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2010-12-03T09:52:00.003+08:00

To all people who is reading my blog. My apologies if I'm not that much updating this blog. I am currently reviewing my Citrix Certification exam for this month. So again my apologies more computer tips soon

Cheers

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Pstools

2010-09-24T23:51:00.004+08:00

Hi there... what a busy weeks for me that only now I can update my blog. Anyway I'm back and I just want to touch on something I will call it PStools

What is PStools? That is the question

PStools - This tool was created by Mark Russinovich
The Windows NT and Windows 2000 Resource Kits come with a number of command-line tools that help you administer your Windows NT/2K systems.

What sets these tools apart is that they all allow you to manage remote systems as well as the local one. The first tool in the suite was PsList, a tool that lets you view detailed information about processes, and the suite is continually growing.

To download the PsTools click the below link:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896649.aspx

To use the tool Open the command prompt and go to the directory where the PsTools were extracted. See example below

PsList list detailed information about processes. Also acts as Task Manager in your pc you will see what application is actively running.

There is a lot commands that you can use with this all you have so good luck and enjoy.

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Auto Send and Receive Scheduling for Microsoft Outlook

2010-06-03T08:10:00.017+08:00

Do you want to know on how to use the auto send and receive features of MS outlook? Today we show you how to schedule how often auto send/receive occurs.

If you’re busy during the day and need to keep up with your emails, you might want want Outlook to check for new messages every few minutes. Here we’ll show you how to schedule it in Office 2010, 2007, and 2003 for a busy inbox where you want to keep on top of your important emails.

Outlook 2010

To schedule Auto Send/Receive in Outlook 2010, click on the File tab then Options.

click on Advanced and scroll down to Send and receive and click on the Send/Receive button after opening the Options.

In the Send/Receive Groups window under Setting for group “All Accounts” check the box Schedule an automatic send/receive every…minutes. It is set to 30 minutes by default and you can change the minutes to whatever you want it to be. If you’re busy and want to keep up with your messages you can go as low as every one minute.

You can also get to the Send/Receive groups by selecting Send/Receive tab on the Ribbon and then Define Send/Receive Groups.

Outlook 2007

To select the send/receive time intervals in Outlook 2007, open Outlook and click on Tools \ Options.

Click on the Mail Setup tab, check the box next to Send immediately when connected then the Send/Receive button.

Now change the schedule to automatically send/receive

You can also access the Send/Receive Groups section by going to Send/Receive > Send/Receive Settings and Define Send/Receive Groups.

Outlook 2003

In Outlook 2003 click on Tool \ Options…

Click on the Mail Setup tab then check Send immediately when connected, then the Send/receive button.

Then set the amount of time between send/receive attempts.

If you live out of Microsoft Outlook and want to keep up with messages, setting the automatic send/receive minutes will keep you up to date.

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Vista Style Sidebar to Windows 7

2010-05-27T08:08:00.010+08:00

If your operating system is Windows Vista and you are upgrading to Windows 7, you might miss the Sidebar which was introduced in Vista. Today we take a look at a couple options for getting a Sidebar back in Windows 7.

Copy Files from Vista

Warning :Please note that in this example we are using 32-bit versions of Vista and Windows 7. Make sure you are logged in with Administrator credentials.

If you have a Vista machine running, we can copy the Windows Sidebar files over to the Windows 7 machine. On the Vista machine navigate to C:\Program Files and copy the Windows Sidebar folder and all of its contents over to a flash drive or network location.

On the Windows 7 machine go to C:\Program Files and rename the Windows Sidebar folder to something like Windows Sidebar_old.

Now copy the Vista Windows Sidebar folder into C:\Program Files…

Now you will have both folders…Windows Sidebar and Windows Sidebar_old in your C:\Program Files folder.

Right-click on the desktop and select Gadgets.

And now your done...the Original Vista Sidebar is back and will act as it did in Vista.

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How to disable Windows Defender

2010-05-05T09:13:00.009+08:00

My article today is how to disable windows defender. Why I wrote this because if you already have an anti malware suite installed on your computer you dont need Windows Defender to be enable. It will just waste your precious resources.

Here's how to get rid of it.

Note: Oopss just to be clear with this we’re not saying that we hate Windows Defender. Some spyware protection is better than none, and it’s built in and free! But… if you are already running something that provides great anti-malware protection, there’s no need to have more than one application running at a time.

Disabling Windows Defender

Unfortunately, Windows Defender is completely built into Windows, and you’re not going to actually uninstall it. What we can do, however, is disable it.

Open up Windows Defender, go to Tools on the top menu, and then click on Options.

Now click on Administrator on the left-hand pane, uncheck the box for “Use this program”, and click the Save button.

You will then be told that the program is turned off. Easy!

If you really, really want to make sure that it never comes back, you can also open up the Services panel through Control Panel, or by typing services.msc into the Start Menu search or run boxes. Find Windows Defender in the list and double-click on it…

And then you can change Startup type to Disabled.

Sources : Howtogeek.com

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Low and High Disk Formatting

2010-04-28T08:53:00.008+08:00

My article is all about high and low level disk formatting. I coming back from a busy schedules that is why I am updating my blog for now. Anyway, moving on I have heard a colleague that he is some what having problems regarding downgrading Win 7 to Windows XP and he mentioned that he cannot be able to downgrade his OS from XP after installing Windows 7

One answer from me is this since Microsoft has release that there was a rule about this. click this link about Understanding Downgrade Rights

But on my end here if he wants still to give it a shot to have his Windows XP installed I told him to do a low level formatting or high level of formatting. See article below...

