Windows Operating Systems Resources - refdesk.com -

WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEMS RESOURCES

MICROSOFT LINKS:

Microsoft's Home Page

Microsoft Advanced Technology division

Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia

Microsoft Focus on K-12

Microsoft Internet Central - MSN, The Microsoft Network

Microsoft Knowledge Base

Microsoft MSDN OffRamp

WinInsider - News and information about Microsoft's latest .NET and Windows technologies, with daily updates, and other cool site features.

WINDOWS XP SITES:

Annoyances.org - This site has a wealth of information, focusing on solving problems and eliminating annoyances with all modern versions of Microsoft Windows.

Microsoft Windows XP Home Page

TweakXP.com - Dedicated to improving and customizing XP. Tweaks are for the user interface, system performance, and the Internet.

WindowsXP Central

Windows XP Superguide - C|NET Software

Windows XP Tips - PC Buyer's Guide

ZDNet: Windows XP - News, features, guides, tours, and feedback.

Full list here: Windows Operating Systems Resources - refdesk.com -

Turning Off System Restore Improves Performance: FALSE

System Restore is a real aid when it comes to rolling back bad Windows patches and driver updates, but by its very nature, it is said to impact performance because it’s always creating restore points, thus robbing you of a little power.

The truth: System Restore lurks idle most of the time and rarely does anything at all, creating checkpoints only during app installs plus once every 24 hours by default. Even then it spends only a few seconds doing so and only during idle time.

It’s virtually unthinkable that you’d try to run a program at the exact same time that System Restore began creating a restore point, and even if you did, you probably wouldn’t notice.

The proof is in the benchmarks: We got nearly identical results on PCMark whether System Restore was on or off.

(Note, however, that System Restore can consume a fair amount of disk space—this is configurable—so if gigabytes are precious to you, consider throttling it back.)

From: 25 Most Popular Windows Tips: The Best Explained and Worst Debunked

Tech Support Guy - Free help for Windows Vista, XP, and more!

Since 1996, Tech Support Guy has been providing free technical support to computer users of all experience levels. In fact, over 350,000 users have joined Tech Support Guy -- now it's your turn! We're glad you've decided to visit us!

This online oasis of technical support is staffed completely by volunteers and paid for entirely by sponsors and donations from grateful members. That means it doesn't cost a thing for you to ask a question! So what are you waiting for?

Tech Support Guy - Free help for Windows Vista, XP, and more!

Reset Your Forgotten Password the Easy Way Using the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows :: the How-To Geek

We've written previously about how to create your own Ultimate Boot CD for Windows, which is based on XP but can still be of use for repairing Vista computers as well. Today we'll show you how to reset your password easily using that CD.

For you to be able to use this technique, you'll need to have created your own boot CD first. This isn't the only way to reset your password, so stay tuned as we cover even more ways to reset your passwords, and then we'll show you how to prevent somebody else from doing the same thing to you.
Resetting Your Password
Once you've started up the Ultimate Boot CD, you'll want to navigate through Start \ Programs \ Password Tools and find NTPWEdit in the menu.

Once the utility opens, you'll want to click the (Re)open button to open up the SAM file which contains your Windows password, which should show you the list of usernames.
Note that if it doesn't or you are using a dual-boot, you might have to browse to find the correct SAM file.

Once you've found your username in the list, you can simply use the Change password button. Note that if you are using Vista you probably shouldn't edit the Administrator password.

At this point you should be able to reboot the computer and login with your new password. It's just that simple.
Note: If you have previously encrypted files using the built-in Windows encryption features, changing the password will make them inaccessible. Instead you should try and crack the password, which we will cover in an upcoming post. (Thanks jd2066 for pointing this out).

Reset Your Forgotten Password the Easy Way Using the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows :: the How-To Geek

PC Hacks: Tweak Your Firefox for Super Fast Web Browsing

Fast loading web pages while surfing the Internet may have more to do with your web browser settings and preferences than your Internet connection speed.

Try these easy Firefox tweaks and you’ll see that you’re surfing the Internet from 3 to 30 times faster!

To get started, open your Firefox web browser. In the address/location bar type about:config and then press your Enter key.

In the Filter bar type network.http.pipelining. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name in order to change the value from False to True.

In the Filter bar type network.http.pipelining.maxrequests. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name and change the value from 4 to a higher number anywhere from 10 to 30. I set mine to 30.

In the Filter bar type network.http.proxy.pipelining. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name in order to change the value from False to True.

