Add Fun And Functionality to your Windows! - Use XP PowerToys

PowerToys are additional programs that developers work on after the product has been released to manufacturing, but before the next project has begun. These toys add fun and functionality to the Windows experience.

I've taken great care to ensure that PowerToys operate as they should. But please note that these programs are not part of Windows and are not supported by Microsoft. For this reason, Microsoft Technical Support is unable to answer questions about PowerToys.

The PowerToys are installed into the directory you specify during setup. Typically this is the system32 directory.

To uninstall the PowerToys, Open the control Panel. Launch the Add/Remove Programs control panel applet. Find the PowerToys for Windows XP entry, and choose Modify/Remove. From here you can remove specific toys or all of them.

Faster User Switcher

Note: You cannot use this toy if fast user switching is not enabled.

What it is: With Fast User Switching enabled on Windows XP, this PowerToy allows you to switch users without having to use the logon screen.

Special requirements: This PowerToy requires a Windows key on your keyboard.How to use: Press the Windows key then the Q key to activate; release and press Q to switch to a different user tile, then release both Q and Windows key to switch to that user.

Shell Player

What it is: This PowerToy plays MP3 files and WMA files from the taskbar.

How to use: Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Audio Player." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the player, you will have to unlock it. This will allow you to access the play list editor and view all the buttons.

Task Switcher

What it is: Replaces the existing Alt + Tab application switching mechanism of Windows XP. It provides a thumbnail preview of windows in the task list and is compliant with the new Windows XP visual style.

How to use: (NOTE: You must log off and then log on again for the changes to take effect). Use just as you do the existing Alt + Tab mechanism by pressing the Alt key and the Tab key to activate. While holding down the Alt key, press the Tab key to cycle through running applications. To move backwards, press Shift + Alt + Tab. Release all keys when the desired application is highlighted.

Open Command Window Here

What it is: This PowerToy adds an "Open Command Window Here" context menu option on file system folders. This gives users a quick way to open a command window (cmd.exe) pointing at a selected folder in the Explorer UI.

How to use: After installation, right click on the folder you would like to have a quick launch command window for.

Tweak UI

What it is: Provides access to system settings that are not exposed in the Windows XP default user interface.

How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, TweakUI for Windows XP.

PowerToy Calc

What it is: Graphing calculator

How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, PowerToy Calc

Bulk Resize for Photos

What it is: Allows you to make a new, resized copy of your selected pictures in the same folder they are currently located in. You can opt to resize one or many pictures (as a batch).

How to use: Right click any image(s) and select Resize Pictures in the context menu.

ISO Image Burner

What it is: Allows you to burn an ISO Image using a CD-ROM burner that is compatible with Windows XP.

How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, ISO Burner.

Slide Show Generator

What it is: Generate a slideshow when burning a CD.

How to use: Add only images to a CD-ROM using Windows XP Explorer, then Write these files to disk. A new task is presented in the wizard for generating the autorun for the slideshow.

Virtual Desktop Manager

What it is: Manage up to 4 desktops from the Windows Shell Taskbar.

How to use:Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Desktop Manager." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the manager, you will have to unlock it.

Background Wallpaper switcher

What it is: Allows you to switch the background image periodically.

How to use: Access this PowerToy by right clicking the desktop, click properties. It has added a new tab that will allow you to specify the interval as well as the directory to obtain the images from.

Taskbar Magnifier

What it is: Allows you to magnify part of the screen from the taskbar.

How to use:Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Taskbar Magnifier." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the magnifier, you will have to unlock it.

Slide Show Wizard

What it is: This wizard helps you create a slide show of your digital pictures. When you're done, you can put your slide show on the Web so that your family and friends can view it.

How to use: Launch the Wizard from the Start Menu under All ProgramsPowertoys for Windows XPSlide Show Wizard. Follow the steps of the wizard to select and arrange your pictures, choose from a few simple options, and then save a Web-ready HTML slide show to a folder.

Free Download Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 Setup, Installer

Many applications uses Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 as development platform, and thus requires .NET Framework to be installed beforehand, else the installation will request to download and install .NET Framework from Internet. On offline system without Internet access or online server with slow downloading speed, the requirement to download setup files through web may hit the wall - a no go.

Microsoft initially just provides a minimal size dotnetfx35setup.exe download which is a bootstrapper that will still need to download more files via Internet. For users who prefer to perform offline installation or install .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 without waiting for download to complete will have to download and save a copy of full complete standalone or redistributable Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 setup installer, which is finally published by Microsoft.

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (Service Pack 1) is a full cumulative update that contains many new features building incrementally upon .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, 3.5, and includes cumulative servicing updates to the .NET Framework 2.0 and .NET Framework 3.0 subcomponents. See KB951847 for list of changes and fixed issues in the .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1.

Download full package of Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1: dotnetfx35.exe (231 MB)
For known issues and release notes, refer to Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 Readme.

Reveal, Uncover and Show Hidden Passwords Masked Behind Asterisks\Stars

On most application programs and web browsers, the password field is protected and masked with asterisks (or stars aka ********* symbols) when user entering the secret credentials into the text box on web pages or program’s interface to avoid hacker peeps over the shoulders. Asterisk masking of password is good security measure. However, in some scenarios, there may be a need to reveal and show the hidden password string or value hidden behind the asterisks.

For example, almost all web browsers such as Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8 (IE6, IE7, IE8), Firefox, Safari and Opera (Wand) now able to remember the user ID and password login information for web sites on behalf of users to facilitate easier user name and password entry or automatic sign in. The same save or remember logon name and password credentials feature convenient feature also applies to desktop programs such as Microsoft Money, FTP, SSH and Telnet client, Windows Live (MSN Messenger), Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, Skype, AIM, and most other instant messengers and VoIP clients.

So when user forgets or misplaces the password for particular website or service or software application, it’s possible to retrieve and recover the password from the saved password, if user can reveal and view the masked password hidden under the asterisks on password field on web pages or program’s user interface.

Here’s a list of asterisk password revealer or asterisk password viewer tools and utilities that able to read, reveal and display the actual real password that is hidden and masked with asterisks. Only working freeware which available for free download is listed here.

Asterisk Key

Asterisk Key from PassWare (lostpassword.com) shows passwords hidden under asterisks. Best of all, it’s totally free. Asterisk Key features include uncovers hidden passwords on password dialog boxes and web pages on web pages or Windows apps, state of the art password recovery engine that able to recover all passwords instantly, multilingual passwords supported and full install/uninstall support.

Download Asterisk Key (current version 7.9): ariskkey.exe

In Windows Vista, run Asterisk Key as administrator, or else it won’t find any password edit boxes on window nor web page.

Password Viewer

Password Viewer by IT Samples is a Windows utility that allows you to view password fields. It enables to you to peek the password not only at the password edit boxes on different programs, but also the password input field data on a page inside Internet Explorer window. Works in Win2000, WinXP and WinVista.
No installation required, and user just need to click on the “hand” icon and drag window over the password edit control or password input field and the password text will appear on Password Viewer dialog.

