xp

Have you ever looked at your screen and wondered where the mouse pointer went? Most people who use a computer have probably experienced this at some point in time. The pointer is usually hidden on the sides of the screen but it takes a few moments to locate it. One option to avoid such […]

When a left-handed user goes to use a mouse, the will immediately notice that it is set up for a right-handed user. Instead of struggling with the buttons, you can easily personalize the mouse settings to support a left-handed user.
To change mouse settings in XP for left-handed users:

Click Start and click Control Panel.

Double click […]

One of the security features included with Windows XP that you have more than likely heard about is Internet Connection Firewall or ICF. It is a built in firewall component that is designed to protect your computer from unsolicited traffic. So if your computer is connected to the Internet, it is recommended that you enable […]

Windows XP Service Pack 3 is to about to be released… should we download it right away? –Ray
For those not familiar with a Service Pack (SP), think of it as a collection of updates, patches, and enhancements for a software program all rolled into one download.
Service Pack 3 is the long awaited major update for […]

Some people may want to increase the default font size in Vista, possibly to help overcome visual impairments. Vista makes it simple for users to increase the font size to suit their individual preferences and physical needs.
In a previous tip, I showed you how to increase the font size in Vista. If you are […]

When you try to open a file in XP that has an unknown extension, a dialog box appears asking if you want to use a Web service to find a program to open the file.
You can edit the registry to disable the dialog box from appearing in which case, you will receive a list […]

Each time you delete an item in XP, you are prompted to confirm your actions. The confirmation prompt ensures that you do not accidentally delete a file. However, in some cases, you may not want to receive the prompt; for example, if you are cleaning up your folders and deleting a large number of files. […]

The System Tray displays icons for system tray applications that are running on your computer. For example, MSN Messenger places an icon in the System Tray that you can use to access the application.
If you never use the System Tray, you may be interested in a registry hack that lets you disable it.

Click […]

Gnomie Jebus (pronounced “hay”-”bus”) writes:
Mr. Pirillo,
I’m a long-time watcher, recent-chat-joiner and first-time writer. I’ve noticed that one topic that comes up regularly is Windows Vista, to which many chatters respond to “upgrade to XP.”
However, no matter how strong you think you’ve built your argument against the winds of change, your shelter of stubbornness is bound […]

When you dual boot multiple operating systems — such as Vista and Windows XP — you can easily configure the default boot operating system. In the case of Vista and Windows XP, you need to set the default boot operating system from within Vista.
To set the default boot operating system within Vista:

Right click the […]

In response to Diana Huggins’ The Guest Account Is The Hacker’s Holy Grail, Gnomie Brian writes:
You can disable the guest account completely. To do this, follow the steps below:

Short Way

Click Start

Click Run

Type control userpasswords2

Press Enter

Longer Way

Click Start

Go to All Programs

Go to Administrative Tools

Click Computer Management

Click Local Users and Groups

Double Click Users

Right Click Guest

Click Properties

Make sure […]

Gnomie Alyxander Trust writes:
I’m not sure if you knew about this. A friend of mine just showed it to me, and it works in XP and Vista!
When you hit the shift key five times, Windows opens sethc.exe to display the sticky keys menu — even when the computer is logged off/locked. This will replace the […]

Product recovery involves repairing an existing installation of Windows. A repair installation can be used to repair damaged and corrupt settings and files while leaving all your data and programs intact.
The advantage to performing a repair is that you do not need to re-install any applications, restore any data, or reconfigure any of your […]

The icons on your desktop are spaced according to values configured through the Display Properties. If you enjoy customizing different aspects of your desktop, you can customize the icon spacing. The steps below outline how to change the icon spacing in Windows XP, however they will also work in previous versions of Windows.

Right click an […]

You can configure XP Professional Edition to allow network access with blank passwords by editing the local security password. Normally you will receive an error message unless you disable this option.
To allow blank passwords, open the Group Policy Editor (open the Start menu, click Run, type gpedit.msc in the Open field, and click OK.). […]

Windows XP contains a directory known as Prefetch in which it stores files that are used to start Windows XP and other applications. By prefetching, Windows XP can read ahead into the cache the data that is expected to be requested (remember it’s much faster to read data from the cache). You can see overall […]

One of the easy ways of launching applications is to use the Run command. For example, if you want to launch the calculator, simply open the Run command and type ‘calc’. If you wanted to open Microsoft Word, simply type in winword, press Enter and the program opens.
You can customize the name used to open […]

Windows XP includes a nifty little program called Winchat. By default, it does not appear on the All Program menu so many of you may not even know it exists. What it lets you to do is carry on a real time chat conversation with other users on your network. It can be a quick […]

Windows XP comes with default programs installed that are accessible by clicking Start and pointing to All Programs. Additional programs that you install are also added to this list. After installing a few additional software applications, you may find that this list grows from short to very long.
Overly long submenus is a problem that […]

Gnomie Jay (Menyxk in the chatroom) writes:
I found this Web site that makes your XP look and do everything like Vista. It’s called Vista Inspirat Ultimate. It changes the sounds, icons, themes — everything. Very cool.
I used it for a few weeks, but eventually I took it off because it does slow you down […]