Windows XP
Showing posts with label Windows XP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows XP. Show all posts

How to Make your computer Fast?

August 26, 2013 Add Comment

How to Make your computer Fast?





Whenever you start your computer, you are faced with a few moments of thumb twiddling while Windows XP boots and prompts you to log on. Although you should expect to wait for a few moments, sometimes Windows XP seems to boot rather slowly. In fact, you may notice that over a period of time the PC that used to roar to life seems a bit sluggish instead. Fortunately, you can perform several techniques that help Windows XP get the boot up speed you want. This chapter explores how to put these techniques to work.

Some of the things may already have been discussed in some threads earlier.

Stopping Unneeded Startup Services


Along with the core operating system and programs that Windows XP runs when it starts, there is also a host of services involved. Many of these services are necessary for Windows XP to operate correctly. However, many of them are for features in Windows XP that you may not use at all. You can peruse the services and disable any service that you do not want to run. The fewer services that run, the more quickly Windows XP will boot.

Caution: Exercise caution when stopping services. If you do not know what a service does or are unsure of the ramifications of stopping the service, leave it alone. Some services are critical to Windows XP's operations, so make sure you understand what the service is before you disable it.

To reduce the number of services that start on bootup, you can access two different areas of Windows XP. The first is the System Configuration Utility. The Services tab shows you the services that start when the computer boots.

You can stop a service from starting by simply clearing the check box next to the service and clicking OK. However, before you do so, there is another way to disable services that you may prefer because the interface gives you more information about the service in question.

Open Control Panel/Administrative ToolsServices or else select Start/Run, type services.msc, and click OK. Either way, you see the Services console.

I prefer to use the Services console instead of the System Configuration Utility because it describes what the service does. Additionally, you can double-click a service and examine its properties.

Notice the Startup Type column in Figure 4-2. This information lists whether the service is automatic or manual. Manual services are only started in Windows XP when you start a process that requires the service. Some other process may require the service that has a "dependency" relationship with it; in this case, the dependency service will start, as well. Because these services do not start automatically when you boot Windows XP, you do not need to do anything with manual services.

However, all services listed as automatic start when Windows XP boots. These are the services that increase boot time. As I have mentioned, many of them are necessary and important, so you should not stop automatic services from booting unless you are sure of the ramifications. You can get this information by looking at the Description column. Here's a quick look at common services you may want to live without:

Automatic Updates: This service enables Windows XP to check the Web automatically for updates. If you don't want to use
Automatic Updates, you can disable the service. You can always check for updates manually at the Windows Update Web site.

Computer Browser: If your computer is not on a network, you don't need this service. If you are on a network, leave it alone.

DHCP Client: If you are not on a network, you do not need this service. If you are on a small workgroup, you can still increase boot time by configuring manual IP addresses (which I explore later in this chapter).

DNS Client: If you are not on a network, you do not need this service. If you are, leave it alone.

Error Reporting and Event Log: You don't have to use these services but they can be very helpful, so I would leave them configured as automatic.

Fax: If you don't use your computer for fax services, you can disable this one. Help and Support: If you never use the Windows XP

Help and Support Center (found on the Start menu), you can disable this service.

IMAPI CD-Burning COM: This service enables you to burn CDs on your computer. If you never burn CDs, you can disable the service.

Indexing Service: Your computer keeps an index of files but if you rarely search for files, the service is just a resource hog. You can stop it and turn the service to manual.

Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing: If you do not use these features, you can disable them.

Infrared Monitor: If you do not use infrared devices, you can disable this service.

Messenger: This service sends alert messages on a local area network (it is not the same as Windows Messenger). If you are not on a network, you can disable this service.

Print Spooler: If you do not do any printing from the computer, you can disable this service. If you print, make sure you leave it as automatic.

Remote Registry: This service allows remote users to modify the Registry on your computer. If you are not on a network, you can disable this service.

System Restore Service: This service allows you to use System Restore. If you have turned off System Restore anyway, you do not need to turn off the service. If you do, you turn off System Restore.

Themes: If you do not use themes, you can disable this service.

Windows Image Acquisition: If you do not use scanners or digital cameras, you can disable this service.

Wireless Zero Configuration: If do not use wireless networking devices, you can disable this service.

You may have a number of other automatic services, depending on software and other configurations on your computer. So it's a good idea to look through the services and learn more about them. If you double-click a service, a Properties dialog box appears

Notice that on the General tab, you see a Startup Type drop-down menu. If you want to change an automatic service to manual, select Manual here and click OK. As a general rule, don't disable a service unless you are sure you will never use it.

However, manual configuration allows the service to be started when you find it necessary, thus speeding up your boot time. However, before you change a service to manual, look at the Dependencies tab (see Figure 4-4). This tab shows you which other services depend upon the service you are considering changing.

Keep in mind that services are necessary for the vast functionality you get with Windows XP. Change only those services that you understand and do not use. How you use your Windows XP computer should be the best guide in terms of optional startup services.

Tip:

The Indexing service and the System Restore service take up a lot of disk space and system resources across the board.

