Open .docx files(office 2007 &2010) on Office 2003 and Older versions

If you are using MS Office 2003 or older version then you cannot access new .docx format. Here is a small add-on for Older versions of Office to access the new .docx format.just download this add-on and install it.
compatibility pack for MS Office 2003/XP/2000 .

Other Alternatives:

1. Docx2doc
2. Google Docs

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Add "Safe Mode" to Boot menu in XP

There are several reasons why you may wish to boot your system into Safe Mode:

• in order to install some drivers correctly and reliably
• to carry out housekeeping tasks such as disk defragmentation
• to perform any number of trouble-shooting tasks

The traditional way of booting to Safe Mode is to press the F8 key during the boot process, to display a list of available boot options.
You can add safe mode option directly to your boot menu by modifying boot.ini file...
boot.ini is usually located in root of C drive and is hidden file.... If you are not intrested in changing settings to display hidden files just right-click on "MY COMPUTER" and choose Properties.On the Advanced tab, click the Settings button, which bring up the Startup and Recovery window.Click the Edit button; the boot.ini file will be opened in Notepad. Before editing it is recommended to save that file with other name so that it may be easy to restore
Then... locate the [Operating Systems] section.
Copy the entry beneath this that relates to your default operating system, and paste it on the line below.
Add "/safeboot:minimal /sos /bootlog" to the end of the line you just copied. If you want networking support, then change "minimal" to "network".
Your Boot.ini file must be look soomething like this after editing..

.

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GODMODE in Windows 7

What is God Mode? This is a hidden Windows 7 Feature, which is also available in VISTA which provides you an extended control panel to control your computer. So you can access all the available control options in one place.
Here are the Steps to create "GOD MODE"

1. First Create a new folder and rename it to "GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}"
2. You can replace the word "godmode" with the word you like and your extended control panel will be renamed with this word..
3. You are done. Now this folder is your godmode open this and you can access the below features
   

Complete list of  functions that you can access via the godmode in Windows 7.

Action Center

Change Customer Experience Improvement Program settings
Change User Account Control setting
Check security status Choose how to check for solutions
Choose how to report problems
Fix problems with your computer
Restore your computer to an earlier time
Review your computer’s status and resolve issues
View all problem reports
View messages about your computer
View recommended actions to keep Windows running smoothly
View reliability history
View solutions to problems
View the Microsoft error reporting privacy statement online

Administrative Tools

Create and format hard disk partitions
Defragment your hard drive
Diagnose your computer’s memory problems
Edit group policy
How to add new hardware
Schedule tasks
Set up data sources (ODBC)
Set up iSCSI initiator
View event logs
View local services

AutoPlay

Change default settings for media or devices
Play CD’s or other media automatically
Start ot stop using autoplay for all media and devices

Backup and Restore

Back up your computer
Restore data, files, or computer from backup

BitLocker Drive Encryption

manage BitLocker
Protect your computer by encrypting data on your disk

Color Management

Change advanced color management settings for display, scanners, and printers

Credential Manager

Manage Windows credential

Date and Time

Add clocks for different time zones
Automatically adjust for daylight saving time
Change the time zone
Set the time and date

Default Program

Make a file type always open in a specific program
Set your default programs

Desktop Gadgets

Add gadgets to the desktop
Add the Clock gadget to the desktop
Get more gadgets online Restore desktop gadgets installed with Windows
Uninstall a gadget
View list of running gadgets

Device Manager

Update device drivers

Devices and Printers

Add a device
Add a printer
Change default printer
Change device installation settings
Device Manager
Scan a document or picture
Set up USB game controllers
View devices and printers
View scanners and cameras

Display

Adjust ClearType text
Adjust screen resolution
Calibrate display color
Change display settings
Change screen orientation
Connect to a projector
Connect to an external display
How to correct monitor flicker (refresh rate)
Make text and other items larger or smaller
Set up computer to use multiple monitors
View the name of the video card