In the Filter bar type network.dns.disableIPv6. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name in order to change the value from False to True.

In the Filter bar type plugin.expose_full_path. Then, double-click on this line under Preference Name in order to change the value from False to True.

In the Filter bar type network.protocol-handler.external.ms-help. Now, you are going to create a new Preference Name with an Integer Value. To do this, right-click on this line under Preference Name and select New, then Integer. In the New Integer value box type in nglayout.initialpaint.delay and click OK. Then in the Enter Integer value box type 0 (that’s a zero) and click OK.

In the Filter bar again type network.protocol-handler.external.ms-help. Now, you are going to create another new Preference Name with an Integer Value. To do this, right-click on this line under Preference Name and select New, then Integer. In the New Integer value box type in content.notify.backoffcount and click OK. Then in the Enter Integer value box type 5 and click OK.

In the Filter bar again type network.protocol-handler.external.ms-help. Now, you are going to create another new Preference Name with an Integer Value. To do this, right-click on this line under Preference Name and select New, then Integer. In the New Integer value box type in ui.submenuDelay and click OK. Then in the Enter Integer value box type 0 (that’s a zero) and click OK.

Now, close your web browser and restart it. You’ll see how much faster web pages are loading. I sure did.

PC Hacks: Tweak Your Firefox for Super Fast Web Browsing

PC Hacks: SP2 Tweaks

ere some tweaks for your Windows XP-SP2:

Disable the SP antivirus and firewall functions - and keep XP from nagging about it:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Security Center]
"AntiVirusDisableNotify"=dword:00000001
"FirewallDisableNotify"=dword:00000001
; don't monitor firewall and antivirus
"AntiVirusOverride"=dword:00000001
"FirewallOverride"=dword:00000001

Disable antivirus and firewall check at boot time

SP2 enables Auto Updates by default. This is good for you, but some folks disagree, so here is how to turn it off:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update]
"AUOptions"=dword:00000001
;disable Auto Update
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Security Center]
"UpdatesDisableNotify"=dword:00000001
;Stop nagging about AU being turned off

How to turn off the SP2 firewall (if you must):

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\DomainProfile]
"EnableFirewall"=dword:00000000
; turn off firewall policy for domain profile
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile]
"EnableFirewall"=dword:00000000
;disable firewall policy for standard profile

Change some popup settings:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\0]
"1001"=dword:00000001
"1004"=dword:00000001
"1200"=dword:00000000
"1809"=dword:00000003
;turn off IE popup blocker and return activeX handling to pre-SP2 setting for local system and current user
;1001 = 1 (prompt before download signed ActiveX)
;1004 = 1 (prompt before downloading unsigned ActiveX)
;1200 = 0 (prompt before download signed ActiveX)
;1809 = 3 (disable popup blocking)
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\1]
"1001"=dword:00000001
"1004"=dword:00000001
"1200"=dword:00000000
"1809"=dword:00000003
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\2]
"1001"=dword:00000001
"1004"=dword:00000001
"1200"=dword:00000000
"1809"=dword:00000003
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3]
"1001"=dword:00000001
"1004"=dword:00000001
"1200"=dword:00000000
"1809"=dword:00000003
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\4]
"1001"=dword:00000001
"1004"=dword:00000001
"1200"=dword:00000000
"1809"=dword:00000003
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\0]
"1001"=dword:00000001
"1004"=dword:00000001
"1200"=dword:00000000
"1809"=dword:00000003
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\1]
"1001"=dword:00000001
"1004"=dword:00000001
"1200"=dword:00000000
"1809"=dword:00000003
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\2]
"1001"=dword:00000001
"1004"=dword:00000001
"1200"=dword:00000000
"1809"=dword:00000003
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3]
"1001"=dword:00000001
"1004"=dword:00000001
"1200"=dword:00000000
"1809"=dword:00000003
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\4]
"1001"=dword:00000001
"1004"=dword:00000001
"1200"=dword:00000000
"1809"=dword:00000003

Or you can disable Security Center altogether by disabling the wscsvc service.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wscsvc]
"Start"=dword:00000004
;Disable Security Center

PC Hacks: SP2 Tweaks

Foxy SEO Tool

A Firefox add-on that can assist you with different types of SEO. Foxy SEO Tool for assistance with search engine optimization (SEO), web traffic analysis, keywords research and popular topics monitoring for webmasters and marketing people.

Foxy SEO Tool

Lifehacker Faceoff: Battle of the Web-Based Personal Finance Apps

In the wake of Mint leaving beta and Quicken Online dropping its subscription fee, there's never been a better time to start using a web-based personal finance application.