Download Password Viewer (version 1.4): PViewer.zip

IE Asterisk Password Uncover

IE Asterisk Password Uncover from NSAuditor (password-recovery-software.com) allows you to view passwords hidden with asterisks in password fields in web pages and ActiveX controls. Comes in handy when you have forgotten your passwords. When you login into a web site with user name and password, you sometimes have the option to store the password in your computer. This freeware utility reveals the passwords stored behind the asterisks (****) in the web pages of Internet Explorer.

IE Asterisk Password Uncover (current version 1.2) only works with Internet Explorer 5.0 and above on Windows platform.

Download IE Asterisk Password Uncover 1.2: IEAstRecover.exe

Password Spectator

Password Spectator lets user “see” what is behind the asterisks, so you can see your actual password when you need it. Password Spectator works both with Internet sites and with software applications that require entering passwords. This software works with the overwhelming majority of applications. For example, password fields present in ISPs in dial-up dialog boxes, in CuteFTP or Outlook Express. The only exception are the programs that actually “store” asterisks behind the asterisks. Windows NT User Manager does not hide actual passwords “under” the asterisks, and thus won’t work.

Download Password Spectator (current version 3.2): passpectpro.exe

SC-PassUnleash

Most applications under Windows allow you to store their passwords. Examples are the passwords of ISP’s, the password of your email client or FTP tool. Once the password is stored, it is hidden under a row of “***” asterisks and cannot be read again. The nifty SC-PassUnleash asterisk password reader utility from Soft-Central allows you to read any of your passwords that are covered by the asterisks by simply dragging a cursor over such a password field. Once the cursor is on top of a “***” password field, SC-PassUnleash instantly displays the password in readable text on screen.

SC-PassUnleash only works on certain FTP clients and email clients. It doesn’t support most web browsers and user account manager.

Download SS-PassUnleash: SC-PassUnleash.exe

Asterisk Logger

Asterisk Logger from NirSoft is a successor of AsterWin utility. It reveals the asterisk typed passwords in standard password text box in many applications, like CuteFTP, CoffeeCup Free FTP, VNC, IncrediMail, Outlook Express, and others, that the real password is not displayed on the screen, and instead been replaced with a sequence of asterisk (’****’) characters.

Asterisk Logger supports Windows 9x, Windows NT, Windows ME, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. But it doesn’t work on Internet Explorer. Just run the executable, no installation required. Don’t support Netscape 6.x (passwords in the Web page), dialup and network passwords in Windows 2000 and Windows NT/2000/XP user management tools.

Download Asterisk Logger (current version 1.04): astlog.zip

AsterWin IE

When you login into a web site with user name and password, you sometimes have the option to store the password in your computer. If you choose to save the password, in the next time that we’ll visit this site, the password field will be automatically filled with your password, but you won’t be able to view it, because the password-box shows the password as sequence of asterisks (****). Some asterisk revealer cannot process Internet Explorer Web pages, because the password is stored in different way than in other applications. However, AsterWin IE utility reveals the passwords stored behind the asterisks in the web pages of Internet Explorer 5.0 and above. You can use it for recovering a lost web site password, if it’s stored on your computer.

AsterWin IE supports Windows 95/98/ME or Windows NT/2000/XP with Internet Explorer 5.0 or above. It also requires VB6 Runtime files.

Download AsterWin IE (current version 1.03): asterie.zip

Asterisk Master

Asterisk Master by IT Samples is an Internet Explorer plug-in residing in Status Bar that allows you to reveal passwords hidden behind the asterisks in password fields inside any web page directly and keep these input fields unmasked. When Internet Explorer has finished opening any web page, Asterisk Master starts searching for a password input box and substitutes it with a usual text input box, so any hidden characters become readable.

Download Asterisk Master (current version 1.0): AsteriskMaster.zip

ShowPassword

ShowPassword allows to view the passwords which are hidden by asteriks on some program where user defines a password such as mail accounts, personal code to private folder, login in network or Window login. Supports mostly Windows apps.

Download ShowPassword (current version 2.1): showpw.zip

Password Revealer

Password Revealer by rekenwonder is a utility for Windows 95/98/Me/NT that can show you most passwords that are typed in a password edit box (those that hide the password and show asterisks instead). If you’re using Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista and Server 2008, or IE5 and above, forget about this and try alternative asterisk password readers above.

Download Password Revealer: revealer.exe

Note:-These free programs listed above able to reveal and show the actual password characters hidden beneath the asterisks because the password is still stored in the window control although it’s shown as asterisks and real value is not displaying.

Asterisk password recovery revealing tools is meant for password recovery purpose. They won’t be able to decrypt and show Windows logon password (and password in User Account Manager in Control Panel). To safeguard from this kind of hack, physical security control is required.

PC Inspector File Recovery - An Ultimate Utility to Recover Lost and Deleted Files,Folders or Data

The worst thing that may happens when you empty your Recycle Bin in Windows is that you suddenly realized that a important file you just deleted may be the file that you wanted or still needed after all! And, this scenario does happen.Luckily, there are ways to recover the lost or deleted files or folders. Of course, the first line of defense is Recycle Bin, neatly built-in to all Windows nowadays. Before you hit on ‘Yes’ to empty the recycle bin, just make sure that inside it, there are no more any possible files and directories that you need in later days.
If you files or data is completely lost (recycle bin emptied or been deleted without going through recycle bin), or boot sector or FAT of the hard disk has been erased or damaged, it’s still possible to recover the lost files, or undelete files, by using some freeware programs such as PC Inspector File Recovery.
The main factor to ensure the highest possibility chance of data recovery is to avoid using the computer, especially the hard drive or the removable disk that contains that files or folders you want to undelete. This is because Windows operating system works in such a way that when you delete a file, only reference to the location of the file and the file’s header are deleted. The file still exists on the storage disk, even though Windows now no longer recognizes it as valid data, until another piece of data been written over its location on the storage disk.
PC Inspector File Recovery will comes in handy. It is a data recovery program that supports the FAT, FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS file systems. The program also can finds partitions automatically, even if the boot sector or FAT has been erased or damaged, lets you save recovered files on network drives. It recovers files with the original time and date stamp, so once the files have been undeleted, it just looks like nothing ever happened!
File Recovery can also recover most common files types, even if part of the file is already damaged and beyond recovery. With its Special Recovery Function, some useful fragments can be recovered, thus enabling you to recover part of your files, instead of losing all of the contents.
Some limitations on PC Inspector File Recovery are that if your hard drive or storage device is already spoilt, broken, unable to be recognized by BIOS or having mechanical problems, then the tool is useless. Beside, if your file fragmented (the file is divided into sections that are distributed across all over physical location on the storage disk), then the reconstructed files may not be able to open or may be damaged.
Best of all, PC Inspector File Recovery is a freeware.
Visit PC Inspector File Recovery, or download PC Inspector File Recover.

Trick to Enable Show Hidden Files and Folders in Windows Affected by VIRUS

Some viruses or Trojans is smart enough to hide themselves into a corner of the computer system, and then effectively force disable the “Show all hidden files and folders” or “Show all hidden files, folders and drives” option under “Folder Options”. When it happens, hidden files, folders and drives on the PC do not been shown or displayed even though user has attempted to apply the settings to show the hidden files. The virus implements a policy such as “Shockwave.dll” that’s forcing system to keep hidden files forever not visible or hidden.

