Speed Up Detailed View in Explorer

If you like to view your files in Windows Explorer using the "Details" view here is a tweak to speed up the listing of file attributes:

Viewing files in Windows Explorer using the "Details" mode shows various attributes associated with each file shown. Some of these must be retrieved from the individual files when you click on the directory for viewing. For a directory with numerous and relatively large files (such as a folder in which one stores media, eg: *.mp3's, *.avi's etc.), Windows Explorer lags as it reads through each one. Here's how to disable viewing of unwanted attributes and speed up file browsing:

• Open Windows Explorer.
• Navigate to the folder which you wish to optimize.
• In "Details" mode right-click the bar at the top which displays the names of the attribute columns.
• Uncheck any that are unwanted/unneeded.
• Explorer will apply your preferences immediately, and longs lists of unnecessary attributes will not be displayed.
• Likewise, one may choose to display any information which is regarded as needed, getting more out of Explorer.

Editing explorer in windows xp

Editing explore in windows xp is very easy with available tools its not as difficult like old dos based tedious method here u need just one tool called RESOURCE HACKER.

It is a resource viewer it will show u Resources in any 32bit Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000 executable files (including exe’s, dll’s, ocx’s and cpl’s) . ok go in to ur windows directory and find explorer.exe and make its two copies name them.

As explorer_1 and explorer_2 .exe respectively and keep them in windows folder only. We will edit explorer_1 and will keep explorer_2 as backup copy if anything goes wrong. Open explorer_1.exe in resource hacker and go to String table and edit whatever u want to even u can change start button by ur name or anything else

After editing even a single word do not forget to click the COMPILE button. Change icon or u can change animated message such as when u install a new programs so when u go to all programs a animated message comes “New Program Installed” u can change it by ur sentence etc. now we have edited the explore_1 now go To File menu in Resource hacker and save it as explorer_1.exe it will ask u that explorer_1.exe is already present do u want to replace it, click YES. Now we have our edited explorer.

Now restart ur computer in safe mode with command prompt by pressing F8 during booting process . Now we will copy explorer_1.exe on explorer.exe by typing command Copy C:\windows\explorer_1.exe C:\windows\explorer.exe

Now restart ur computer and what u will seeing that u r working with ur edited explorer. If anything goes wrong than just copy explorer_2.exe on explorer.exe by same process.

Correcting System Hang at Startup

• If your system hangs about 2 or 3 minutes at startup, where you can't access the Start
• button or theTaskbar, it may be due to one specific service (Background Intelligent
• Transfer) running in the background. Microsoft put out a patch for this but it didn't
• work for me. Here's what you do
• Click on Start/Run, type 'msconfig', then click 'OK'.
• Go to the 'Services' tab, find the 'Background Intelligent Transfer' service.
• Disable it, apply the changes & reboot.

Cracking windows xp admin and user passwords.

 I hope u guys liked tip given for resetting passwords in first part. If u have guest or limited user account on PC than that control user passwords 2 tip does not help u much. Windows will still ask u admin password for resetting users passwords .

Ok go and Download a tool called CIA COMMANDER this is just what we want. This tool will create a copy protected bootable floppy which will allow u to boot any computer and also help u to get into any NTFS partition .First select floppy as first bootable device from BIOS. CIA shows u every thing to u in GUI.

After booting CIA will allow u to reset any user password even administrator’s password. It also includes a file manager, registry editor and a text/hex editor. Present version of CIA does not support FAT partitions but sooner its new version will even support FAT partition based system.

I have read on some tutorials about a tool called NTFS Pro which looks almost like CIA .

Shutdown Button on Desktop

Right click on ur Desktop and create new Shortcut and type “C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Shutdown.exe –s” without quotes in the popup box which will appear asking for a path of shortcut . Now when u will double click this shortcut it will give u shutdown message and ur computer will shutdown after some seconds. U can customize ur shutdown button with same icon which original shutdown have Just go to the properties of ur shortcut and click change icon tab select any icon u like and click apply.

• Similarly u can also put restart button on ur desktop just replace –s in above line by –r
• If u don’t want shutdown button on ur desktop u can the go to start >run and type
• Shutdown –s or –r they will do the same job. If someone tries to shutdown u remotely on the net then u can stop shutdown process but typing shutdown –a in Run.
• Shutdown –s = Shutdown & restart
• Shutdown –r = Restart
• Shutdown –a = To abort shutdown

Turn Off System Restore to Save Space

By default, Windows XP keeps a backup of system files in the System Volume Information folder. This can eat up valuable space on your hard drive. If you don't want Windows to back up your system files:

• Open the Control Panel.
• Double-click on System.
• Click the System Restore tab.
• Check "Turn off System Restore on all drives".
• Hit Apply.
• You may now delete the System Volume Information folder.