You can live without the Indexing service but I suggest that you keep using System Restore. It works great when you are in a bind and this is one case where the loss of speed may not be worth the ramifications of not using System Restore. 
Speed Tips and Tricks for Windows XP Star tup Aside from star tup programs, services, and the Prefetch folder, there are a number of other start up procedures and issues you can modify to help Windows XP start faster. The following sections explore those tips and tricks. 
Manual IP Addressing on Small Office/Home Networks Windows XP is configured to help you take care of networking. It uses the TCP/IP protocol for networking in work groups  or what you might call small office or home networks that do not use a dedicated server. The problem is that automatic IP addressing can be slow. 
When your computer boots, it has to query the network to see what IP addresses are already in use and then assign itself one. If you want to speed up the boot time a bit, consider manually assigning IP addresses to all computers on the network. 
This way, the network computers do not have to worry about locating an automatic IP address. Because one is manually configured, the operating system doesn't have to spend time solving this problem. This isn't a networking book, however, so I won't delve into the implications of using a manual IP address, but if you are using a computer that functions as a host computer to the Internet (using Internet Connection Sharing [ICS]), you can get into connectivity problems if you change the configuration of the IP address. However, you can still work around this problem by starting with the ICS host computer. Select Start/Connect To/Show All Connections. Right-click your network adapter card and click Properties. On the General tab, select TCP/IP in the list of services and click the Properties button. In the TCP/IP properties, you can see if you use an automatic or manual IP address. In the example in Figure 4-5, I have configured a manual IP address of 90.0.0.1 and a default subnet mask. The other computers on my office network each use a different IP address in the same class, such as 90.0.0.2, 90.0.0.3, 90.0.0.4, and so on. This way, each computer has a permanent IP address, which helps increase boot time. Note that if you change the IP addresses of your computers, they must all use the same subnet mask. A default subject mask of 255.255.255.0 will keep you in good shape. Make sure you understand the implications of changing IP addresses on your network. 
If you have no networking experience at all, you may be wiser to leave the automatic IP addressing as is and try to gain some speed using the additional suggestions in this chapter. Disabling Recent Documents History Windows XP includes a feature that keeps track of all recent documents you have opened or used. The idea is that you can select Start/Recent Documents History and quickly reopen any document you have recently used. I use many documents each day and never use the feature myself. 
In my opinion, I can keep up with what I want to use without Windows XP doing it for me. The bad thing about Recent Documents History is that Windows XP has to calculate what should be put there each time you boot Windows, which can slow things down. So, if you never use the Recent Documents History, it's a good idea to disable it.

How???


  1. Open the Registry Editor (select Start/Run, type regedit, and click OK).
  2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mcft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer.
  3. Create a NoRecentDocsHistory D_WORD key. Double-click the value to open it once it is created.
  4. Set the Data Value to 1 to enable the restriction.
  5. Click OK and close the Registry Editor. You'll need to restart the computer for the change to take effect. Disabling the Boot Logo You can remove the boot logo that appears when you start Windows XP. This little tweak probably shaves only a few seconds off your boot time but seconds count if you are serious about trying to get Windows XP up and running as quickly as possible. The only negative is that if you remove the boot logo, you will also not see any boot messages, such as check disk. (But if you are not having problems with your computer, this isn't such a big deal.)

To remove the boot logo, follow these steps:

  • 1. Select Start/Run, type msconfig, and click OK.
  • 2. In the System Configuration Utility, click the BOOT.INI tab.
  • 3. On the BOOT.INI tab, click the NOGUIBOOT check box option. Click OK. Removing Unwanted Fonts One trick that increases your boot time a bit is to lose any fonts in the Fonts folder in Control Panel that you never use. The more fonts you have, the more processing Windows XP has to do to prep all of those fonts for use. You must be a bit careful here to not remove fonts that you might want, but there is a good chance that you can live without many of them. For instance, you may have foreign language fonts and other symbol fonts (such as Wingdings) that you never use. To delete unneeded fonts, follow these steps:
  1. Open the Fonts folder in Control Panel.
  2. Select Edit/Select All and then Edit/Copy.
  3. Create a new folder on your desktop, open it, and select Edit/Paste.
  4. In this new folder, delete any of the fonts you do not want.
  5. Return to the Fonts folder in Control Panel. Right-click the selected fonts and click Delete.
  6. Go back to your new desktop folder and click Edit/Select All.
  7. Return to your Fonts folder and click Edit/Paste. You now have only the desired fonts in the Fonts folder. Tip: You can directly delete fonts from the Fonts folder without creating the secondary folder. However, I recommend the preceding steps to help ensure that you do not make a mistake in the deletion process. Stopping Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop Sharing In Windows XP Professional, you have two remote networking features called Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop Sharing. These remote networking features are very helpful in a variety of situations but if you don't use them, it is good idea to disable them to save boot time. You can always enable them later if you want to use them. Note: If you are interested in using Remote Desktop or Remote Assistance, see my book Windows XP for Power Users: Power Pack published by John Wiley & Sons.