If your anti-virus or anti-malware solution is unable to get rid of the malware, and you’re desperately need to view the hidden files, here’s the workaround to enable system to show hidden files and folders again. There are many viruses that may cause the hidden files cannot be visible error, thus the following solution may not work on some system.

1. Go to Start Menu and click on Run (Windows Vista and Windows 7 uses Start Search instead).
2. Type RegEdit and press Enter to run Registry Editor.
3. Navigate to the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden\SHOWALL
4. In the right pane, verify that the CheckedValue value data is REG_DWORD type. If it’s not (such as belongs to REG_SZ), then delete the CheckedValue value data.
5. If CheckedValue has been delete, create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it as CheckedValue.
6. Double click on CheckedValue and change its value data to 1 (virus may change it to 0 or 2).
7. Within the same registry key, verify that the Type value data is of REG_SZ type, and has the value data radio. If not, set it to radio. Virus may change it to blank.
8. Set the system to unhide or hide all hidden files, folders and drives, and then check if hidden files and folders are show.

Trick to Hide\Unhide Windows System Files and Folders

Several folders in Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 98 and Windows Me that contain important system files (such as Windows, Program Files, Windows\System and Windows\System32 folders) have been hided or concealed. You won’t be able to see the listing of files inside these system folders, instead a patronizing warning will be displayed to warn about modifying the contents of the folder could cause your programs to stop working correctly.

In Windows 98, this warning will only appears if you enable the “View as Web Page” option. The same to Windows 2000, warning will be shown if you select “Enable Web content in folders” option under the General tab of the Folder Options dialog box. To show the listing of contents and files of the system folder, just get pass the warning by clicking a “Show Files” link at the side pane.

In Windows Me and XP, the system folders are protected by default. To view the files listing, just click on the “Show the contents of this folder” link. The file listing contents will remain visible thereafter until you click the text in the left pane to hide or conceal the contents again. To able to hide the contents again, you need to click on “Hide the contents of this folder” link on the left pane. If your left pane of Windows Explorer is folder pane, close it. And then select Tools -> Folder Options. At the General tab, for Windows Me, select “Enable Web Content in Folders”, or for Windows XP, select “Show Common Tasks in Folders”.

Windows 98 and Windows 2000 will auto-hide the contents of system folders again once you close Windows Explorer. To permanently disable hiding of system folders in Windows 98 and 2000, and permanently show the contents of all system folders in Windows Me and Windows XP, use the following steps:

Windows 95

1. Open My Computer.
2. Select the View menu and click Options.
3. Select the View Tab.
4. Select the Show all files Radio Button.
5. Click OK.

Windows 98

1. Open My Computer.
2. Select the View menu and click Folder Options.
3. Select the View Tab.
4. In the Hidden files section select Show all files.
5. Click OK.

Windows ME

1. Open My Computer.
2. Select the Tools menu and click Folder Options.
3. Select the View Tab.
4. In the Hidden files and folders section select Show hidden files and folders.
5. Uncheck the Hide protected operating system files (recommended) option.
6. Click Yes to confirm.
7. Click OK.
8. Click Start -> Programs and Accessories and open Windows Explorer.
9. Select a hard drive from the left hand side of the Windows Explorer window.
10. Select View the Entire contents of this drive.

Windows 2000

1. Open My Computer.
2. Select the Tools menu and click Folder Options.
3. Select the View Tab.
4. Under the Hidden files and folders section select Show hidden files and folders.
5. Uncheck the Hide protected operating system files (recommended) option.
6. Click Yes to confirm.
7. Click OK.

Windows XP

1. Click Start.
2. Open My Computer.
3. Select the Tools menu and click Folder Options.
4. Select the View Tab.
5. Under the Hidden files and folders heading select Show hidden files and folders.
6. Uncheck the Hide protected operating system files (recommended) option.
7. Click Yes to confirm.
8. Click OK.

The folder settings can be backedup before you make any of the above changes, just in case in future, you may want to revert to display the warning message instead of directly showing the file listing contents. To backup, just create a backup of (or just simply rename) the folder.htt file that resides in each of the system folders where you want to disable the warning message. Then copy the folder.htt file from Web sub-folder of Windows (or Winnt) folder (which don’t have the warning message) to the folders where you want to disable the warning message.
To restore the warning message (hide the contents) for a folder, simply delete the folder.htt file from that folder, and then restore the old folder.htt (or simply change back name of previously renamed folder.htt back).

10 Ways\Secrets to Improve Windows Vista Performance

Windows Vista has some new security and functional features with superior, elegant and beautiful visual experience, such as Windows Aero Glass Transparency effect, Flip 3D and etc. But to have and enable all these features, there is price to be paid, as there is limitation to the capability of computer on how fast it can run. However, if you feel that your Vista performance is below par and slow, there is some tricks that can help Vista to run faster, other than applying various updates such as performance and reliability updates and Service Pack 1 (SP1).

1. Add More Physical Memory (RAM)

   Undeniable, Windows Vista consumes a lot of memory. Windows XP can run and fly under system with specification of only 512 MB, but Vista will crawl with this ‘low’ specs. In fact, 1G is not enough, and 2G is probably considered just a ‘entry level’ memory level for Vista. To enable and turn on all special visual graphical effects, it’s recommended to upgrade to 4GB of memory. Luckily, the RAM module is getting cheaper and cheaper nowadays. Money to buy additional memory for faster speed and better experience will surely worthwhile to spend without regret.

2. Use ReadyBoost

   If you own a notebook or laptop computer, or your computer no longer has any extra memory slot available, or already hit the maximum RAM supported by motherboard. In this case, Vista has another feature, called ReadyBoost, which allows the system to use ReadyBoost compliant USB flash based memory (USB flash drive, pen drive, memory key, USB key, thumb drive, flash memory all belongs to this category) to expand the memory. It also has the added advantage where the speed to retrieve data from flash memory is faster than virtual memory files stored by physical hard disk drive. If you have a USB flash memory drive (or you can buy one as it’s even cheaper than RAM, but make sure it’s high speed and support ReadyBoost), and use it to turn on ReadyBoost feature, you can control the space used by ReadyBoost. This is useful to keep certain amount of space free to store your own data.

3. Use a Good Video Accelerator Card or GPU(Graphics Processor Unit) Display Adapter

   Just not a long while ago, hard disk drive (HDD) still spinning at slow 5400 RPM with no cache, and together with CPU and RAM, are thought to be the bottleneck for a performance driven computer. However, this trend has changed. With more and more graphics intensive application, especially on Vista with outstanding visual affect, the bottleneck is actually due to graphics card or display adapter and Video RAM (VRAM). The built-in on-board video card which integrated in the motherboard, such as Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) or Extreme Graphics, is simply not good enough. The lower throughput performance of on board graphics card is caused especially by performance penalty imposed as both the CPU and GPU have to access to main memory over the same bus, as the video card is sharing the computer’s main memory for storage. Thus a good high end video card is necessary with large amount of dedicated VRAM. And, if you want to play games in Vista, the video card must support DirectX 10.

