When I Explore A Computer

Choose an MP3 Player

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 08:09:00 +0000

Today, MP3 Player is like an important device in our life. I can’t imagine if I don’t bring it when I’m leaving house. Many manufactures is providing many MP3 players now. With its growth, MP3 player technology is attaching to other devices. Such as mobile phone, you can see the mobile phone on store which attached with MP3 player. So, you may be confused when you want to buying an MP3 player for you. Which does the right one?

I think the first action that you take is searching guidance about MP3 player. Indeed, maybe you ask why doesn’t just buy an apple ipod. I think that’s not a wise way to buy a device based on rumors. You must buy based on your need. If you need voice recorder beside MP3 player, you have to find an MP3 player with voice recorder features inside it. Or you need the MP3 player that has a great battery life. So, you need to get the right information.

With getting as many as possible that you can, you can to get a right MP3 player which fit with your need. Some points that become your points to buy MP3 player are like its compatibility, its features, its warranty, battery life and whole its quality. Once you buy it, it’s hard to return to seller if you make mistakes. So, many guide information is very important.

After you read the information, just go to MP3 player shop then buy an MP3 player which you think fits with your need. And don’t forget, don’t shy to ask to shop keeper about information the MP3 player. Because you have to compare the information that you got from internet or other sources with the real information. In MP3 player store you can hold and see the MP3 player directly. So, be wise when you’ll buy an MP3 player.

Portable Apps

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:44:00 +0000

I think everybody have flash disk now. Flash disk has been making our life be better. You can carry your data, photo and everything that you want in your flash disk. Now, you can even put some applications in flash disk. Maybe you’ll ask me, for what?

I ensure that you have favorite applications but if you use your friend computer maybe you can find your favorite application is installed there. So, if you have your favorite application in your flash disk, you just plug onto your friend’s computer and open the application.

For example, you can use Firefox for browsing and Thunderbird for email. Beside it, all Firefox settings will bring within it. Thunderbird will bring all its data too. So, you can read your email everywhere because it brings its inbox in your flash disk. They’re very useful, aren’t they?

Unfortunately, you can’t copy your installed applications into your flash disk directly. They made it with different format. It calls Portable apps. You can find it with google, just type “Portable app” or “USB app” and then you’ll get so many websites which provide the portable applications for you. My favorite place to find portable application is Portable Apps.com. They provides a menu system to open and organize “installed” portable application” and it’s very easy to use.

To install a portable application, just download your portable application package on that website, click Options – Install a New application where located in menu and then pointing to folder where your package is downloaded. To open an application just click its icon on menu and your portable application is ready to use.

Get Factory Original Computer Memory

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 04:07:00 +0000

Computer Memory is one of most important component inside computer system. Without Computer Memory, your computer system is useless and will waste your room. Computer Memory is a bridge between your storage system and Processor. Hard drive access time is very slow if compared with Processor process time and then Computer Memory will buffering the data so bottle neck trouble is reduced.

Sure, if you have a bigger Computer Memory is better because your buffer size is also become bigger. If your Computer Memory is too small, your operating system will create swap memory into hard drive and it makes your system slower. So, you must to find best memory for your system, including its size, quality and speed.

And I ensure you, you will confuse if will buy memory, because you’ll faced with so many choices out there. I like buy memory on online store because I could to choose it clearly. And I want to suggest a Computer Memory online store for you. The store is located at www.memorydeal.net. Get a Deal on Memory in there. Memory Deal is providing factory original memory, so you can get best memory with it. Computer Memory Deal is the same memory with memory which bundling with popular computer brands. So, it’s not doubt with their memory.

So, if you’re using good quality memory into your system, you’ll get a good system too.

Open System Properties Faster

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:38:00 +0000

System Properties is a gateway to open Device Manager, display your computer informations and another important informations. To open it you can by Control Panel - System icon. But Windows XP provides an easier way to open it, just press Windows + Pause keys and then your System Properties will opened.

Expand Windows Explorer Columns Quickly

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 03:55:00 +0000

If you're using Windows XP, I ensure you if you use Windows Explorer every time. To open Windows Explorer, you can press Windows + E keys or go to Start - All Programs - Accessories - Windows Explorer. Windows Explorer has 5 model of column views. Thumbnails, Tiles, Icons, List, Details.

And if you are like me who like set it to Details view, you will often faced with a column or more which don't enough to display the informations. The information can be file name, file size or else. To expand them, usually I click column header and then drag it until they are expanded.
But to make it easier you can press Ctrl + [+] keys to make them expanded. I suggest you to press the [+] key where located on numpad group.

Where Is My httpd.conf?