Ease of Access Center

Accomodate learning abilities
Accomodate low vision
Change how your keyboard works
Change how your mouse works
Change the Narrator voice
Control the computer without the mouse or keyboard
Hear a tone when keys are pressed
Hear text read aloud with Narrator
Ignore repeated keystrokes using FilterKeys
Let Windows suggest Ease of Access settings
Magnify portions of the screen using Magnifier
Move the pointer with the keypad using MouseKeys
Optimize for blindness
Optimize visual display
Press key combinations one at a time
Replace sounds with visual cues
Turn High Contrast on or off
Turn Magnifier on or off
Turn off automatic window arrangement
Turn off background images
Turn off unnecessary animations
Turn on easy access keys
Turn On-Screen keyboard on or off
Use audio description for video
Use screen reader
View current accessibility settings

Folder Options

Change search options for files and folders
Change the file type associated with a file extension
Show hidden files and folders
Show or hide file extensions
Specify single- or double-click to open

Fonts

Change Font Settings
Preview, delete, or show and hide fonts
View installed fonts

Getting Started

Find out what’s new in Windows 7
Go online to find out what’s new in Windows 7
Go online to get Windows Live Essentials
Transfer files from another computer

HomeGroup

Choose homegroup and sharing options
Share printers

Indexing Options

Change how WIndows searches

Internet Options

Block or allows third-party cookies
Change security settings
Change temporary Internet file settings
Configure proxy server
Delete cookies or temporary files
Enable or disable session cookies

Keyboard

Change cursor blink rate
Check keyboard status

Location and Other Sensors

Enable location and other sensors
Enter a default location
View location activity

Mouse

Change how the mouse pointer looks
Change how the mouse pointer looks when it’s moving
Change mouse click settings
Change mouse settings
Change mouse wheel settings
Change the mouse pointer display or speed
Customize the mouse buttons
Make it easier to see the mouse pointer

Network and Sharing Center

Add a wireless device to the network
Change People Near Me settings
Connect to a network
Identify and repaid network problems
Manage advanced sharing settings
Manage saved networks
Manage wireless networks
Media streaming options
Set up a connection or network
Set up a dial-up connection
Set up a virtual private network (VPS) connection
Set up an ad hoc (computer-to-computer) network
Sign in or out of People NEar Me
View network computers and devices
View network connections
View network status and tasks

Notification Area Icons

Customize icons on the taskbar
Remove icons from notification area (system tray) on the desktop
SHow or hide clock icon on the taskbar
Show or hide inactive icons on the taskbar
Show or hide the notification area on the taskbar
Show or hide volume (speaker) icon on the taskbar

Parental Controls

Set up parental controls for any user

Performance Information and Tools

Check the WIndows Experience Index
Free up disk space by deleting unnecessary files
Learn how to use your storage device to speed up your computer
Use tools to improve performance

Personalization

Change desktop background
Change screen saver
Change the theme
Change window colors and metrics
CHange windows glass colors
Enable or disable transparent glass on windows
Get more themes online
Lock the computer when I leave it alone for a period of time
Personalize your computer
Set screen saver password
Show or hide common icons on the desktop
Turn screen saver on or off

Phone and Mode

Set up dialing rules

Power Options

Change power-saving settings
Change what the power buttons do
Change when the computer sleeps
Choose a power plan
Choose when to turn off display
Edit power plan
Require a password when the computer wakes

Programs and Features

Add or remove programs
Change or remove a program
How to install a program
Run programs made for previous versions of Windows
Show which programs are installed on your computer
Turn Windows features on or off
Uninstall a program
View installed updates

Recovery

Restore your computer or reinstall Windows

Region and Language

Change display language
Change keyboards or other input methods
Change location
Change the date, time , or number format
Change the languages used for partially translated menus and dialogs
Change the way currency is displayed
Change the way dates and lists are displayed
Change the way measurements are displayed
Change the way time is displayed
Install or uninstall display languages