4. Delete and Disable Extra Unnecessary Startup Programs

   When you buy a computer system pre-installed with Windows Vista, you will find that there are a lot of extra, additional, unnecessary, and worse useless programs automatically run themselves on startup. These applications include, but not limited to, drivers and software provided by the OEM (original equipment manufacturer), anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, instant messaging program and many many more. These programs, most are not used or little used, not only take up memory resources when they’re running silently in background, but will also slow down the computer start up speed. So, for the startup items that you not using, it’s best to disable them from starting up. To do so, use System Configuration Tool (MSConfig) that comes with Vista.

5. Turn Off Appearance Visual Effects

   Windows Vista provides a lot of appearance improvement visual effects such as animated controls and elements inside Windows, transparent glass, desktop composition, window animation when minimizing and maximizing, smooth edge of screen fonts, show window contents while dragging, menu fading and shadow effect, shadow on mouse pointer and etc. All these features will use memory and CPU resources. Turning off and disabling these visual effects in System Properties’ Performance Options (select “Adjust for best performance”) will allow system operation to run faster.

6. Adjust Indexing Options

   Unlike previous operating system, Vista has done tremendous improvement to hard disk search function, but the searching depends greatly on full indexing done on files and programs stored on the HDD hard disk drive. The index allows files, folders and programs can be found faster, and almost immediately when searching is done. When indexing process is running, it will affect and slow down the speed of other running program. The workaround to this problem is to enable indexing only on folders or drives that contain documents you will search, and exclude the rest of the area from indexing. To adjust which place you want to include or exclude in indexing, open Indexing Options under System and Maintenance in Control Panel. Using this trick, overall computer performance can be improved without disabling indexing.

7. Disk Cleanup and Defragmentation

   An old trick to tune up Windows system. Fragmented data on hard disk will slow down the computer operation. Vista provides two utilities, namely Disk Cleanup to delete and remove unused files, files in recycle bin, log files, dump files, downloaded program files, temporary Internet files, hibernation files, thumbnails and other temporary files, and Disk Defragmenter to defragment the disk drivers. Both tools can be found by clicking on Start button, then go to All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools. You can also schedule the defragment program to run automatically periodically to tune the performance of system. Using third party defragment tool is possible too.

8. Change the Power Plan Setting

   Adjust and change the preferred power plan setting to “High Performance”. This setting can be set in the Power Options applet under System and Maintenance in Control Panel. By default, Vista will set preferred power plan option to “Balanced”, restricting amount of power supply it can consumes to 50% under normal circumstances. Of course, you have to be prepared for higher electricity bill.

9. Turn Off Windows Sidebar

   Windows Sidebar is cool, but if you’re not using it, or not fully utilize sidebar, turning if off will save some system resources. To close Sidebar permanently, right click on Sidebar icon on notification area (system tray), and select “Exit”, then answer “No” if prompted whether want to start Sidebar automatically when Windows starts. You can also right click on sidebar itself and then select Properties to adjust whether to start Sidebar on Windows boots up setting. If you don’t want to disable Sidebar, remove as much as possible unnecessary gadgets and plugins.

10. Turn Off Windows Aero

    If you still feel your system is not fast enough, turning off and disable Windows Aero theme will likely to make the system flies and run a lot faster. Windows Aero Glass effect is one of the most attractive feature in Vista, and one of the main reason people is migrating to Vista. So it’s up to your choice of performance, or visual effect. To disable Aero, right click on desktop, select “Personalize”, then click on “Windows Color and Appearance” link. Next click on “Open classic appearance properties for more color options” link. In the Appearance Setting dialog window, set Color Scheme to anything other than Windows Aero in the drop down menu. “Windows Vista Classic” is a natural choice.

Tips to Make Windows XP Professional Accessible

Do you have trouble reading the screen, hearing the sound themes, using the keyboard, or moving the mouse? Windows XP Professional includes features such as Accessibility Wizard, Accessibility Options, and Utility Manager that make Windows XP accessible and usable by everyone.
For more detailed information about accessibility options, keyboard shortcuts, and assistant technology programs in Windows XP Professional follow any or all of the following steps:

1. Click Start, then click Help and Support, and then click Accessibility, in the left-hand column.
2. Press the Windows Logo key + F1, use the TAB key to highlight Accessibility, and then press ENTER. To learn more about Microsoft products available for people with disabilities, visit the Microsoft Accessibility Web site.
   Note: The information in this section applies only to users who license Microsoft products in the United States. If you obtained this product outside the United States, your package contains a card that lists Microsoft subsidiary support services, telephone numbers, and addresses. Contact your subsidiary to find out whether the type of products and services described here are available in your area.
   Accessibility WizardThe Accessibility Wizard asks you questions about your accessibility needs and automatically configures text size, and settings for display, sound, and pointer.
   To start the Accessibility Wizard
   Click Start and point to All Programs. Then point to Accessories, point to Accessibility, and click Accessibility Wizard.
3. Press the Windows Logo key , press P to open All Programs, and then press ENTER. Press A to open Accessories, press ENTER to open Accessibility, and then press ENTER again to start Accessibility Wizard. Note: Utility Manager lets you start, stop, and check the status of the accessibility programs you select from the Accessibility Wizard.
   To open the Utility Manager
   Click Start and point to All Programs. Then point to Accessories, point to Accessibility, and click Utility Manager.
4. Press the Windows Logo key , press P to open All Programs, and then press ENTER. Press A to open Accessories, press ENTER to open Accessibility. Use the arrow keys to highlight Utility Manager, and then press ENTER. Accessibility OptionsAccessibility Options allow you to directly customize keyboard, display, and mouse functions.
   To open Accessibility Options
   Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Accessibility Options.
5. Press the Windows Logo key , use the arrow keys to highlight Control Panel, and then press ENTER. Use the TAB key to highlight Accessibility Options, and then press ENTER.

19 Secrets About Windows XP - The UnFathomed Path

It's time to delve a bit deeper and uncover some of Windows XP's secrets.There are lots of secrets those may be emboweled from you. You would be able in accoutering yourself with a few after going through this post,I've disinterred 19 secrets of XP that might prove to be handy for you. However, there's no end to the secrets and i will continue to share all my experience and knowledge with you.