1. Open the Start menu, right-click My Computer, and choose Properties.
2. Click the Remote Tab.
3. Clear both check boxes to disable Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop. Speeding Up the Dual-Boot Timeout If you dual-boot your computer with Windows XP and another operating system, you see an operating system selection menu on startup. If you typically boot into Windows XP and not the other operating system, you can speed up the dual-boot timeout value so that you do not wait so long for the boot process to select your default operating system and continue with the boot process. The default timeout value is 30 seconds but you can change this setting to 10. This gives you enough time to select the alternate operating system if you want but also speeds up the boot process. You can skip this section if you do not use a dual-boot configuration.


Follow these steps:
  1. Locate the boot.ini file on your computer. It is a hidden file by default; mine is located in C:\boot.ini.
  2. Open the file with Notepad (which is what opens it by default).
  3. Change the Timeout value to 10 (see Figure 4-11).
  4. Select File/Save and close Notepad. Speeding Up Your PPPoE Connection If you use a Point-to-Point Protocol connection over Ethernet (PPPoE), you may notice a delay in using the PPPoE connection after startup. By default, there is a 120 second delay but you can stop this behavior by manually configuring an IP address for the network adapter card. If you do not use a PPPoE connection, you can skip this section.


  1. Select Start/Connect to/Show All Connections.
  2. 2. Open the TCP/IP properties for your LAN network interface card.
  3. 3. Manually set the IP address on the TCP/IP properties to an appropriate IP address and subnet mask for your network. Reducing the Wait Time When you start to shut down Windows XP, it has to quit, or "kill," any live applications or processes that are currently running. So close all applications first. However, some applications and processes are always running in the background. You can reduce the amount of time that Windows XP waits for those applications and processes to close before Windows XP kills them. Edit three different Registry settings to change this:

  • Open the Registry Editor.
  • Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Select WaitToKillAppTimeout and set the value to 1000.
  • Select the HungAppTimeout value and set it to 1000 as well. Navigate to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop. Set the WaitToKillAppTimeout and set the value to 1000. Select the HungAppTimeout \newline value and set it to 1000 as well.
  • Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Contro l. Select the WaitToKillServiceTimeout value and set it to 1000.
  • Close the Registry Editor. Automatically Killing Tasks on Shutdown You know the drill. You start to shut down the computer, you wait a few moments, and then you see a dialog box asking if you want to kill an application or service that is running. Instead of prompting you, you can make Windows XP take care of the kill task automatically. Here's how:
1. Open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop.
3. Highlight the value AutoEndTasks and change the value to 1.
4. Close the Registry Editor.


Note: All information are for education purpose, try its all on your own risk, Regedit - is most important part of windows XP, if any mistake to configurate - windows can be crash down.. we are not responsible for any damage.

Change View of Windows XP

September 01, 2009 Add Comment

Change View of Windows XP


Do you want to change the icon, animation, theme, and some applications in Windows XP to make it more interesting? You can try Xpize application freeware. Which is designed to change the view that there are some applications on Windows XP. As usual, the installation process you can do as the software installation process in general. There are several options that are arranged in categories of themes, bitmaps, welcome screen, wallpaper, and also visual style.

To view a more complete selection, you can click which will display advanced extra options in more detail. On the left is shown also Preview the area, so we can see the display change to happen. In order for the installation process goes smoothly and safely, there is a choice here Undo Changes. After the installation is complete, you are prompted to reboot, initial startup will be slow, and because it would alter the look Xpize determined that takes several minutes to an ongoing process. But do not worry, after this process is complete, Windows will run normally again. There are no other applications except against Task Switch XP Pro that appears in the system tray.

Task Switch XP Pro only duty is to replace a task switcher with a more attractive appearance. You can turn off without turning off the Xpize applications that have been installed. In the final version, in 1200 there were approximately 600 icons and bitmaps with the view that more new and exciting. In order to run smoothly, you should adopt Windows Net.Framework 2.0 SP1 application.

SECURITY GUARD WITH THE XP DISK

June 12, 2009 Add Comment

SECURITY GUARD WITH THE XP DISK




There is still using floppy disks? According to Microsoft there is still likely. Evidence, that Windows 7 will be launched around the end of this year still have features that use floppy disks. This feature is used to secure the Windows. This feature is obtained easily and, most importantly, free. How do I? Provide enough blank floppy, and do the following steps:

Click (start) and fill "syskey" in the search text box. A new Window with the name of "securing the Windows account database" will open. Select option (encryption enabled). After that click the button (update) which is right at the bottom of the Window. In the "start up key" that appears there are two options, (password start up) and (system generated password). Select the second option, (system generated password) to the Windows automatically create a unique password.
When you select option (system generated password), the two new options will appear: (store the start up key on Floppy disk) and (store start up key locally). Select option (store the start up key on Floppy disk) in order to ask the windows key diskette is inserted when the Windows began to run.

It's time you insert a blank floppy diskette has been prepared to drive. After that click (ok) key to start your process. If the disk has been the creation is complete, remove the diskette and close the program syskey. If the diskette has been created, you must insert a floppy diskette as a key.