RemoteApp and Desktop Connections

Set up a new connection with RemoteApp and Desktop Connections

Sound

Adjust system volume
Change sound card settings
Change system sounds
Manage audio devices

Speech Recognition

Change text to speech settings
Set up a microphone
Start speech recognition

Sync Center

Encrypt your offline files
Manage disk space used by your offline files
Manage offline files
Resolve sync conflicts
Sync with other computers, mobile devices or network folders
View sync results

System

Activate Windows
Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows
Allow remote access to your computer
Allow Remote Assistance invitations to be sent from this computer
Change workgroup name
Check processor speed
Configure advanced user profile properties
Create a restore point
Device Manager
Edit environment variables for your account
Edit the system environment variables
How to change the size of virtual memory
Join a domain
Rename this computer
Restore system files and settings from a restore point
See the name of this computer
Select users who can use remote desktop
Show how much RAM is on this computer
Show which operating system your computer is running
Show which workgroup this computer is on
View advanced system settings
View running processes with Task Manager

Taskbar and Start Menu

Auto-hide the taskbar
Customize the Start menu
Customize the taskbar
Find missing Start menu
Group similar windows on the taskbar
Lock or unlock the taskbar
Organize Start menu
Restore Start menu defaults
Turn toolbars on the taskbar on or off
What happened to the Quick Launch toolbar?

Troubleshooting

Find and fix audio playback problems
Find and fix audio recording problems
Find and fix networking and connections problems
Find and fix printing problems
Find and fix problems
Find and fix problems with devices
Find and fix problems with homegroup
FInd and fix problems with transparency and other visual effects
Find and fix problems with Windows Search
Perform recommended maintenance tasks automatically
Record steps to reproduce a problem
Troubleshooting History

User Accounts

Add or remove user accounts
Change your account picture
Change your Windows password
Create a password reset disk
Create administrator account
Create an account
Create or remove account password
Create standard user account
Link online IDs
Make changes to accounts
Manage file encryption certificates
Manage network passwords
Turn guest account on or off

Windows CardSpace

Manage Information Card that are used to log on to online services

Windows Defender

Scan for spyware and other potentially unwanted software

Windows Firewall

Allow a program through Windows Firewall
Check firewall status

Windows Update

Check for updates
Turn automatic updating on or off

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Alternative Web Browsers for WINDOWS

Firefox : The fastest and most reliable browser for windows
Google Chrome :It is just what a browser should do & stripped it down to web essentials
Safari  providing the most enjoyable way to experience the Internet.
Microsoft Labs PIVOT: Its nothing but an Internet browser which works on the basis of Internet Explorer 8(only IE 8 and vista or windows7) with the new attractive looks and cool features.
Opera Opera’s newest Web browser introduces a new technology platform, Opera Unite, allowing you to stream music or share files, photos and more, right from the browser.
Flock – Flock is a social browser that integrates with web services for blogging, photo sharing, and bookmark sharing.
ShenzBrowser – This is a customized browser for individual use.
JonDoFox Browser – Try it for private & secure browsing.
PhaseOut – PhaseOut adds functionality to your current Internet Explorer version.
Crazy Browser – It is an easy-to-use fast browser.
Smart Bro – Smart Bro is a tabbed browser, similar to Internet Explorer, but with many new features.
Bitty Browser – Bitty Browser helps you keep track of your favorite Web stuff by enabling navigable windows directly within your favorite sites
Amaya – Amaya is a Web editor/browser, i.e. a tool used to create and update documents directly on the Web.
Midori – Midori is a lightweight web browser.
Sleipnir – Sleipnir is designed to be a highly customizable browser that you can configure to suit your individual needs.
SRWare. Looks exactly like Google. But without the feedback.
Arora light-weight browser.
cometbird   its xerox of firefox n faster than firefox,,

