Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Samsung SH-B022 Blu-ray Disc writer

Product

Samsung SH-B022

Verdict

It's early days for Blu-ray, but Samsung's drive shows plenty of potential...

Suggested Price

TBC

Preview 2006: the year of High Definition video, Blu-ray and HD DVD. Well, that's the way things are looking at the moment, with just about every consumer electronics manufacturer in the world jumping on the bandwagon. These technologies aren't exclusively reserved for the consumer-electronics market - they're coming to the PC as well, and Samsung is the first manufacturer with a PC Blu-ray drive ready to go...

Samsung Blu-ray drive

The SH-B022 - once again a name that doesn't speak volumes about the product behind it - looks just like your average DVD writer, with one small difference: the big Blu-ray Disc logo on the left-hand side of the face-plate. This is the only dead giveaway, but the metallic eject button with a blue LED on each side of it also suggests there is something different going on here. The piano black fascia makes it look a lot more expensive than a typical DVD writer, but new technology always tends to get the bling treatment to make it stand out from the previous generation.

I was rather disappointed to find an IDE interface around the back of the drive, especially as Samsung has recently launched a SATA DVD writer. Considering that the next generation of South Bridge chip from Intel will drop IDE support all together, this seems like a bad move by Samsung. However, most current PCs still have at least one IDE connector, so unless it's another six months before the drive is out, this shouldn't prove to be a major problem.

Installing the SH-B022 is just as easy as fitting any other optical drive in a PC. Windows XP recognises the drive, although even with Service Pack 2 installed Windows XP wasn't interested in seeing a blank Blu-ray disc in the drive. Samsung provided a copy of Nero 7 with a special patch for the drive to make it possible to write to Blu-ray media.

The tests I could perform were limited due to the fact that I only had access to a just one BD-RE (RE for rewriteable) disc and no BD-R media. Samsung said media prices will initially be around £15 for a 25GB BD-RE disc, so we're back to the early days of expensive DVD media. The SH-B022 supports 2x writing speed, around 9MBps which equates to about 7x in DVD writing speeds. Considering that you have the ability to write 25GB to a single-layer disc, this isn't that fast and as you'll see from the tests.

I fired up Nero 7 and did a couple of write tests to get an idea on how fast the drive is. I used WinRAR to create a store archive of 12.7GB worth of files. By using the store setting in WinRAR no compression is used and this was done to maximise the file size. To write this single file to a BD-RE disc you have to use UDF (Universal Data Format) rather than ISO which is normally used when writing discs. However, anyone that is using dual-layer DVDs will be familiar with UDF.

sony blank blu-ray BD-R

The single 12.7GB file took 25m 31s to write, so it'll take roughly twice that to fill up the whole disc. Doing the same test, but with the separate files - 4,486 of them - took slightly longer, 26m 29s. So we're back to the having to wait an hour or so to burn a full disc.

I was rather disappointed when I found out that the review sample didn't offer DVD or CD writing abilities. Now, I could've lived with the fact that it couldn't write to CD, as this is a rather old technology in comparison, but the lack of DVD support seems just plain odd. Still, this was an early prototype and things may very well change by the time the product is launched. Samsung was showing off the same drive at CeBIT, but this one was clearly labelled as having DVD writing capabilities, which is promising.

So what about the BD media? Well, the BD-RE disc looked very much like a CD, but it had a dark grey surface which didn't look very reflective. Smudging it with finger prints didn't result in any problems reading the data, so there doesn't seem to be any need to worry about minor marks corrupting the densely packed data.

Samsung hasn't even set a price on the drive, although I was told it was likely to end up in the $800-900 category - ouch. It's claimed that HD DVD will be cheaper, but for now we'll just have to bide our time and wait until retail products hit the shelves. It's also worth taking into account that dual-layer media will be available later this year with 50GB of storage capacity, so unless you have the cash to spare and you don't mind being an early adopter, you might just want to wait until then.

Finally, there's the issue of what you can use a Blu-ray drive for. Sure you can store 25GB of files on it, but you can't play it back in anything else than your own drive, unless your mates are as wealthy as you. Living-room BD players should be able to handled video discs you've authored, but HD DVD players won't, at least not for the time being. There are far too many question marks about Blu-ray as a consumer technology, but the good news is that it's as easy to use as a DVD writer as long as you're only after a high-capacity storage medium.

Verdict

It's early days of Blu-ray, and the Samsung SH-B022 is the first drive to make an appearance outside company labs and beyond the exhibition stands. Hopefully Samsung will make some improvements before retail products become available - in particular, ensuring it will at least support DVD writing.

Sony's 50GB Blu-Ray Writer now in India

Sony has just introduced its first internal Blu-ray Disc rewritable drive for sale in India. The new drive (model BWU-100A) supports up to 50 GB of data on BD-R (write once) or BD-RE (rewritable) discs. The drive is capable of burning a full 25 GB disc in about 50 minutes. It also supports recording of standard single layer 4.7 GB DVDR/CDRW/RAM discs, 8.5 GB DVD-R Double/Dual Layer Discs, and CDs, making it a multi-format burner.

“Sony continues to entice with its technology by introducing the much awaited Blu-ray drive which converges the requirement of higher storing capacity and superior quality. Sony's success and leading position for DVD writers in India attributes to our abilities to deliver first to market products. Enthusiasts can now store high definition videos and also read/write on normal DVDs & CDs and all this with just one drive” said Vincent Chng, Head and Regional Sales Sony.

The software bundled with the BWU-100A drive is the Cyber Link BD Solution from Cyber link Corporation, which provides a complete software application for capturing, authoring, editing and burning high-definition personal content captured by a HDV 1080i format camcorder onto BD discs. Video can also be “down-converted” to standard-definition resolution for burning onto DVDs. The drive will be available in September through Rashi Peripherals at an expected cost of Rs XXXXX

BWU100A.jpg

Locking Folder without any Software

Many people have been looking for an alternative way to lock folders without the use of any alternative software. So, here you go.

Open Notepad and copy the below code and save as locker.bat. Please don't forget to change your password in the code it's shown the place where to type your password. Now double click on locker .bat First time start, it will create folder with Locker automatically for u. After creation of the Locker folder, place the contents u want to lock inside the Locker Folder and run locker.bat again.

**********************************************************
cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Locker
if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST Locker goto MDLOCKER
:CONFIRM
echo Are you sure u want to Lock the folder(Y/N)
set/p "cho=>"
if %cho%==Y goto LOCK
if %cho%==y goto LOCK
if %cho%==n goto END
if %cho%==N goto END
echo Invalid choice.
goto CONFIRM
:LOCK
ren Locker "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
attrib +h +s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
echo Folder locked
goto End
:UNLOCK
echo Enter password to Unlock folder
set/p "pass=>"
if NOT %pass%== type your password here goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Locker
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Locker
echo Locker created successfully
goto End
:End

worlds thinest laptop

MacBook Air: World's Thinnest NoteBook arrives!


Apple introduced the thinnest notebook of the world yesterday. It is so sleek that it can easily slip into a normal inter-office envelope. You can make it yours after a fortnight after shedding $1,799.

Physical Stats:
* Silver finish
* 13.3" widescreen
* 1280 x 800 pixel resolution
* Weight: 3 pounds
* Thickness: 0.16-0.76 inches!

Technical Stats:
* built-in iSight webcam
* MacBook style black keyboard
* Intel Core 2 Duo chip running at 1.6GHz
* 800 MHz FSB
* 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
* WLan + Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

Keeping your Macintosh well maintained

All computer systems rely on its files to perform most of their functions. To ensure a healthy system, make sure the components on the computer that manages your files are in good order. There are typical problems found on Macintoshes, namely Desktop Files and Parameter RAM corruption. This article describes tools and procedures to deal with each of these problems, and describes disk repair and preventive measures.

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for damage to your computer and loss of data, arising from the use and/or misuse of these instructions.

Many of the Macintosh maintenance procedures described here, can be carried out easily by using a free software utility called "TechTools", which is available from MicroMat.

Desktop files

On a Macintosh equipped with System 7.x, there are two index files that are used to speed up file retrieval; these are known as "desktop files". Throughout the time a computer is operational, files will be deleted, overwritten, and added to the hard disk. When desktop files go out of sync with the true contents on the hard disk, system performance slows down; in the extreme, corrupted desktop files can lead to bizzare system behaviors, such as an unusable Trash icon, and inaccessible files.

There are two ways to rebuild desktop files: a) Hold the Option and Command (the open Apple) keys down when the computer is booting up; b) Delete the Desktop DB and Desktop DF files. The first approach is easiest to do if you only need to rebuild one computer's desktop files at a time; the second approach works only if you have special software to delete these two invisible files, and is recommended for administrators of public computer labs.

Floppy disks also have desktop files that are prone to corruption. These can be rebuilt by holding the Option and Command keys down while inserting the floppy disk into the computer.

Parameter RAM

This computer memory is used to store information about the computer's startup disk, monitor resolution, and network type. When information in the Parameter RAM becomes corrupted, the computer may refuse to boot properly, and the monitor may refuse to display a picture. To fix this, you can "zap" the Parameter RAM by holding Command, Option, "p" and "r" keys when the computer is booting up. If your computer's monitor does not display a picture, and you are certain the monitor is OK, the battery that keeps your Parameter RAM alive may need replacement.

