Tag: Windows XP

Categories
Tips

Create Restart Icon on Your Desktop to restart your PC with a single click

Restart, is the function that which makes us to start our computer again by clearing any pending errors, or to bring system to normal position in controlled manner, or after finishing downloads few of the software or drivers etc asks for restarting the computer and there are many other reasons for us to restart our computer.

Being such an important aspect which brings system to back normal condition, every PC user will use this restart button. For high configured system, this is not such an important function, but for low configuration systems, it is such an important function which helps the system to return back to its normal condition.

It would be really helpful for us to have Restart Icon on our Desktop to restart our computer with just a single Click.

Note : This trick is tested only with Windows XP Operating System.

ADVERTISEMENT

This tricks enables you to set the time at which your PC will start the restart process. With just a single click on the Restart icon will terminate the entire running applications and starts the restart function after a predefined time.

Lets jump into the procedure for Creating Desktop Icon for Restart Function :

  • To creat the New Shortcut icon, right-click at any empty area on your desktop and proceed to New and then to Shortcut.

  • This creates a small widnows dialog box which will appear with name “Create Shoutcut“. In “Create Shortcut” window, type “SHUTDOWN -r -t 30“. This command begins with a 30 second count to restart your computer.

  • In the above command “t 30″ means “Time in seconds“. This command restarts our computer automatically after half minute.
  • Then click on Next Button and then type the name of Shoutcut “Restart” and click on Finish.

  • This creates a Shortcut Desktop icon for Restart function.
  • If you click on it, then a window dialog box will appear as “This system is shutting down. Please save all work in progress and log off. Any unsaved changes will be lost. This shut down was initiated by administrator”.

Benefits :

ADVERTISEMENT
  1. Saves Time.
  2. Saves Power as well.
  3. Efficient in process. (100% safe)

In order to stop the times if once you click on the Shortcut icon, Open “Run prompt” and type “shutdown -a” which terminates the timer as well as stops the system from restarting.

Express your views after trying this Trick out, this is a valid trick for Windows XP, if possible just try it out on Windows 7, Vista  and comment about your experience.

Categories
Tips

Create Slide Shows and Embed in Your Website with Microsoft HTML Slideshow Wizard

This is the most simple tool to create slide shows of your digital pictures. This one is absolutely free to use. No need of technical knowledge and It’s one of the best tool which works only on Windows XP client only. Recently a report says, 60% of the windows users are still in XP, so I thought, this power toy would be of great use to XP users.

HTML Slide Show Wizard is a Powertoy from Microsoft. Powertoys are additional programs that developers work on after a product has been released which adds fun and functionality to the Windows experience.

Just you need to install this tool, add the pictures and When you’re done, you can put your slide show on the Web so that your family and friends can view it. When you finish creating slide show, then you can see a Web-ready HTML slide show to a folder. Upload the folder and files to your website. Simple, Now everyone can view your slideshow.

Steps to be Followed When using HTML Slideshow Wizard –

  1. Download and Install the Slideshow Wizard

  1. Run the Slideshow Wizard > Add Images to it. You can also add a folder which contains set of images.

  1. Click Next > Select options for your slide show.
  2. You can resize image, keep the slideshow to full screen etc.

  1. Click Finish and View your slideshow in HTML Page.

Microsoft HTML Slideshow Wizard – Download

Categories
Tips

Is your computer really spyware free?

This article highlights a security vulnerability that has been detected in Microsoft windows NT-based operating systems. The security vulnerability was first discussed on December 27,2005 and attacks followed 24 hours later. Let us take you through about how to safeguard your computer against a potential spy-ware attack.

The vulnerability is found in your system32 folder, and the file concerned is gdi32.dll. The gdi32.dll is a dynamic link library for the windows GDI(Graphical device interface) containing pre-defined functions to render 2-D images. Now, the vulnerability arises in the way your operating system handles Windows Metafile (WMF) vector images and allows random code to be executed on a remote machine.

This security vulnerability allows malware to get downloaded through drive-by downloads. Now, although  windows metafile is extensively supported by all windows systems, systems from windows XP onwards have been found to be particularly vulnerable as they provide a handler and reader for the metafile in their default installation.

Machines running Macintosh, Linux etc are not directly infected. But there is a possible risk of infection if they execute a third party application which has the capability to render Windows Metafiles in non-windows platform. You can get your computer checked for this vulnerability by clicking here.