Low Level Formatting - Low-level formatting is the process of outlining the positions of the tracks and sectors on the hard disk, and writing the control structures that define where the tracks and sectors are. This is often called a "true" formatting operation, because it really creates the physical format that defines where the data is stored on the disk. The first time that a low-level format ("LLF") is performed on a hard disk, the disk's platters start out empty. That's the last time the platters will be empty for the life of the drive. If an LLF is done on a disk with data on it already, the data is permanently erased (save heroic data recovery measures which are sometimes possible).

If you've explored other areas of this material describing hard disks, you have learned that modern hard disks are much more precisely designed and built, and much more complicated than older disks. Older disks had the same number of sectors per track, and did not use dedicated controllers. It was necessary for the external controller to do the low-level format, and quite easy to describe the geometry of the drive to the controller so it could do the LLF. Newer disks use many complex internal structures, including zoned bit recording to put more sectors on the outer tracks than the inner ones, and embedded servo data to control the head actuator. They also transparently map out bad sectors. Due to this complexity, all modern hard disks are low-level formatted at the factory for the life of the drive. There's no way for the PC to do an LLF on a modern IDE/ATA or SCSI hard disk, and there's no reason to try to do so.

Older drives needed to be re-low-level-formatted occasionally because of the thermal expansion problems associated with using stepper motor actuators. Over time, the tracks on the platters would move relative to where the heads expected them to be, and errors would result. These could be corrected by doing a low-level format, rewriting the tracks in the new positions that the stepper motor moved the heads to. This is totally unnecessary with modern voice-coil-actuated hard disks.

Note : You should never attempt to do a low-level format on an IDE/ATA or SCSI hard disk. Do not try to use BIOS-based low-level formatting tools on these newer drives. It's unlikely that you will damage anything if you try to do this (since the drive controller is programmed to ignore any such LLF attempts), but at best you will be wasting your time. A modern disk can usually be restored to "like-new" condition by using a zero-fill utility.

Source: pcguide.com

High Level Formatting - After low-level formatting is complete, we have a disk with tracks and sectors--but nothing written on them. High-level formatting is the process of writing the file system structures on the disk that let the disk be used for storing programs and data. If you are using DOS, for example, the DOS FORMAT command performs this work, writing such structures as the master boot record and file allocation tables to the disk. High-level formatting is done after the hard disk has been partitioned, even if only one partition is to be used. See here for a full description of DOS structures, also used for Windows 3.x and Windows 9x systems.

The distinction between high-level formatting and low-level formatting is important. It is not necessary to low-level format a disk to erase it: a high-level format will suffice for most purposes; by wiping out the control structures and writing new ones, the old information is lost and the disk appears as new. (Much of the old data is still on the disk, but the access paths to it have been wiped out.) Under some circumstances a high-level format won't fix problems with the hard disk and a zero-fill utility may be necessary.

Different operating systems use different high-level format programs, because they use different file systems. However, the low-level format, which is the real place where tracks and sectors are recorded, is the same.

Source : PCguide.com

Warning:Please note that if you are not familiar of this ask for help from any Computer Techs that you know. Its you risk and its up to you if you want to do this on yourselves.

Upgrading your Netbook to Windows 7 Premium

2010-04-16T08:46:00.021+08:00

Usually netbooks operating system is bundled with Windows 7 Starter Edition. Why? It is because the starter edition of Windows 7 is the cheapest of all other Windows 7 Editions. Anyway it has a lot of computing task and will run your favorite programs but then it lacks many customization, multimedia, and business features found in higher editions.

On my article for today I’ll show you how to upgrade your Windows 7 starter edition to full feature edtion using Windows Anytime Upgrade.This process is also working on laptops or desktops that has already have a Windows 7

First, let’s make sure your netbook can support the extra features, such as Aero Glass, in Windows 7 Home Premium. Most modern netbooks that ship with Windows 7 Starter can run the advanced features in Windows 7 Home Premium, but let’s check just in case. Download the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor (link below), and install as normal.

Windows Upgrade advisor

Once it’s installed, run it and click Start Check.

Make sure you’re connected to the internet before you run the check, or otherwise you may see this error message. If you see it, click Ok and then connect to the internet and start the check again.

It will now scan all of your programs and hardware to make sure they’re compatible with Windows 7. Since you’re already running Windows 7 Starter, it will also tell you if your computer will support the features in other editions of Windows 7.

After a few moments, the Upgrade Advisor will show you want it found. Here we see that our netbook, a Samsung N150, can be upgraded to Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate. We also see that we had one issue, but this was because a driver we had installed was not recognized. Click “See all system requirements” to see what your netbook can do with the new edition.

This shows you which of the requirements, including support for Windows Aero, your netbook meets. Here our netbook supports Aero, so we’re ready to go upgrade.

Upgrade with Anytime Upgrade

Now, we’re ready to upgrade our netbook to Windows 7 Home Premium. Enter “Anytime Upgrade” in the Start menu search,and select Windows Anytime Upgrade.