Speeding Up Your Old Shit Pentium by 50%

We all know that you really shouldn't try to run Windows XP on anything less that about a Pentium 3 of some sort if you are out for speedy operations and amazing reaction times, but for those of us with the good old Pentium 2's who want to see just how well we can run XP, we have to tweak as much as we can where-ever we can. A real killer to the system's performance is Windows Media Player. Although it may look desirable and fancy with it's rounded off edges and 3rd-Dimensional appearance, the truth is, it takes up a large amount of that precious processing power. All of these troubles however, lead to one thing in particular with this 'new-look' over-rated music and video player...the Visualizations. The look-great I'll admit but like a lot of software these days, it has no purpose. If you run the task manager, and click the Performance tab along the top, you'll see that when Windows Media Player is running and nothing else is active, it takes up around 50% of the processors power. Once these visualizations are turned off, it barely takes up 2-3% of the processors power, which leaves much more room for other applications to work efficiently.

• Here's how to disable the feature:
• Open Media Player.
• Make sure the Now Playing tab on the left is selected.
• Click the View menu along the top.
• Go down to Now Playing Tools

Stop Jerkey Graphics

If you are connected to a LAN and have problems with jerkey graphics, this might be the solution:

• Right-click "MyComputer".
• Select "Manage".
• Click on "Device Manager".
• Double-click on your NIC under "Network Adapters".
• In the new window, select the "Advanced" tab.
• Select "Connection Type" and manually set the value of your NIC. (Not "Auto Sense" which is default.).
• You should reboot.

Increase Your Cable Modem or DSL Speed in XP

This tweak is for broad band cable connections on stand alone machines with WinXP professional version - might work on Home version also. It may also work with networked machines as well.
This tweak assumes that you have let WinXP create a connection on install for your cable modem/NIC combination and that your connection has tcp/ip - QoS - file and print sharing - and client for Microsoft networks , only, installed. It also assumes that WinXP will detect your NIC and has in-box drivers for it. If it doesn't do not try this.

• In the "My Network Places" properties (right-click on the desktop icon and choose properties), highlight the connection
• then at the menu bar choose "Advanced" then "Advanced Settings". Uncheck the two boxes in the lower half for the
• bindings for File and Printer sharing and Client for MS networks. Click OK.

Disable Error Reporting

• Open Control Panel.
• Click on Performance and Maintenance.
• Click on System.
• Then click on the Advanced tab.
• Click on the error-reporting button on the bottom of the windows.
• Select Disable error reporting.
• Click OK. Click OK.

Adjust Various Visual Effects

• Open up the Control Panel.
• Go under System and click on the Advanced tab.
• Click settings under Performance options.
• You can now change various graphical effects (mainly animations and shadows).

Win XP Won’t Completely Shutdown

• Go to Control Panel, then go to Power Options.
• Click on the APM tab, then check the "Enable Advanced Power Management support."
• Shut down your PC.
• It should now successfully complete the Shut Down process.

Synchronize Your Computer Clock with an Internet Time Server

Does your computer have the right time? If your computer is not part of a domain, you can synchronize your computer clock with an Internet time server. To do so:

• Double–click the time on your task bar.
• Click the Internet Time tab.

Select the time server you want to use and make sure to select the Automatically synchronize with an Internet time
server check box.

Turn Off Autoplay for Program CDs

• How can you stop Windows XP from launching program CDs?
• Click Start, click Run, type GPEDIT.MSC to open Group Policy in the Microsoft Management Console.
• Double-click Computer Configuration, double-click Administrative templates, double-click System, and then click Turn off autoplay.
• The instructions on your screen describe how to configure this setting. Click Properties to display the setting dialog.
• Click Enabled, and choose CD-ROM drives, then click OK, to stop CD autoplay.
• This setting does not prevent Autoplay for music CDs.

Easily Disable Messenger

Go into: C:/Program Files/Messenger. Rename the Messenger folder to "MessengerOFF".

This does not slow down Outlook Express or hinder system performance.

Shutdown XP Faster

Like previous versions of windows, it takes long time to restart or shutdown windows XP when the "Exit Windows" sound is enabled. To solve this problem you must disable this useless sound.

Click Start button.

Go to settings > Control Panel > Sound, Speech and Audio devices > Sounds and Audio Devices > Sounds.

Then under program events and windows menu click on "Exit Windows" sub-menu and highlight it. Now from sounds you can select, choose "none" and then click Apply and OK.

Now you should see some improvements when shutting down your system.

Easy Way to Adjust LargeSystemCache

Normally, the tweak I've seen asks you to go into HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management and change the value to either O or 1 to the adjustment the LargeSystemCache.

• However, in Windows XP, all you have to do is:
• Right-click My Computer.
• Select Properties.
• Click Advanced.
• Choose Performance.
• Click Advanced again.
• Select either Programs or System Cache under Memory Usage.
• Programs = 0 for the registry tweak equivalent
• System Cache = 1 for the registry tweak equivalent

Load Internet Explorer the Fastest Way Possible

Edit your link to start Internet Explorer to have -nohome after it. For Example: "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" -nohome

This will load internet explorer very fast because it does not load a web page while it is loading. If you want to go to your homepage after it is loaded, just click on the home button.