How to Go Fast Applications : Certainly has all the features in the function of Run, Search, and the Command Prompt is available in the start menu. This feature is used to run the file or the desired application by typing the name and address of the file or application you want to be called.

In some files or applications, you can be called only by typing the name only, for example mspaint.exe, without the path. General or application specific files such as this are put on the Windows folder or the system 32.

To have your application behave the same, you can copy the application to the Windows folder or to a sub folder in the system 32. But just imagine if all the programs are copied to it. The size of the folder Windows will turn safety and of course loading Windows will get slow. Practically tricks, just try to register or file applications to the registry. So, the Windows will immediately recognize the name of the program and who want to be called directly in the execution. Here are his steps:

Run the registry editor by typing "regedit" in the start menu and press (enter), Into sub key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ current version \ app path, and create a new sub key with the name you want, for example, "application.exe, and the last step is double click data named (default) value to the contents and location of the file or application.

Remote Assistance - windows XP advance technique

February 25, 2009 Add Comment

Remote Assistance - windows XP advance technique


Making the Request for Assistance
In Windows Server 2003 Help, there is a wizard driven section for Remote Assistance, The wizard driven connection allows for a request to be sent either through a Microsoft .NET Passport account, through sending a saved file, or through a non Passport e-mail account, by using Windows Messenger. For a successful request through e-mail, both computers must be using a Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI)-compliant e-mail client.

To use the Windows Messenger service for your Remote Assistance connection, you must have the assistant’s Windows Messenger user name in your contact list, and make the request from a Windows Messenger client. Windows Messenger will display their status as online or offline. Remote Assistance can only be requested directly when your assistant is online. Remote Assistant requires that both computers are running Windows XP any Windows Server 2003 operating system.

After receiving a request for Remote Assistance, the helper can remotely connect to the computer and view the screen directly to fix the problem. When you initiate a request for help, the Remote Assistance client sends an encrypted ticket based on Extensible Markup Language (XML) to the helper, who is prompted to accept the invitation.

Using Remote Assistance
A user can request assistance from another Windows Messenger user by placing the request through the Help and Support Center application or directly through Windows Messenger. Both applications use the same mechanisms for determining if the expert is online, and then making a request for assistance.

The Windows Messenger window opens, and the user selects the expert’s Windows Messenger account. The expert receives the invitation as an Instant Message. When the expert clicks Accept, the Remote Assistance session is initiated. The requesting user confirms the session by clicking Yes. When the remote connection is established, the Remote Assistance session begins on the expert’s computer. The expert and user can share desktop control, file transfer capabilities, and a chat window through which they work together to solve the user’s problem.

Offering Remote Assistance to a User
Remote Assistance is especially useful if you want to initiate troubleshooting on a user’s computer. To do this, you must enable the Offer Remote Assistance Local Group Policy setting on the target (user’s) local computer:
1. On the user’s computer, click Start, Run, and then type gpedit.msc. The local Group Policy editor appears, enabling you to adjust policies that affect the local machine.
2. Under the Computer Configuration node, expand Administrative Templates, then System, and then click Remote Assistance.
3. Double-click Offer Remote Assistance and then select Enabled.
4. Next, click Show, then specify the individual users that will be allowed to offer assistance by assigning helpers within the context of this policy. These “helper” additions to the list should be in the form of domain\username, and must be a member of the local administrators group on the local computer.

Initializing Remote Assistance
You can now initiate Remote Assistance from your computer, to a users computer, providing that the credentials that you supply match those of a helper defined in the target computer’s local Group Policy:
1. Open the Help And Support Center, click Tools, and then click Help And Support Center Tools. Next click Offer Remote Assistance.
2. In the dialog box, type the name or IP address of the target computer, and then click Connect. (If prompted that several users are logged on, choose a user session.)
Then click Start Remote Assistance. The user receives a pop-up box showing that the help-desk person is initiating a Remote Assistance session.
3. The user accepts, and Remote Assistance can proceed. 

How quickly shut down the system

November 22, 2008 Add Comment

How quickly shut down the system 


Turn the computer from the start menu is quick and easy, but do not know a command prompt for the same thing. Also offers a shutdown command parameters for the user log off from your account, restart the computer, and turn off the system and cancellations. When you have experienced to be booting to the command line (command line) to overcome a problem, know how to work this command will be useful for you.

Close all open programs to prevent data loss. Open command prompt from the Start menu * All Programs *Accessories, and click Command Prompt. At the command prompt, type shutdown-s. Press enter or return on the keyboard. Shutdown dialog box will appear. To cancel the shutdown is in progress, at the 

command prompt, type shutdown-a.

Other options are-r to restart the system,-m \ \ computer name to turn a remote computer, and-l to log off the computer. To see all the options, type shutdown /? at the command prompt. Congratulations to try.

Changing the performance of the program 

You can adjust the performance of programs that are open and which are working in the background so that better. Open the Control Panel in the system. Advanced tab, Performance section, click Settings. Go to the advanced tab, the Processor scheduling; click Programs, to determine more processor resources to programs that are open to the program of work in the background. Click the background 
service for a set of resources equivalent to the entire program.