Kid Rocket
Maxthon
Avant 
Lunascape
Slim Browser
Sea Monkey
Prism
Deepnet Explorer
K-Meleon
Browse 3D
xb Browser

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Record Steps in Windows 7(used to to Reproduce a Problem)

In Windows 7 if you have any problems and you are not sure how to solve it then you can capture the steps to recreate the problem using in-built tool. This allows the user to send it as a single page with all the screenshots and steps to a friend who know how to solve it or to the customer support for any programs.
Go to Start and type Problem Steps in the search. (then open the "record steps to reproduce problem" in results)
The original location of this program is in control panel->troubleshooting.

watch an example output for this   (if u cant see the result page download as a zip file and open in "INTERNET EXPLORER")

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Fake Antivirus Softwares

These following antivirus softwares are not real and they dont even scan your computer but says that virus is present in your computer and these softwares are itself a virus

1. Total Security,
2. System Security,
3. Windows Protection Suite, 
4. Windows Police Pro, 
5. GreenAV, and 
6. MS Antispyware 2009.

if u see any of the above programs dont download and install them.These are VIRUS not ANTIVIRUS
if u find any related fake softwares post me at just_thambyz@yahoo.co.in

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Adding Universe and Multiverse repository in UBUNTU

By default, Ubuntu does not enable the Universe and Multiverse repositories. But they include some important programs and codecs, so it is highly recommended to activate them. There may also be non-Ubuntu sources that you might wish to add to your Ubuntu machine.

The repositories (of apt) are stored in a file called /etc/apt/sources.list
First you should create a backup of your existing sources.list file:
sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list_backup

Next you edit the sources.list file with an editor like GEdit.
sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

There is an incode documentation. Uncomment everything you need, especially the universe and multiverse repositories.

If you prefer to do it graphically with the apt-frontend Synaptic, there is a detailed manual with screenshots at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/AddingRepositoriesHowto.

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Windows 7 tips

Use Hidden International Wallpapers and Themes

When you first install Windows 7, it asks for your language, time and currency. Based on your responses, it installs a set of wallpapers and themes. If you choose English (United States) for your time and currency format, for example, the available desktop backgrounds and themes will include a United States section with scenery from locations such as Maine, the Southwest and so on.
Hidden, though, are background scenery and themes from other English-speaking countries -- Australia, Canada, Great Britain and South Africa. Normally, you can't access those backgrounds or themes, but there is a simple way you can install and use them:
1. In the search box in the Start menu, type C:\Windows\Globalization\MCT and press Enter. (Note: If Windows 7 is installed in a drive other than C:, use that letter instead.)
2. Windows Explorer will launch and show you a list of subfolders under C:\Windows\Globalization\MCT: MCT-AU, MCT-CA, MCT-GB, MCT-US, and MCT-ZA. Each subfolder has wallpapers for a specific country: AU for Australia, CA for Canada, GB for Great Britain, US for the United States, and ZA for South Africa.
For any of the countries whose wallpaper and themes you want to use, go into its Theme folder, for example, C:\Windows\Globalization\MCT\MCT-ZA\Theme. Double-click the theme you see there (for example ZA).

A South Africa theme, ready to use.

 

3. That will install a shortcut to the theme and wallpapers in the Personalization section of Control Panel.
You can now use them as you would any other theme or background, by right-clicking the desktop, choosing Personalize, and choosing a background or theme. They will be listed in their own section.

Shake Your Desktop Free of Clutter

If you frequently run multiple programs simultaneously, your desktop can get extremely cluttered. This can get annoying if you're working on one program and want to minimize all the other windows -- in previous versions of Windows you had to minimize them individually.
With Windows 7's "shake" feature, though, you can minimize every window except the one in which you're currently working -- in a single step. Click and hold the title bar of the window you want to keep on the desktop; while still holding the title bar, shake it quickly back and forth until all of the other windows minimize to the taskbar. Then let go. To make them return, shake the title bar again.
You can accomplish the same thing by pressing the Window key-Home key combination -- although doing that is not nearly as much fun.