DMA Mode on IDE Devices

Just like Windows 2000, Windows XP still fails to set the DMA mode correctly for the IDE device designated as the slaves on the primary IDE and secondary IDE channels. Most CD-ROMS are capable of supporting DMA mode, but the default in XP is still PIO. Setting it to DMA won't make your CD-ROM faster, but it will consume less CPU cycles. Here's how: Open the Device Manager. One way to do that is to right-click on "My Computer", select the Hardware tab, and select Device Manager. Expand "IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers" and double-click on "Primary IDE Channel". Under the "Advanced Settings" tab, check the "Device 1" setting. More than likely, your current transfer mode is set to PIO. Set it to "DMA if available". Repeat the step for the "Secondary IDE Channel" if you have devices attached to it. Reboot.

Reduce 10 Second Scandisk Wait Time

• Start MS Dos Prompt (Start run CMD), and type: CHKNTFS /T:4
• where 4 is the amount of wait time.
• CHKNTFS /?
• for more info.

Performance Increase Through My Computer

Easy enough tweak to usually find out about it on your own, but still, some of us still don't find it right away. So here it is:

• Start > right-click on My Computer and select Properties.
• Click on the "Advanced" tab.
• See the "Performance" section? Click "Settings".
• Disable the following:
• Fade or slide menus into view
• Fade or slide ToolTips into view
• Fade out menu items after clicking
• Show Shadows under menus
• Slide open combo boxes
• Slide taskbar buttons
• Use a background image for each folder type
• Use common tasks in folders
• There, now Windows will still look nice and perform faster.

Clean Your Prefetch to Improve Performance

This is a unique technique for WinXP. We know that it is necessary to scrub registry and TEMP files for Win9X/ME/2000 periodically. Prefetch is a new and very useful technique in Windows XP. However, after using XP some time, the prefetch directory can get full of junk and obsolete links in the Prefetch catalog, which can slow down your computer noticeably.

Open C(system drive):/windows/prefetch, delete those junk and obsolete files, reboot. It is recommended that you do this every month.

Turn Off Indexing to Speed Up XP

Windows XP keeps a record of all files on the hard disk so when you do a search on the hard drive it is faster. There is a downside to this and because the computer has to index all files, it will slow down normal file commands like open, close, etc. If you do not do a whole lot of searches on your hard drive then you may want to turn this feature off:
Open My Computer.

Right-click your hard drive icon and select Properties.

At the bottom of the window you'll see "Allow indexing service to index this disk for faster searches," uncheck this and click ok.

A new window will pop up and select Apply to all folders and subfolders.

It will take a minute or two for the changes to take affect but then you should enjoy slightly faster performance.

Disable XP Boot Logo

It is possible to disable the XP splash screen, which will slightly speed up the overall boot process. Be aware that removing the splash screen will also cause you not to see any boot-up messages that might come up (chkdsk, convert ... ), but if your system runs without any problems then it should not matter.

Edit boot.ini. Add " /noguiboot" right after "/fastdetect". Upon restarting, the splash screen will be gone. It can be re-enabled by removing the new switch.

Cracking Windows XP Login Password

Download the nice and easy Nt/2k/xp password cracker from http://www.astalavista.com/or other way is if u get acess to the computer then go to Start>Run and type “control userpasswords2” without Quotes and a new pop up windows will open and u will reach to user account properties. Here u can Reset the Administrator and any Users password so anytime when u Want to use the Computer start it in safemode pressing F8 at Booting get into the xp as u have Administrator password and go to Controlpanel>Useraccounts and create a New Account .Start Computer Normally and get into WinXP with ur newely made account and do ur job. (Don’t forget to Delete ur newely made account Otherwise u will be in trouble) Delete ur account again starting the computer in Safemode as Administrator and Delete ur Account.

Stop your modem from frequently disconnecting

• On the Desk Top Double click on the icon "My Computer"
• Double click on Dial Up Networking
• Right click on the Satyam Online icon (or the dialer that you are using) and select Properties on the menu, click on configure
• Click on the Connection Tab and click on Advanced, in Extra Settings, type ats10=250

Understanding Error Handlers

When you use On Error GoTo and an error occurs, VB enters exception mode. The line you GoTo is supposed to be the beginning of an error handler. If an error occurs within an error handler, the program stops. What you need to do is leave the error handler and resume normal execution. Then you can use On Error to establish a new error handler for the next error. You do this with the Resume statement. See the help for details. In this case, you can use Resume LineLabel to make the program continue execution at a specific line.

Unfortunately, executing Resume from outside an error handler generates an error. Thus you cannot place the error handler in the flow of code the way you have. You need to jump out to the error handler and jump back with Resume.

Below is a subroutine that demonstrates two error handler.

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim i As Integer

On Error GoTo Error1
i = 1 / 0 ' Divide by zero.
Error1Resume:
On Error GoTo Error2
i = 1000000 ' Too big--overflow.
Error2Resume:
MsgBox "Finishing."
' Do not fall through into the error handlers!
Exit Sub

Error1:
' Resume ends error handler mode.
MsgBox "First error handler."
Resume Error1Resume
Error2:
' Resume ends error handler mode.
MsgBox "Second error handler."
Resume Error2Resume
End Sub

Using ADO in Access 2000

To use a Microsoft Access 2000 database and ADO you have to add the correct references in your Visual Basic project. To add the references to your Visual Basic project follow the instruction's below.