After zapping the Parameter RAM, your network settings may need to be reconfigured. If you are connected to your network through an Ethernet port, you need to run the Network, or AppleTalk Control Panel to set the appropriate port. Do nothing if you normally connect to the network through the LocalTalk port.

Disk repair

Hard disks and floppy disks are prone to storage errors and physical defects. Because a hard disk is hermetically sealed, one finds fewer physical defects on hard disks than floppy disks. Most serious problems on floppy disks are due to poor disk handling.

Apple Inc. has a utility called Disk First Aid, which can be used to perform basic repairs on disks. Disk First Aid CANNOT repair the disk you used to start the computer, but can Verify if the disk needs repair.

To repair your hard disk, boot the computer with a CD-ROM, or a floppy disk that has the appropriate system files (Finder, System, and Enablers), and run Disk First Aid from the CD-ROM or floppy disk. Select the hard disk icon, and click Repair. To repair your floppy disk, run Disk First Aid from your hard disk, select the floppy disk icon, and click Repair.

More powerful disk repair

Norton Disk Doctor is capable of performing minor file problems Disk First Aid is not able to detect or repair. In many cases, it can repair the startup hard disk; you may need to run several scans to make sure the problem is resolved; I would however recommend booting your computer with a CD-ROM, and running Norton Disk Doctor from a floppy disk.

Preventive measures

About half of all floppy disk repairs performed at MICOL fail because these disks contain media damaged by dust particles or physical scratches. Usually, physical damage occurs on the file(s) people need most. The best prevention is to keep several copies of important files in different disks, and keep disks in different locations.

Floppy disk drive heads should be cleaned once a month with a floppy drive cleaning kit. These kits are sold in mosts electronics appliance stores. Simply put a few drops of Isopropyl Alcohol (which is what the "cleaning solution" is) on the cleaning disk's felt surface; insert the cleaning floppy disk into the drive, and ignore your computer's complaints that the disk is not readable. If you're using TechTools, there is a Clean button you can click on to treat the floppy drive heads with your cleaning disk.

Run Disk First Aid once a week to verify the health of your hard disk. Run Norton Utility's Speed Disk once a month to defragment your hard drive.

Clean the rollers and the tracking ball in your mice once every month. Shutdown the computer BEFORE unplugging the keyboard or mouse; failure to do so may result in serious damage to the Apple Desktop Bus circuitry found on the motherboard.

General cleaning Tips

Below is a listing of general tips that should be taken when cleaning any of the components or peripherals of a computer as well as tips to help keep a computer clean.

  1. Never spray or squirt any type of liquid onto any computer component. If a spray is needed, spray the liquid onto a cloth and then use that cloth to rub down the component.
  2. Users can use a vacuum to suck up dirt, dust, or hair around their computer on the outside case and on their keyboards. However, do not use a vacuum for the inside of your computer as it generates a lot of static electricity that can damage the internal components of your computer. If you need to use a vacuum to clean the inside of your computer, use a portable battery powered vacuum designed to do this job.
  3. When cleaning a component and/or the computer, turn it off before cleaning.
  4. Never get any component inside the computer or any other circuit board damp or wet.
  5. Be cautious when using any type of cleaning solvents; some individuals may have allergic reactions to chemicals in cleaning solvents and some solvents can even damage the case. Try to always use water or a highly diluted solvent.
  6. When cleaning, be careful not to accidentally adjust any knobs or controls. In addition, when cleaning the back of the computer, if anything is plugged in, make sure not to disconnect any of the plugs.
  7. When cleaning fans, especially the smaller fans within a portable computer or laptop it's suggested that you either hold the fan or place something in-between the fan blades to prevent it from spinning. Spraying compressed air into a fan or cleaning a fan with a vacuum may cause damage to some fans or in some cases cause back voltage.
  8. Never eat or drink around the computer.
  9. Limit smoking around the computer.

Cleaning tools

Although many companies have created products to help improve the process of cleaning your computer and peripherals, users can also use household items to clean their computers and peripherals. Below is a listing of items you may need or want to use while cleaning your computer or computer peripherals.

Keep in mind that some components in your computer may only be able to be cleaned using a product designed for cleaning that component; if this is the case, it will be mentioned in the cleaning tips.

  • Cloth - A cloth is the best tool used when rubbing down a component; although paper towels can be used with most hardware, we recommend using a cloth when ever possible. Caution: We only suggest you use a cloth when cleaning components such as the outside of the case, a drive, mouse, etc. You should not use a cloth to clean any circuitry such as the RAM or motherboard.
  • Water or rubbing alcohol - When moistening a cloth, it is best to use water or rubbing alcohol. Other solvents may be bad for the plastics used with your computer.
  • Portable Vacuum - Sucking the dust, dirt, hair, cigarette particles, and other particles out of a computer can be one of the best methods of cleaning a computer. Over time, these items can restrict the airflow in a computer and cause circuitry to corrode. Do not use a standard vacuum as it can generate a lot of static electricity that can damage your computer.
  • Cotton swabs - Cotton swaps moistened with rubbing alcohol or water are excellent tools for wiping hard to reach areas in your keyboard, mouse, and other locations.
  • Foam swabs - Whenever possible, it is better to use lint-free swabs such as foam swabs.

Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit [Full iSO]

Download :

http://rapidshare.com/files/114597083/nfs3.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/114597146/nfs3.part2.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/114597133/nfs3.part3.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/114597092/nfs3.part4.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/114595558/nfs3.part5.rar

Download and Enjoy !

Damn Small Linux 4.4.4

Damn Small is a very versatile 50MB mini desktop oriented Linux distribution. DSL was originally developed as an experiment to see how many usable desktop applications can fit inside a 50MB live CD. It was at first just a personal tool/toy. But over time Damn Small Linux grew into a community project with hundreds of development hours put into refinements including a fully automated remote and local application installation system and a very versatile backup and restore system which may be used with any writable media including a hard drive, a floppy drive, or a USB device.

DSL has a nearly complete desktop, and many command line tools. All applications are chosen with the best balance of functionality, size and speed. Damn Small also has the ability to act as an SSH/FTP/HTTPD server right off of a live CD. In our quest to save space and have a fully functional desktop we've made many GUI administration tools which are fast yet still easy to use. What does DSL have?

XMMS (MP3, CD Music, and MPEG), FTP client, Dillo web browser, Netrik web browser, FireFox, spreadsheet, Sylpheed email, spellcheck (US English), a word-processor (Ted), three editors (Beaver, Vim, and Nano [Pico clone]), graphics editing and viewing (Xpaint, and xzgv), Xpdf (PDF Viewer), emelFM (file manager), Naim (AIM, ICQ, IRC), VNCviwer, Rdesktop, SSH/SCP server and client, DHCP client, PPP, PPPoE (ADSL), a web server, calculator, generic and GhostScript printer support, NFS, Fluxbox and JWM window managers, games, system monitoring apps, a host of command line tools, USB support, and pcmcia support, some wireless support.

Damn Small is small enough and smart enough to do the following things:

• Boot from a business card CD as a live linux distribution (LiveCD)
• Boot from a USB pen drive
• Boot from within a host operating system (that's right, it can run *inside* Windows)
• Run very nicely from an IDE Compact Flash drive via a method we call "frugal install"
• Transform into a Debian OS with a traditional hard drive install
• Run light enough to power a 486DX with 16MB of Ram
• Run fully in RAM with as little as 128MB (you will be amazed at how fast your computer can be!)
• Modularly grow -- DSL is highly extendable without the need to customize

Change in DSL v4.4:

* New Lua/Fltk refactored for enhanced performance.
* New Fltk library now available for C/C++ programs.
* New fldiff - File Diff GUI Viewer.
* Update to rsync to v3.0.2
* Updated mydslBrowser - new feature "Download Only"
* Modified "X Window Snapshot" to save image file with date.
* Added dfm association for easy display of "X Window Snapshot" images.
* Updated .torsmorc for more consistent "used/free/total"
* Restored Firefox default search engines.
* New low resource background & theme.
* New font added smoothansi - used in jwm menu.
* New .luafltkrc for Lua/Fltk theme and defaults.
* Updated dmix.
* Updated man script, new -o -b options and site.
* Fixed permissions on fusermount.
* Fixed cpanel bug to turn off ssh daemon.
* Modified nfs-common to also start portmap when needed.
* Patched kbdconfig to properly select keymaps.
* Modified .bash_profile to eliminate an extra login shell.
* Updated cgi example test.lua to call proper cgi.lua
* Removed stray line in Fluxbox menu.
* Updated "Getting Started" document with Wiki link and wireless info link.

download :

http://w16.easy-share.com/1701193291.html

or

http://rapidshare.com/files/136538205/Damn_Small_Linux_4.4.4.rar

Hear your Pdf files speak !

You can listen to any PDF instead of reading, yes it is possible with
Adobe Reader 7 .0 or 6.0 and the short cut is

Ctrl+shift+b -to hear the entire Document
(View -> Read out Loud -> Read to the End of Document)

Ctrl+shift+v -to hear the page
(View -> Read out Loud -> Read This Page)

If it is not convenient to hear, because the voice is very fast, u can adjust that using the Voice Speed -> slow adjustment in the Control Panel->SPEECH.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Caricature Photo To Cartoon software


Caricature Photo To Cartoon v2.0.3143.35129

Photo to Cartoon converts photographs into cartoons with a few clicks. No drawing required! Use the result cartoons as avatars, to sign emails and letters, make greeting cards and party announcements, or create a unique art gift. A cartoon makes an original and amusing present that even that person who has everything would be happy to get.