Choosing the option Programs, response time will produce a more subtle and more quickly to programs that are currently active. If you want the task of working in the background, such as the Backup utility, to work more quickly, choose Back-ground service.

copy and paste disable in Windows Operating

September 14, 2008 Add Comment

copy and paste disable in Windows Operating


Go to Start, Settings then Control Panel. Select the Internet Options icon and click on the Security tab. Then click on Custom Setting, and make sure the "Drag and copy or paste" option is enabled.

* Windows encountered an error accessing the system Registry (Windows 98/ME)
Do a search on the C Drive for the User.dat file. If the file size is 0k, delete the file so Windows will recreate it next boot up.

* Your files do not open with the program you want to open them with.
Hold down shift while right clicking on the file. Select Open With from the menu. Select Choose Program and find the appropriate program from the list. If the program you want to use is not listed, click on Browse. Navigate to the executable (.exe) for the program and then click on Open. Check the box that says "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" checkbox.

* Error deleting file or folder
This message will most likely occur if you attempt to delete, save over, or move a file while it is in use by another application. Close the open file and try it again. If it is open by another user over the network you will get the same error.

* llegal Operation Errors
An illegal operation is usually when the computer requests an operation that is unknown to the operating system or processor and that can't be performed. The operating system or processor usually terminates the program that made the illegal request. If this keeps happening you should reboot your computer.

Web Browser Errors

* Cannot find server
This basically means your web browser was unable to find the Web server you attempted to reach. It usually means there is a problem with your internet connection or the web page just happens to be down.

* 401 Unauthorized/Authorization Required
You will usually see this error when you are trying to access a web page that requires a password or some other credentials to get in which you do not have.

* 404 Not Found/The Page Cannot Be Found
This usually happens when you try to access a page that doesn't exist on the web server. This is most likely caused by mistyped URL.

* 503 Service Unavailable
This usually means the page is offline due to too much traffic or maintenance. 

Increase life of your laptop's battery power

September 14, 2008 Add Comment

Increase life of your laptop's battery power


Follow the few steps to increase the laptop battery's life:

Lower the backlighting on your screen.
The screen of your Laptop takes up significant amount of power and you do not require its maximum brightness. You should have to check your system and decrease the screen brightness it to a comfortable point.

Stop your wireless signal when you are not using.

After turning off your Laptop can save max. 20 minutes of your laptop's battery time because WiFi can use a considerable quantity of power. By right clicking you can stop your WiFi signal when you are not using.


Manage the correct power scheme in XP

Windows XP contain a number of predetermined power plans, which control settings like how rapidly your laptop turns off and when your screen saver boots in. You can change your laptop power scheme by choosing Control Panel > Power Options. For max. Battery life from the "Power scheme" chooses the option "Max. Battery" and decline the list. There are good choices for you just like "Low Power Mode" and Portable /Laptop. They don't conserve as much power as Max Battery. After selecting a power scheme you click Ok button to finish the process.

fatal error blue screen windows xp

September 07, 2008 Add Comment

fatal error blue screen windows xp


Blue Screen errors (Also known as bug checks)occur when the system encounters a condition that compromises safe operations. As a result, the system is halted and the “blue screen” with the bug check information or STOP error is displayed. These types of errors can occur for several reasons:

* Software defects in drivers or core system services cause an invalid instruction to be sent to the processor.
* Defective hardware causes unhandled messages to be sent to the operating system.
* Core system services have been terminated (e.g., Local Security Authority or Client/Server Runtime Subsystem).

Bug checks provide diagnostic information such as STOP codes and driver names that can help lead to problem resolution. Because of the volatile state of the system, this information cannot always be recorded when the event occurs. It is important that you record the information associated with the bug check and driver information sections. Many of the bug check messages have relevant information that you should read and understand if they apply to your situation. Finally, if you have enabled memory dumps, wait until the dump is complete before restarting the computer (if you do not have automatic restart enabled). Your device vendor and/or Microsoft use the memory dumps to help understand the state of the system at the time that the bug check occurred. You can change the memory dump settings through the Startup and Recovery button in the System Properties’ Advanced tab, while the STOP messages might not always indicate the root cause of the problem, in combination with other sources of data; it can help direct a trained support technician to track down the root cause of the problem. 

Windows XP - windows installer errors

July 17, 2008 Add Comment
Windows XP - windows installer errors

Re-register the Windows Installer components.

1. Open My Computer or Windows Explorer
2. Browse to the Windows\System32 folder and make sure that the application file msiexec.exe is there.
3. Start the Registry Editor. Click on Start, Run, type in regedit and click Ok.
4. Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSIServer.
5. Select MSIServer, then make sure the value ImagePath contains C:\WINDOWS\system32\msiexec.exe /V
6. Restart your computer in Safe Mode.
Click on Start, then Run and type msiexec /regserver and click Ok.
7. Restart the computer.

If that doesn’t work then you can try to reinstall the Windows Installer.