Open a project. 
From the Project menu, click References.
From the list, select Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects 2.1 Library.
From the list, select Microsoft ADO Ext. 2.1 for DDL and Security. 
From the list, select Microsoft Jet and Replication Objects 2.1 Library. 
Click OK. 
This should let you now use an Access 2000 database with an ADODC control. However Data form Wizard will still face problems!

Break an RGB color value into its components in Visual Basic Use

r = color And &HFF&

g = (color And &HFF00&) \ &H100&
b = (color And &HFF0000) \ &H10000

There are some system colors that have funny values like &H8000000F&. Unfortunately they don't work this way. You can use the GetSysColor API function to find these color values. Use And to mask off the leftmost digit. Then use GetSysColor to see get the color value.
Public Declare Function GetSysColor Lib "user32" Alias "GetSysColor" _
(ByVal nIndex As Long) As Long

If color And &H80000000 Then color = GetSysColor(color And &HFFFFFF)

One final case occurs if you use Point to get the color of a pixel that does not exist. For example, on a form with ScaleMode = vbPixels, Point(-100, -100) returns -1 because

Convert WMF Files Into BMP Files in Visual Basic

Create a new project, add a form, then put a picture box and a command button into it. Add block of code into command button click event.

Private Sub Command1_Click()
' Load meta picture file
Picture1.Picture = LoadPicture("C:\test.wmf")
' Save meta picture to bitmap file
SavePicture Picture1.Image, "C:\test.bmp"
End Sub

Load Outlook Faster

If you're tired of waiting the Outlook Express to start up, there's a way to make it faster. Open the RegEdit and navigate to the next path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\[nr of id]\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\[vers]
Then create a new DWORD value called NoSplash, and assign the value 1. Remember to take a backup of the Registry before doing this! For more information on how to backup your registry,

The Best Computer Tips and Tricks: System Tweaks

Disable System Restore

You can gain a lot of drive space by disabling System Restore. (You should already have a backup regimen in place before you do this.) In Vista, right-click My Computer, select Advanced system settings, click the System Protection tab, and uncheck any drives. In XP, right-click My Computer, then under System Tasks, click on "View system information." Click on the System Restore tab and click the box next to "Turn off System Restore on all drives" to disable it.

Configure Windows Update

Windows Update is great, but if it's set on autopilot, it will download updates that require a reboot, then pester you forever to install them, and eventually reboot on its own. Change the Windows Update settings (in the Windows Security section of the Control Panel) to download updates but ask you whether to install them.

Disable Delete Confirmation

You can disable the confirmation that pops up whenever you delete something by right-clicking the Recycle Bin and selecting Properties. Uncheck the delete confirmation box, click Apply and then OK, and you're done. Also, you can bypass the Recycle Bin entirely by holding down the Shift key while deleting files.

Disable Windows Animations

Sliding Window animations look cool, but you can improve system performance by disabling them completely. Right-click My Computer and go to Properties. In Vista, select Advanced system settings, or click the Advanced tab in XP. Click Settings in the performance box and uncheck any box that says animate, slide, or fade.

Create a Custom Toolbar

If you're constantly accessing a particular folder, you can add it to your taskbar for quick access. Right-click the taskbar and scroll to Toolbars, then select New Toolbar. It will open an Explorer window, so browse to your folder and select it. It's also handy to add My Computer as a toolbar.

The Best Computer Tips and Tricks: Data Security

Disable Remote Registry Editing

Only you should be editing your Windows registry, so make sure this service is disabled by clicking Start, Run, and then typing "services.msc." Scroll down to Remote Registry and make sure the service is stopped, and then set it to either manual or disable.

Lock It Down

It's always a good idea to lock your PC if strangers are nearby and you step away for a few minutes. Just press Windows key+L to lock your PC. Alternatively, you can set your screensaver (via the Screensaver tab in Display Settings under Control Panel) to require a password if it's deactivated by checking the box in "Settings" that says "On resume, password protect."

Prevent Phishing Attacks

Protect yourself from identity theft and phishing attacks by using the the latest versions of Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera. These browsers include protection that double-checks URLs against a blacklist, and will notify you if you're about to visit a known phishing site.

Keep Your Software Up to Date

Hackers and crackers love to take advantage of exploits found in software, which causes the developers to release a patch to plug up the holes. Therefore, it's imperative you not only enable Windows Update but also download the latest version of any software on your system, especially your Web browser and antivirus program.

Be Wary of P2P Files

Virus makers love peer-to-peer file-sharing services. They name their virus "Angelina Jolie Wallpapers" or something similar and upload it. Then millions of people download it, launch it, and wonder why their computers are infested with viruses. Download with caution, and always use antivirus software. If you need an effective, free antivirus solution, we recommend AVG Free.

Wipe the Drive Before Donating Your Old Computer

If you are getting rid of a hard drive and want to render all or some of its data unrecoverable, you have two options. You can download Eraserto securely wipe any file or folder, and you can use Darik's Boot andNuke SE (DBAN) to write over the entire drive. To use DBAN, download it and burn it as an ISO disc, then boot from it. It will provide you with instructions on the welcome screen.