1. It boasts how long it can stay up. Whereas previous versions of Windows were coy about how long they went between boots, XP is positively proud of its stamina. Go to the Command Prompt in the Accessories menu from the All Programs start button option, and then type 'systeminfo'. The computer will produce a lot of useful info, including the uptime. If you want to keep these, type 'systeminfo > info.txt'. This creates a file called info.txt you can look at later with Notepad. (Professional Edition only).
2. You can delete files immediately, without having them move to the Recycle Bin first. Go to the Start menu, select Run... and type 'gpedit.msc'; then select User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Explorer and find the Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin setting. Set it. Poking around in gpedit will reveal a great many interface and system options, but take care -- some may stop your computer behaving as you wish. (Professional Edition only).
3. You can lock your XP workstation with two clicks of the mouse. Create a new shortcut on your desktop using a right mouse click, and enter 'rundll32.exe ser32.dll,LockWorkStation' in the location field. Give the shortcut a name you like. That's it -- just double click on it and your computer will be locked. And if that's not easy enough, Windows key + L will do the same.
4. XP hides some system software you might want to remove, such as Windows Messenger, but you can tickle it and make it disgorge everything. Using Notepad or Edit, edit the text file /windows/inf/sysoc.inf, search for the word 'hide' and remove it. You can then go to the Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Windows Components and there will be your prey, exposed and vulnerable.
5. For those skilled in the art of DOS batch files, XP has a number of interesting new commands. These include 'eventcreate' and 'eventtriggers' for creating and watching system events, 'typeperf' for monitoring performance of various subsystems, and 'schtasks' for handling scheduled tasks. As usual, typing the command name followed by /? will give a list of options -- they're all far too baroque to go into here.
6. XP has IP version 6 support -- the next generation of IP. Unfortunately this is more than your ISP has, so you can only experiment with this on your LAN. Type 'ipv6 install' into Run... (it's OK, it won't ruin your existing network setup) and then 'ipv6 /?' at the command line to find out more. If you don't know what IPv6 is, don't worry and don't bother.
7. You can at last get rid of tasks on the computer from the command line by using 'taskkill /pid' and the task number, or just 'tskill' and the process number. Find that out by typing 'tasklist', which will also tell you a lot about what's going on in your system.
8. XP will treat Zip files like folders, which is nice if you've got a fast machine. On slower machines, you can make XP leave zip files well alone by typing 'regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll' at the command line. If you change your mind later, you can put things back as they were by typing 'regsvr32 zipfldr.dll'.
9. XP has ClearType -- Microsoft's anti-aliasing font display technology -- but doesn't have it enabled by default. It's well worth trying, especially if you were there for DOS and all those years of staring at a screen have given you the eyes of an astigmatic bat. To enable ClearType, right click on the desktop, select Properties, Appearance, Effects, select ClearType from the second drop-down menu and enable the selection. Expect best results on laptop displays. If you want to use ClearType on the Welcome login screen as well, set the registry entry HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType to 2.
10. You can use Remote Assistance to help a friend who's using network address translation (NAT) on a home network, but not automatically. Get your pal to email you a Remote Assistance invitation and edit the file. Under the RCTICKET attribute will be a NAT IP address, like 192.168.1.10. Replace this with your chum's real IP address -- they can find this out by going to www.whatismyip.com -- and get them to make sure that they've got port 3389 open on their firewall and forwarded to the errant computer.
11. You can run a program as a different user without logging out and back in again. Right click the icon, select Run As... and enter the user name and password you want to use. This only applies for that run. The trick is particularly useful if you need to have administrative permissions to install a program, which many require. Note that you can have some fun by running programs multiple times on the same system as different users, but this can have unforeseen effects.
12. Windows XP can be very insistent about you checking for auto updates, registering a Passport, using Windows Messenger and so on. After a while, the nagging goes away, but if you feel you might slip the bonds of sanity before that point, run Regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/Advanced and create a DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips with a value of 0.
13. You can start up without needing to enter a user name or password. Select Run... from the start menu and type 'control userpasswords2', which will open the user accounts application. On the Users tab, clear the box for Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer, and click on OK. An Automatically Log On dialog box will appear; enter the user name and password for the account you want to use.
14. Internet Explorer 6 will automatically delete temporary files, but only if you tell it to. Start the browser, select Tools / Internet Options... and Advanced, go down to the Security area and check the box to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.
15. XP comes with a free Network Activity Light, just in case you can't see the LEDs twinkle on your network card. Right click on My Network Places on the desktop, then select Properties. Right click on the description for your LAN or dial-up connection, select Properties, then check the Show icon in notification area when connected box. You'll now see a tiny network icon on the right of your task bar that glimmers nicely during network traffic.
16. The Start Menu can be leisurely when it decides to appear, but you can speed things along by changing the registry entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop/MenuShowDelay from the default 400 to something a little snappier. Like 0.
17. You can rename loads of files at once in Windows Explorer. Highlight a set of files in a window, then right click on one and rename it. All the other files will be renamed to that name, with individual numbers in brackets to distinguish them. Also, in a folder you can arrange icons in alphabetised groups by View, Arrange Icon By... Show In Groups.
18. Windows Media Player will display the cover art for albums as it plays the tracks -- if it found the picture on the Internet when you copied the tracks from the CD. If it didn't, or if you have lots of pre-WMP music files, you can put your own copy of the cover art in the same directory as the tracks. Just call it folder.jpg and Windows Media Player will pick it up and display it.
19. Windows key + Break brings up the System Properties dialogue box; Windows key + D brings up the desktop; Windows key + Tab moves through the taskbar buttons.

How to Create your Own Custom Driver Using Windows XP Driver

This post describes the steps you should take to create a Microsoft® Windows® XP driver for your device. To create a Windows XP device driver:

1. Install the current Windows DDK. Read the system requirements and installation instructions in the stand-alone Getting Started HTML file supplied with the DDK.
2. Read Getting Started with Windows Drivers. This document guides you through the planning and decision-making process involved in making a Windows device driver from design through distribution.

   You should also look through the DDK documentation for device-type-specific information.

   • Battery Devices
   • Display and Print Devices
   • IEEE 1284.4 Devices
   • Interactive Input Devices
   • Modem Devices
   • Multifunction Devices
   • Network Devices and Protocols
   • Parallel Ports and Devices
   • Serial Ports and Devices
   • Smart Card Devices
   • Still Image Devices
   • Storage Devices
   • Streaming Devices (Video and Audio)
   • Devices Requiring VDDs
3. IDE bus are described in System Support for Buses. Driver development for most device types also requires a strong understanding of Windows operating system fundamentals, which are described in Kernel-Mode Driver Architecture.
4. Look through the driver source code provided with the DDK for a sample that represents your device type. Use the sample code where possible, modifying it for your device's specifics.
5. The sample code can enhance your understanding of Windows XP driver implementation requirements and speed your development time.
6. Compile and build your driver. This should be done using the Build utility and not some other compiler, because the Build utility has certain features that are necessary for driver development.
7. Obtain a checked build of Windows XP, so that you can test and debug your driver using free and checked system builds.
8. The checked build of Windows XP provides extensive kernel-mode debugging capabilities not available in the free build.
9. Create an INF file so that you can install and test your driver.
10. Test and debug your driver. You should use Driver Verifier, a program that puts your driver through a variety of tests, stresses, and deliberate failures in order to test its response and reliability in many extreme situations. You should also use a debugger. Microsoft provides several powerful debuggers that can monitor and debug kernel-mode and user-mode drivers.Using Driver Verifier in conjunction with these debuggers, on both the checked and free versions of the operating system, can be a powerful way to test your driver.
11. Provide an installation package so that customers can install devices that use your driver.
12. Submit your driver and installation package to Microsoft so that it can be digitally signed.

There are many resources available to you while developing your driver. The following sites describe some of the support available to you:

• http://www.microsoft.com/ddk describes how to obtain the current DDK and provides other information, such as a driver development reading list.
• http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev provides information, such as device-type-specific white papers and late-breaking news, and a list of resources available to driver developers.
• http://support.microsoft.com/support/ddk contains DDK product support information.

Using Qfixapp.exe In Windows XP

This article describes the Quick Fix utility (Qfixapp.exe) that is included with the Application Compatibility Toolkit for Windows XP and Windows .NET. Qfixapp.exe is a tool that includes pre-packaged fixes that provide an easy way to fix a program.