Download: (3391 kB)
Code:

http://rapidshare.com/files/136803548/Caricature.Photo.To.Cartoon.v2.0.3143.35129-SXForum.org.rar

1000 Cool Wallpapers for Mobile


1000 Cool Wallpapers for Mobile [176x220] [16MB]

Download :

http://rapidshare.com/files/126997588/1000ColallppersforMbile.rar

Windows Doctor v2.0

Windows Doctor is a top professional program on the security protection and system optimization of the Windows operating system.

It thoroughly scans patch vulnerabilities, Startup items, plug-ins, services and processes, etc., in the system with its rapid and stable search engine to diagnose possible security threats and protect your system from the threats of spyware, adware, Trojans and viruses.

Windows Doctor also provides functions such as Registry Cleanup, Privacy Cleanup, System Speed-Up and Advanced Tools. They help you clean up garbage information in the registry, protect your privacy, make your computer run more stable and with better performance.

Main Features:

*Windows Security Analysis:
Windows Doctor can fix security vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system, clean Startup items, BHOs, services and processes that threat system security to provide you with a safer system.

*Registry Cleanup:
The program rapidly and thoroughly search and clean useless and invalid information in the registry, so your system can run faster and more stable.

*Privacy Cleanup:
It thoroughly cleans the traces of your Internet access and software use in the system to protect your privacy. The function supports many applications such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Yahoo Messenger, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat Reader, WinZip, Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, etc.

*System Optimization:
The function of System Speed-Up analyzes various information such as CPU, memory, services and drivers, and intelligently provides an optimized solution based on the current system configuration.

*Utilities:
"Utilities" (Advanced Tools) includes System Information, Service Manager, Process Manager, BHO Manager and Startup Manager.

*Update Wizard:
Update Wizard helps you make sure that you are using the latest version of Windows Doctor, in turn, to protect your system more thoroughly.

*Restore:
Windows Doctor supports full restoration which can help you restore any modifications you made on the system.

Change Log:

2.0.0.0 [Aug. 11, 2008]
# Improved the search engine for Registry Cleanup; the search speed will be faster and the results will be more comprehensive

1.7.0.3 [Mar. 05, 2008]
# Updated the database for System Security Analysis

Download: (4627 kB)
http://rapidshare.com/files/136805031/Windows.Doctor.v2.0-SXForum.org.rar

Video DVD Maker FREE 3.12.0.25

If you are looking for a flexible, easy-to-use, lean and focused DVD maker, Video DVD Maker will deliver this competitive edge. Similar to the best DVD authoring software in its class, Video DVD Maker allows ordinary users to get high quality outputs, even if they don't know the subtleties of recording technology. The intuitive interface leads you through a comprehensive set of logical steps to capture and output DVDs. In addition, the price can't be beat! It's free!Video DVD Maker FREE screenshot
Editor's rating
Users' rating (43 votes) Rate it!
License Freeware / $0
Downloads this week 198295
Publisher Protectedsoft Ltd.
File size 6958K
Date added 25-Sep-2008

Click this link to Start Download : Download Video DVD Maker FREE 3.12.0.25

When it comes to ease-of-use, Video DVD Maker lives up to its name. There is no need to get your camcorder and TV set connected. The only thing needed is to create a DVD and put it into the player. The program enables you to capture video from various video devices, including TV tuners, web cameras, DVs, as well as imported video from any video files, including AVI, DIVX, XVID, MP4, MPG, WMV, ASF, MOV. You can easily play these DVD-videos on your home DVD player after burning on a CD/DVD R/RW disk. Moreover, this product features a small-sized distributive and free utility program to create your DVDs. The straightforward workflow and efficient interface guides you through the steps needed to create your DVDs. Video DVD Maker guarantees you easy DVD creation, with a minimal learning curve. You can substitute one DVD for the bulky TV and camcorder connection.

Video DVD Maker Features at a Glance:

1 Capture video from any video device (DV camera, web camera, TV tuner, etc.)
2 Import any video file (AVI, DIVX, XVID, MP4, MPG, WMV, ASF, MOV, FLV, etc.)
3 Burn to any type of media (CD R/RW, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD DL, etc.)
4 Intuitive user interface
5 Freeware

Audacity

Audacity is a free, easy-to-use audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. You can use Audacity to:

  • Record live audio.
  • Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.
  • Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files.
  • Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together.
  • Change the speed or pitch of a recording.
  • And more! See the complete list of features.

About Free Software

Audacity is free software, developed by a group of volunteers and distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL).

Free software is not just free of cost (like "free beer"). It is free as in freedom (like "free speech"). Free software gives you the freedom to use a program, study how it works, improve it and share it with others. For more information, visit the Free Software Foundation.

Programs like Audacity are also called open source software, because their source code is available for anyone to study or use. There are thousands of other free and open source programs, including the Firefox web browser, the OpenOffice.org office suite and entire Linux-based operating systems such as Ubuntu.

We welcome donations to support Audacity development.

Ohloh has statistics on the value of Audacity development. The Ohloh "badge" at the bottom of each page on this site shows updated summary values. We set up the Ohloh pages about Audacity so the statistics show only the values of Audacity-specific development, excluding the third-party code libraries Audacity uses.

Bundling, Reselling or Distributing Audacity

Vendors are free to bundle Audacity with their products, or to sell or distribute copies of Audacity (see Vendors and Distributors of Audacity) under the GNU General Public License (GPL).

Recommended Download

System Requirements

Click the appropriate link below, which takes you to the SourceForge download page - don't "save link as.." or "save target as..". The SourceForge download should start automatically. If it does not, click the links in the orange panel marked "direct link" or "mirror". Only these links and the automatic download are authorized versions of Audacity. Disable any automatic download managers if the download is incorrect.

Optional Downloads

  • LADSPA plugins 0.4.15 installer (.exe file, 1.5 MB) - over 90 plug-ins.

  • LAME MP3 encoder - Allows Audacity to export MP3 files.

  • VST Enabler - Allows Audacity to load VST plug-ins.

  • Plug-Ins - Download additional effects and filters.

  • If you have trouble with your download, or need an older version of Audacity, try our alternate download links (older versions can be viewed by clicking on the appropriate package).

  • Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista: Audacity 1.2.6 zip file (3.0 MB) - If you cannot run the installer because you are in a computer lab or other restricted environment, download and unzip this file instead.

System Requirements

Windows 95 and NT are not supported.

The values in the "Recommended RAM/processor speed" column below are for tasks like recording for an hour, or editing three 20 minute tracks simultaneously. The values in the "Minimum RAM/processor speed" column will be fine for smaller/shorter tasks, especially if unnecessary programs are closed.

Windows version Recommended RAM/
processor speed
Minimum RAM/
processor speed
Windows 98, ME 128 MB / 500 MHz 64 MB / 300 MHz
Windows 2000, XP 512 MB/1 GHz 128 MB/300 MHz
Windows Vista Home Basic 2 GB / 1 GHz 512 MB / 1 GHz
Windows Vista Home Premium/
Business/Ultimate
4 GB / 2 GHz 1 GB / 1 GHz

Generally, Audacity works best on computers meeting more than the minimum requirements in the table above. Where Audacity is to be used for lengthy multi-track projects, we recommend using Windows 2000, XP or Vista running on machines of substantially higher specification than the minimum stated above.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Driver Detective 6.2.5.0

Description:

Vista Drivers and XP Drivers are at your fingertips when you use Driver Detective software and service. Drivers HeadQuarters is the first and only driver update service providing manufacturer specific drivers for your computer. Driver Detective is simple and easy to use and designed to make updating drivers fast. Drivers HeadQuarters has an experienced support staff available to help you, with integrated customer support tools built in. Driver Detective can save you endless hours of work and aggravation updating your drivers. Download the latest Vista Drivers and XP Drivers today using Driver Detective.

System Requirements:

Windows® Vista, XP Pro, XP Home, 2003 Server, 2000 in 32 bit or 64 bit Editions.
• 300MHz or higher processor
• 256 MB of RAM
• 22 MB of hard disk space

Supported Browsers
• Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher
• Firefox 1.2 or higher
• Opera 8 or higher

.NET Framework 2.0 is required for this product. If needed, it will be installed during Driver Detective installation.

DOWNLOAD:

http://rapidshare.com/files/146696635/DDetctive.rar


PASSWORD : sxforum.org

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Dead Hunt




Deadhunt is a first-person arcade shooter (FPS) game that merges the best features of arcade and FPS action games with fresh ideas and new twists.

An addictive 3D-shooter game where you consistently develop your character by killing endless monsters and getting bonuses. Stay as long as possible on fighting pits against hordes of zombies and skeletons.

Note: This new version works 100%
you'll get the demo screen but its the full game!

Note 2 : If you get the message 'Trial Expired' just run the installer again, and you can continue playing.. your saved game will still be there

Download : copy link & paste in your browser

http://www.adrive.com/public/
ca887498971fcac91fc33b2e12ee072707afb44e5
c3269f7a8394e23b1ab42bd.html

password : viruz212

Dos & old softwares Links

If you are interested, try the following websites:

for old pc softwares : http://www.vetusware.com/

for old dos games : http://abandonia.com/

Normally, old DOS applications and DOS games will not run in Windows, but we we use DOSBOX we can solve this issue. This is a freeware, using this we can run our old dos applications and dos games on our Windows PC.