Download and install the latest version of the Windows Installer. 

Great Fun : Change the boot Time in window XP

April 10, 2008 Add Comment

Great Fun : Change the boot Time in window XP


You can set the boot time in windows XP as your wish if you are install two operating systems on same computer, for example window 2000 with windows XP or more than two. Yow can do this with editing Boot.ini file. Here you can also set the sequence for operating system which operating system boot first.

First Right Click on My Computer option and then select its Properties. In next dialog box open Advanced tab button. Under Start up and Recovery, click on the Settings button. Use the spin box "Time to display list of operating systems" to set the number of seconds you want the system to wait before automatically starting the default operating system. Here you will set time in seconds and its range start from 0 and ends with 999 seconds.

After set the time, then click OK option to close the dialog box to save your change. The next time you restart, the new time will take effect.

Security tips for Windows XP

April 05, 2008 Add Comment

Security tips for Windows XP



Here are a couple of tips to speed up your Windows XP computer and help keep you protected and secure online. First you need to control which programs load on startup: Many of the programs you install on your computer automatically configure themselves to launch at startup, usually invisibly. The truly essential ones, such as anti-virus and firewall products, generally run as services and run fine in the background. Other less important software like media players don't need to be running continually.

These extra programs slow the boot process and then severely suck up resources like memory and CPU cycles. It is pretty easy to control which applications launch on startup. The System Configuration Utility lists all these applications in one place:

1) To get there: Click the ‘Start' button then choose the ‘Run' command.

2) In the text box type "msconfig". - Across the top of the dialog box select the ‘Startup' tab.

3) The Startup Tab lists all the programs that launch at start-up. To disable any of these simply un-check the box on the left. Only non-essential programs are listed here it should be safe to un-check pretty much anything. If it turns out you needed it just go back and re-check it.

4) Once you are done re-boot the machine.

5) When the Desktop returns you will be presented with a window that says you have chosen Selective Startup. Just Check "Do not show this window again" and click OK.


To keep your computer secure, turn on automatic updates. Seems like every virus writer has nothing better to do then attack Windows operating systems. Keeping the system patches and security fixes is critical. During the setup of XP Service Pack 2 with a new computer or an up-grade you are asked whether or not to turn on automatic updates, if you made the mistake of checking no you can find this option in the Windows Security Center (Start / Control Panel) and change it back. Even with all its faults, XP is a powerful operating system that has many good security features.

Here are some more tips to help you get the most out of your operating system. Remove Windows components not found in ADD / REMOVE. Many Windows components, things like Network Services or Solitaire are easy to remove through the Add or Remove programs configuration window (Start / ControlPanel / Add and Remove Programs / Windows Components). Simply un-check them, but … some things are deliberately hidden.

A good example would be MSN Messenger. To remove this from startup follow these steps:

1) In Windows Explorer (right click Start / Explore), navigate to C:WindowsInf and make a copy of Sysoc.inf.

2) Double click on Sysoc.inf and it will open in Notepad.

3) Press Ctrl H (opens Find and Replace) and replace the string ,hide, with ,, then save and replace the file. Now all the hidden components will appear.

4) Then follow the steps above for removing programs from the startup menu.


To restore a corrupted system file: If a necessary system file should become missing or corrupted by a virus you can replace it from your Windows CD.

1) Go to Start / Search and type in the file name replacing the last letter with an underscore (ex. Filename.ex_).

2) If the file is found, open a command prompt (Start / Run, type CMD in the textbox).

3) At the prompt type expand followed by the full pathname of the file and destination (expand D:Windowsfilename.ex_ C:Windowsfilename.exe) where D: is the letter of your disc drive. If either pathname contains spaces surround the entire pathname with double quotes. If the file isn't found search again using the un-modified file name, it is probably in a CAB file, Windows treats these as folders, simply drag the new folder to the destination while holding down the right mouse button then select Copy Here.

System Restore points Troubles

January 07, 2008 Add Comment

System Restore points Troubles


Method 1: Make sure that the System Restore service is running
To do this, use one of the following methods:

*  Look in Control Panel. To do this, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, click Run, and then type compmgmt.msc in the Open box, and then press Enter.
  2. Expand Services, and then click System Restore Services..


If the Status of System Restore Service is not Started, click Start on the toolbar to start it.
* Open a Command Prompt window. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type CMD in the Open box, and then press Enter.
2. Type Net Start at the command prompt to make sure that the System Restore Service is up and is running.

If the System Restore Service is not listed, type net start "System Restore Service", and then press Enter.


Method 2: Make sure that System Restore is enabled on the drives where you want System Restore enabled
To do this follow these steps:

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the System Restore tab.
3. If the System Restore is enabled, the Status column of a drive will show Monitoring.
If not, you can clear to clear the Turn off System Restore on all drives, and then click OK to enable it.


Method 3: Make sure that you have sufficient disk space on all the drives where System Restore is enabled
To do this, follow these steps:

1. To check for free disk space, click Start, click Run, type diskmgmt.msc and then press Enter. Look at each drive System Restore is monitoring for free space.
2. If the free space on any partition system restore is monitoring falls lower than 50 MB, System Restore will suspend and remove all restore points to free disk space. You should have already received a low free disk space message by now. System Restore will resume monitoring when free disk space reaches 200 MB.