Windows Anytime Upgrade lets you upgrade using product key you already have or one you purchase during the upgrade process. And, it installs without any downloads or Windows disks, so it works great even for netbooks without DVD drives.

Anytime Upgrades are cheaper than a standard upgrade, and for a limited time, select retailers in the US are offering Anytime Upgrades to Windows 7 Home Premium for only $49.99 if purchased with a new netbook. If you already have a netbook running Windows 7 Starter, you can either purchase an Anytime Upgrade package at a retail store or purchase a key online during the upgrade process for $79.95. Or, if you have a standard Windows 7 product key (full or upgrade), you can use it in Anytime upgrade. This is especially nice if you can purchase Windows 7 cheaper through your school, university, or office.

Purchase an upgrade online

To purchase an upgrade online, click “Go online to choose the edition of Windows 7 that’s best for you”.

Here you can see a comparison of the features of each edition of Windows 7. Note that you can upgrade to either Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate. We chose home Premium because it has most of the features that home users want, including Media Center and Aero Glass effects. Also note that the price of each upgrade is cheaper than the respective upgrade from Windows XP or Vista. Click buy under the edition you want.

Enter your billing information, then your payment information. Once you confirm your purchase, you will directly be taken to the Upgrade screen. Make sure to save your receipt, as you will need the product key if you ever need to reinstall Windows on your computer.

Upgrade with an existing product key

If you purchased an Anytime Upgrade kit from a retailer, or already have a Full or Upgrade key for another edition of Windows 7, choose “Enter an upgrade key”.

Enter your product key, and click Next. If you purchased an Anytime Upgrade kit, the product key will be located on the inside of the case on a yellow sticker.

The key will be verified as a valid key, and Anytime Upgrade will automatically choose the correct edition of Windows 7 based on your product key. Click Next when this is finished.

Continuing the Upgrade process

Whether you entered a key or purchased a key online, the process is the same from here on. Click “I accept” to accept the license agreement.

Now, you’re ready to install your upgrade. Make sure to save all open files and close any programs, and then click Upgrade.

The upgrade only takes about 10 minutes in our experience but your mileage may vary. Any available Microsoft updates, including ones for Office, Security Essentials, and other products, will be installed before the upgrade takes place.

After a couple minutes, your computer will automatically reboot and finish the installation. It will then reboot once more, and your computer will be ready to use! Welcome to your new edition of Windows 7!

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.3GP and .3G2 How to convert

2010-04-14T10:09:00.017+08:00

Do you know what is .3GP and .3G2. Below are the meaning of this two multimedia container.

3GP (3GPP file format) is a multimedia container format defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for 3G UMTS multimedia services. It is used on 3G mobile phones but can also be played on some 2G and 4G phones.

3G2 (3GPP2 file format) is a multimedia container format defined by the 3GPP2 for 3G CDMA2000 multimedia services. It is very similar to the 3GP file format, but has some extensions and limitations in comparison to 3GP.

Thanks to Wikipedia for this ...:)

This file format comes from mobile phones (i.e.video capture)but the problem right now is how can I convert this to AVI and MPG format? We have this windows free application called Pazera Free 3GP to AVI Converter. All you have to do is to download and unzip the download and there you go. No need to install it just double-click the 3gptoavi.exe file to run the application.

To add your 3GP or 3G2 files to the queue to be converted, click on the Add files button at the top left.

Browse for your file, and click Open

Your video will be added to the Queue. You can add multiple files to the queue and convert them all at one time.

Most users will find it preferable to use one of the pre-configured profiles for their conversion settings. To load a profile, choose one from the Profile drop down list and then click the Load button. You will see the profile update the settings in the panels at the bottom of the application.

We tested Pazera Free 3GP to AVI Converter with 3GP files recorded on a Motorola Droid, and found the AVI H.264 Very High Q. profile to return the best results for AVI output, and the MPG – DVD NTSC: MPEG-2 the best results for MPG output. Other profiles produced smaller file sizes, but at a cost of reduced quality video output.

More advanced users may tweak video and audio settings to their liking in the lower panels. Click on the AVI button under Output file format / Video settings to adjust settings AVI…

Or the MPG button to adjust the settings for MPG output.

By default, the converted file will be output to the same location as the input directory. You can change it by clicking the text box input radio button and browsing for a different folder.

When you’ve chosen your settings, click Convert to begin the conversion process.

A conversion output box will open and display the progress. When finished, click Close.

Now you’re ready to enjoy your video in your favorite media player.

Oopps... before I Forgot you can download Pasera here Pazera Free 3GP to AVI Converter 1.3

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PC hardware beep codes

2010-04-13T07:44:00.006+08:00

Problem on start up and the only thing that you hear is a sound or a beep on your computer? Folks, there might be a problem with you computer hardware itself (i.e. Physical memory or RAM, mother board etc.)Why I say this because this codes are usually your guide to atleast know what might be the problem in your computer.

To start of, we have this term called Power-on self-test(POST)refers to the testing sequence that occurs when a system is first powered on.

Power-on self-test (POST) is the common term for a computer, router or printer's pre-boot sequence. The same basic sequence is present on all computer architectures. It is the first step of the more general process called initial program load (IPL), booting, or bootstrapping. The term POST has become popular in association with and as a result of the proliferation of the PC. It can be used as a noun when referring to the code that controls the pre-boot phase or when referring to the phase itself. It can also be used as a verb when referring to the code or the system as it progresses through the pre-boot phase. Alternatively, this may be called "POSTing."