Get a Power Efficiency Report

Have a laptop and want to get more battery life out of it? Windows 7 includes a hidden built-in tool that will examine your laptop's energy use and make recommendations on how to improve it. To use it:
1. Run a command prompt as an administrator. To do this, type cmd in the search box, and when the cmd icon appears, right-click it and choose "Run as administrator."
2. At the command line, type in the following:
powercfg -energy -output \Folder\Energy_Report.html
where \Folder represents the folder where you want the report to be placed.
3. For about a minute, Windows 7 will examine the behavior of your laptop. It will then analyze it and create a report in HTML format in the folder you specified. Double-click the file, and you'll get a report -- follow its recommendations for ways to improve power performance.

Modify UAC

A laptop's power efficiency report.

The User Account Control security feature was one of the most reviled additions to Windows Vista, with good reason -- its constant warning messages asking for permission to continue many operations drove users around the bend. UAC has been significantly improved in Windows 7 so that it's not as intrusive as in Vista, but you can still tweak it if you like.

Here's how to turn UAC on or off, and make it less or more intrusive than the default:
1. Go to the Control Panel --> User Accounts and Family Safety.
2. Click User Accounts, then click Change User Account Control settings.

Modifying UAC.

3. From the screen that appears, use the slider to select the level of protection you want. Here are the four levels and what they mean:
Always notify me. Think of this as UAC Classic. It works like Vista's UAC: When you make changes to your system, when software is installed or when a program tries to make a change to your system, an annoying prompt appears.
Default -- Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer. This is, obviously, the default; make a change yourself and UAC leaves you alone. When a program makes a change, a prompt appears and your desktop goes dark, just like it does in Vista. Otherwise, UAC sits there silently.
Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer (do not dim my desktop). This setting is identical to the default setting, with one difference: It won't dim your desktop so that you only see the UAC prompt asking you to take action. This presents a slightly elevated security risk over the default setting, because theoretically a program could allow a malicious program to interfere with the UAC prompt.
Never notify me when: In this one, UAC is completely turned off. This is, of course, an insecure option and not recommended for most users.
After you make the selection, click OK. Depending on the selection you made, you may need to restart your system for it to take effect.

Start Menu tips

Many people overlook the Start Menu, rarely using it except as a jumping off point to run an application or get to the Control Panel. But there's actually plenty you can do with it.

Search the Internet from the Start Menu

The Start Menu's search box is a convenient way to search through your PC -- but you can also have it do double-duty and perform Internet searches as well. To enable this feature:
1. In the Start Menu search box, type GPEDIT.MSC and press Enter to run the Group Policy Editor.
2. Go to User Configuration --> Administrative Templates --> Start Menu and Taskbar.
3. Double-click "Add Search Internet link to Start Menu," and from the screen that appears, select Enabled. Then click OK and close the Group Policy Editor.

Enabling Internet search from the Start Menu.

 

4. From now on, when you type a search term in the Search box on the Start Menu, a "Search the Internet" link will appear. Click the link to launch the search in your default browser with your default search engine.

Customize the Shut Down Button

The default action of the Start Menu's Shut down button is to turn off your PC. If you want to use the button for another action, such as restarting your PC, you click the arrow to the right of the Shut down button and select an action from the drop-down menu.
What if you rarely shut your PC down completely but frequently restart it? You can change the Shut down button's default action to be Restart -- or Switch user, Log off, Lock, Sleep or Hibernate.
To change your default, right-click the Start button and select Properties. On the Start Menu tab, click the "Power button action" drop-down menu and select which action you want to be the default. Then click OK, and OK again.

Add a Videos Link to the Start Menu

The Windows 7 Start Menu includes links to your Pictures and Music folders, but not to your Videos folder. If you watch a lot of videos and want a link to them on your Start Menu, here's what you can do:

Displaying the Videos folder on the Start Menu.