Try this software from http://www.dosbox.com/

Try the following websites to check these old softwares / dos games for virus scanning :

Site1 : http://virusscan.jotti.org/

Site2: http://virustotal.com/

How To Access The Data Inside Crashed HDD?

Many of my friends when their Operating System (OS) crash, they just format the PC because they thought that they cannot access the data inside the Hard Disk. But even, if our OS crash, we can still access our data inside the crashed HDD. I hope most of you have seen the blue screen of death when your Operating System crash.

We can access the data by using Portable LiveCD like Portable XP / Linux Live CD. My preference is SLAX Linux Live CD.

Just boot your computer with newly burned bootcd (SLAX). After successful boot you can be able to see your hard drive contents from the folder view. No need to mount the partitions, because it is already mounted. Just use a pendrive to backup your importat data.

Otherwise, use the below method :

Just remove your crashed HDD from the your PC and connect that with other Xp based PC's secondary slot, check with bios for HDD detection and boot it. After booting you can see your HDD in My Computer view as D: or E:


download link : http://www.slax.org/

Just use a pendrive to backup your importat data.

Courtesy : Dataget.org

Device Driver Collector

Driver Collector

Are you facing Driver missing problem while reinstall your PC ? The solution is backup your Device Drivers, below mentioned program will do that,

This is freeware, No need to install, even you can run from your pendrive and works with all Windows OS.

Program Name : Driver Collector
Version : 1.2 - Download from here

http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/Driver-Collector-Download-4729.htmlDevice

Wireless Network Adaptor

You've been slaving away on your homework or that business deal at home in your home office all day long. Wouldn't it be nice if you could take your work with you the living room so that you can curl up on the sofa with your laptop on a lap desk? Or what about relaxing in the cool breeze of your back porch?

With the right wireless network adapter, you can take a notebook computer and access the Internet anywhere in your home! Leave those old phone cords behind! This is the wireless age! Do you have kids who each have their own computers in their rooms? You can also connect all of the desktops in your home to the same high-speed Internet with one wireless connection.

All you need is a high-speed Internet connection and a wireless network adapter. It's not very complex at all to install a wireless network adapter in your home--you won't need to bring in an expert! And it can be very inexpensive to buy a wireless network adapter, too!

Most wireless network adapters are USB-compatible. All you do is have a high-speed Internet connected to one desktop computer in your home and then place the USB cord of your wireless network adapter into a USB port on that desktop computer and a wireless PC card to receive the signals in the USB ports of every other computer.

The wireless network adapter draws its power from the desktop computer, whether it's on or not, as long as it's plugged in, and begins emitting signals throughout the house. The other desktop computers and all of the laptop computers in your home will need wireless adapter cards, which are also typically just plugged into a USB port, to receive the signals. Now you have working high-speed Internet anywhere in the house!

The best part? Wireless network adapters can be purchased for as little as $15! However, many others cost between $30-70 and some wireless network adapters even costs hundreds of dollars.

The more data you need to transmit and download and the more computers you have using the wireless network adapter's signals, the higher quality wireless network adapter you may need. However, there's no need to spend an enormous amount of money unless you're using the wireless network adapter at a business.

You can try the Web site of your high-speed Internet provider or even the Web site of your computer manufacturer for a number of wireless network adapters. Most wireless network adapters are universal, however, so you can find great deals at electronics specialists online or at electronics stores. Try Best Buy, Circuit City, or even Amazon.com.
Having the freedom to roam your house while working makes work feel like less of a chore. You don't have to be "chained" to as desk anymore! Buy a wireless network adapter and consider yourself free of wires and chains!

Wireless Network Installation

Laptop Batteries : How To Make It Work Even Longer.

There are certain things to note when you are using your notebook on batteries.
Especially when it comes to using notebook on batteries, I believe notebook users alike are having the same problem of fast battery consumption (myself included). I’ve been tweaking around lately and I think I should write this post to share with those who might be having the same problem like me and most importantly how to overcome it. There are 10 things to note for you to maximize your notebook battery usage.

1) Regular De fragmentation - De fragmentation is like arranging your files in order.

Example: When you go to a library, the book that you are searching for will be a bit faster if it is arranged from the A to Z alphabetical order and in their numbering code system. This way you will also save time and energy to search for the book.

The same principal also applies to the notebook. Regular the defragmentation process will result in less time and energy (battery usage) used by the notebook computer system. This will eventually lead to a longer battery life.

2) Lower Contrast - A dimmer screen means less battery usage used by the notebook LCD.

3) Use Programs Only When Necessary - We tend to use and open programs files which we sometimes may not need to access so frequently. Stop or exit running programs and applications like Messenger and Skype if you are not using them at that particular time. Most of the quick launch programs that appear that the bottom right hand of the screen are background running services which will use battery energy. Multitasking of programs will eventually lead to a fast consumption of battery usage.

4) Minimize Usage Of External Devices - USB thumb drives, portable hard disks and any notebook peripheral connected to the USB/1394/Fire wire ports will take up battery power. Less usage of these devices means conservation of energy to your notebook€™s battery.

5) Put More Physical RAM - By increasing your RAM, you can save CPU usage and hence save your battery energy. Some might argue the fact with an increase of RAM this will lead to more battery energy being transferred to the RAM. Well in the other hand I believe with added RAM, applications will run faster and the Virtual Memory is normally utilized by the CPU will take less battery power and will prevent you getting symptoms like “system hanging� which also simply input to both the user’s frustration and battery usage in energy.

6) Run From Hard Disks - Try creating a virtual drive from programs such as Nero, PowerISO or Alcohol 120%. By running these programs on a virtual platform, we minimized the usage of optical drives like the CD or DVD drive which take a lot of battery energy.

7) Battery Maintenance - Keep battery contacts clean on interval. Clean the contacts with rubbing alcohol after 2 to 3 months of usage. This will allow efficient battery energy to flow through the notebook. Remember also to use the notebook while on battery mode at least once every 2 to 3 weeks. This should refresh the batteries Li-Ion components from discharging effects. Keep them healthy by charging and discharging them to the fullest once in every 2 to 3 weeks.

8) Hibernation Mode - Hibernation mode is much more recommended than the Standby mode. Why? Hibernation will save your notebook settings from where you left off, and completely shut down the notebook thereafter. You can resume your work by just touching the “On/Off� power button.

9) Cooler Environment - We all know temperature is a major factor in PC computing especially when it comes to the notebook. With a cooler environment, cool air will make your notebook work more efficiently. That is why most internet cafes that are set up these days are air-conditioned.

10) Tweak Power Options - The Control Panel provides options for you to change the power settings. Via the Power Settings in the Control Panel, select the “Laptop battery mode� or Low Powers� to reduce energy usage.

If all of the above steps lead to a failure result, it’s time for you to get a better notebook.

Laptop Security .... Why Is It A Must ?

Almost half of the world communities are getting a notebook, I believed it has become an essential need to mankind nowadays.

To have a notebook is an enjoyment but I believed nobody wants their privacy be leaked.

That is why I strongly believed that a notebook security is a Must!

I've been visiting some friends lately and most are asking me the same question, "How to do?"

That's is why I am creating this post to clear any doubts that any users might have in their aim to have not only a fun, lightweight, nicely designed, fast notebook but an unbreakable one too.
Here are the 10 best practices that you can use in order your notebook data is safe.

* Protect Hard Drive with Data Encryption Software If you using Windows Vista, you can use the in built EFS (Encrypting File System) named Bit Locker. It can be found at the Control Panel but unfortunately it only applies to Windows Vista Ultimate and Enterprise editions only. For those whom wanted to use a third party software, there's Steganos. They are currently the leading software maker in security and privacy.

* Track Your Notebook Tracking software are available for you to track keyloggers. What keylogging does is that it detects whatever the users keys in the computer and reports it back to the creator..... kinda like an invasion to your privacy.... no-one would like that!

* Install Virus and Spyware Detection cum Removal Tools An anti-virus and at least spyware removal tool is a need. The "sulks of these robotic mechanism" (in another terms ... pests) can silently be installed in one computer without being noticed. Sophisticated viruses and spywares have been widespread and even the state of the art anti-virus are unable to be captured. But it is essential to protect you from the 99% of all harm and dangers to your notebook.

* Lock It Down How? Use a lock of course. Be it a software or hardware lock, it's essential to those who travels a lot and did not want to loose their prized asset. Cable locks are examples of hardware locks, wherelse Laptop Alarm is an example of the software ones.

* Firewall Necessity The firewall is the first line of defense in every notebook. This should be the primary task. Often users tend to think that anti-virus is the one but however that is not the reality. But these days there are a lot of Internet Security Suites by various companies and you will get the 2 in 1 package minus all the headaches in configuring the anti-virus and firewall separately.

* Patch Up Your OS Windows is a very exposed and vulnerable software. Thus patches are important to block all those "leaked holes" in the system. The same applies to Linux users too.

* Secure Passwords Strong passwords can proof to be a blessing in disguise in protecting your data. But you would want it too difficult as it might backfired on you one day.