For embedded systems power-on self-test (POST) refers to the testing sequence that occurs when a system is first powered on. POST is software written to initialize and configure a processor and then execute a defined series of tests to determine if the computer hardware is working properly. Any errors found during the self-test are stored or reported through auditory or visual means, for example through a series of beeps, flashing LEDs or text displayed on a display. Once the POST sequence completes, execution is handed over to the normal boot sequence which typically runs a boot loader or operating system. POST for embedded systems has been around since the earliest days of computer systems.

Now see error beep codes below as I have mentioned it can help you sort the problem out or maybe before calling out an IT technician to check on your Computer Hardware.

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Power-on self-test

Autoplay, Autorun in Windows 7

2010-04-09T08:45:00.010+08:00

If you notice if you plugged in an external device on Windows it shows what you would need to do. See Figure 1.1 for the Autoplay option

Figure 1.1

Now it can be configured in Windows 7. We have also other instructions from other editions of Windows

Go to Control Panel then click Autoplay option

In order to help prevent malware from spreading using the Autorun mechanism, the Windows 7 engineering team made two important changes to the product:

1. AutoPlay will no longer support the Autorun functionality for non-optical removable media. In other words, AutoPlay will still work for CD/DVDs but it will no longer work for USB drives.

First it was like this

Now it was change into this

2. A dialog change was done to clarify that the program being executed is running from external media.

Before

Now

Some smart USB flash drives can pose as a CD/DVD drive instead of standard ones. In this specific scenario, the operating system will treat the USB drive as if it is a CD/DVD because the type of the device is determined at the hardware level.

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Netsh command

2010-04-07T07:53:00.004+08:00

What is Netsh. Netsh or Network shell is a command tool use in operating system started with WINNT and in line with operating systems like Windows 2000 and upper editions of Windows.It is also being used on local or remote configuration of network settings.

You can use the Netsh.exe tool to perform the following tasks:

Configure interfaces
Configure routing protocols
Configure filters
Configure routes
Configure remote access behavior for Windows-based remote access routers that are running the Routing and Remote Access Server (RRAS) Service
Display the configuration of a currently running router on any computer
Use the scripting feature to run a collection of commands in batch mode against a specified router.

Below are the examples on how to use the command Netsh.

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Screen Resolution in Windows 7

2010-04-05T11:46:00.011+08:00

One of the good features that I have seen in Windows 7 is changing the screen resolution. Before other versions like Windows 2K/XP/2003 all you have to do is to onto the desktop or simply go to the control panel and look for the Display Properties.

In Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, although they were still 2 clicks away, these settings got deeper inside something that looked like a lame try to re-design the look of the personalization features of Windows.

In Windows 7 UI is different and it is very easy to use. Here's how.

Right-click an empty spot on your desktop and select “Screen Resolution”

In the Control Panel'Appearance and Personalization'Display'Screen Resolution window, click on the “Resolution” drop-down list.

Notice how you can slide the slider up and down to the right resolution, and imagine that, you can even place it between stops to customize it to whatever resolution you want . Notice how the screen animation changes as well.

When satisfied, click out of the slider and click Ok.

Accept the new settings, or cancel to revert to the previous settings.

And your done.. Easy? enjoy ....

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Fixing PST file automatically

2010-04-03T17:39:00.006+08:00

My article is all about how to fix pst file using Outlook Inbox Repair Tool it is also called Scanpst.exe

From time to time, the .pst or Personal Folders file used for everything (email, calendar, contacts, tasks & more) in Outlook gets corrupted, damaged, or otherwise negatively affected on a seemingly regular basis.

Luckily there's the fortuitously included "Inbox Repair Tool" from Microsoft. The bad news is it's buried in the bowels of your hard drive's Program Files folder.

The Outlook ScanPst.exe .PST Recovery Tool

To get at it, you'll need to navigate to this path using Windows Explorer:

For Outlook XP & 2003: Hard Drive Letter:\Program Files\Common Files\System\MSMAPI\LocaleID (which is 1033 for the USA or similar)

For Outlook 2007: Hard Drive Letter:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE12Now, inside this folder, you're looking for this particular setup file: "Scanpst.exe" When you run the .exe, you'll need to Browse... to your current .pst file and hit Start:

The Inbox Repair Tool will now scan the corrupted .PST file for errors:

If your PST file is recoverable, you'll see the repairable errors show up in the scan results. To fix them, select Repair.:

Transferring Recovered PST File Data to New PST File

Once the repair finishes, Outlook creates a "Recovered" version of your .pst file, and you need to tell Outlook to use it rather than the old, damaged or corrupted .pst file.Next, you'll need to point Outlook in the right direction, namely at the recovered .PST file: Start Outlook Normally

With the Folder List open, you should see a Recovered Personal Folders folder with the usual Outlook Personal Folders, or a Lost and Found option.If the Lost and Found folder has a file that the Inbox Repair Tool successfully fixed, it will show up here. If it's empty, the Repair Tool was unsuccessful.If you do see a fixed .pst file in the Lost and Found box, you'll need to create a new .pst file to move the repaired file(s) to. After you've simply dragged the files over from the "Recovered" .pst file to the newly created .pst file , you can turf the Recovered Personal Folders contents.