Note In most cases you do not have to have System Restore monitor Partitions/drives other than the one Windows is installed on. System Restore does not monitor data files.


Method 4: View the event logs to investigate System Restore service errors
To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type eventvwr.msc /s in the Open box, and then press Enter.
2. Click the System category.
3. Click the Source tab to sort by name, and then look for "sr" or "srservice." Double-click each of these services, and then evaluate the event description for any indication of the cause of the problem.


Method 5: Boot in safe mode and run the System Restore tool
To boot in safe mode follow these steps:

  1. Restart the computer. Immediately after the screen goes blank for the first time, or after the BIOS post ends, start taping the F8 key repeatedly. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears. If the menu does not appear, restart the computer and try again.
  2. Select Safe Mode, and then press ENTER. As files load they will scroll down the screen. Note Safe mode uses a minimal set of device drivers and services to start Windows. The default Microsoft VGA driver is used for display at 640 X480 resolution and in 16 colors.
  3. Log on to the Administrator account. If a password was never set, leave the password blank and press ENTER or click the green arrow.
  4. Click No in the safe mode information screen to start System Restore.
  5. Select Restore my computer to an earlier time, and then click Next to proceed to select a date with restore points available.
  6. Click Next to begin restoring the system to a previous state. 

You Ever tried to rename Your Recycle Bin

March 21, 2007 Add Comment

You Ever tried to rename Your Recycle Bin


Hey Guys just follow these simple steps and change the name of your Recycle Bin(where temporarily deleted files are stored)


  • Go to 'start' menu and Choose 'Run' command.
  • Type 'regedit' (without inverted commas). U will see Registry Editor  Window on Ur Screen. 
  • Now, On the Left Hand Side of the Window you'll see a Tree of folders Just Double Click on the HKEY_CURRENT_USER folder>Now in the new folder Tree DoubleClick on the 'Software' folder > then Double Click on 'Microsoft' folder>'Windows' folder>'Current Version' folder>'Explorer' folder>'CLSID' folder.
  • Now, You will see a Tree of 3 or 4 folder(don't worry about the no. of folders). Just Click on the folder : '{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}'.
  • Finally, after Clicking on '{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}' folder Go to the Right Hand Side of the Same window and Double Click On the Default Option and Write in the name You want for Your Recycle Bin e.g. :- Trash #. Click O.K. button. Go to Your Desktop and Refresh the Desktop and See the magic. Your Recycle Bin has been Renamed.

Do you know this Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

February 10, 2007 Add Comment

Do you know this Windows Keyboard Shortcuts



In my training practice one of the biggest complaints we get is our persistence in requiring our students to know their shortcuts and to practice in class using the keyboards. To become truly effective and productive in using any of the Microsoft Office Applications you must know the shortcuts.

See, what many people don’t realise is that if you rely on using the mouse only, you waste an incredible amount of time because each time you want to use the mouse, you must first stop. Take your hands off the keyboard. You then go to the mouse and then use it. You stop using the mouse and then go back to the keyboard and keep typing. If you do this you will find that you are only 20% effective compared to somebody who uses the keyboard only.

Why? Well, it is quite simple. All the time spent moving from the mouse to the keyboard is lost time or non-productive time, so people who use the shortcut keystrokes exclusively will often be five times more effective then somebody who doesn’t because they don’t have that lost time moving from the keyboard to the mouse and back again.

In some jobs, like call centres you will find that knowing your shortcut keystrokes compared to not knowing them can mean the difference between keeping your job or not. I have noticed in many telecommunications call centres throughout Australia and overseas they are now converting their systems to windows based software. What they have also done in these jobs is set some key performance standards that are really quite amazing. For example one telco I know of, in their faults departments, require that all fault calls be actioned and concluded from the moment they take the call to the finish of the call within 3 – 5 minutes. This is an awesome requirement and many of the call centre staff who were not familiar with the shortcut keystrokes found their jobs were in jeopardy simply because they couldn’t get all the data into the system within the allotted time frame. Essentially it was found as I mentioned before that those people who were reliant on the mouse were only 20% as effective as those who used the keyboard exclusively.

So … What Shortcut Keystrokes Should I Know?
This is a challenging question as many of the common applications we use in today’s market place have different shortcut keystrokes. One thing I have learnt since my wife won an Apple computer is that many of the shortcut keystrokes we use in windows don’t correlate to other operating systems, but also in the same breath. Many Do!

Some of the most common keystrokes we do have in Microsoft Office are these

[Ctrl] + [N] – New Document
[Ctrl] + [O] – Open Document
[Ctrl] + [P] – Print Document
[Ctrl] + [S] – Save Document
[F7] – Spell Check
[Ctrl] + [X] – Cut
[Ctrl] + [C] – Copy
[Ctrl] + [V] - Paste
[Ctrl] + [F] – Find
[Ctrl] + [H] – Replace
[Ctrl] + [K] – Insert Hyperlink

What you will find is that the shortcuts I presented are the most common ones are the same regardless of which Microsoft Office Application you are working with.