 

1. Right-click the Start button and select Properties.
2. On the screen that appears, go to the Start Menu tab and click Customize.
3. In the dialog box that appears, scroll to the bottom, look for the Videos section, select "Display as a link," and click OK and then OK again.
If you'd prefer that Videos display as a menu, with links to files and submenus, instead select "Display as a menu."

Windows Explorer tips

Windows Explorer is the heart and soul of the Windows interface, and overall it works quite well. But you can make it better.

Use check boxes to select multiple files

In order to select multiple files for an operation such as copying, moving or deleting in Windows Explorer, you generally use the keyboard and the mouse, Ctrl-clicking every file you want to select. But if you're mouse-centric, there's a way to select multiple files in Windows 7 using only your mouse, via check boxes. To do it:
1. In Windows Explorer, click Organize, and then select "Folder and search options."
2. Click the View tab.
3. In Advanced Settings, scroll down and check the box next to "Use check boxes to select items." Click OK.
4. From now on, when you hover your mouse over a file in Windows Explorer, a check box will appear next to it; click it to select the file. Once a file is selected, the checked box remains next to it; if you uncheck it, the box will disappear when you move your mouse away.

Selecting multiple files using your mouse and check boxes.

Open a command prompt at any folder

Command prompt fans will welcome this tip. With it, when you're in Windows Explorer, you can open a command prompt to any folder. This tip does exactly what the Windows XP PowerToy "Open Command Window Here" does.
To use it, hold down the Shift key and right-click a folder, then choose "Open command window here" from the context menu that appears. (Note that this tip doesn't work in the Documents folder.)

Protect the privacy of your Explorer searches

Select "Enabled" to protect search privacy.

 

When you search through your PC from Windows Explorer, you can see the most recent searches that have been performed. If you share a PC and don't want others to see what you've searched for, you can turn off the recent searches feature:

1. In the Start menu's Search box, type GPEDIT.MSC and press Enter to launch the Group Policy Editor.
2. Go to User Configuration --> Administrative Templates --> Windows Components --> Windows Explorer.
3. Double-click "Turn off display of recent search entries in the Windows Explorer search box" and select Enabled from the screen that appears. Then click OK. The recent searches feature will now be turned off.

Set a New Windows Explorer Launch Folder

When you run Windows Explorer, it always opens to the Libraries folder. That's fine if you use Microsoft's default file organization, which designates Libraries as the overall container for your folders. But what if you don't? You might prefer to have Windows Explorer open to Computer or any other folder you choose. Here's how to do it:

Changing the default Explorer location.

 

1. Right-click the Windows Explorer icon on the taskbar (it's the one that looks like a folder), and then right-click the Windows Explorer icon from the context menu that appears and select Properties. The Windows Explorer Properties dialog box appears.
2. You'll have to edit the Target field on the Shortcut tab of this dialog box in order to change the default location at which Explorer opens.


If you want Explorer to open to a specific folder, simply enter the name of the folder, substituting your folder name for Folder, below, like this:
%windir%\explorer.exe c:\Folder
So to open Explorer to the folder named Budget, you would type this in the Target field:
%windir%\explorer.exe c:\Budget
If you want Explorer to open to special, pre-set locations, such as Computer, you'll need to enter special syntax in the Target field. Following is a list of three common locations and the syntax to use, followed by the syntax for the Libraries folder in case you ever want to revert to the default.

• Computer: %windir%\explorer.exe ::{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
• My Documents: %windir%\explorer.exe ::{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}
• Network: %windir%\explorer.exe ::{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
• Libraries: %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe

3. After you've changed the Target field, click OK. Next time you launch Windows Explorer, it will open to the new location you've designated.