How to use Qfixapp.exe To Apply Program Fixes ?
You can use Qfixapp.exe to quickly apply various program fixes (AppFixes, also known as "shims") to a program to determine their effectiveness. Qfixapp.exe reads the %SystemRoot%\windows\apppatch\sysmain.sdb database to produce a list of available fixes. When you select an AppFix, you can start the program executable (.exe) file, and the AppFix will be applied. If a suitable AppFix is found, the tool eventually helps you to generate and test matching file information. When you run Qfixapp.exe, you see the following items:

1. The "The application for which to apply the fix(es)" check box. This setting disables existing fixes in the database.
2. The 'Layer' tab with the "Choose one of the existing layers to apply to your app" box that contains the following entries:
• 256 Color
• 640X480
• Disable Themes
• Internaltional
• LUA(Limited User Account)
• LUACleanUp
• NT4SP5
• ProfilesSetup
• Win2000
• Win95
• Win98
  
3. The Fixes tab. On this tab you can select the individual fixes that you want to apply.

Example of How to Use Qfixapp.exe:

1. Start Notepad, and then click About Notepad on the Help menu. Note that the version is 5.1.
2. Start Qfixapp.exe, click Win95, click Browse, and then open the Windows folder. Note that the Windows\System32 folder is protected by Windows File Protection, so it is not able to use the layers.
3. Click Notepad.exe, click Open, and then click Run.
4. Start Notepad, and then click About Notepad on the Help menu. Note that the version is now 4.0.

If you click ViewLog, you could see what AppFix(es) are being used. If you click Advanced, you could see information about the .exe file. You can click Add Matching Info, and then select files that are related to the .exe file to identify that particular program. After you finish that step, you could click Create Fix Support to add the layers with the Matching Information (GRABMI) and create an XML-based database that is named YourAppName.sdb. Note that in the preceding example it is named Notepad.sdb, and is in the AppPatch folder.

Trick To Access WebDAV "Internet Disks" Directly Using Windows(XP,Me,2000)

There are times when you may run short of space in your harddrive and you want to store some important piece of data without deleting other files from your system. Now, the problem is where to store that data and how can you do it when you are actually running short of space and other harddrive is not avaliable at the near proximity.Wondering how can you do this without the avaliability of the harddrive?I've come upto something that could end all your worries to an extent.

Windows XP can directly access WebDAV "Internet Disks" such as Apple's iDisk. Follow the following steps:

1. In Internet Explorer, use the "Open..." command.
2. Type the name of the WebDAV server you want to access (e.g., http://idisk.mac.com/username)
3. Select the "Open as Web Folder" checkbox.
4. Enter the password when prompted and you're in!

This trick also works on Windows Me and Windows 2000. Interestingly, Windows XP doesn't seem to support iDisk via the "Add a Network Place" command, possible with these other operating systems.

Once set up using the "Open" command, however, the idisk can be accessed by simply double-clicking its icon in the Network Places folder.

Note:-Please avoid using this iDisk option for your important/personal files. Try to move the unimportant and old data into the disk rather than transferring your personal files like bank account details, your credit card details etc. they might get you in trouble.

Trick to Disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows Vista.

User Account Control (UAC) is a new security feature in Windows Vista that requires all users to log on and run in standard user privileges mode instead of as administrator with full administrative rights, thus prevent unauthorized or accidental changes that could destabilize the computers or allows virus and malware to exploit the system-level privileges provided to the local administrator to attack the network security, compromise computer safety and privacy, and damage files and settings in the network. However, in a lot of cases, administrator rights are needed by end-users to perform certain tasks such as install or update programs and perform typical system-level task. Beside, many software applications also need administrator privileges to run properly without conflicts, as they are designed to write to system locations during normal operation, and computer in locked-down state in which users operate in standard user mode severely limits user productivity.In Windows Vista, as and when standard end-user requires administrator privileges to perform certain tasks such as attempting to install an application or write to registry, Windows Vista will prompt a UAC credential prompt to notify the user that a credential of administrator user account is needed for authorization or permission, thus reduce the chance user can accidentally make modifications to vista system files or settings and eliminate the ability for virus or malware to invoke administrator privileges without a user’s knowledge. Even for domain or local administrator, with UAC turns on and enable, most applications, components and processes will run with a limited privilege, but have “elevation potential” or Administrator Approval Mode where administrators must give consent through a User Account Control consent prompt.

User Account Control Administrator Credential Prompt

User Account Control Consent Prompt

However, these security clearance and prompting processes may felt by a lot of users as too troublesome, and sometime annoying especially when you’re the only single user who uses the computer, and has all the latest anti-virus and anti-spyware utilities installed and updated. User Account Control is enabled by default in Windows Vista, so you will have to turn off and disable the User Account Control. However, Microsoft recommends that users do not turn off UAC for security reason.
There are a few ways that you can use to turn off the UAC, but most home and personal users should find method to disable UAC via Control Panel easiest to do.
Method 1 - Using Control Panel

1. Click Start and then open Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel, click User Accounts and Family Safety.
3. Click User Accounts.
4. Click Turn User Account Control on or off.



5. Clear the tick or check mark on the box beside the Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer option.



6. Click OK.
7. When prompted, restart the computer. Note that the changes will affect all users on the computer.
8. To enable the UAC, simply tick or select the checkbox again.

Method 2 - Using Control Panel on Single User

A similar method with method 1, but access to UAC via a user account.

1. Click Start and then open Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel, click User Accounts and Family Safety.
3. Click on Add or remove user account option.







4. Click to select any user account.
5. Click Go to the main User Account page.
6. Click Change security settings under “Make changes to your user account” section





7. Clear the tick or check mark on the box beside the Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer option.





8. Click OK.
9. When prompted, restart the computer. Note that the changes will affect all users on the computer.
10. To enable the UAC, simply tick or select the checkbox again.

Method 3 - Using Registry Editor

1. Run Registry Editor by typing “regedit” in Start Search or command prompt.
2. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
3. Locate the following DWORD registry subkey in the right pane:
   EnableLUA
4. Right click and choose modify or double click on EnableLUA to modify the setting. On valud prompt, set the new value to 0.
5. Exit from Registry Editor.
6. Restart the computer.
7. To enable the UAC again, simply change back the value of EnableLUA to 1.

Method 4 - Using MsConfig System Configuration

1. Run MsConfig from Run option.
2. In System Configuration window, click on the Tools tab.
3. Scroll down and locate “Disable UAP” or “Disable UAC” option item. Click on that line.





4. Click the Launch button.
5. A command prompt window will open and automatically execute and run certain process to disable UAC.
6. Close CMD window when done.
7. Close Msconfig.
8. Restart computer for changes to apply and effective.
9. To re-enable UAC, simply select “Enable UAP” or “Enable UAC” instead of “Disable UAP” or “Disable UAC”, and then click on Launch button.

Method 5 - Using Group Policy

If you’re an IT administrator or system administrator that manages many Windows Vista computers or clients across your computer, group policy can be an effective and easy to mass enable or disable a group of computers. To disable UAC, both Local Group Policy or Active Directory GPO can be used.