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:56:00 +0000

httpd.conf file is Apache server configuration file. In that file you can configure Apache server settings. You can to install Apache HTTP server in many OSes. And I ever install it on Mac OS X and Windows XP. And Apache doesn't provide a GUI configuration screen so you must find the httpd.conf file and then open it with text editor application such as notepad to configure it.

On Windows XP you can find the httpd.conf file in conf folder inside installed Apache folder (if you installed on its default folder so you can find it in : C:\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\conf\ folder.
And on Mac OS X you can find the httpd.conf file inside folder: /etc/httpd/folder.

Registry Startup Points

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 04:03:00 +0000

Windows XP has many startup points locations. From Startup folder inside Start Menu, Win.INI and registry. This time, I want discuss about startup points in registry because many viruses infected and put its trigger string in registry value so as the virus will triggered every you restart computer.

To look your startup program which triggered by registry, open your Regedit first by click Start - Run menu, type regedit in box and then press Enter key. Regedit has some startup keys location:
1. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run. In this key every string inside it will run every startup.
2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce, in this key every program inside it will run once and registry will remove it after executed.
3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, this key has same function with point 1 but if in HKEY_CURRENT_USER will run on your account only but in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE will trigger on every account on your computer.
4. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce,
this key has same function with point 2, but startup item in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE will trigger on every account on your computer.

So, if you computer infected by viruses, try to look on those keys registry first.

Show/Hide File Extensions on Mac OS X

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 02:12:00 +0000

File extensions are identification for your file content such as .xls refer to Microsoft Excel or others spreadsheet applications. Although you also can look its icon because usually the icon represents its file content. Mac OS X by default is hide the file extensions.

To show your file extensions is very easy. On Finder menu, click Finder - Preferences menu, click Advanced tab and then check Show all file extensions check box. Close the Preferences window.
And your file extensions are shown.

Regjump Tool

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 02:43:00 +0000

If you often play with registry, I make sure that you'll need to explore its keys too. Usually, I open Registry Editor and point to my key because Registry Editor will open your last opened key by default. Microsoft provides another way to make it more effective.

The tool called Regjump, and you can find it on Microsoft website.
To use it, download it first, extract it because Microsoft give Regjump in ZIP file, extract it into your own folder but I suggest you to extract it into root folder or C:\Windows folder so you can call it although you currently in different folder with Regjump folder because C:\Windows folder is folder that included in %PATH variable environment value. To configure Windows Environment Variable you can learn on Otak Atik.
In fact, Regjump will help you pointing to certain key in Registry Editor.
Using Regjump is very easy. Regjump is a MS-DOS tool but you can call it through Run menu. OK to begin use it, click Start - Run menu, type regjump in box and then click OK button to test Regjump and if you run for first time, you'll confirm for its Term, just click Agree button and you won't to ask again at next time.
And to using it just type in Run textbox: regjump "registry_path". For example, if you want to open "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows" path, just type in textbox regjump "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows" and then press Enter. And Registry Editor will open with "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows" has opened.

Windows's Shorcut vs Mac OS X's Alias

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:39:00 +0000

If you're a new Mac user and using Windows as your operating system before maybe you have to adapt for Mac instruments. And that happened to me when I was searching the way to create shortcut for my data files. I've written an article that discusses about substitute between Mac OS X and Windows XP and hopefully, that article may help you to learn Mac OS X.

OK, back to main article, to create new "shortcut" on Mac OS X. Mac OS X calls it 'alias'. Alias has a same function with shortcut on Windows. But, they have a little difference between them. Shortcut on Windows is easy to lost its link to original file such as if you move the original file, shortcut would lost its link to original file (although you'll ask to find the main file when you open the shortcut file that has lost its link but that's pretty annoying for me). If Mac OS X's alias always updates its main file location so, it's doesn't lost its link to its original file even you move the original file except if you delete the original file.
On Windows, to create a shortcut, click the original file, press Ctrl key, click and hold it and then point to your destination folder (you also can choose to the same folder with your original file) and then release the mouse button. The another way is right clicking the file and chooses Create Shortcut menu in context menu, and then you'll get its shortcut in original file's folder.
On Mac OS X, to create a shortcut, press Option + Command key, click the file, and hold it and then pointing to your destination folder and you'll get a new alias in there (you allowed to pointing to original file's folder to create alias in that folder). The another way to create alias, right click the file, and choose Make Alias menu in context menu.
To recognize an original file or a shortcut/alias, usually a shortcut/alias file has a little arrow on its icon.

How to Backup Registry

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 04:27:00 +0000

Registry is very important for Windows series system because entire Windows Configurations are saved inside Registry. So, that's very important to backup it (especially for users who like to 'play' with the registry value).