What's more, the current financial turmoil probably means you're more motivated than ever to get your finances in order.

So with that in mind, we want to know: Which web-based personal finance application is your favorite? Cast your vote below.

Lifehacker Faceoff: Battle of the Web-Based Personal Finance Apps

Amazing - 7 Ways to Send Huge Files - Bigger than Gmail : Lifehack Magazine

Amazing - 7 Ways to Send Huge Files - Bigger than Gmail

September 20, 2008 · Filed Under Uncategorized

Gmail users have the ability to send up to 20MB of attachments. Sometimes you need more maybe even over 500MB at a time. Businesses especially often have the need to send very large file attachments. Freelance workers, advertisers, small and large companies are a few of those in need. Other people are just people like you and I who want to send the latest and greatest family pictures to our friends and family living further away. Now you have 7 ways to send huge files bigger than Gmail offers.

YouSendIt – Those familiar with sending large files may have heard of this free file sending company. Send up to 100MB files at a time without even registering. You upload the file; they get an email with a link and click to download it. It stays there for seven days. There is a premium service for those who need to send up to 2GB and need more bandwith.

MegaUpload – Send up to 500MB of files. Storage at this site is one of the largest. No need to register and premium service to rid it of ads and speed download time.

zUpload – Easy does it with this file sending site that allows you to send 500MB at a time. Each file has a unique URL and stays online for thirty days. No premium service available it is strictly advertiser supported.

DropSend – Send files up to 1GB with a $5 a month premium account or 250MB at a time for free accounts. Only 5 sends per month with the free service and no account registering necessary. Their desktop client is available in Mac and Windows operating systems.

MailBigFile – This way to send huge files is very similar to YouSendIt. No registering and 100MB file sending limit. There is a Pro account available to send up to 2GB at a time. The limit of downloads per month is 25 so the unlimited bandwith advertised is capped by that.

LeapFILE – This file sending service targets business and enterprise users. The customized branding and security of this company makes its Enterprise Exchange an asset to companies. Private labeled file exchange and a Basic Exchange are available to users for a fee.

Box.net – If you are seeking out ways to send huge files on the internet Box.net is a simple but powerful way to online sending and storage. Whether you are on your home computer, laptop or mobile phone you can take care of your Box.net files. After you upload files onto your storage through the 256-bit secure encryption you can work with them. Send anything from large documents, digital photos, zip files, videos, music to friends, family or business contacts. It is easy to access files on the internet that you use for your mobile telephone with 5GB of storage.
In today’s busy world that is linked online 24/7 make sure you have all the sending power you need to stay in touch with business contacts and those you hold dearest to you heart.

Amazing - 7 Ways to Send Huge Files - Bigger than Gmail : Lifehack Magazine

28 Free File Storage Hosting Websites - Something you need to Bookmark!

If you’re looking for a free File hosting service and can’t decide, I’ve compiled a list of 28 “working” Free file storage hosting websites. Each of these websites has it’s con’s and pro’s. Some are offering more file size limits, some aren’t. It’s for you to decide which one you want to go for :)

28 Free File Storage Hosting Websites - Something you need to Bookmark!

Some non-Registry Windows tweaks | MakeUseOf.com

While I am busy compiling some more Registry tweaks for you, I realised that there are some tweaks you can make to your PC without ever having to touch the Registry at all. So here’s some off the top of my head.

1. Tweak your trash bin

If you right-click on your trash bin and choose “properties”, you can tweak a few trash features. For example, you can turn off the eternally annoying “are you sure you want to delete this?” dialogue (I love being rid of this stupid feature). You can also reduce the space in your trash bin (to prevent it from filling up too much) and you can even disable the trash bin so that anything you delete bypasses the trash and gets deleted off the system immediately (I would use this one with caution though).

2. Turn off the stupid boot up and log off music
When you turn your computer on and off, Windows gives you a stupid tune. You can easily disable this music (as well as other sound effects) by going to your system set-up (in your start menu) and choosing the sounds & audio devices option. Clicking on the “sounds” tab, you can see a list of all the sound effects and you can either change them or disable them. Now you can have a silent boot up in the morning!