Encrypt Sensitive Files

If you want to encrypt sensitive data, you can buy a portable USB drive with built-in encryption like the CMS ABS-Secure Encrypted Backup System, but if you just want to protect a specific folder or group of files, we recommend Truecrypt, which is free. It encrypts a custom-sized volume with 256-bit AES encryption, so it's extremely secure.

Verify Your Backups

Many people have a "set it and forget it" mindset when it comes to backups. Even after you establish a regimen, however, it's critical that you check the target folders periodically to ensure the proper files are being backed up. If not, re-configure your backup routine to make sure it's working properly.

Back Up Your Data

You must back up your data, period. If you have the means, we highly recommend an external USB drive like the Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus. If you already have an extra drive in your system—but just need some good backup software—try the free version of 2BrightSpark's Syncback, which is sublimely easy to configure.

Turn Off Your PC During Lightning Storms

Even surge protectors can be overwhelmed during electrical storms, and we've seen the results first-hand—fried motherboards, processors, hard drives and power supplies. If you're experiencing a heavy-duty electrical storm, take our advice and unplug your computer from the wall socket—just in case. And buy a laptop to use until the crisis passes.

Enable S.M.A.R.T for Your Hard Drives

S.M.A.R.T (self-monitoring analysis and reporting technology) allows your drive to report whether it's about to fail, which can give you a heads-up to replace it. All the modern hard drives have it—go into your PC's BIOS (press Del or F2/F10 during bootup) and enable it.

Enable Extension Viewing

By default, Windows hides file extensions, and virus-makers exploit this feature by giving their executable program names like Popularsong.exe, which appears as a harmless audio file if you have extensions hidden. To enable extension viewing, open any folder and click Tools, Folder Options, and uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types."

The Best Computer Tips and Tricks: Microsoft Office 2003

Edit Outlook E-mails with Word

Want to use Word to handle viewing and composing rich e-mail messages to send via Outlook? You can view inbound mail using Word by opening Outlook, clicking Tools > Options, and then selecting the Mail Format tab. Click the box next to "Use Microsoft Word 2003 to read Rich Text e-mail messages." Click the box above it to use Word to edit your e-mail messages. If you just want to use Word to create a single e-mail message, go to Actions > New Mail Message Using and then decide if you want to compose in an HTML or Word document (or even Excel spreadsheet) format.

Auto Recover in Excel

Don't let all your number-crunching go down the virtual drain if your system crashes. Tell Excel's AutoRecover feature to save your file automatically and at regular intervals by going to Tools > Customize and selecting the Save tab. Under Settings, check the box next to "Save AutoRecover info every . . ." and then select how often you want the information saved (anywhere from every minute to every 120 minutes). You can also change the AutoRecover save location.

Simplify Hyperlinks

If you hate having to hit the Ctrl key along with clicking on a hyperlink when you want to go to a Web site listed in a Word document, you can save yourself the extra keystroke by heading to Tools > Options and selecting the Edit tab. Then uncheck the box that says "Use CTRL + click to follow hyperlink."

Change from 1st to 1st

Not everyone wants a superscript when they type in "1st" or other ordinal numbers. If that includes you, select Format > AutoFormat and click the Options button. Under the "AutoFormat as You Type" tab, uncheck the box next to "Ordinals (1st) with superscript" that's in the section labeled "Replace as you type." The same section allows you to stop Word from automatically replacing Web and e-mail addresses with hyperlinks.

Configure Auto Correct

You can program Auto Correct to automatically change text to the format you prefer. If you use copyright and trademark symbols often, head to Tools > AutoCorrect Options > AutoCorrect tab, then highlight the text that Word will automatically convert to the symbol (like "(tm)" for "™"). You will see the text you select pop up in the blank fields under the "Replace" and "With" headings, below "Replace text as you type" (the box next to it is checked by default). Now, any time you input that selected text, Word will instantly change it to the related symbol.

The Best Computer Tips and Tricks: Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard

View Files in the Trash

With Leopard's Quick Look, you no longer have to drag items from the trash in order to view them. While in the trash folder, hit Command+Y while on any file to see a preview of its contents.

Change a Folder Icon

Want to change an icon to something more to your liking? First, find the icon you want. Then click on it, and hit Command+C to copy it. Click on the icon you want to change, and use Command+I to launch the folder info. Click on the old icon in the folder and use Command+V to paste the new icon.

Open New Tabs with the Address Bar in Safari

If you want to open an address in a new tab without deselecting your current tab, type the address into the address bar, then press Command+Enter. This allows you to work easily in multiple tabs.

Preview a Font

If you want to see what a font looks like, you don't have to open Font Book or a font manager. In Cover Flow, a font icon will appear as a small, two-letter sample of the font you have selected. To see a larger sample of the font, select a font file and use Quick Look (Command+Y) to see it, or just hit the spacebar.

Change Your Stack View

You can choose to view your stack in either a fan or a grid view. To change it, click on a stack until a menu appears. Then, select "View As" and choose either Fan or Grid. The stack will then open with your preferred style.