Show all Your Drives in Windows Explorer

Depending on your system settings, when you go to Computer in Windows Explorer, you may be in for a shock -- you may not see all your drives such as memory card readers if those drives are empty. If this disconcerts you, there's a simple way for you to see them even if there's nothing there:

Having Explorer show empty drives.

 

1. Launch Windows Explorer and press the Alt button to reveal the top menu.
2. Select Tools --> Folder Options and click the View tab.
3. Under "Advanced settings," uncheck the box next to "Hide empty drives in the Computer folder." Click OK. The drives will now always be visible.

Build Your Own Internet Search Connector

Windows 7 has a very useful new feature called a Search Connector that lets you search through a Web site from right inside Windows Explorer. With it, you type in a search term and select the Search Connector for the site you want to search; Explorer searches the Web site without having to open Internet Explorer, and the results appear inside Windows Explorer. Click any of the results to head there using your default Web browser.
Normally, you'll need to get each Search Connector from the Web site through which you want to search, and very few Connectors are available. Sites normally need to adhere to OpenSearch standards in order for their Connectors to work.
However, there's a work-around that will let you easily build your own Search Connector for any site, using Windows Live Search as a kind of go-between. Don't worry, you don't need to know any code to write a Connector. Just follow these steps:
1. Copy the following text and paste it into Notepad. The text you'll need to change is in bold, all-caps text:


NAME YOUR SEARCH
DESCRIPTION OF SEARCH

Adding a new Search Connector.

2. In place of NAME YOUR SEARCH, type in the name of the search as you want it to appear. In our case, we're going to build a Search Connector for Computerworld, so we'll just type in Computerworld.
3. In place of DESCRIPTION OF SEARCH, type in a longer description of the search. In our instance, it will be Search through Computerworld.
4. In the two SITENAME.COM entries, enter the Web site's domain. Don't use the http:// or www -- just the domain name. In our instance it will be computerworld.com.
5. To the right of "count=", type in the number or results you want to appear. In our instance, we'll keep it at 50.
6. In our example, here's what the code should look like (no bold necessary):


Computerworld
Search through Computerworld

Results from a custom Search Connector.

 

7. Save the file in Notepad, choose UTF-8 from the Encoding drop-down box near the bottom of the Save As screen, and give it an .osdx extension. In our instance, we'll call the file Computerworld.osdx.
8. In Windows Explorer, right-click the .osdx file and select Create Search Connector. The Search Connector will be created.
9. You can now use the Search Connector. To get to it, in Windows Explorer go to YourName --> Searches --> Connector, where YourName is your account name, and Connector is the name of the Connector.

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Things to know Before buying a New Computer

I have removed this data as the specifications has changed and you should know much more than this
i'll post my updated data as soon as possible

the data given below is not complete..i'm still collecting latest data

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Make your system faster

Back to Home


Follow these tips and you will definitely have a much faster and more reliable PC!

1. Wallpapers: They slow your whole system down, so if you're willing to compromise, have a basic plain one instead!
________________________________________

2. Drivers: Update your hardware drivers as frequently as possible. New drivers tend to increase system speed especially in the case of graphics cards, their drivers are updated by the manufacturer very frequently!
________________________________________

3. Minimizing: If you want to use several programs at the same time then minimize those you are not using. This helps reduce the overload on RAM.

________________________________________

4. Turn Off Animations: Go to Display Settings from the Control Panel and switch to the Effects Tab. Now turn off Show Windows Content While Dragging and Smooth Edges on Screen Fonts. This tip is also helpful with Windows XP because of the various fade/scroll effects.
________________________________________

5. Faster Start-Menu Access: Go to the Start menu and select Run. Now type Regedit and hit Enter. The Registry Editor will appear on the screen. Now, open the folder HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. You should see a MenuShowDelay value. If you don't then do the following: right click on a blank space in the right pane and select New\String. Change the name in the new value to MenuShowDelay. Now that we have the MenuShowDelay value, double click on it and enter 0 in the value data field. This sets the start menu delay to 0 milliseconds.
________________________________________

