To, make Windows Explorer view you hidden file, just choose Show hidden files and folders option. Unfortunately, usually virus has hidden the Folder Options menu. So, you can’t access that option.

The secret to open it, locate in NoFolderOptions value on HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer in registry. Usually, user is using Registry Editor application. But unfortunately, in most cases, the regedit application is disabled as well.

So, you can try this way. The way is using reg command. Just type this command in your Run menu box or DOS console: REG DELETE HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer /v NoFolderOptions.

You can type it in Run box menu directly

Or, in DOS prompt console

If you ask a confirmation, just type Y then press Enter. And then restart your computer to apply the new registry setting.

The Folder Options menu is appearing again.

So, I decide to find a good converter application that has ability to convert from many format to my favorite format. Then, I found it, the application is Format Factory.

Format Factory supports so many format to read. To use it, it’s very easy.

1. Download the application first (sure…).
2. You’ll get a .zip file, extract it.
3. The execute it (the file name that I got was FFSetup170.exe, the number 170 can change if the version is increase), by double click it.
4. Then follow the installer instruction, mostly just click Next button.
   
5. After installation is finished, open the application by click Start -> All Programs -> FormatFactory.
   
6. Now, I want test it. I will convert my .wav file to .mp3 format. To do this task, just click Audio tab and then click All to MP3 icon.
   
7. The next screen is ask you to input the file that will converted. To add certain files or single file just click Add File button and if you want to add entire files in a folder, click Add Folder button.
   
8. You can also to adjust the output file settings. To make some adjustment to output file settings, click Output Setting button.
   
9. The next action if you done with adding files is click OK button to bring you to main window.
10. To start convert your file list, just click Start button.
    

It’s very simple, isn’t it?

Ubuntu

To get one of them, you must swipe your credit card for approx. US$50 and up. How does the free version? Don’t worry, you can use the VirtualBox to using virtual machine free of charge. Although it’s free, VirtualBox has good performance. So, I want test it above Windows XP and try to install Ubuntu 8.10 as its guest OS.

And here are the steps:

1. Download latest version of VirtualBox.
2. If you don’t have it yet, Download Ubuntu 8.10 ISO file.
3. Install, VirtualBox. It’s very easy, mostly just click Next button.
4. After VirtualBox is installed, open it.
5. First, setting up your virtual hard drive by click File -> Virtual Media Manager menu.
6. In Virtual Media Manager, click Action -> New menu.
7. Follow all screen in Create New Virtual Disk wizard. I suggest Dynamically expanding storage as Storage Type value.
   
   Give it file name and adjust its size, I recommend to at least 4GB.
   
8. After virtual hard drive is created, in VirtualBox screen click Machine -> New menu.
9. Give it the name that representative to Ubuntu such as Ubuntu 8.10 and Operating System to Linux and Version to Ubuntu.
   
10. I recommend to adjust memory size to at least 512MB, in next screen, choose your virtual hard drive that you created and then in next screen click Finish button to finalize the wizard.
11. Then, boot up the machine with your Ubuntu ISO that attached as virtual CD/DVD. To do this, click Machine -> Settings menu.
12. Click tab CD/DVD ROM, check the Mount CD/DVD Drive, click ISO Image File and then browse to your download iso file.
    
13. Start your virtual machine by click Machine -> Start menu.
14. Then follow the Ubuntu installation wizard. It’s very easy, I no doubt about that…
    
    
15. After installation progress is done (based on my experiment, it takes about an hour), it will restart the virtual machine and… your Ubuntu is started.
    
    

Hopefully, this article can help you to install Ubuntu above your exist Windows XP.

Actually, the solution to cancel it is very easy, just press your Esc button to cancel it. So, when your finger still press and  hold the mouse button to drop the object, just press Esc key on your keyboard to cancel it and I don’t need to put it on statusbar anymore.