The Best Computer Tips and Tricks: Microsoft Office 2007

View Documents as Drafts

One thing that annoys us about Word 2007 is that it doesn't automatically let you open a document in Draft view (which was the Normal view in earlier versions of Word). To enable this, click the Office button > Word Options > Advanced > General. Then click the box next to "Allow opening a document in Draft View."

Display Formatting Marks

Some people can live without Word's marks for spaces and paragraphs, but for those Word 2007 users who can't, go to the Office button > Word Options > Display. Then, under "Always show these formatting marks on the screen," check the box for spaces, paragraph marks, and more.

Show Page Breaks in Excel

Printing an Excel spreadsheet can be a hassle, but you don't need to go to Print Preview in order to see where a page breaks. Click the Office button, then under Excel Options, click Advanced. Under "Display options for this worksheet" click the box next to "Show page breaks."

Check Your Style

First, Word could check your spelling, and then your grammar; now it can even critique your writing style. If you're concerned about things like wordiness and improper use of the passive voice, have Word 2007 check for them. Click the Office button > Word Options > Proofing. Under Writing Style, select Grammar & Style from the dropdown. If there are particular areas you don't Word to scrutinize, click the adjacent Settings button and then uncheck the appropriate boxes.

Change Your Presentation's Resolution

With larger wide-screen displays becoming the PC-viewing norm, you might not want your PowerPoint presentation to go online formatted for an old-school 800x600 resolution. To bump up your presentation's optimal screen size, click the Office button > PowerPoint Options > Advanced. Under the General area, click Web Options, select the Pictures tab, and choose the screen size you want.

Revert to Old Office File Formats

The latest version of Office "grants" users new default file extensions that aren't compatible with previous versions; you're forced to download and install a plug-in. But if you want to make the old Office file formats your default ones, click Office, and then Options for the specific program you're in. Select Save in the left-hand column, and then under "Save documents," choose the old Office file extension from the pull-down menu next to "Save files in this format."

The Best Computer Tips and Tricks: Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows Vista and XP and Microsoft Office

Windows Key+E

The best part about shortcut keys is letting your keyboard do half the work. This is a perfect example: This shortcut allows you to open Windows Explorer with one quick keystroke.

Windows Key+M

This is the shortcut to keep in mind when you are at work doing anything but working—it allows you to minimize all of your open windows, leaving just the desktop left exposed. To restore the windows, hit Windows key+Shift+M. Another quick way to do this is Windows key+D, which shows your desktop; to restore, just repeat the same keystroke. This is a handy shortcut to have around the next time your boss is wandering through the office.

Alt+Tab

This allows you to easily scroll through all the windows you have open. If you're working in Word and referring to something in Explorer, for example, you can toggle back and forth between the two programs. You can also use this to switch between windows in the same program, making multitasking a breeze. Very similar is Windows key+Tab: In XP, it lets you scroll the items on the taskbar, and in Vista, it starts Flip 3D for a fun graphical spin on the same idea.

Alt+F4

This shortcut is a quick way to close a window in any program. Alt+Spacebar+C (which requires less stretching, but more keys) and Ctrl+W do the same thing. Any of the ways will allow you to close a window without using your mouse to hit the X in the upper-right corner.

Ctrl+Arrow Keys

In Microsoft Word, the left and right arrows allow you to move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word or the next word; the up and down arrows will do the same with paragraphs. This is very helpful when editing a document or scanning for any reason.

Shift+Delete

If you want to delete a file—and you don't want to deal with it later in the Recycle Bin—this is the way to go. Just be absolutely sure that this is a file you won't want back!

Hold Shift While Inserting a CD

Have you ever wanted to insert a CD and not use it right away? This shortcut allows you to bypass Autorun when inserting a CD so you can control exactly when you will use a CD you've inserted.

Ctrl+Drag

There are many ways to copy a file, but this just might be the easiest. All you have to do is click on the file, hold, and drag it into its desired location. This works the same as another handy shortcut, Ctrl+C.

Windows Key+U+U

Quickly shut down Windows by hitting the Windows key (don't hold it down), hitting U to reach the shutdown menu, and then hitting U again to shut down.

Windows Key+Pause

Need a quick way to get to the Systems Properties menu without too much thought? Just press these two keys and you'll be brought right to it.

Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y

Undo an action by hitting Ctrl+Z; if you change your mind, Ctrl+Y will redo the undo.

Shift + Arrow Keys

Holding shift and pressing one of the arrow keys will highlight text in Word (or a group of Excel cells) without the mouse, selecting in the direction the arrow points.

Ctrl+U, Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I

This one's for Office newbies. It's a snap to underline, bold, and italicize without the mouse if you press Ctrl+U (underlining), Ctrl+B (bolding), or Ctrl+I (italicizing).

The Best Computer Tips and Tricks: Windows Vista

Advanced Screen Captures with the Snipping Tool

Leave the Prt Scrn key in the 1980s where it belongs. In the Accessories folder on the Start menu, you'll find Vista's Snipping Tool, which lets you capture just the part of the screen you want. Start it up, click and drag the mouse to outline the area you want to preserve, and release the mouse button. After you've snipped, you can draw on the image with a pen tool, highlight or erase certain portions, or save it to a file.

