Appearance Setting dialogue box does not appear, click ‘Open classic appearance properties for more color options’. Click the Advanced button, select Border Padding from the dropdown menu, reduce the size setting to less than 4, then click OK twice.
22 Group Taskbar buttons (XP)
Normally opening more than one copy of the same program will produce more than one button on the Taskbar, and this can mean the Taskbar runs out of space. To make things simpler, it’s possible to group Taskbar buttons from the same program together. To activate this feature, right-click on an empty section of the Taskbar and select Properties. Tick the box labelled ‘Group similar Taskbar buttons’ and click OK.
23 Add links to folder Favorites (Vista)
When viewing folders in Vista the ‘Favorite Links’ panel is displayed to one side. Adding the folders you use most often to this list makes using the computer quicker and easier. Simply drag and drop the folders you use most often onto the ‘Favorite Links’ panel.
24 Access web pages quickly (XP)
Visiting a website is a two-stage process: first open a web browser, then type in the address. To speed things up add an address bar to the Windows Taskbar. Right-click an empty section of the Taskbar – if there is a tick next to ‘Lock the Taskbar’ remove it. Next, hover the mouse over Toolbars and click on Address.
A tiny address bar will appear – type in any website’s address and it will open in your web browser of choice.
26 Use Flip 3D (Vista)
Flip 3D is one of Vista’s most impressive tricks, but many people don’t even know it exists. With several programs or windows open, hold down the Alt key and push the Tab button a few times – Vista will cycle through the windows in a useful but dull way.
Now, try holding down the Windows key and pushing Tab a few times – Vista will use the impressive-looking Flip 3D system to change between the windows, allowing you to view each one as they change.
27 Speed up the Start menu (XP)
When using the Start menu you might notice a delay between clicking a sub-menu and watching it open – this is added deliberately by Windows. It’s possible to remove it, as long as you are a confident computer user happy to edit the Windows Registry. To do so, click Start, then Run, type regedit and press Enter.
Click the plus sign next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER, then click the plus sign next to Control Panel and select Desktop. Look for an entry in the right pane called MenuShowDelay. This has a default value of 400. Right-click it and select Modify – entering a value of between 50 and 100 will speed up the Start menu.
28 Make USB disks faster (Vista)
If you leave your USB hard disk permanently connected, it’s possible to make it faster. Click Start, type Device Manger and click the Device Manager link. Expand the Disk Drives entry, right-click the USB disk icon and select Properties. On the Policies tab tick ‘Optimize for performance’ and click OK.
29 Advanced Windows shortcuts (XP)
Windows XP is full of keyboard shortcuts, but there are a few that every user should know. Hold down the Windows key, then try pressing these letter keys: E will launch Windows Explorer, R will launch the Run box, F will launch the Find utility, M will minimise all open windows to show the desktop, and L will instantly lock the computer.
30 Activate windows without clicking (Vista)
Normally it’s necessary to click a window to make it active, but it is possible to avoid this by using one of Vista’s Ease of Access features. Click Start, open the Control Panel and then choose the ‘Ease of Access Center’. Click the link labelled ‘Make the mouse easier to use’ and then select the option labelled ‘Activate a window by hovering over it with the mouse’. It’s easy to go back and de-select the option if you want.
Vista’s Aero graphics can give program and folder windows a fairly chunky border. When using a program that has several floating windows, such as image-editing software, the wasted space can become annoying. To shrink the borders down to size, right-click the desktop and select Personalize before clicking ‘Window Color and Appearance’.
If the Appearance Setting dialogue box does not appear, click ‘Open classic appearance properties for more color options’. Click the Advanced button, select Border Padding from the dropdown menu, reduce the size setting to less than 4, then click OK twice.
22 Group Taskbar buttons (XP)
Normally opening more than one copy of the same program will produce more than one button on the Taskbar, and this can mean the Taskbar runs out of space. To make things simpler, it’s possible to group Taskbar buttons from the same program together. To activate this feature, right-click on an empty section of the Taskbar and select Properties. Tick the box labelled ‘Group similar Taskbar buttons’ and click OK.