So, I try it. To install it, the steps are:

1. Download it from its website.
2. After download progress is finished, double click the downloaded file.
   
3. Then, just follow the installation steps (mostly, you need to click Next button only).
   
4. After installation is finished, you need to make some adjustment to its configuration. Based on my experiment, I am change nothing on the configuration. Then click Quit button.
   
5. Open Tux Paint by click Start -> All Programs ->Tux Paint (Windowed or FullScreen). You choose it.
   
6. And this is a first screen of Tux Paint.
   
7. Then, my boy is very happy to drawing on it.
   

By default, Tux paint gives you just small number of Stamp. But you can add it and here are the steps:

1. You can add them by download on download page and then choose Tux Paint Stamps file.
   
2. Then double click the downloaded file.
   
3. Follow its installation progress (I will say the same word: Mostly, click “Next” button).
   
4. After the installation process is finished, try to reopen the Tux Paint.
5. Click menu Stamps, viola… you have a huge number of stamps now.
   

Finally, I think this software has good appearance and supported by nice sound effect. So no doubt, I decide to try this software to my boy. And his reaction? He’s very happy with it and our wall is not dirty anymore

And here are commands those I use them almost everyday:

1. %TEMP%. This command will open your temporary files folder. I open it everyday to make my computer clean from trash files. Instead of open this folder by open C:\Documents and Settings\<user_name>\Local Settings\Temp manually, use this way.
2. %WINDIR%, this command will open your Windows folder.
3. %PROGRAMFILES%, this command will open your Program Files folder where almost your entire application installed.
4. %USERPROFILE%, this command will open your profile folder.
5. winword, open Microsoft Word.
6. excel, open Microsoft Excel.
7. notepad, to open notepad. I use it everyday to make a temporary note such us my friend’s phone number.
8. calc, to open calculator (Windows built-in application). I calculate something every day
9. firefox, to open my best internet browser is Firefox.
10. regedit, to open Registry Editor. I like to browse my registry structure and its values and to otak atik (read: learn) them.

What’s your favourite command?

Finally, I found it yesterday. Because I want to save my money (I think everybody has the same way with me today), I want to find a freeware password manager application but it has a secure system and ease to use. Hmm, I almost forget, I want the application can run without install it first because I want to bring it in my USB drive so that I can open it everywhere. And I found Keepass Password Safe.

This application can fulfill my need to manage my passwords. You can download it on their download page. Their are providing 2 versions, version 1.xx and 2.xx. Although version 2.xx is a newer version but you need .NET Framework to run it. And each version is provide 2 model, Windows Installer EXE and ZIP Package.

If you plan to bring it in your USB drive, choose the ZIP Package because you don’t need to install it first. Just unzip it and run the keepass.exe file. To use this application is very easy (I am using the ZIP Package but the Installation mode has a same screen).

• For the first time,  you need to set your master password. Then you need to remember your master password only. You can also create your Key File, but I did not create it because I worry if the key file is damage, I can’t open it.
  
• After you create the password, you can entry your password and user name now. By default, Keepass gives you some default groups. But you can add it as your need. I suggest you to put your entries as its group, so you’re not confusing to find it later.
  
• To entry your user and password in Keepass is very easy, just click Edit -> Add Entry menu and type your entry in each field that asked. In the entry form, you can use the password generator to help you to create a new strong password (you can see at Quality bar to check your password quality).

I have a favorite feature that Keepass has, Keepass can help you to enter your user and password to current web form that you want filled. To make it happens just click Tools button in Entry form and then choose Auto-Type: Customize Sequence menu. Beside it you’ll get so many great features on Tools menu.

Google Alerts

If you are have Google account already, you don’t need to register to this service again, just use your Google account to login.

After login, you can set a phrase to monitor very easy.

1. Just type your phrase to Search phrase box. I want to monitor a phrase “www.otakatik.com”, so I type it on Search terms box.
    