1. Click Start -> Run.
2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Group Policy Editor.
   Note: If you’re using Active Directory Domain GPO which controls many computers, open Group Policy Management Console by click on Start -> Run, then type gpmc.msc and click OK from a Windows Vista computer that is a member of the AD domain. In the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) window, browse to the respective GPO which is linked and enabled to the OU (organization unit) or domain where the Vista computers are located, then edit it.
3. Navigate and browse to Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Security Options.
4. In the right details pane, locate the User Access Control policies.
5. Right click each of the following policies and configure or change the value as indicated below after the dash (-):
   

   * User Account Control: Detect application installations and prompt for elevation - Disabled

   * User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users - No prompt

   * User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode - Disabled

6. Restart the computer.

Ways to Reinstall and Reset TCP/IP in Windows Vista, 2003 and XP

If you facing network connection issue, or more accurately unable to access or connect to Internet or network problem in Windows Vista, Windows 2003 and Windows XP, and repair WinSock settings plus workaround for Vista IE7 strange no connection problem do not save your from Internet woes, you can try to reinstall and reset TCP/IP stack or Internet Protocol, one of the core component of the operating system, which cannot be uninstalled.Again, with a corrupt TCP/IP stack, the same woes may happen - unable to establish a connection to the server, unable to load a web page, unable to browse and surf the Internet, even though network connection to broadband router or wireless router appear to be OK.
When all means run out, try to reinstall the IP stack with NetShell utility. NetShell utility (netsh) is a command-line scripting interface for the configuring and monitoring of Windows XP, 2003 and Vista networking service.
To reinstall and reset the TCP/IP stack (Internet Protocol) to its original state as same as when the operating system was installed in Windows XP and Windows 2003, simply use the following command in command prompt shell. A log file name must be specified where actions taken by netsh will be recorded on newly created or appended if already existed file.
netsh int ip reset [ log_file_name ]
Example:
netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt
For Windows Vista, things work a little different due to introduction of UAC (Guide:Disable UAC). Use this guide to perform a reinstalling of TCP/IP protocol in Vista:

1. Click on Start button.
2. Type Cmd in the Start Search text box.
3. Press Ctrl-Shift-Enter keyboard shortcut to run Command Prompt as Administrator.
4. Allow elevation request.
5. Type netsh int ip reset in the Command Prompt shell, and then press the Enter key.
6. Restart the computer.

The command will remove all user configured settings on TCP/IP stack and return it to original default state by rewriting pertinent registry keys that are used by the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) stack to achieve the same result as the removal and the reinstallation of the protocol. The registry keys affected are:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\
and
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCP\Parameters\

Correcting and Configuring TCP/IP Winsock Catalog Corruption in Windows Vista

TCP/IP stack Winsock settings in Windows Vista may get corrupted, causing errors and problems with Internet connectivity. Corrupt Winsock or Windows sockets configuration can be due to a lot of reasons such as installation of a networking software, or due to virus, trojan or malware infection, or sometime even due to disinfection of spyware by security software.When Winsock corrupts, the networking errors that you may face include unable to surf the Internet with “Page cannot be displayed” error message in Internet Explorer or AOL even though the DSL/ADSL/cable Internet connection is connected. Sometimes, Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) service is terminated as well.

To repair and reset the Windows Vista follow the below mentioned steps:

1. Click on Start button.
2. Type Cmd in the Start Search text box.
3. Press Ctrl-Shift-Enter keyboard shortcut to run Command Prompt as Administrator.
4. Allow elevation request.
5. Type netsh winsock reset in the Command Prompt shell, and then press the Enter key.
6. Restart the computer.

What netsh winsock reset command does are it resets Winsock Catalog to a clean state or default configuration. It removes all Winsock LSP (Layered Service Providers) previously installed, including the potential malfunctioned LSP that causes loss of network packets transmission failure. So all previously-installed LSPs must be reinstalled. This command does not affect Winsock Name Space Provider entries.
Note: To check which LSPs installed on your Vista system, use netsh winsock show catalog command.

It’s also possible to reset TCP/IP Internet Protocol stack.

Download BullZip PDF Printer For Free!!!

There are various free applications to allow users to write PDF documents from virtually any Microsoft Windows application. When it comes to these kinds of free application, the most important criteria are the output results, ease of use and the ability to retain the original format, e.g. the layout, fonts, images, etc. The free Bullzip PDF Printer is one of the excellent PDF printers available.Fast, straightforward, user friendly and quality output results are amongst the key strengths of this free application. Once it is installed, users can start printing their documents to PDF format via the Bullzip Printer. The working process is pretty simple. When you click on “Print” in any application, for instance, the Microsoft Word document, a tabbed dialog box will appear. The driver will create a PDF file in your default folder with the same filename as the original after you click “OK”. There are additional features which you can utilize to enhance your document including adding watermark, appending the output, etc.
Bullzip PDF Printer is free but with limitations. It is free for personal and commercial use but for up to 10 users only. The best thing is it does not contain any advertising or popups. Users who want to try it can download the latest version via the link Here. Its Features summary includes:

1. Print to PDF from almost any Windows program.
2. Runs on Microsoft Windows 2000/XP/XP x64/2003/2003 x64/Vista/Vista x64/2008/Windows 7 (beta build 7000).
3. Supports 64-bit operating systems.
4. Direct output to the same file each time or prompt for destination.
5. Control if the printer should ask if you want to see the resulting PDF document.
6. Control output and prompts programmatically.
7. Setup can run unattended.
8. Graphical user interface.
9. Password protect PDF documents
10. 128/40 bit encryption.
11. Quality settings (screen, printer, ebook, prepress).
12. Set document properties.
13. Watermark text, size, rotation, and transparency.
14. Superimpose/background documents.
15. Appending/prepending documents.
16. User interface control.
17. Command line interface to all settings.
18. COM/ActiveX interface for programmatic control.
19. Support for Citrix MetaFrame.
20. Support for Windows Terminal Server.
21. Multiple output types supported: BMP, JPEG, PCX, PDF, PNG, and TIFF.

Various Tricks to Download Browser Embedded Videos From YouTube.

Google has a solid amount of cash in its pockets, but with all the recent lawsuits against YouTube one has to wonder if it’s time to salvage whatever videos you like from the service and save them somewhere where evil attorneys won’t look – your hard drive.
Luckily, there are literally dozens of tools for downloading videos from YouTube and/or converting those YouTube videos to some format other than .flv. It’s hard to pick the best one, as they all have Pros and cons. Thus, I’ve chosen 23 YouTube downloader tools that were found to be actually working. Here they are, categorized according to the platform they work on:

Web Based

1. VideoDownloader is very similar to KeepVid, but supports even more video sharing sites, and it’s also available as a Firefox extension. Just like with KeepVid, all downloads are in .flv format. I recommend MediaCoder for free conversion.
2. YouTubeX doesn’t have a lot of options, but it’s simple, and it works. It also enables you to share the YouTube video with your friends via e-mail. Unfortunately, all the files are called get_video, and you have to add the .flv extension manually.
3. KeepVid is another simple site. No hassle, works not only for YouTube movies but for a number of other sites, including Google Video, MySpace Video, DailyMotion and others. Again, you have to add the .flv extension by hand.
4. YouTube Downloads takes the cake in the longest domain name contest. It also separates itself by using a proxy for downloading videos, which means that you might be able to get videos even if YouTube access is blocked at your workplace or in the country you live. Just search Google for YouTube videos, and copy/paste the URL into YouTube Downloads.
5. Zamzar is an online file format conversion site which can do a lot more than just converting YouTube videos to another format and downloading them to your hard drive, but it’s doing a great job so I had to include it here. Thoroughly tested by me and highly recommended. See the video of it in action here.
6. YouTubia separates itself from the crowd by enabling you to search as well as download YouTube files. Options are scarce, but it works.
7. VidGrab is another simple site that works with YouTube, Google Video, MySpace and Break.com. Besides the download function, the site also sports a top list of most viewed videos.
8. Vixy offers both downloading videos and converting them into DivX avi, mov, mp4, 3gp, or mp3 (for audio only) formats. The conversion works well enough, but sometimes results in slightly choppy playback.
9. Hey! Watch is an ambitious video encoding service with a large number of options, especially when it comes to converting videos to portable media player formats (it even supports my trusty iRiver H340.) Most online video converters often produce crappy results, with video and audio being out of sync, and this problem is also present on Hey! Watch, but it happens rarely.
10. Media Converter can be a little slow, but the results of the video conversion are quite good. I’ve converted some YouTube videos to avi (mpeg4 + mp3) format and it worked well. The tool is not limited to video conversion; it also supports several audio and document formats.
11. KcoolOnline is a web-based converter which supports 98 video sharing web sites, including YouTube. It has literally zero options, so it’s recommended for those who like to keep it simple.

Windows Applications

12. VDownloader is a desktop application that catches YouTube, Google Video, and Grinvi video links from your clipboard. Start it up, copy the video URL and click download. It automatically converts the videos to mpeg or avi formats.
13. YouTube Grabber downloads files from Youtube in .flv format. Copy and paste the URL of a video from YouTube into the program, press «grab», and the file will be downloaded into the same directory as the program.
14. Orbit Downloader is a desktop application which can download videos from a wide variety of sites. The download process is very simple, just hover your mouse over the video and you’ll get a button that says «Get It». The developers of the program claim that it’s very fast (up to 500% faster, they say) due to its P2P download technology.
15. My Video Downloader. With all these free tools, it’s actually funny to see a commercial one. It’s called My Video Downloader, and while it does look solid and offers a lot of conversion options (a free trial which enables you to download 10 videos is available) though, I'm not sure it offers enough to warrant a price tag.
16. KeepV is a desktop downloader as well as a converter, which can convert the downloaded videos from flv to avi, mov, mp4, or 3gp formats.
17. VideoGet boasts being able to download video clips from more than 100 video sharing websites. I haven’t tested all of them, so I'm just going to take their word for it. It’s a deskop application with a nice, simple interface, and a solid number of options.
18. TubeSucker is a desktop YouTube video downloader with some interesting options, including batch downloading large amounts of videos from a certain user. See the video tour on the site.

OS X

19. Get Tube is an OS X application which lets you download video or audio files from YouTube, DailyMotion and Kewego.

Linux

20. Youtube-dl. Here’s some love for Linux users. Youtube-dl is a program that lets you download YouTube clips in flv format, which both mplayer and VLC can easily chew up.
21. YouTube Ripper is not actually an application; it’s a simple script that rips all videos that match a keyword, uploaded by a specific YouTube user. I don’t really have ideas on what to use this for, but maybe you do! PHP port is also available.

Plugins

22. Vidtaker is a Firefox-only plugin that can download videos from most streaming websites: Google Video, YouTube, MySpace, as well as a number of nasty adult SomethingTube spinoffs (Pornotube, YouPorn etc). It automatically converts the video to a DivX avi.
23. Ook? Video Ook! Yes, that’s the full name of this Firefox plugin, which enables you to download videos from YouTube and several other video sharing web sites. It features one click downloading and integration with the popular DownThemAll Firefox plugin.

How to SpeedUP Computer Startup Performance via Startup Manager v2.4.2

If you ever encounter the slow start up issue on your Windows PC system, the first thing you might need to take a look is to figure out what are the programs being loaded during startup, and you may need to delete some of them which are not necessary in order to speed up the startup time. The question may arise is, how can I know what are the programs that being loaded during startup and how to disable it? If you are looking for simple solution, then Startup Manager ver 2.4.2 offers you the possibility to list down the startup program list at one glance, and let you to manage the startup list with a user friendly interface.

Startup Manager is a freeware that let you to consolidate and load all auto startup programs from StartUp folder, registry key and win.ini so that you can have an overall view in one glance. To disable the program from being loaded during startup, just untick the program. Ticking it back to enable it to be loaded later in case you change your mind. If you have decided to delete it permanently, you can just highlight the item, the click on Delete button. It is recommended to run Startup Manager at least once for every 6 months in order to ensure you computer is booting fast enough for more efficient tasks handling.
Start Manager is compatible to run with Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/2003/XP/Vista. Occupying only around 1.81MB of your hard disk space, it is good to be installed in your PC system in order to manage program startup list in more effective and safer way. Just click here to download Startup Manager ver 2.4.2.

Trick to Speed Up Windows 7 and Vista Boot Up Process by Increasing Processor

Do you always feel that your computer system boot up or startup process is slow, and to slow and lag until can get sleepy while waiting for Windows OS to ready itself? When more and more programs are installed and loaded on initial start up, Windows loading process becomes slower and slower. Windows Vista and Windows 7, together with their server variants, Windows Server 2008, has built-in mechanism to make boot up process faster, by maximizing usage of available processors.There are many ways to decrease booting time and speed up start, such as using third party programs such as Startup Manager to manage programs running automatically. Windows 7 and Windows Vista users running dual-core, quad-core or other multi-core or multi-processors computer can try the following trick to make Windows boots faster.

1. Press Win + R to open “Run” dialog window.
2. Type MSConfig into the text box after “Open”.
3. Go to Boot tab.
4. For dual-boot or multi-boot system, make sure that the operating system to make the change is selected.
5. Click on Advanced options button.
6. Tick the check box for Number of processors, and then select the maximum number count of CPU core processors value from the drop down list.
7. Click OK twice to exit System Configuration.
8. Restart computer.

Once enabled, Windows operating system will use all available (or selected number of) processor cores to run the boot up algorithms, and this potentially make the startup speedier and faster, with less waiting time on black screen and logon screen. User with single core computer unlikely to find the trick useful though.

Windows Server 2008 and Vista SP1 Direct Download Links

The Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK or WAIK) is a tool designed to help corporate IT professionals customize and deploy the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 family of operation systems. By using Windows AIK, administrators can perform unattended Windows installations, capture Windows images with ImageX, and create Windows PE images.With the release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Server 2008, WAIK has been updated to include support for these 2 latest version of operating system. The supported operating systems include Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Vista Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 with KB926044, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 and Windows XP Service Pack 2 with KB926044.
Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) version 936330AIK can be download from Microsoft.com or from the direct download links from Microsoft Download Center as listed below.

• English: 6001.18000.080118-1840-kb3aik_en.iso
• French: 6001.18000.080118-1840-kb3aik_fr.iso
• German: 6001.18000.080118-1840-kb3aik_de.iso
• Japanese: 6001.18000.080118-1840-kb3aik_ja.iso
• Spanish: 6001.18000.080118-1840-kb3aik_es.iso