You can find several ways to backup the registry, but according to my experiments, the easiest way is export the value to single .reg file. To create the registry backup is so easy, just pointing to key which you want backup, right click that key and then click Export menu on context menu. In Save dialog, choose your folder where you want to put the backup file, type your file name and then click Save button. Done!
For example, if you want to backup HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run key, right click it, click Export menu, give it a file name and click Save button.

If you want to backup entire registry, in Save dialog, click All option inside Export Range frame. Or click My Computer key first, right click it, choose Export menu and next steps are same as above steps.

Disable Right Click On Start Menu

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:08:00 +0000

Start Menu is our gate to go everywhere in our computer. And that's useful for us. But on other side if another user can modify your Start Menu, you can get a trouble with it. To make is safer, just disable right click ability in Start Menu. Because if you right click the Start Menu item, they can modify it, including delete it.

To disable it, we'll play with registry again. OK, like usual to modify registry we'll need Registry Editor and to open it click Start - Run menu, type regedit in box and then press Enter to execute it. In Registry Editor, pointing to HKEY_CURRENT_USER | Software | Microsoft | Windows | CurrentVersion | Policies | Explorer path. Then, create NoChangeStartMenu DWORD value if you don't find it by right click on empty space at right panel, click New - DWORD value menu and then replace the key name with NoChangeStartMenu name.
If NoChangeStartMenu has created, double click it and replace the value with 1.
Close Registry Editor and restart your computer. Now, your user can't right click in Start Menu.

Remove Error Result On Excel

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 02:56:00 +0000

If you create spreadsheet project with Excel or others spreadsheet application, maybe your users often to make mistake when they're inputing the data into it. Sure, it will make error result and make them irrelevant whereas if the data are in number format.

OK, just give it a prevent formula to make it safer. In this case, I will change the error result into number:0. So, you can to keep the relevant of data.
I combine IF formula and ISERROR formula to prevent the error result. For example if you want divide cell A1 with cell A2 to create percentage between those cells create the formula like this : =IF(ISERROR(A1/A2);0;A1/A2). So, if you input the error character such as a letter; normally, you'll get #VALUE result or another error result normally but if you use that formula you'll get result: 0 so you'll get a normal result if you calculate them.
That formula will detect the result from dividing between cell A1 and A2 and if the result is error so IF function will give you 0 number and if the result is normal so youl'll get result A1 divide to A2. You can look my attached picture to better visualization.

Shut down 'Halt' Macbook

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 02:12:00 +0000

First time, I used Macbook, I was confusing when my Macbook is not responding. I couldn't Force Quit my trouble application and even I can't to click Apple - Shut Down menu. And finally, I found the solution. Actually, the solution is very easy to do and you can find it in its manual book but maybe you don't read it yet.

Just press Power button and hold it for approx. 10 seconds or wait until your Macbook is shut downed. Is it very easy, isn't it?

Capitalize Every First Letter Of Word

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 02:19:00 +0000

Microsoft Excel has a formula that could help you to capitalize every first letter on your word easily. I use it every I create a article title so that I don't forget to capitalize it or you can use it for another need. So, if you type "i love you" and then you'll get a result like this: "I Love You".

The name of formula is PROPER(). To using PROPER() formula is very easy, just type PROPER(cell_source). For example if you want to capitalize a sentence in cell A1, just create on empty cell: =PROPER(A1) and you'll get the result soon.
Proper can work on NeoOffice Calc too.

More 5 seconds When Vista Booting

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 02:44:00 +0000

According to Microsoft, Windows Vista has shorter loading time if comparing with Windows XP. But you can make it shorter with System Configurations tool. Yup, I thought there are so many ways to make it shorter but I try it one by one.

Windows Vista has high resolution loading screen than Windows XP and that's great to look but on other hand you have to pay it with give it about 5 seconds loading time longer (At least as my experiment).
So, if you think you don't need that screen, just remove it. To remove it, open your System Configuration, I've wrote about how to open System Configuration.
In System Configuration, click Boot tab then check No GUI boot check box and don't forget click OK button to save your settings. And after you remove it, you'll save a little bit more time when Vista is booting.

Christmas Wallpaper

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 05:03:00 +0000

Merry Christmas! Hopefully, Christmas this year brings messages of peace to you. And to celebrate Christmas, I've found a great wallpaper to create Christmas atmosphere in my Macbook. I found it on Apple website. It calls Wallpaper clocks Christmas pack 1.0.

I suggest you to install it to create atmosphere of Chritmas onto your Mac.

Display Shared Folder From A Computer

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:49:00 +0000

Windows is providing sharing a folder or more ability to gives us an easy way to exchange our files to others. But there is not easy to display other client shared folder list.