* Wi-fi Caution With the convenience of Broadband anywhere at shopping malls, restaurants and fast food outlets ... connecting without caution could have a deadly effect. Remember to disable all "Shared folders" and have your notebook secure before entering such networks. You might not know who might be crawling beside you.

* Disabling Unwanted Services Some services are simply cloaking up the system. Unnecessary for some and even vulnerable left unattended. Thus actions need to be taken in solving this issue. I'll be sharing about this in my next post soon.

* Is Your Notebook Insurance Protected? Some of you might think this maybe not applicable. Well for those who are constantly traveling, this might be a good benefactor as you wouldn't want to loose your prized asset.

Recycling Toner Cartridges: Is It Worth The Effort?

Millions of businesses, schools and other organizations around the world purchase and use billions of printer and copier toner cartridges every year. Toner cartridges are just another item on the laundry list of things that humans use and commonly throw away, but why? Anyone who has ever changed the toner in a copy machine or printer knows that it is usually a very large, bulky plastic container which gets changed once a week or month and then has no use to you whatsoever afterwards. Although it may not be of use to you personally or your company, there are benefits to hanging on to toner cartridges and contributing them to a recycle or re manufacturer.

When you recycle your toner cartridges, you should first take a moment to pat yourself on the back for your valiant efforts helping to reduce pollution and make the world a better place for everyone on it. When you're finished with that it's time to put on your capitalist hat and get moving because there are financial benefits to recycling toner cartridges too. There are companies that refill and sell previously used toner cartridges that will pay a few dollars per cartridges for your empties. You probably won’t become rich turning in your old cartridges, just like you won’t by recycling cans, but coupled with a few other financial benefits, you might begin to see why recycling is worth it.

If you want to recycle toner cartridges, first you need to use them. If this does not apply to you then you should probably skip the reading and start picking up cans. Seriously though, if you use one or two toner cartridges per year, you should still recycle them but your will probably not see much reason to sell them to a re manufacturer. It may also be difficult to get them to purchase just one or two from you. Most re manufacturers are looking to purchase from large companies that can send them pallets or even truckloads once every month or two. Otherwise you can donate your empties to a charity that is collecting them to sell in bulk to re manufacturers in order to make money for their organization. This is a common fund raiser for schools, churches, youth organizations and others. If it is not available in your community, you might want to suggest it within a charity or non-profit you are affiliated with.

Where most individuals will see the greatest benefit of recycled toner cartridges is in purchasing re manufactured ones. Professional, quality refilled cartridges can be much less expensive than new name brand ones and often just as good. When purchasing these, however, make sure it is a reputable re manufacturer that gives some form of guarantee with their product both for its malfunction and any damage it could cause to your machine. This is especially important because most manufacturers of printers and copiers will only warranty malfunction caused by their machine and their print cartridges. As long as the re manufacturer does a quality job, you will probably find that the best reason to recycle toner cartridges is to buy them again refilled, as good as new and much less expensive.

How to run Turbo C++ in Windows Vista

Install the software DOSBox ver 0.72 ( 1.2 MB ) (Freeware) from the link below

(Direct Link)

http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/dosbox/DOSBox0.72

Before going to the details u have to create a folder (any name will do). Here we name it as Turbo

Copy the TC into the Turbo folder

Run the DOSBox 0.72 from the icon located on the desktop or from the location of the installation folder

Then u are presented with two screens which look like the command prompt in Windows

Now u are presented with two screens. One with a Z prompt. U can ignore the other screen.

There type the following commands at the command prompt [Z]:

Mount [Type in any alphabet that u wish except z] [Type the source of the turbo C] press enter

Now , Type in the following commands after the Z prompt:

Z: mount d c:\Turbo\ [The folder TC is present inside the folder Turbo]

* Now u should get a message which says: Drive D is mounted as a local directory c:\Turbo\ ***

Now type d: to shift to d: prompt .

D: cd TC [The contents inside the folder Turbo gets mounted as a virtual drive
(Here D drive)

D: cd Bin

D: TC or Tc.exe [This presents u the Turbo C++3.0 screen]

On the Turbo C++ goto Options>Directories>Change the source of TC to the source directory [D] ( i.e. virtual D: refers to original c:\Turbo\ . So make the path change to something like D:\TC\include and D:\TC\lib respectively )

In order to get the full screen use the key combination of Alt and Enter

When u exit from the DosBox [precisely when u unmount the virtual drive where Turbo C++ 3.0 has been mounted] all the files u have saved or made changes in Turbo C++ 3.0 will be copied into the source directory(The directory which contains TC folder)

It is a good idea to backup your files in the source directory prior to running DOSBox 0.72

For additional help go through the readme file located in the installation folder or look on the website of the DOSBox forum.

IMPORTANT : Don't use shortcut keys to perform operations in TC because they might be a shortuct key for DOSBOX also . Eg : Ctrl+F9 will exit DOSBOX rather running the code .

Useful Shortcut Keys

Run Commands:

Quote:
compmgmt.msc - Computer management
devmgmt.msc - Device manager
diskmgmt.msc - Disk management
dfrg.msc - Disk defrag
eventvwr.msc - Event viewer
fsmgmt.msc - Shared folders
gpedit.msc - Group policies
lusrmgr.msc - Local users and groups
perfmon.msc - Performance monitor
rsop.msc - Resultant set of policies
secpol.msc - Local security settings
services.msc - Various Services
msconfig - System Configuration Utility
regedit - Registry Editor
msinfo32 _ System Information
sysedit _ System Edit
win.ini _ windows loading information(also system.ini)
winver _ Shows current version of windows
mailto: _ Opens default email client
command _ Opens command prompt

Run Commands to access the control panel:
Quote:
Add/Remove Programs control appwiz.cpl
Date/Time Properties control timedate.cpl
Display Properties control desk.cpl
FindFast control findfast.cpl
Fonts Folder control fonts
Internet Properties control inetcpl.cpl
Keyboard Properties control main.cpl keyboard
Mouse Properties control main.cpl
Multimedia Properties control mmsys.cpl
Network Properties control netcpl.cpl
Password Properties control password.cpl
Printers Folder control printers
Sound Properties control mmsys.cpl sounds
System Properties control sysdm.cpl