3. Delete hidden “thumbs.db” files

when you have pictures on your hard drive, Windows makes a cache to make the picture load faster next time. The cache is called “thumbs.db” and is normally cloaked so you have no idea it is there. But these “thumbs.db” files build up and up and it takes up a lot of hard-drive space.
To reveal them and delete them, go to your Windows Explorer and choose Tools, Folder Options, and make sure that Show common tasks in folders (in XP) is selected under the General tab. This will give you a Windows warning that doing this may potentially hurt your system but in my opinion, it’s safe enough. This will then reveal the hidden system files, including the “thumbs.db” caches in each folder. Deleting them will free up some disk space and some folder clutter. But when you load the pictures again, the “thumbs.db” cache will return so you need to keep on top of this and delete them on a regular basis.

If you’d rather not change anything in your Windows Explorer, you can also view and delete the hidden files by viewing each folder in a FTP client such as FileZilla.

4. Right-clicking the start menu

If you right-click on your start menu button and choose “properties” and then “task list”, you can change a few irritating features. For example, XP normally hides “inactive program icons” in the system tray. You can easily disable that irritating feature so they ALL show up. You can also remove the clock if you don’t need it.

5. Have Windows Explorer show the information YOU want

When you open a folder in Explorer, in the right hand pane, you have headers such as “name”, “size”, “type”, etc. If you right-click on one of these headers, you can untick what you don’t need and Explorer remembers for next time.

6. Change the folder icons
Tired of the same icons in your Windows Explorer or desktop? Then right-click on the icon, choose properties and then the “customize” tab. You can choose from one of Windows pre-set icons or you can download your own.

This only really works for hard-drive folders and self-made desktop shortcuts. I’ve yet to see a software program that allows you to change their default icon. I’ll be writing about more XP tweaks, both registry and non-registry, soon! Meanwhile, do you have any good tweaks to share? Tell us in the comments!

Mark O’Neill is a freelance writer, proofreader, editor and blogger. Check out his blog at http://www.betterthantherapy.net

Some non-Registry Windows tweaks | MakeUseOf.com

Master Tutorial to Make Your Windows XP Super Fast - Tweaking with Vishal

Master Tutorial to Make Your Windows XP Super Fast - Tweaking with Vishal

This tutorial is meant for increasing the performance of Windows XP, either it can be a fresh installation or an older windows.

1.) Following is a registry file containing a few registry modifications, which are completely safe and can increase the performance of Windows. Just download the attached ZIP file, extract it and then run the file:
xp_reg_codes.zip

2.) Right-click on Desktop and select Properties, Now in the new window goto Appearance tab and click on Effects button. Now in the new opened window uncheck the following options:
a.) Use the following transition effect for menus & tooltips.
b.) Show shadows under menus.
c.) Show window contents while dragging. (you may remain this option checked as I hv in my screenshot. It depends upon ur choice.)
d.) Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts. You may select “Standard” for this. I hv selected “Clear Type” coz I hv a TFT, it doesnt work properly for CRT monitors.

3.) Right-click on My Computer icon on Desktop and select Properties (or press key + key), now goto Advanced tab in new window and click on Settings button in Performance section:

Now disable all unnecessary options in Visual Effects tab, you can remain following options enabled according to your requirements:
a.) Show window contents while dragging.
b.) Smooth edges of screen fonts.
c.) Use common tasks in folders (If u use the left side pane in My computer, I don’t use it.)
d.) Use drop shadows on icon labels on the desktop. (to make the desktop icons label transparent.)
e.) Use visual styles on windows and buttons. (If u use XP themes.)

Read full article here:
Master Tutorial to Make Your Windows XP Super Fast - Tweaking with Vishal

28 Free File Storage Hosting Websites - Something you need to Bookmark!

PC Hacks: Unlock Your Files or Folder with Free Unlocker!

Even get rid of error message like Error deleting file or folder, cannot delete folder: it's being used by another person or program? Now, you can use this freeware to solve that problem: Unlocker!

Unlocker is a very useful Windows Explorer extension allowing users with a simple right-click on a file or folder to easily get rid of error message such as error deleting file or folder, cannot delete folder: it's being used by another person or program.

Helps delete locked files with error messages like:
Cannot delete file: Access is denied
There has been a sharing violation.
The source or destination file may be in use.
The file is in use by another program or user.
Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.

Unlocker 1.8.5 is 100% FREE, which means it is a freeware product (both for personal and commercial use) that does not contain any form of malware, including but not limited to: spyware, viruses, trojans and backdoors.

This software product was tested thoroughly and was found absolutely clean, therefore it can be installed with no concern by any computer user.

You can download Unlocker, now on version 1.85 at Here, and reach more info on its site.

PC Hacks: Unlock Your Files or Folder with Free Unlocker!