23 Add links to folder Favorites (Vista)
When viewing folders in Vista the ‘Favorite Links’ panel is displayed to one side. Adding the folders you use most often to this list makes using the computer quicker and easier. Simply drag and drop the folders you use most often onto the ‘Favorite Links’ panel.
24 Access web pages quickly (XP)
Visiting a website is a two-stage process: first open a web browser, then type in the address. To speed things up add an address bar to the Windows Taskbar. Right-click an empty section of the Taskbar – if there is a tick next to ‘Lock the Taskbar’ remove it. Next, hover the mouse over Toolbars and click on Address.
A tiny address bar will appear – type in any website’s address and it will open in your web browser of choice.
26 Use Flip 3D (Vista)
Flip 3D is one of Vista’s most impressive tricks, but many people don’t even know it exists. With several programs or windows open, hold down the Alt key and push the Tab button a few times – Vista will cycle through the windows in a useful but dull way.
Now, try holding down the Windows key and pushing Tab a few times – Vista will use the impressive-looking Flip 3D system to change between the windows, allowing you to view each one as they change.
27 Speed up the Start menu (XP)
When using the Start menu you might notice a delay between clicking a sub-menu and watching it open – this is added deliberately by Windows. It’s possible to remove it, as long as you are a confident computer user happy to edit the Windows Registry. To do so, click Start, then Run, type regedit and press Enter.
Click the plus sign next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER, then click the plus sign next to Control Panel and select Desktop. Look for an entry in the right pane called MenuShowDelay. This has a default value of 400. Right-click it and select Modify – entering a value of between 50 and 100 will speed up the Start menu.
28 Make USB disks faster (Vista)
If you leave your USB hard disk permanently connected, it’s possible to make it faster. Click Start, type Device Manger and click the Device Manager link. Expand the Disk Drives entry, right-click the USB disk icon and select Properties. On the Policies tab tick ‘Optimize for performance’ and click OK.
29 Advanced Windows shortcuts (XP)
Windows XP is full of keyboard shortcuts, but there are a few that every user should know. Hold down the Windows key, then try pressing these letter keys: E will launch Windows Explorer, R will launch the Run box, F will launch the Find utility, M will minimise all open windows to show the desktop, and L will instantly lock the computer.
30 Activate windows without clicking (Vista)
Normally it’s necessary to click a window to make it active, but it is possible to avoid this by using one of Vista’s Ease of Access features. Click Start, open the Control Panel and then choose the ‘Ease of Access Center’. Click the link labelled ‘Make the mouse easier to use’ and then select the option labelled ‘Activate a window by hovering over it with the mouse’. It’s easy to go back and de-select the option if you want.
How To Hide any files into JPG file
There is a trick 
in windows which gives you the opportunity to hide any type of files in a JPG file.
This simple trick can be achieved in few steps:
- Select the files you want to hide and compress them using winrar,winzip etc...
- Drag the compressed file and a random picture in the same directory(eg. C:\)
- Go to Start-->Run and type cmd in order to open the command promt window
- Go to directory where you have placed the files (type cd.. twice to go to C:\)
- Type:
After that process a new jpg file will be crated in C:\ with the name: new name.
If you double click you will see just the image,but if you right click to the file and select extract,your fidden files will be extracted.
Google Tips and Tricks
Google search engine supports some funny tips and tricks which are listed below. Each of the sentences have a different affect to Googles search engine.
- Type google gothic in the search box and click google right button...
- Type google easter egg in the search box and click google right button..
- Type google Linux in the search box and click google right button..
- Type google bsd in the search box and click google right button..
- Type google 1337 in the search box and click google right button..
- Type google Loco in the search box and click google right button..
How To Hack a Website-The Serious way
You can easily find the passwords of websites that require passwords in order to login.
- In Google Search engine enter "Enter Passwords" in order to find site which require passwords for login.
- Go to main menu-edit and choose View source.
- Here you can see the html code of the site. We are looking for the password value or password name="...".
- Copy the name in the " " and paste it in the field of password.
How To Hack a WebSite--The Funny way
A simple way to hack a website and laugh with your friends.
Of course it is not a real hacking ....
- Open a web browser you use more frequently and open a webpage you like more.
- Copy the code:
and Paste it into the address bar of the browser.
Now you can change anything on the webpage as in a notepad.
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