Command Prompt:
Quote:
ANSI.SYS Defines functions that change display graphics, control cursor movement, and reassign keys.
APPEND Causes MS-DOS to look in other directories when editing a file or running a command.
ARP Displays, adds, and removes arp information from network devices.
ASSIGN Assign a drive letter to an alternate letter.
ASSOC View the file associations.
AT Schedule a time to execute commands or programs.
ATMADM Lists connections and addresses seen by Windows ATM call manager.
ATTRIB Display and change file attributes.
BATCH Recovery console command that executes a series of commands in a file.
BOOTCFG Recovery console command that allows a user to view, modify, and rebuild the boot.ini
BREAK Enable / disable CTRL + C feature.
CACLS View and modify file ACL's.
CALL Calls a batch file from another batch file.
CD Changes directories.
CHCP Supplement the International keyboard and character set information.
CHDIR Changes directories.
CHKDSK Check the hard disk drive running FAT for errors.
CHKNTFS Check the hard disk drive running NTFS for errors.
CHOICE Specify a listing of multiple options within a batch file.
CLS Clears the screen.
CMD Opens the command interpreter.
COLOR Easily change the foreground and background color of the MS-DOS window.
COMP Compares files.
COMPACT Compresses and uncompress files.
CONTROL Open control panel icons from the MS-DOS prompt.
CONVERT Convert FAT to NTFS.
COPY Copy one or more files to an alternate location.
CTTY Change the computers input/output devices.
DATE View or change the systems date.
DEBUG Debug utility to create assembly programs to modify hardware settings.
DEFRAG Re-arrange the hard disk drive to help with loading programs.
DEL Deletes one or more files.
DELETE Recovery console command that deletes a file.
DELTREE Deletes one or more files and/or directories.
DIR List the contents of one or more directory.
DISABLE Recovery console command that disables Windows system services or drivers.
DISKCOMP Compare a disk with another disk.
DISKCOPY Copy the contents of one disk and place them on another disk.
DOSKEY Command to view and execute commands that have been run in the past.
DOSSHELL A GUI to help with early MS-DOS users.
DRIVPARM Enables overwrite of original device drivers.
ECHO Displays messages and enables and disables echo.
EDIT View and edit files.
EDLIN View and edit files.
EMM386 Load extended Memory Manager.
ENABLE Recovery console command to enable a disable service or driver.
ENDLOCAL Stops the localization of the environment changes enabled by the setlocal command.
ERASE Erase files from computer.
EXIT Exit from the command interpreter.
EXPAND Expand a M*cros*ft Windows file back to it's original format.
EXTRACT Extract files from the M*cros*ft Windows cabinets.
FASTHELP Displays a listing of MS-DOS commands and information about them.
FC Compare files.
FDISK Utility used to create partitions on the hard disk drive.
FIND Search for text within a file.
FINDSTR Searches for a string of text within a file.
FIXBOOT Writes a new boot sector.
FIXMBR Writes a new boot record to a disk drive.
FOR Boolean used in batch files.
FORMAT Command to erase and prepare a disk drive.
FTP Command to connect and operate on a FTP server.
FTYPE Displays or modifies file types used in file extension associations.
GOTO Moves a batch file to a specific label or location.
GRAFTABL Show extended characters in graphics mode.
HELP Display a listing of commands and brief explanation.
IF Allows for batch files to perform conditional processing.
IFSHLP.SYS 32-bit file manager.
IPCONFIG Network command to view network adapter settings and assigned values.
KEYB Change layout of keyboard.
LABEL Change the label of a disk drive.
LH Load a device driver in to high memory.
LISTSVC Recovery console command that displays the services and drivers.
LOADFIX Load a program above the first 64k.
LOADHIGH Load a device driver in to high memory.
LOCK Lock the hard disk drive.
LOGON Recovery console command to list installations and enable administrator login.
MAP Displays the device name of a drive.
MD Command to create a new directory.
MEM Display memory on system.
MKDIR Command to create a new directory.
MODE Modify the port or display settings.
MORE Display one page at a time.
MOVE Move one or more files from one directory to another directory.
MSAV Early M*cros*ft Virus scanner.
MSD Diagnostics utility.
MSCDEX Utility used to load and provide access to the CD-ROM.
NBTSTAT Displays protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NBT
NET Update, fix, or view the network or network settings
NETSH Configure dynamic and static network information from MS-DOS.
NETSTAT Display the TCP/IP network protocol statistics and information.
NLSFUNC Load country specific information.
NSLOOKUP Look up an IP address of a domain or host on a network.
PATH View and modify the computers path location.
PATHPING View and locate locations of network latency.
PAUSE Command used in batch files to stop the processing of a command.
PING Test / send information to another network computer or network device.
POPD Changes to the directory or network path stored by the pushd command.
POWER Conserve power with computer portables.
PRINT Prints data to a printer port.
PROMPT View and change the MS-DOS prompt.
PUSHD Stores a directory or network path in memory so it can be returned to at any time.
QBASIC Open the QBasic.
RD Removes an empty directory.
REN Renames a file or directory.
RENAME Renames a file or directory.
RMDIR Removes an empty directory.
ROUTE View and configure windows network route tables.
RUNAS Enables a user to execute a program on another computer.
SCANDISK Run the scandisk utility.
SCANREG Scan registry and recover registry from errors.
SET Change one variable or string to another.
SETLOCAL Enables local environments to be changed without affecting anything else.
SETVER Change MS-DOS version to trick older MS-DOS programs.
SHARE Installs support for file sharing and locking capabilities.
SHIFT Changes the position of replaceable parameters in a batch program.
SHUTDOWN Shutdown the computer from the MS-DOS prompt.
SMARTDRV Create a disk cache in conventional memory or extended memory.
SORT Sorts the input and displays the output to the screen.
START Start a separate window in Windows from the MS-DOS prompt.
SUBST Substitute a folder on your computer for another drive letter.
SWITCHES Remove add functions from MS-DOS.
SYS Transfer system files to disk drive.
TELNET Telnet to another computer / device from the prompt.
TIME View or modify the system time.
TITLE Change the title of their MS-DOS window.
TRACERT Visually view a network packets route across a network.
TREE View a visual tree of the hard disk drive.
TYPE Display the contents of a file.
UNDELETE Undelete a file that has been deleted.
UNFORMAT Unformat a hard disk drive.
UNLOCK Unlock a disk drive.
VER Display the version information.
VERIFY Enables or disables the feature to determine if files have been written properly.
VOL Displays the volume information about the designated drive.
XCOPY Copy multiple files, directories, and/or drives from one location to another.
TRUENAME When placed before a file, will display the whole directory in which it exists
TASKKILL It allows you to kill those unneeded or locked up applications

Windows XP Shortcuts:
Quote:
ALT+- (ALT+hyphen) Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window's System menu
ALT+ENTER View properties for the selected item
ALT+ESC Cycle through items in the order they were opened
ALT+F4 Close the active item, or quit the active program
ALT+SPACEBAR Display the System menu for the active window
ALT+TAB Switch between open items
ALT+Underlined letter Display the corresponding menu
BACKSPACE View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer
CTRL+A Select all
CTRL+B Bold
CTRL+C Copy
CTRL+I Italics
CTRL+O Open an item
CTRL+U Underline
CTRL+V Paste
CTRL+X Cut
CTRL+Z Undo
CTRL+F4 Close the active document
CTRL while dragging Copy selected item
CTRL+SHIFT while dragging Create shortcut to selected iteM
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word
CTRL+LEFT ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL+DOWN ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph
CTRL+UP ARROW Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph
SHIFT+DELETE Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin
ESC Cancel the current task
F1 Displays Help
F2 Rename selected item
F3 Search for a file or folder
F4 Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer
F5 Refresh the active window
F6 Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F10 Activate the menu bar in the active program
SHIFT+F10 Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
CTRL+ESC Display the Start menu
SHIFT+CTRL+ESC Launches Task Manager
SHIFT when you insert a CD Prevent the CD from automatically playing
WIN Display or hide the Start menu
WIN+BREAK Display the System Properties dialog box
WIN+D Minimizes all Windows and shows the Desktop
WIN+E Open Windows Explorer
WIN+F Search for a file or folder
WIN+F+CTRL Search for computers
WIN+L Locks the desktop
WIN+M Minimize or restore all windows
WIN+R Open the Run dialog box
WIN+TAB Switch between open items

Windows Explorer Shortcuts:
Quote:
ALT+SPACEBAR - Display the current window’s system menu
SHIFT+F10 - Display the item's context menu
CTRL+ESC - Display the Start menu
ALT+TAB - Switch to the window you last used
ALT+F4 - Close the current window or quit
CTRL+A - Select all items
CTRL+X - Cut selected item(s)
CTRL+C - Copy selected item(s)
CTRL+V - Paste item(s)
CTRL+Z - Undo last action
CTRL+(+) - Automatically resize the columns in the right hand pane
TAB - Move forward through options
ALT+RIGHT ARROW - Move forward to a previous view
ALT+LEFT ARROW - Move backward to a previous view
SHIFT+DELETE - Delete an item immediately
BACKSPACE - View the folder one level up
ALT+ENTER - View an item’s properties
F10 - Activate the menu bar in programs
F6 - Switch between left and right panes
F5 - Refresh window contents
F3 - Display Find application
F2 - Rename selected item

Internet Explorer Shortcuts:
Quote:
CTRL+A - Select all items on the current page
CTRL+D - Add the current page to your Favorites
CTRL+E - Open the Search bar
CTRL+F - Find on this page
CTRL+H - Open the History bar
CTRL+I - Open the Favorites bar
CTRL+N - Open a new window
CTRL+O - Go to a new location
CTRL+P - Print the current page or active frame
CTRL+S - Save the current page
CTRL+W - Close current browser window
CTRL+ENTER - Adds the http://www. (url) .com
SHIFT+CLICK - Open link in new window
BACKSPACE - Go to the previous page
ALT+HOME - Go to your Home page
HOME - Move to the beginning of a document
TAB - Move forward through items on a page
END - Move to the end of a document
ESC - Stop downloading a page
F11 - Toggle full-screen view
F5 - Refresh the current page
F4 - Display list of typed addresses
F6 - Change Address bar and page focus
ALT+RIGHT ARROW - Go to the next page
SHIFT+CTRL+TAB - Move back between frames
SHIFT+F10 - Display a shortcut menu for a link
SHIFT+TAB - Move back through the items on a page
CTRL+TAB - Move forward between frames
CTRL+C - Copy selected items to the clipboard
CTRL+V - Insert contents of the clipboard
ENTER - Activate a selected link
HOME - Move to the beginning of a document
END - Move to the end of a document
F1 - Display Internet Explorer Help

Single Click Shutdown

Did you know that in Windows XP you can shut down your computer from the (eventually DOS prompt) command line box? Moreover, you can do this by clicking your mouse only once.

All you need to do is... right-click on an empty Desktop spot -> select New -> Shortcut -> type shutdown followed by a space, and then enter one or more of the parameters listed below -> click Next -> type a suggestive name for your new shortcut -> finally, click Finish.

This is the Shutdown.exe (located in %systemroot%\System32, usually C:\Windows\System32) syntax:

shutdown [-i|-l|-s|-r|-a] [-f] [-m \\computername] [-t xx] [-c "Text"] [-d[u][p]:xx:yy]

Valid command line switches:

-a = Abort system shutdown in progress ONLY IF the -t xx timeout option was already set to ANY value other than 0. ALL switches except -l and -m are ignored during abort.

-c "Text" = Text comment (case insensitive) to be displayed in the Message area of the System Shutdown window. MUST be enclosed between quotes. Maximum allowed 127 ASCII characters.

-d [u][p]:xx:yy = Reason code for shutdown:
u = User code.
p = Planned shutdown code.
xx = Major reason code. Positive integer number less than 256.
yy = Minor reason code. Positive integer number less than 65536.

-f = Force running applications to close without warning.

-i = Display the shutdown interface (GUI). MUST be the first option!

-l = Log off the current user of the local computer (default action). Can NOT be used with the -m option unless the current user has Sysadmin rights, in which case the -m switch takes precedence.

-m \\computername = Remote/network computer name (most always case sensitive) to log off/restart/shut down. Current user MUST have Sysadmin rights to be allowed to use this switch!

-s = Shut down the local computer.

-r = Shut down and restart (reboot) the local computer.