Display Multiple Clocks

If you're a frequent traveler or have friends or family in another time zone, you can set up Vista to display multiple clocks at once. Click on the clock in the Start bar, then click "Change date and time settings"¦," and then the Additional Clocks tab. Check the box next to "Show this clock" for each additional clock you want to add, then specify the time zone and display name for each clock. After you apply your changes by clicking OK, clicking on the clock in the Start bar will show you the clocks for every time zone you've selected.

Improve Program Access with Quick Launch

The Quick Launch toolbar doesn't get a lot of respect, but it's a great way to launch your regular apps faster. If the toolbar isn't visible, right-click on the Start bar, select Toolbars, click on Quick Launch to add it, and then drag programs or shortcuts to it. You can start programs instantly just by clicking or, better yet, use the Windows key. Windows key+1 will open the leftmost program, Windows key+2 the next one, and so on, up to 10 (the 10th opens with Windows key+0).

Windows Mobility Center

Sorry, desktop users, this one's just for the notebook folks. The Windows Mobility Center, which you access by pressing Windows key+X, gives you the opportunity to tweak all sorts of settings on your laptop, all in one convenient place. You can change your display brightness, adjust the volume, check your battery status, turn off wireless connectivity, switch your screen orientation, set up an external display, and more.

Find things now with Instant Search

You don't have to open up a special window to find the files or programs you're looking for. Just hit the Windows key or click the Start button and start typing—Vista will present you organized lists of the top files and programs that match the text you've entered. (If you want to see Vista's full findings, click on the "See all results" link at the bottom of the Instant Search window.)

Change Preinstalled Vista Features

If you don't think you'll ever use preset features like Remote Differential Compression, the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 XPS Viewer, or Windows Meeting Space—or if you really need a simple telnet client—it's easy to remove or add them. Go to the Control Panel, click on "Uninstall a program," and select "Turn Windows features on our off." Then just click on the checkboxes to add elements you need—and lose those you don't.

Maximize Performance

Not sure if your computer is operating at maximum efficiency? Vista can let you know for sure. Just check out the Reliability and Performance Monitor, which you'll find at Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Performance Information and Tools > Advanced Tools > Generate a system health report. Windows will check your disk drives, drivers, services, software and hardware configuration, and more to give you a full accounting of what might be causing you trouble. If it finds a problem, it will explain it to you in detail and suggest how to resolve it.

The Best Computer Tips and Tricks: Windows XP

Control Inactive System Tray Icons

You don't have to hide or show all the icons in your system tray—you can control their disappearing acts. Right-click on the taskbar and select Properties. Click on the checkbox next to "Hide inactive icons" (if it's not checked by default), then click on the Customize button. For each item on this list, you can choose "Hide when inactive," "Always hide," or "Always show" options to decide what you'll see and when.

Fit More Icons on Your Desktop

If your screen is so cluttered with Word documents and program shortcuts that you can't see the rolling meadows of your wallpaper, you don't need to move piles of stuff to the Recycling Bin. Just change the amount of space between icons. Right-click on the desktop, select Properties, then click on the Appearance tab, and click the Advanced button. In the "Item" drop-down, scroll down to Icon Spacing (Horizontal) and Icon Spacing (Vertical); changing the value in the "Size" field will move icons closer together (while increasing the number will move them farther apart). When you're done, click OK. To make your existing icons follow these rules, right-click on the desktop, select "Arrange Icons By" and then click Align to Grid, then go back to the same menu and click "Auto Arrange."

Shut Down from Your Desktop

If you're trying to eliminate every extraneous mouse click, you can shut down your computer with an icon on the desktop. Right-click on your desktop, click "New," and then click "Shortcut." In the "Type the location of the item" field, type "shutdown -s -t 00" to give you a way to shut down the computer immediately. (Change the -s to -r to create a reboot shortcut instead.)

Change What Programs Start When Windows Does

You can prevent a lot of apps forcing Windows into chilled-molasses boot times—without uninstalling anything. Click Start, then "Run...," and type msconfig. This brings up the System Configuration Utility window. Click on the Startup tab to see a list of all the apps slated to start when you boot up Windows. Click the check mark next to any you don't want, and then click OK to save your choices.

Type With an Onscreen Keyboard

Whether you have trouble with your hands or you just prefer using the mouse, typing with Windows' onscreen keyboard can be a great convenience. Navigate to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Accessibility, and click "On-Screen Keyboard." Click OK to clear the dialogue box and then start "typing"—you can even change the settings to "press" keys just by hovering your mouse over the letter you want (enable this feature by selecting "Typing Mode" from the Settings menu).

No-wait Screen Savers

Don't want to wait for your screen saver to kick in? Create a shortcut to it just as you would for any other program by hitting Windows key + F to search your computer and click on "All files and folders." Type "*.scr" in the "All or part of the file name" field to find every screen saver file on your computer. In the resulting list, right-click and drag the screen saver you want to your desktop. Whenever you want it to start, just double-click its icon.