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Download simultaneously on IE 8

2010-04-02T17:45:00.004+08:00

From previous IE versions (mostly IE 6.0 and 7.0) they only allow two simultaneous downloads unlike the new IE 8 it limits the download from one to six

However, if you need to increase this number, you must make a registry modification. The path is not the same as it was in IE 6.0 and IE 7.0, so please take care before making any change to the registry.

Please carefully read the following warning:

Warning!

This document contains instructions for editing the registry. If you make any error while editing the registry, you can potentially cause Windows to fail or be unable to boot, requiring you to reinstall Windows. Edit the registry at your own risk. Always back up the registry before making any changes. If you do not feel comfortable editing the registry, do not attempt these instructions. Instead, seek the help of a trained computer specialist.

To do so, follow the next steps:

1. Start Registry Editor.

2. Locate the following key in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\MAIN\FeatureControl\FEATURE_MAXCONNECTIONSPERSERVER

3. If it doesn't exist, on the Edit menu, point to New, click DWORD Value, and then add the following registry values:

Value name: iexplore.exe

Value data: 10

Base: Decimal

Note: By setting the value to 10, you increase the connection limit to 10.

4. Locate the following key in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\MAIN\FeatureControl\FEATURE_MAXCONNECTIONSPER1_0SERVER

5. If it doesn't exist, on the Edit menu, point to New, click DWORD Value, and then add the following registry values:

Value name: iexplore.exe

Value data: 10

Base: Decimal

Note: Again, by setting the value to 10, you increase the connection limit to 10.

6. Exit Registry Editor.

Internet Explorer 8 should now be able to download up to 10 simultaneous files.

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Removing old drivers from VISTA to Windows 7

2010-04-01T07:32:00.013+08:00

This comes from experience where in removing old drivers in Windows is very annoying even you intall the correct driver for the operating system. As if that's not enough, every version of Windows from the past 10 years or so, including server versions will retain the older driver binaries even if you upgrade or change hardware.

There is a logic behind this behavior. If, for example, you're using a removable USB disk drive, which has once been plugged in, Windows will install the appropriate driver for it. When you eject that drive, Windows retains the drivers so that they will be ready the next time you connect the drive.

But what about replacing a video adapter? A network interface card? A printer that has been thrown away? What about working with a laptop that you once used to connect to an external device, and has not used that device since? What happens to that driver if you never connect that device to your computer again?

With time, your computer will gather an increasing number of unused drivers that not only take space on your hard disk, having been still installed, they might cause problems if they are somehow enabled. In some cases they can also cause hardware conflicts. And to make things worse, when you do want to use the same device after a long period of inactivity, even if you re-install an updated version of the driver, Windows might still use the older version of it.

So how do you remove these old and un-used drivers? Let me show you.

By default, Device Manager will only show you the devices it's currently using.

What you need to do is to configure Device Manager to show all those non-present device drivers, sometimes known as "phantom devices".

Warning!

You can Edit your registry at your own risk!!!
This document contains instructions for editing the registry. If you make any error while editing the registry, you can potentially cause Windows to fail or be unable to boot, requiring you to reinstall Windows. Always back up the registry before making any changes. If you do not feel comfortable editing the registry, do not attempt these instructions. Instead, seek the help of a trained computer specialist.

Instruction 1

1. Go to Control Panel and double click on System. You can also right-click "Computer" on the Start menu (or on the desktop if it's shown there) and choose Properties.

Note: A faster way for opening up the System applet is to press the Windows logo key on your keyboard and then press Pause/Break at the same time.

2. Click on "Advance System Settings" link, and then click on the "Environment Variables" button.

3. In the System Variables section click on the "New" button.

4. In the New System Variable dialog box, under the Variable Name value enter devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices (just copy the value from here and paste it there) and give it a variable value of 1.

Click Ok.

5. In the Environment Variables window notice how the new variable appeared in the System Variables section. Click Ok.

6. In the System Properties window click Ok.

7. Log off and log on.

8. Open Device Manager (Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager).

9. From the View menu click Show Hidden Devices and notice the change.

Instruction #2:
You can perform the same task by using the registry (or even create a logon script that will add the following key to the registry):

1. Open Registry Editor.

2. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following registry key:

3. Create the following value (DWORD):

devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices

and give it a value of 1.

4. Close Registry Editor and reboot.

Important Note: Before removing the old drivers for devices you still use, it's a good idea to find and download the driver updates to a folder on your drive - especially if they're for your networking devices. If you know specifically which drivers need updating you can search for new drivers manually, but if you don't, a driver updater tool can perform an automated search and help you locate the correct downloads.

If you're specifically looking for updates for Windows 7, Device Doctor also has a handy list of the top-requested Windows 7 driver updates to get you started.

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Setting up Junk E-Mail Filters in Outlook 2003

2010-03-31T08:17:00.008+08:00

Junk Email filter by default is usually turned on for Outlook 2003. The first time Outlook 2003 moves a message to the Junk E-mail folder, it will notify you with a dialog box.

To change junk e-mail settings in Outlook 2003:

1.On the Tools menu, select Options.
2.In the Options dialog box, in the E-mail section, click Junk E-mail.

Choose the level of junk e-mail message protection you want.

Click OK.

1.You can also add or remove email addresses or sending domains to the Safe Senders list. That list can be exported and imported to another computer.