-t xx = Set shutdown timer to timeout for xx seconds. IF NOT specified defaults to 20 seconds. Allowed values between 0 and 99 seconds. The -a switch is the ONLY one that CAN be used during the timeout period.

NOTES:
The dash (-) in front of these switches can be replaced by a forward slash (/).

Spaces are NOT required to separate the shutdown command from ANY following switches, but ARE required to separate ANY switch from its following parameter(s), if any.
For example:

shutdown -s -c "Shutting down!" -t 3

tells your computer to shutdown after waiting for 3 seconds while the System Shutdown window will display text above in the Message area.

Optional: after you're done creating your customized shortcut for shutdown -> right-click on it -> select Properties -> enter your desired key "combo" in the Shortcut Key box (e.g. Ctrl + Alt + End) -> click OK/Apply.
From now on just left-click on your shutdown shortcut or hit that key combination to turn off/restart/log off your computer.

DVD Regions Information

The DVD region code identifies a DVD's compatibility with the players typically sold in a particular region.

The following graphic shows the approximate location of each region.

Image

Region 0 (or "region free") is compatible with DVD players from any region.

The majority of all current titles play only in one specific region unless otherwise noted. DVDs sold by Amazon.co.uk are encoded for Region 2 or Region 0. Region 2 DVDs may not work on DVD players in other countries.

Region 1 DVDs sold by Marketplace sellers

Region 1 discs are intended for use with standard DVD players in North America (Canada and the USA). In most instances they can also be played on compatible "multi-region" DVD players (also known as "chipped" or "region-free" players).

They also require an NTSC-compatible television. NTSC is the standard picture format in North America, and differs from the PAL format adopted in Britain and Europe. Region 1 DVDs are usually presented in NTSC format, so you should ensure that your TV is capable of reading the NTSC signal before purchasing Region 1 DVDs.

Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE)

Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE) has been added by some film studios (specifically Warner and Columbia) to selected Region 1 DVDs, with the intention of preventing these discs from playing on some multi-region DVD players. We are therefore unable to guarantee that all Region 1 discs will be compatible with all multi-region players.

Global DVD region countries

This is not a definitive list and is intended only as a guide.

Region 1 - US, US Territories and Canada

American Samoa, Canada, Guam, Palau, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Puerto Rico, Micronesia, United States, U.S. Virgin Islands

Region 2 - UK, Europe, Japan, South Africa and Middle East

Albania, Andorra, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vatican City, Yemen, Yugoslavia

Region 3 - Southeast and East Asia

Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Phillipines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Region 4 - Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America

Antigua, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, New Guinea, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad, Tobago, Uruguay

Region 5 - Former Soviet Union, Indian sub-continent, Africa, North Korea and Mongolia

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, St. Helena, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Region 6 - China China

Region 7 - Reserved for future use

Region 8 - International Territories (ships, planes, etc)

Converting to NTFS

Your hard drive must be formatted with a file system such as FAT, FAT32 or NTFS so that Windows can be installed on to it. This system determines how files are named, organised and stored on the drive. If you’re not using it already, NTFS (New Technology File System) is recommended for Windows XP because of the additional functionality it offers. If your PC came with Windows XP pre-installed then there’s a chance that you’re already using NTFS. If you’ve upgraded from Windows 98 or Windows Me you may still be using FAT or FAT 32. The option to change over to NTFS would have been available during the upgrade process. Don’t worry if you skipped this as it’s possible to convert at any time from within Windows XP without losing any data.

The recommended option
There are a number of features in Windows XP that will only work if the NTFS file system is present, which is why it’s suggested you make use of it. File and folder permissions, encryption and privacy options are just some of those you’ll be able to access. In particular, those of you who have set up user accounts will find NTFS invaluable. For instance, if you continue to use FAT or FAT32 anyone with physical access to the drive will be able to access the files and folders that are stored there. However, with NTFS you’ll be able to use a level of encryption (Professional Edition only) that will enable you to protect your data.

You’ll also find NTFS more reliable in that it’s more able to recover from disk errors than its FAT or FAT32 counterparts. A log of all disk activity is kept so should a crash occur, Windows XP can use this information to repair the file system when your PC boots up again. To find out what file system you’re using, open My Computer, right-click your main hard drive and choose Properties. Take a look at the General tab to see confirmation of the file system that’s in use.

Convert now
You can use the convert tool in Windows XP to change the file system on your hard disk from FAT or FAT32 to NTFS. The whole process is safe and your existing data won’t be destroyed. To begin, click Start -> Run, type cmd and press [Return]. At the command prompt type convert c: /fs:ntfs and press [Return] (where ‘c’ is the letter of the drive you’re converting). When you try and run the convert utility, it’s likely that Windows XP will be using your paging file so the process won’t be completed immediately. Therefore, you’ll see a brief message on screen informing you that the conversion will take place instead the next time Windows starts up. Having restarted, the Check Disk utility will run, the conversion will be performed automatically and you may find that your PC will reboot twice more.

The benefits
With your drive now running NTFS, it’s time to take advantage of the new options that are available. Having created a number of different user accounts you can now control the level of access that’s granted to individual users. For example, there are going to be certain files and folders that you’ll want some users to be able to access but not others. If you have Windows XP Professional Edition you can do this immediately.

Right-click any file or folder, choose Properties and select the Security tab. A dialog will be displayed showing the names of all your users. Alongside will be two columns which enable you to select levels of access for each of them, the permissions include Full Control, Modify, Read and Write. You can then check the appropriate box to determine whether or not to Allow or Deny a particular permission. For Windows XP Home Edition users, the Security tab won’t be immediately available. To access this option you’ll need to restart your PC, pressing [F8] until a menu appears. Next select Safe Mode and wait for Windows XP to start up. You can then set your options in the same way.

Another feature is NTFS compression. It’s quick and seamless as your file or folder is decompressed automatically when you access it. (Don’t confuse this with a Zip compression utility where the files need to be extracted before they can be accessed.) Although you may have used NTFS compression on a file or folder, there’s no way of telling just by looking at it. To remedy this, open My Computer, click Tools -> Folder Options and select the View tab. Under Advanced settings, scroll down and check the option ‘Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color’, then click Apply and OK. Take a look at your compressed items in My Computer and you’ll see the text label has changed from black to blue. Something else that’s exclusive to Professional Edition users is the Encrypting File System (EFS). You can use this to protect your important data so that no one else can read it. Your encrypted files and folders will only be accessible when you have logged into your user account successfully.

Note : Please try this on your own Risk ! I cannot be held Responsible !

Computer Maintanance

You may not realize it, but your computer and your car have something in common: they both need regular maintenance. No, you don't need to change your computer's oil. But you should be updating your software, keeping your antivirus subscription up to date, and checking for spyware. Read on to learn what you can do to help improve your computer's security.

Getting started

Here are some basics maintenance tasks you can do today to start improving your computer's security. Be sure you make these part of your ongoing maintenance as well.

* Sign up for software update e-mail notices. Many software companies will send you e-mail whenever a software update is available. This is particularly important for your operating system (e.g., Microsoft VV!|VD0VV$® or Macintosh), your antivirus program, and your firewall.
* Register your software. If you still have registration forms for existing software, send them in. And be sure to register new software in the future. This is another way for the software manufacturer to alert you when new updates are available.
* Install software updates immediately.
When you get an update notice, download the update immediately and install it. (Remember, downloading and installing are two separate tasks.)
An ounce of prevention

A few simple steps will help you keep your files safe and clean.

* Step 1: Update your software
* Step 2: Backup your files
* Step 3: Use antivirus software and keep it updated
* Step 4: Change your passwords


Developing ongoing maintenance practices

Now that you've done some ground work, it's time to start moving into longer term maintenance tasks. These are all tasks that you should do today (or as soon as possible) to get started. But for best results, make these a part of a regular maintenance schedule. We recommend setting aside time each week to help keep your computer secure.

* Back up your files. Backing up your files simply means creating a copy of your computer files that you can use in the event the originals are lost. (Accidents can happen.) To learn more read our tips for backing up information.

* Scan your files with up to date antivirus software. Use your antivirus scan tool regularly to search for potential computer viruses and worms. Also, check your antivirus program's user manual to see if you can schedule an automatic scan of your computer. To learn more, read our tips for reducing your virus risk

* Change your passwords. Using the same password increases the odds that someone else will discover it. Change all of your passwords regularly (we recommend monthly) to reduce your risk. Also, choose your passwords carefully. To learn more, read our tips for creating stronger passwords

Making a schedule

One of the best ways to help protect your computer is to perform maintenance regularly. To help you keep track, we suggest making a regular "appointment" with your computer. Treat it like you would any other appointment. Record it in your datebook or online calendar, and if you cannot make it, reschedule. Remember, you are not only helping to improve your computer, you are also helping to protect your personal information.

10 Fast and Free Security Enhancements

Before you spend a dime on security, there are many precautions you can take that will protect you against the most common threats.

1. Check Windows Update and Office Update regularly (_http://office.microsoft.com/productupdates); have your Office CD ready. Windows Me, 2000, and XP users can configure automatic updates. Click on the Automatic Updates tab in the System control panel and choose the appropriate options.

2. Install a personal firewall. Both SyGate (_www.sygate.com) and ZoneAlarm (_www.zonelabs.com) offer free versions.


3. Install a free spyware blocker. Our Editors' Choice ("Spyware," April 22) was SpyBot Search & Destroy (_http://security.kolla.de). SpyBot is also paranoid and ruthless in hunting out tracking cookies.