But don't worry you can empower the net tool. Net is a great tool to manage your networking business. Because net command is a MSDOS command, to use it you have to open MSDOS Console first.
To open MSDOS Console, click Start - Run menu (or your also can press Windows + R keys), type cmd in box and press Enter. I've wrote about net command at otakatik.com to send a message to others with it.
At MS DOS prompt type net view //computer_name and then press Enter. For example: if you want display a computer which has name:server_1st, type net view //server_1st then press Enter to display all server_1st shared folder.
It's so easy, isn't it?

Display Non-Plug n Play Devices

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 04:56:00 +0000

You can display your drivers list in Device Manager. In there your installed drivers displayed clearly and you can see their status, get trouble or not. By default Windows XP will display Plug and Play Devices only and hide the Non-Plug and Play devices. But you can display them if you curious with your Non-Plug and Play devices.

First, open your Device Manager by click Start – Control Panel, double click System icon, click Hardware tab and then click Device Manager button. Inside Device Manager, click View-Show hidden devices menu and your hidden devices will show up.

Change Your Account Picture Quickly

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 02:03:00 +0000

Since Windows XP, we could set an icon/picture for our account. Actually, you can change it through Control Panel and then open User Account configuration. But Windows XP has a shorter way to change your account icon. And that’s very easy…

To change your icon, you just need to click your icon in Start Menu. So, click Start Menu then click your icon (usually at above of Start Menu), you’ll bring to Pick a new picture for your account dialog and then click the picture that you want or if don’t satisfy with them you can click Browse for more pictures link to find more picture inside your hard drive. And don’t forget to click Change picture button.
And your account picture has changed.

Shut down Computer on Windows Vista

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 05:34:00 +0000

By default, if you press your computer power button, Windows Vista will bring computer to sleep mode. But I like to make it to shut down it than sleep it. You can configure it easily.

To configure it, click Start – Control Panel then double click Power Options icon. In Power Options, click Choose what the power buttons do link in left sidebar.
Then focus at When I press the power button: combo box, click the combo box and choose Shut down. Click Save changes button to save your settings.
That’s it, now your computer will shut down if you press power button.

System Configuration on Windows Vista

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 05:23:00 +0000

I ever wrote about System Configuration on Windows XP and I thought System Configuration is a useful application to configure startup and load items on Windows XP. And how does about it on Windows Vista?

Microsoft looks like to hide System Configuration application on Windows XP. On Windows Vista, gladly Microsoft still kept it; even Microsoft put its shortcut in Administrative Tools (inside Control Panel). So you can open it by click Start - Control Panel - Administrative Tools menu and then locate the System Configuration in there.
And sure, you still can open it through Run menu by click Start – Run, type msconfig and then hit Enter key.

Remote Desktop on Windows Vista

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 03:40:00 +0000

Since I installed Windows Vista a week ago, my friends who use Windows XP couldn’t make remote desktop connection to my computer. And I try to found the trouble maker and yesterday I’ve found it.

The trouble maker was remote desktop configuration. If you get a same problem, maybe you can try this solution.
Open Control Panel, double click System icon, and click Remote settings menu on left sidebar and then you’ll bring to Remote tab in System Properties. In Remote Desktop frame, choose Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop option and then click OK button to save the configuration.
Now, try to make remote desktop connection into your computer from another computer which running Windows XP.

Generate a Password for Your Account

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 03:17:00 +0000

Creating a password is looks like an easy deal for us. But remember, other than you create an “easy to remember” password, you have to create a complicated password also for security reason. And that’s the problem, to creating a complicated password you must combine number, letter and mark.

But you don’t worry Windows is provide a solution for us to creating a “strong” password.
We’ll using net command to do this. First, open the Command Prompt console by click Start-Run menu, type cmd in textbox and then click OK button.
At DOS prompt type net user “your_account_name” /random then press Enter. For example, if you want create password for Administrator account, type net user “Administrator” /random then press Enter key. Then your password will created and then write it. And you need to know, that password will apply to your account directly. So, on next login you’ll need to enter that password.
Now, try to restart your computer.

Round Your Numbers

noreply@blogger.com (EdSto) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 06:37:00 +0000

If you work with decimal number every day, I sure you often work with rounding numbers too. It happens usually because you want to create results that have a same decimal number format. So, you have to decide it first, you want to round it up or down or automatically by Excel.

In Excel you can round numbers with three functions. The functions are ROUND, ROUNDDOWN and ROUNDUP. To understand the difference between those functions you can see the picture that I’ve attached in this article.
Those functions have the same syntax. Their syntax is: ROUND(number_source_cell;number_digits) and you can apply the same syntax to ROUNDUP and ROUNDDOWN functions. The differences between those functions are ROUNDUP will round up your numbers, ROUNDDOWN will round down your numbers, toward zero and ROUND is similar with ROUNDUP.
You can take time to make some experiments with those functions to increase of understanding to these functions.