To add a sender to your Safe Senders List, Safe Recipients Lists, or Blocked Senders List:

1.Right-click on a message from the sender.
2.Point to Junk E-mail, and click either Add Sender to Safe Senders List, Add Sender to Blocked Senders List, or Add Recipient to Safe Recipients Lists.

To remove a sender's address from the list of junk mail senders:

1.Click on the message that you wish to mark as Not Junk
2.Click on the Not Junk button in the Outlook toolbar.

Note: Junk e-mail filtering must be installed and configured on the Exchange Server this is for other versions of Microsoft Exchange Server without Cached Exchange Mode,

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Task Manager

2010-03-30T08:45:00.004+08:00

My article today is about simply the TASK MANAGER.

With the Task Manager, you can do the following things:

✦ Click an application and then click the End Task button to initiate an orderly shutdown of the application.

Windows tries to shut down the application without destroying any data. If it’s successful, the application disappears from the list. If it isn’t successful, it presents you with the option of summarily zapping the application or simply ignoring it and allowing it to go its merry way.

✦ Click an application and then click the Switch To button, and Windows opens the switched-to application.

This is convenient if you find yourself stuck somewhere — in a game, say, that doesn’t “let go” while it’s taken control of your system — and you want to jump over to a different application.

But now the question is "How can I open the Task Manager"? Simply press Ctrl+Alt+Delete. Windows 7 comes up with a screen that looks suspiciously like the Welcome screen. Click the Start Task Manager link. The Task Manager should appear with a list of all running. See the screen shot below.

The Task Manager goes way beyond application control. For example, if you have a somewhat dominant techie gene (it runs in the family), you may be tickled to watch the progress of your computer on the performance monitor, which is in the Task Manager on the Performance tab.

Easy? that shoul be easy I think.

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Adding Users on Windows 7

2010-03-29T12:15:00.007+08:00

After you log on by clicking your name on the Welcome screen, you can add more users quite easily. The Getting Started item near the top of the Start menu invites you to add new users, but you don’t need an invitation to add them at any time.

Here’s how:

1. Choose Start➪Control Panel and, under the User Accounts and Family Safety heading, click the Add or Remove User Accounts option.
You see the Manage Accounts window, shown in screen shot below

2. Click the Create a New Account option.

3. Type a name for the new account.
You can give a new account just about any name you like: first name, last name, nickname, titles, and abbreviations. No sweat, as long as you don’t use the characters / \ [ ] “ ; : | < > + = , ? or *.

4. Tell Windows whether you want the account to be a standard user account or an administrator account.

5. Click the Create Account button.

You’re done the name now appears on the Welcome screen.

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Creating files and folders on Windows 7

2010-03-27T09:38:00.007+08:00

Usually, you create new files and folders when you’re using a program. You make new Word documents when you’re using Word, say, or come up with a new folder to hold all your offshore banking spreadsheets when you’re using Excel. Programs usually have the tools for making new files and folders tucked away in the File➪Save and File➪Save As dialog boxes. Click around a bit and you’ll find them.
But you can also create a new file or folder directly in an existing folder quite easily Follow these steps:

1. Move to the location where you want to put the new file or folder.
For example, if you want to stick the new folder Revisionist Techno Grunge in your Music folder, choose Start➪Music.

2. Right-click a blank spot in your chosen location.

By “right-click a blank spot,” I mean “don’t right-click an existing file or folder,” okay? If you want the new folder or file to appear on the desktop, right-click an empty spot on the desktop.

3. Choose New (see Screen Shot) and pick the kind of file you want to create.

If you want a new folder, choose Folder. Windows creates the new file or folder and leaves it with

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Finding Windows 7 Keys for all Versions

2010-03-15T11:29:00.004+08:00

Find Windows 7 Keys for all Versions?

You forgot your Windows 7 Key and you are thinking how are you gonna find it again?

If you've lost your product key, it's located in the but is encrypted and not readable, making finding it difficult.

Here are the steps on how to get back your Windows 7 key again

Important: Please read my Windows Product Keys FAQ for more information.

Here's How:

1. Manually locating the Windows 7 product key from the registry is nearly impossible due to the fact that it's encrypted.

Note: The manual techniques used to locate the product key for operating systems like Windows 95 and Windows 98 will not work in Windows 7. Those manual procedures will only locate the product ID number, not the actual product key used for installation. Lucky for us, several free programs exist to help find product keys

2. Choose a free product key finder program that supports Windows 7.

Note: Any product key finder that locates Windows 7 product keys will locate the product keys for any version of Windows 7: Ultimate, Enterprise, Professional, Home Premium, Home Basic, and Starter.

3. Download and run the key finder program. Follow any instructions provided by the software.

Note that for this example I am using Magicbelly key finder. To know the step by step guide click here.

4. The numbers and letters displayed by the program represent the Windows 7 product key. The product key should be formatted like xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx - five sets of five letters and numbers.

5. Write this key code down exactly as the program displays it to you for use when reinstalling Windows 7.

Note: If even one character is written down incorrectly, the installation of Windows 7 that you attempt with this product key will fail. Be sure to transcribe the key exactly.

One more tip guys...

If you need to install Windows 7 but you still can't find your Windows 7 product key, even with a product key finder, you have two choices.

You can either request a replacement product key from Microsoft or you can purchase a brand new copy of Windows 7.