4. Block pop-up spam messages in Windows NT, 2000, or XP by disabling the Windows Messenger service (this is unrelated to the instant messaging program). Open Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services and you'll see Messenger. Right-click and go to Properties. Set Start-up Type to Disabled and press the Stop button. Bye-bye, spam pop-ups! Any good firewall will also stop them.

5. Use strong passwords and change them periodically. Passwords should have at least seven characters; use letters and numbers and have at least one symbol. A decent example would be f8izKro@l. This will make it much harder for anyone to gain access to your accounts.

6. If you're using Outlook or Outlook Express, use the current version or one with the Outlook Security Update installed. The update and current versions patch numerous vulnerabilities.

7. Buy antivirus software and keep it up to date. If you're not willing to pay, try Grisoft AVG Free Edition (Grisoft Inc., w*w.grisoft.com). And doublecheck your AV with the free, online-only scanners available at w*w.pandasoftware.com/activescan and _http://housecall.trendmicro.com.

8. If you have a wireless network, turn on the security features: Use MAC filtering, turn off SSID broadcast, and even use WEP with the biggest key you can get. For more, check out our wireless section or see the expanded coverage in Your Unwired World in our next issue.

9. Join a respectable e-mail security list, such as the one found at our own Security Supersite at _http://security.ziffdavis.com, so that you learn about emerging threats quickly and can take proper precautions.

10. Be skeptical of things on the Internet. Don't assume that e-mail "From:" a particular person is actually from that person until you have further reason to believe it's that person. Don't assume that an attachment is what it says it is. Don't give out your password to anyone, even if that person claims to be from "support."

23 Ways To Speed WinXP, Not only Defrag

Since defragging the disk won't do much to improve Windows XP performance, here are 23 suggestions that will. Each can enhance the performance and reliability of your customers' PCs. Best of all, most of them will cost you nothing.
1.) To decrease a system's boot time and increase system performance, use the money you save by not buying defragmentation software -- the built-in Windows defragmenter works just fine -- and instead equip the computer with an Ultra-133 or Serial ATA hard drive with 8-MB cache buffer.

2.) If a PC has less than 512 MB of RAM, add more memory. This is a relatively inexpensive and easy upgrade that can dramatically improve system performance.

3.) Ensure that Windows XP is utilizing the NTFS file system. If you're not sure, here's how to check: First, double-click the My Computer icon, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Next, examine the File System type; if it says FAT32, then back-up any important data. Next, click Start, click Run, type CMD, and then click OK. At the prompt, type CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS and press the Enter key. This process may take a while; it's important that the computer be uninterrupted and virus-free. The file system used by the bootable drive will be either FAT32 or NTFS. I highly recommend NTFS for its superior security, reliability, and efficiency with larger disk drives.

4.) Disable file indexing. The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive and creates a "searchable keyword index." As you can imagine, this process can be quite taxing on any system.

The idea is that the user can search for a word, phrase, or property inside a document, should they have hundreds or thousands of documents and not know the file name of the document they want. Windows XP's built-in search functionality can still perform these kinds of searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer. The OS has to open each file at the time of the request to help find what the user is looking for.

Most people never need this feature of search. Those who do are typically in a large corporate environment where thousands of documents are located on at least one server. But if you're a typical system builder, most of your clients are small and medium businesses. And if your clients have no need for this search feature, I recommend disabling it.

Here's how: First, double-click the My Computer icon. Next, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching." Next, apply changes to "C: subfolders and files," and click OK. If a warning or error message appears (such as "Access is denied"), click the Ignore All button.

5.) Update the PC's video and motherboard chipset drivers. Also, update and configure the BIOS. For more information on how to configure your BIOS properly, see this article on my site.

6.) Empty the Windows Prefetch folder every three months or so. Windows XP can "prefetch" portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That's fine. But over time, the prefetch folder may become overloaded with references to files and applications no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting time, and slowing system performance, by pre-loading them. Nothing critical is in this folder, and the entire contents are safe to delete.

7.) Once a month, run a disk cleanup. Here's how: Double-click the My Computer icon. Then right-click on the C: drive and select Properties. Click the Disk Cleanup button -- it's just to the right of the Capacity pie graph -- and delete all temporary files.

8.) In your Device Manager, double-click on the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers device, and ensure that DMA is enabled for each drive you have connected to the Primary and Secondary controller. Do this by double-clicking on Primary IDE Channel. Then click the Advanced Settings tab. Ensure the Transfer Mode is set to "DMA if available" for both Device 0 and Device 1. Then repeat this process with the Secondary IDE Channel.

9.) Upgrade the cabling. As hard-drive technology improves, the cabling requirements to achieve these performance boosts have become more stringent. Be sure to use 80-wire Ultra-133 cables on all of your IDE devices with the connectors properly assigned to the matching Master/Slave/Motherboard sockets. A single device must be at the end of the cable; connecting a single drive to the middle connector on a ribbon cable will cause signaling problems. With Ultra DMA hard drives, these signaling problems will prevent the drive from performing at its maximum potential. Also, because these cables inherently support "cable select," the location of each drive on the cable is important. For these reasons, the cable is designed so drive positioning is explicitly clear.

10.) Remove all spyware from the computer. Use free programs such as AdAware by Lavasoft or SpyBot Search & Destroy. Once these programs are installed, be sure to check for and download any updates before starting your search. Anything either program finds can be safely removed. Any free software that requires spyware to run will no longer function once the spyware portion has been removed; if your customer really wants the program even though it contains spyware, simply reinstall it. For more information on removing Spyware visit this Web Pro News page.

11.) Remove any unnecessary programs and/or items from Windows Startup routine using the MSCONFIG utility. Here's how: First, click Start, click Run, type MSCONFIG, and click OK. Click the StartUp tab, then uncheck any items you don't want to start when Windows starts. Unsure what some items are? Visit the WinTasks Process Library. It contains known system processes, applications, as well as spyware references and explanations. Or quickly identify them by searching for the filenames using Google or another Web search engine.

12.) Remove any unnecessary or unused programs from the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel.

13.) Turn off any and all unnecessary animations, and disable active desktop. In fact, for optimal performance, turn off all animations. Windows XP offers many different settings in this area. Here's how to do it: First click on the System icon in the Control Panel. Next, click on the Advanced tab. Select the Settings button located under Performance. Feel free to play around with the options offered here, as nothing you can change will alter the reliability of the computer -- only its responsiveness.

14.) If your customer is an advanced user who is comfortable editing their registry, try some of the performance registry tweaks offered at Tweak XP.

15.) Visit Microsoft's Windows update site regularly, and download all updates labeled Critical. Download any optional updates at your discretion.

16.) Update the customer's anti-virus software on a weekly, even daily, basis. Make sure they have only one anti-virus software package installed. Mixing anti-virus software is a sure way to spell disaster for performance and reliability.

17.) Make sure the customer has fewer than 500 type fonts installed on their computer. The more fonts they have, the slower the system will become. While Windows XP handles fonts much more efficiently than did the previous versions of Windows, too many fonts -- that is, anything over 500 -- will noticeably tax the system.

18.) Do not partition the hard drive. Windows XP's NTFS file system runs more efficiently on one large partition. The data is no safer on a separate partition, and a reformat is never necessary to reinstall an operating system. The same excuses people offer for using partitions apply to using a folder instead. For example, instead of putting all your data on the D: drive, put it in a folder called "D drive." You'll achieve the same organizational benefits that a separate partition offers, but without the degradation in system performance. Also, your free space won't be limited by the size of the partition; instead, it will be limited by the size of the entire hard drive. This means you won't need to resize any partitions, ever. That task can be time-consuming and also can result in lost data.

19.) Check the system's RAM to ensure it is operating properly. I recommend using a free program called MemTest86. The download will make a bootable CD or diskette (your choice), which will run 10 extensive tests on the PC's memory automatically after you boot to the disk you created. Allow all tests to run until at least three passes of the 10 tests are completed. If the program encounters any errors, turn off and unplug the computer, remove a stick of memory (assuming you have more than one), and run the test again. Remember, bad memory cannot be repaired, but only replaced.

20.) If the PC has a CD or DVD recorder, check the drive manufacturer's Web site for updated firmware. In some cases you'll be able to upgrade the recorder to a faster speed. Best of all, it's free.

21.) Disable unnecessary services. Windows XP loads a lot of services that your customer most likely does not need. To determine which services you can disable for your client, visit the Black Viper site for Windows XP configurations.

22.) If you're sick of a single Windows Explorer window crashing and then taking the rest of your OS down with it, then follow this tip: open My Computer, click on Tools, then Folder Options. Now click on the View tab. Scroll down to "Launch folder windows in a separate process," and enable this option. You'll have to reboot your machine for this option to take effect.

23.) At least once a year, open the computer's cases and blow out all the dust and debris. While you're in there, check that all the fans are turning properly. Also inspect the motherboard capacitors for bulging or leaks. For more information on this leaking-capacitor phenomena, you can read numerous articles on my site.

Following any of these suggestions should result in noticeable improvements to the performance and reliability of your customers' computers. If you still want to defrag a disk, remember that the main benefit will be to make your data more retrievable in the event of a crashed drive.