One of the other things you will notice is that in many of the Microsoft Office Applications some of the shortcut keystrokes are similar.

For example in Microsoft Word to get to the start of the line you can press the [Home] key, to get to the end of the line you press the [End] Key. In Microsoft Excel to get to the start of the row you press the [Home] Key, to get to the end of your data you simply press the [End] Key. There are even similarities with other Microsoft Office Applications like Microsoft Access. In a table in Microsoft Access, to get to the first field of a record you press the [Home] key and to get to the end of the record you press the [End] key.

These similar shortcut keystrokes also apply in other non-Microsoft office Applications. For example if you are writing an email in Microsoft Outlook Express. You can get to the start of the line by choosing the [Home] key and you can get to the end of the line by using the [End]
The really cool part about many of the applications that run on Microsoft Windows is that the software development guru’s have maintained which shortcuts are used to do certain functions which means we users have a much easier time of it, learning the shortcut keystrokes.
Some of the more common shortcuts for moving the Insertion Point in Microsoft Office are –

[Home] – Moves to the start of the line
[End] – Moves to the end of the line
[Ctrl] + [Home] – Moves to the First Character first line of the document
[Ctrl] + [End] – Moves to the Last Character last line of the document
[Ctrl] + [Left Arrow] – Moves one word to the left
[Ctrl] + [Right Arrow] – Moves one word to the right
[Page Up] – Move up by one screen
[Page Down] – Move down by one screen

Learning the shortcut keystrokes for the Microsoft Office Application Suite should be mandatory for any computer training course. If you don’t know these keystrokes you will never be as effective as someone who has. Often when you go to job interviews or to recruitment agencies they will test you to see if you know these using systems like those from Self-Test Software. Many a time, I have heard stories where people have missed out on job opportunities simply because they were too slow during testing at the recruitment agencies.
The bottom line is this, if you want to be more effective in using the computer you must learn your shortcuts. If you know them, passing certification exams like the Microsoft Office Specialist program will be much easier as well.

Windows XP - Clean booting Troubles

January 15, 2007 Add Comment
If your computer does not want to start normally or is giving you errors that you cannot diagnose then Windows XP has a feature to help troubleshoot these issues when you start your computer. This process is known as clean booting. This will start the computer with a minimum amount of processes to allow you to better troubleshoot your problem.

Be warned that after you follow the instructions for a clean boot, you may lose some functionality of your computer. When you restore the settings, you will restore the functionality, but you may receive the same error message or encounter the same problem.
Here are the steps to perform a clean boot in Windows XP

Make sure you are logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group.

1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and click Ok.

2. On the General tab, click Selective Startup, and then clear the Process System.ini File, Process Win.ini File, and Load Startup Items check boxes. You won’t be able to clear the Use Original Boot.ini check box.

3. On the Services tab, select the Hide All Microsoft Services check box, and then click Disable All.

4. Click OK, and then click Restart to restart your computer.

5. After Windows starts, check to see if you still have the same problem or error.

Run msconfig again and check the General tab to make sure that the check boxes that you cleared are still cleared. Continue to step 6 if none of the check boxes are selected. If the Load System Services check box is the only disabled check box, your computer is not clean booted. If additional check boxes are disabled and the issue is not resolved, you may require help from the manufacturer of the program that places a check mark back in Msconfig.

If none of the check boxes are selected, and the issue is not resolved, you may have to repeat steps 1 through 5, but you may also have to clear the Load System Services check box on the General tab. This temporarily disables Microsoft services and permanently deletes all system restore points. Do not do this if you want to retain your restore points for System Restore or if you must use a Microsoft service to test the issue.

6. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig and then click Ok.

7. On the General tab, select the Process System.ini File check box, click Ok, and then click Restart to reboot your computer. If the issue continues, the issue is with an entry in your System.ini file. If the issue does not continue, repeat this step for the Process Win.ini File, Load Startup Items, and Load System Services check boxes until the issue occurs. After the issue occurs, the last item that you selected is the item where the issue is occurring.

Note Microsoft strongly recommends that you do not use System Configuration Utility to modify the Boot.ini file on your computer. Doing so may make your computer unusable.



Manual steps to start the Windows Installer service if needed

The Windows Installer service does not start if you disable Load System Services. To use Windows Installer in this case, you need to start the Windows Installer service manually.

1. Click Start, Run and then type services.msc and click Ok.

2. Right click Windows Installer, and then click Start.

If you run a Setup program without manually starting the Windows Installer, you may receive the following error message:
The Windows Installer service could not be accessed. Contact your support personnel to verify that the windows Installer service is properly registered.

Manual steps to return from a clean boot state

1. Click on Start, Run and type msconfig and then click Ok.

2. On the General tab, click Normal Startup - load all device drivers and services.

3. Click OK, and then click Restart when you are prompted to restart your computer. 
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