6. Resolutions: If you are willing to do anything for faster performance from your PC, then try lowering your display resolution. The lower it is, the faster your PC.
________________________________________

7. Turn off Active Desktop: Go to your Display Properties and switch to the Web tab. Uncheck View My Active Desktop As a Web Page. Since the Active Desktop option under Windows 98 uses a lot of system resources, this option can have a dramatic effect on the speed of the whole system.
________________________________________

8. Defragment Often: Windows 98's Defrag tool uses Application Acceleration from Intel which means that when you defragment your drive, data is physically arranged on the drive so that applications will load faster.
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9. Take your PC to Bed: Using the Advanced Power Management feature under Windows 98 gives you the option to use the sleep command. That way, you can send your PC to sleep instead of shutting it down and then restarting it. It's as simple as pressing a button and then pressing the same button to wake it up. You can tell Windows after how many minutes/hours of inactivity to automatically sleep the machine in the Advanced Power Management section of the Control Panel.
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10. Faster Internet Access: If you use the internet for reference and the sites you visit are rarely updated then try the following. In IE (the same can be done in Netscape) go to Tools, Internet Options. Next, click on Settings... in the Temporary Internet Files section. Finally, select Never for the first option and double the amount of storage space to use, click OK!
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11. Benchmarking: Benchmarking can be very useful when run frequently. It can tell you how your PC's components are performing and then compare them to other machines like yours. For example, when you overclock your PC, you want to know how much more speed you have and whether it is stable. All this and more can be discovered using benchmarking. An excellent piece of software for doing this job is SiSoft Sandra which can be found in the Downloads File Archive!
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12. Refresh the Taskbar without restarting: If you in some way change the taskbar, either in Regedit or elsewhere, you can refresh the task bar without restarting. Hold down Ctrl Alt Del, and double click on Explorer. Say Yes to close Explorer, but no to closing Windows. This will refresh the Taskbar and system tray.
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13. Quick CD Eject: Instead of pushing the button on your drive, right-click your CD drive letter in My Computer and click on Eject. This will also remove any icons that have become associated with the CD drive.
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14. Start Up Programs: Windows can be slowed down when programs run on start up. To eliminate this, check your Start up folder. You can access it from the start menu: Start, Programs, Start Up. Another way to eliminate programs from loading even before Windows actually starts is by doing the following: Click on Start, then Run. Type msconfig. It will take quite a long time for this program to load, but when you finally see it on your screen, explore the different tabs. They all have to do with how quickly your PC boots, so select what you want, and uncheck what you don't want!
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15. Fonts: When Windows starts, it loads every single font in the Fonts folder. Therefore, the more fonts you have, the slower the booting process. To get rid of unwanted fonts, simply go to the Fonts folder under c:\windows and remove whatever you don't want. Fonts that have a red letter 'A' as their icon are system fonts, so don't delete them.
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16. Stretching Wallpapers: Don't "stretch" your wallpaper in Windows 98 since it actually slows Windows down when you drag icons around on the desktop.
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17. RAM Matters: If you have less than 32MB then you should seriously think of upgrading it to at least 64MB. Windows runs much more smoothly with 64MB or higher and tends to use less hard disk space for virtual memory.
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18. Partitioning: A very nice little thing you can do to boost system performance. By partitioning your hard drive, splitting one physical drive into several logical ones, you can gain several advantages. 1. If you get a virus or you accidentally format a drive, not all will be lost. 2. By placing the swap file (Win386.swp) on a separate drive, The swap file will be less fragmented and thus, faster. 3. Place Windows on a separate drive and whenever you need to reinstall it, you rest assured that your data is safe on a separate drive. Partitioning can be done using a few programs such as FDisk which comes with DOS. However, FDisk formats everything on the hard disk before partitioning. Alternatively, you can use Partition Magic from Power Quest to partition your hard disk without losing your data.

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