The Best Computer Tips and Tricks Laptops

Make Your Own Power Plan

Windows laptops include a few preset power plans for maximizing battery life, but you can also customize your operating system's power-management features (in Windows XP, under Power Options in the Control Panel; in Vista, under Mobile PC in the Control Panel). Setting aggressive targets for when the display turns off and when the machine goes into sleep or hibernate mode will help your battery last longer.

Limit Your Connection

When you aren't actively using your notebook's Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, WWAN, or other wireless connections, turn the radios off (via the hard switch, if your PC has one, or using the appropriate utility), so they don't run down the battery while they keep searching for a signal. Also, use USB-attached devices sparingly while you're mobile.

Track it down

Thousands of laptops are reported stolen every year. Our advice? Prepare for the worst by investing in tracking software like Absolute Software's Lojack for Laptops, CyberAngel Security, or the freeTheLaptopLock. These utilities can pinpoint a registered notebook's location once it connects to the Web, increasing your chances of recovering your system.

Dim the display

A laptop's biggest battery-life-sucking component is its LCD display. To eke out more juice when you're off the plug, turn down your panel's brightness to the lowest level your eyes can stand. Most notebooks have a Function key combo—or even a dedicated hot key—for a quick crank-down. (You can also adjust brightness in Display Settings under Control Panel.)

Keep It Cool

Thanks to their small, cramped cases and tiny vents, laptops are prone to overheating. Unfortunately, using your notebook on your lap—or on top of a blanket that protects your lap from your scalding-hot notebook—can seriously stifle ventilation and make matters worse. To help keep temperatures in check, opt for a lap desk or a laptop cooling pad that won't conduct heat or block your laptop's vents.

Back Up Everything

Constant movement puts computer components at risk, and because of their portability, laptops suffer a lot more wear and tear than desktops. All of that on-the-go use increases the risk of hard drive failure, so make sure you back up the data on your laptop to an external hard drive, thumb drive, or home server on a regular basis. Portable hard drives like the Western Digital Passport Elite make it easy to back up your data on the road.

Cover Your Keyboard

Keep liquids away from laptops at all times. That rule often gets broken, of course, and accidents happen. Should that accident end up on your laptop's keyboard, however, you could end up with more than just a mess: Liquids that seep through your notebook's keys can fry its components. Protect your notebook from spills with a custom-built, plastic keyboard cover from ProtecT Laptop Covers.

Buy a Bag

If you plan to carry your notebook with you, the most useful accessory you can buy is a laptop bag. They're available in a number of styles and prices; for maximum protection, we recommend investing in a model with a built-in padded sleeve. If you want something less conspicuous (thieves have been known to target obvious-looking laptop bags), cover your laptop in stand-alone sleeve and stow it in your backpack or briefcase.

Let It Accumulate

When you move your laptop from a cold to a warm environment, and vice versa, don't boot up until your system reaches room temperature. Sudden temperature changes can cause condensation to build up inside the notebook case; turn it on too quickly, and the moisture could damage your system's inner components.

The Best Computer Tips and Tricks: Internet Explorer 7

Disable Plug-ins

If IE runs too slowly, or if it freezes up on you a lot, try disabling some of its preinstalled add-ons. Click Tools > Manage Add-ons > Enable or Disable Add-ons to see which add-ons are enabled. Select an add-on you don't want preinstalled, then click the Disable radio button under Settings to deactivate it.

Open Multiple Web Sites

Want IE to open two or more tabs when you start it up? Go to Tools > Internet Options, then type as many addresses as you want (on individual lines) in the "Home page" field.

Change Text Size

Hold the Ctrl key and roll the mouse wheel to change Web pages' text size: Rolling up makes it smaller, rolling down makes it bigger.

Tab Shortcuts

Hit Ctrl+T to open a tab so you can visit a new site without opening a new window; browse opened tabs without taking your hands off the keyboard by hitting Ctrl+Tab.

Create a Favorites Group

Want to group like-minded favorites in folders? Open new tabs to all the sites, then select "Add Tab Group to Favorites" under the Favorites menu, and then give the group a name. Now, when you go to the Favorites menu, just click on the folder to see all the related sites in one convenient place.

Redirect Pop-ups

Pop-ups usually open in a new window, but you can instruct IE to open them in a new tab instead. Go to Tools > Internet Options, and under the General tab, select Settings in the Tab section. Under "When a pop-up is encountered:" click the radio button labeled "Always open pop-ups in a new tab."

Scrub Browser Cache

If you don't want your temporary files hanging around, you can instruct IE to delete them automatically every time you exit the browser. Go to Tools > Internet Options and open the Advanced tab. Scroll down to the Security section, then click the checkbox next to "Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed."

Mouse-free Browsing

You don't need a mouse to surf the Web—many functions can be performed just with the keyboard. Hitting F11 will shift the browser into full-screen mode (and back again). Ctrl+E will move the text-entry cursor to the LiveSearch box. Hit Ctrl+D to instantly add the current site to your Favorites, and Alt+D to move you automatically to the location bar.

Disable Sounds in Web Pages

If you prefer your own digital music collection to the soundtracks to be found on some Web sites, you can tell IE to keep them quiet. Go to Tools > Internet Options and open the Advanced tab. Scroll down to the Multimedia section, and deselect the check box next to "Play sounds in web pages."