Requesting a replacement Windows 7 product key is going to be cheaper but if that doesn't work out, you may in fact have to buy a new copy of Windows.

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Windows RC to final upgrade

2010-03-10T09:45:00.010+08:00

Here are the steps that were outlined for upgrading the Windows 7 beta release. However there are some slight problems on doing this you can’t upgrade directly from a pre-release version—at least, not without a quick and easy workaround, and we’ve got you covered.

The Problem

Windows 7 checks whether or not the current version you are running is a pre-release copy, and prevents you from upgrading further. For reference purposes, this is the error you’ll see when you try and upgrade.

The Solution

The solution is to edit a file inside the Windows 7 DVD—which you’ll have to extract to the hard drive to proceed.

•If you are using an ISO image for the installation progress, you can use the awesome 7-Zip utility to extract the ISO to a folder on the drive.
•If you are using an actual DVD, you can simply copy all of the files from the DVD to a folder on your hard drive.

Once you’ve extract the files, browse down into the “sources” folder to find the cversion.ini file.

Once you’ve opened up the cversion.ini file, you’ll notice that the MinClient line has a value of 7100.0 or 7230.0, and since the Windows 7 RC release is build 7100, you can understand why it’s not working.

All you need to do is change the MinClient value to something less than the current build you are using. For the RC release, you can change it to 7000.

Now you can simply launch the setup.exe file from within the folder, and do the upgrade directly from the hard drive. Once you’ve started the setup, click Install now.

Once you get to the type of installation screen, choose to Upgrade the existing install.

Once you reach the Compatibility Report screen (if it doesn’t show up at all, be happy about it), you’ll see the list of applications that probably won’t work once you upgrade. Realistically most of these apps will work just fine, but the important thing is that you’ll be able to upgrade.

Note: You could always smooth the upgrade process by removing any apps that have compatibility problems, before you do the upgrade.

At this point, the upgrade should start working, and will take a rather long time.

Important Notes

There are a few important things to keep in mind when you are upgrading to the final version:

The Windows 7 beta or RC releases were Ultimate edition, so you’ll only be able to upgrade to the RTM (final) if you are installing Ultimate Edition.
Whenever possible, you should really backup your files and do a clean install. There are less headaches this way, and you get the benefit of a nice clean profile.

Enjoy guys!!!!

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Creating Data Backup

2010-03-09T09:59:00.006+08:00

Unless your computer is attached to a network with reliable backup services (for example, if you have a Windows Home Server network or your computer is attached to a network storage device that automatically performs backups), you should take advantage of Windows 7’s abilities to make copies of your key files — and then ensure that those files are stored off-site, away from the computer from whence they came.

Here’s how to get backups going on your computer:

1. Choose Start➪Getting Started➪Back Up Your Files.

If you’ve never performed a backup, Windows responds with a Backup and Restore Center dialog box, informing you of that fact.
You may also see this dialog box if you plug an external hard drive into your computer and choose Use This Drive for Backup.

2. Click Set Up Backup.

Windows starts its backup software. That can take awhile. When the dialog box comes up as shown below

3. If you have a network, and you’re running windows 7 Professional or Ultimate, you should store the backup on another computer’s hard drive, so click the Add Network Location button and follow the instructions.

Windows 7 Starter and Home Premium editions don’t allow you to automatically back up to a different computer on your network.

You have to provide a valid username and password for the computer that will take your backups out on the network.

The username and password have to be valid on the backup computer when the backup program runs.

4. Click the location that you want to hold your backups, and then click Next.

You see the Configure Backup dialog box, shown below

5. Specify whether you want to select the list of folders for backup or whether you trust Windows to do the dirty deed. (See the following sidebar, “What does Windows want to back up?” for details.) Click Next.

If you elect to choose your own files for backup, Windows 7 gives you an opportunity to select file locations, but not file types. So, for example, you can say that you don’t want to back up anything in a user’s Videos library — but you can’t tell Windows 7 that you want to include (or exclude) particular kinds of files.
The Configure Backup Wizard presents you with the criteria it intends to
use, as shown in the below screen shot.

6. Click the Change Schedule link at the bottom to change the scheduled backup time.

Generally it’s a good idea to choose a schedule that doesn’t interfere with your normal work schedule. If you commonly surf the Lonely Hearts sites until 3:00, go for 4:00. :-D

7. When you’re ready to run a backup — and it can take a while — click the button marked Save Settings and Run Backup.

The backup routine needs to transfer a lot of data, so just wait until it finishes.

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The Power of IT

GOD of WAR III

2010-03-09T09:24:00.003+08:00

"It has been a long road. To be at the finish line is great."

So says developer Stig Asmussen, who has just put the final touches on what has been called the most eagerly awaited video game of 2010: the fantastic action-adventure sequel "God of War III."
The game, coming March 16 for Sony's PlayStation 3 console, is the culmination of nine years of work for director Asmussen and the rest of Sony's creative team for the "God of War" series.
High-profile games rarely live up to massive hype, but early reports on "God of War III" -- in which gamers battle gods from Greek mythology -- have been glowing.