2. Choose your your alert type that you want to monitor. Choose it in Type combo. I suggest, if you’re monitoring from entire of souce, choose Comprehensive type. In Type combo, you will find six type of alert:
   • News, the result is from 10 ten of Google News latest news.
   • Web, the result from top twenty of Google search result.
   • Comprehensive, the result from entire of Google services (News, Google Search, Blog Search, Video and Groups).
   • Video, the result from Google Video.
   • Groups, the result from Google Groups.
3. Then decide the frequency the email will send into your inbox. The options are as-it happens, the email will send every time Google Alerts find your term; once a day, the email will send for once a day; once a week, you’ll get an email that contains your monitored term for once a week. I’ve set it to once a day.
4. In Deliver to combo contains your email (usually, it contains your account email) and feed.
5. The last step is click Create Alert button. If it is created successfully, you’ll get this message.
    
6. And if Google Alerts finds your terms in their database, you’ll get an alert by email.
    

Ok, back to main topic. To configure your Gmail theme is too easy.

1. Click Settings menu, you can find it on top side and then click tab: Themes.
   
2. Change the location to your city where you’re living right now. Because I am living at Yogyakarta city, so I change it to Yogyakarta. You can change it by click Change link.
   
3. And here is the unusual part (at least for me). I was choose the Tree theme. And my inbox is being like this:
   
   and on above side is like this:
   
4. And when my city got rain and I was open my Gmail, surprisingly my theme was being like this:
   
   and on below side:
   

See, my “Tree” themes always change to my current city weather. I think that’s a creative idea to a email service theme. What is your favorite Gmail theme?

Update:
When the sky is cover by cloud, I got my theme was change be like this:

So I will share to make it with Macro.

OK, Microsoft Excel can give us flexibility to make our own tool with Macro, just follow these steps to make it.

1. Open Microsoft Excel, you may open it by click Start -> All Programs -> Microsoft Excel or click Start -> Run menu then type excel in textbox then press Enter key.
   
2. To make a macro, click Tools -> Macro -> Visual Basic Editor menu.
   
3. After Visual Basic Editor is open, make a module with click Insert -> Module menu.
   
4. Then type this code in its workspace:

   Sub ZoomIt()
   Dim my_range As Range
   Dim zoom_in As Single
   Set my_range = Selection
   zoom_in = 5
   
   For Each p In ActiveSheet.Pictures
       If p.Name = "ZoomIt" Then
           p.Delete
           Exit For
       End If
   Next
   
   my_range.CopyPicture appearance:=xlScreen, Format:=xlPicture
   ActiveSheet.Pictures.Paste.Select
       With Selection
           .Name = "ZoomIt"
           With .ShapeRange
               .ScaleWidth zoom_in, msoFalse, msoScaleFromTopLeft
               .ScaleHeight zoom_in, msoFalse, msoScaleFromTopLeft
               With .Fill
                   .ForeColor.SchemeColor = 9
                   .Visible = msoTrue
                   .Solid
               End With
           End With
       End With
   my_range.Select
   
   Set my_range = Nothing
   End Sub

   

5. Recheck the code and if make sure that the code is right (you may copy then paste the code from above and if you’re ensuring it right click Debug -> Compile VBA Project menu.
   
6. Close the Visual Basic Editor window.
7. Right click on empty space in Microsoft Excel toolbar area then click Customize menu.
   
8. Click Commands tab and click Macros category then click Custom Button commands.
   
9. Drag it to toolbar that you want (I choose to put it beside Help icon).
   
10. And if you’re doing it right you can see a new icon on toolbar.
    
11. Then assign the macro with right click the icon and click Assign Macro menu.
    
12. Choose ZoomIt Macro in list then click OK button.
    
13. To make it more user friendly, right click the icon and change its name and view it in Image & Text mode.
    
14. And look the icon looking now.
    
15. Now, try to type some data in cell.
    
16. Try to move cursor on a cell then click the macro icon on toolbar.
    
17. Here is the result.
    
18. To close the zoomed cell just click the zoomed cell then press Delete key.
    

(article no: 0099)