" 'God of War III' is expected to deliver the most bombastic, over-the-top action-adventure game ever," said video game analyst Scott Steinberg, author of "Get Rich Playing Games." "The demo was phenomenal. This has never been a series known for a light touch."
A description of the forthcoming game on PlayStation's site even promises "new heightened levels of brutality and gore." Hollywood also is considering a movie adaptation of the series -- which Sony says has sold over 8.7 million copies worldwide -- although no project is imminent.
The "God of War" series debuted in 2005 and follows the exploits of a former Spartan warrior named Kratos as he seeks revenge against Ares, Zeus and other Greek gods who wronged him. The 2007 "God of War II" ends with Kratos enlisting the aid of the legendary Titans in his quest.
The popularity of the first two games (not counting two lesser "God of War" titles), plus the fact that that "GOW III" is expected to be the end of the series, has fans clamoring for this final chapter. At last year's Spike Video Game Awards, "God of War III" was named Most Anticipated Game of 2010.
Some observers even wonder whether "GOW III" can top the all-time fastest-selling PS3 exclusive game, "Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots," which sold a whopping 1.7 million units in its opening week in 2008.
Demo and gameplay videos reveal that "GOW III" is expected to pick up where "GOW II" left off -- with a massive assault on the gods' stronghold of Mount Olympus.
The ambitious scale shown in previews is what Asmussen had hoped to achieve when he took over the "God of War" franchise. Sony hired Asmussen away from Midway Games in 2001 to work as the lead environmental artist on the series.
"I built a number of the major levels of 'God of War' and worked on the early designs," said Asmussen, who drew on his previous experiences to help him achieve his vision for "God of War III."
Asmussen said they never originally intended to make a trilogy but realized they had a hot property on their hands after the original "God of War" won the Game of Show award at the E3 gaming conference. They immediately jumped into working on "God of War II."
Working with director Cory Barlog on "God of War II" helped give Asmussen a greater understanding of all the skills needed to put together a blockbuster title -- skills that would be put to the test after he was named game director for "God of War III," he said.
He said work on "GOW III" began while developers at Sony's studios in Santa Monica, California, were still working on "GOW II." A small group of designers and developers began testing the limits of a new console: the PlayStation 3.
"First, it kind of scared the crap out of us," Asmussen said of the PS3, which hit stores in 2006. "We knew the expectations were going to be high."
When production on "GOW III" began in 2007, Asmussen was given a script outline with major points on characters and locations, but it was missing a true narrative to tie it all together.

Reports from CNN

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The Power of IT

Install Essentially

2010-03-08T09:53:00.003+08:00

Want to install a couple of lively ones? Here’s how to get the Windows Live Essentials installed to your computer

1. Choose Start➪Getting Started➪Get Windows Live Essentials.

Windows 7 fires up (what else?) Internet Explorer and sends you to the Live Essentials download page, download.live.com. Alternatively, you can use any browser you like and go to the same page.

2. Click the Download button on the right.

Choose to Save the file. The Windows Live Installer is transferred to your computer.

3. Double-click the installer or do whatever you need to do (depending on your browser) to run it.

4. Take a look at the list in the first section of this chapter and choose the Windows Live Essentials that strike your fancy. Click Install.

In the screen shot shown you can choose Windows Live Messenger, Mail, Photo Gallery, and Movie Maker. Your mileage may vary. The Windows Live Installer churns away for a while, and then comes back with a set of check boxes that ask you to set your search provider and home page and to “help improve Windows Live.”

5. Deselect all the check boxes and then click Continue.

Here’s what Microsoft is trying to get you to agree to: If you select the first check box, the installer downloads the Choice
Guard program, which changes the default search engine in both Internet Explorer and Firefox to Microsoft’s own Live Search. I find it creepy that Choice Guard looks for programs on your computer that might automatically change the default search engine to something else, and nullifies them, to ensure that Live Search is set as the default and stays there. Programs that change the default search engine are scummy by definition. Choice Guard protects against such scum — but only if you pick Windows Live Search as your default search engine. If you select the second check box, the installer downloads Choice Guard and sets both the Firefox and Internet Explorer home pages to msn.com.
Once again, Choice Guard roots out and nullifies any scummy competing programs that might change the home page back. Microsoft says that Choice Guard runs only once, so if you change your default search engine or home page, it doesn’t come back to haunt you.

The final check box lets you send all your Windows usage history, browser history, lists of songs you listen to and videos you watch, and just about anything else you do to Mother Microsoft so that the company can improve Windows Live.

6. When the final panel asks you to sign up for a Windows Live ID, ignore what it says and click Close.
If you have a Hotmail ID, a Messenger ID, or an Xbox Online ID, you already have a Windows Live ID. The Windows Live Essentials you chose are installed and ready to use. In fact, Windows Live Messenger is so pushy that you immediately see the sign in screen, and if you click the X box to close Messenger, it informs you that it will continue to run so that you can be alerted if somebody tries to send you a message.

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Windows 7 HomeGroup

2010-03-05T09:29:00.002+08:00

Windows 7 offers a new networking feature called Home Group that is designed to offer some features of a traditional domain, but be easier for the average user to configure.

Whether you actually support home clients or just your family and friends, it’s a good idea for IT pros to familiarize themselves with this new feature, as you’re likely to run across it in the future. See tutorial on setting up a Windows 7 homegroup and using it to share files.

How do I create and configure a network with Windows 7 HomeGroup?

Extend default folder sharing capabilities in Windows 7 HomeGroup

How do I make Windows 7 HomeGroup content accessible to Vista and XP?

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