Typically, after installing anti-virus and anti-spyware, we think our job is done and that the computer is secure. But this just goes to show that, new vulnerabilities keep popping up. Although i have a robust system, on running a scan to detect if my computer is susceptible to this vulnerability, i found that i have a failed defense! Check this out :

  • Your only defense against this metafile vulnerability, is to ensure that you keep your automatic updates on, by default.
  • Microsoft since then has released a patch. You can manually download the patch by clicking here.
  • If you run the same scan once again, you will find that the vulnerability has been taken care of and there are probably no back doors in your computer!

So go ahead guys, patch your computer against this. Do let us know if you have any questions or comments to share.

Categories
Tips

Clean up Windows and free up disk space

Here is an application which helps you clean up your Windows Operation system and keep it in top shape. nCleaner is perfect if you want to customize things like advanced system and advanced application cleaning system.

The nCleaner website makes claims that it end up tweaking and cleaning up to 2GB space on the hard disk due to using its features like memory management, System resource monitor, Tweak manager along with a System Adviser. I liked the huge number of options and applications it supported and worked with seamlessly. It offers the casual Windows user something along with a lot of customizable options for someone with some advanced knowledge of Windows.

About nCleaner

  • nCleaner is meant for Windows XP, Vista and 2003. I installed it for Windows 7 and it did work fine.
  • It has support of over 100 applications typically used with Windows and hence allows you to clean up registry.
  • It cleans up disk space significantly especially if you have a Vista or XP with too many applications.
  • It allowed to shred free disk space on hard disk which frees up space but also does not allow recovery of files that were deleted before.

If you are using Windows XP or Vista I think it will be quite a useful tip to clean up the registry along with managing system resources in a more comprehensive way. Let me know if it has helped you out and drop in your comments with your opinions.

Download Link: nCleaner

Categories
Tips

What to do when Windows XP crashes & restarts automatically?

Sometimes Windows XP may encounter a problem such that it will crash immediately due to Cache or other windows files problems and will restart automatically. The main cause for this problem is due to Windows File, which keeps running your system, gets a sudden critical error and Windows XP crashes and restarts.

Some may think formatting their HardDrive and reinstalling Windows XP will help, but this may be time consuming, so I better recommend you to do the following steps:

Fix 1:

During every proper shut down of Windows XP it will generally take a proper backup of all the files that are related to Windows XP and other important files.So if your PC fails in rebooting Windows XP next time you can restore those files.
This can be done by Pressing the F8 key during Windows ReBoot and then Choose “Restore last known good settings that previously worked”

If the above step does not work try this one.

Fix 2:

This problem can also be fixed by this step by using Windows XP system restore Utility.
Now do the same step ad done before during ReBoot of your PC that is pressing the F8 Key during Windows ReBoot but now choose the “Safe Mode” and press Enter

Safe Mode of windows helps in Disabling all the Windows XP Startup programs which will automatically run during normal startup.
So now after Logging into Windows XP using Safe Mode then now

  • Goto “Start” the click “RUN”
  • Type “msconfig” [without quotes]
  • Click on “Lanuch System restore”  and click “Next”

  • Click “Restore my system to an earlier time”
  • Now Click “Next” and on the window chooses a Restore Point and Click Next
  • Now your Windows will reboot and launch the system restores and all the windows file will be now restored which as it is before.

Fix 3:

ADVERTISEMENT

The third Fix for this error is using an another OS which will help in finding the suspicious files.
Install a Live Linux like Ubuntu
Now Find the suspicious files which are not allowing the Windows to boot files to load.

Fix 4:

This is the final fix i know that is My inserting the Windows XP installation Disk and then Choose “Perform Additional tasks” and from that choose “Repair” to Fix the Windows Errors.

If you still get the same problem just try Formatting and Reinstalling, if there is any Corrupt or Missing Windows Files it can be still repaired using Windows MS-DOS facility.

If you have any other methods other than the above drop a comment let us know.

(Image Credits and Source: Microsoft, DataSolution, TechWareLabs)

[Editor’s Note: This post is submitted by our guest blogger Balaji J H. Balaji is a student and a freelancer. He usually blog at GuideToTech.com which is all about Technology related  stuffs and other stuffs which deal with this Digital World.

If you too, would like to write for Devils Workshop, please check this. Details about our revenue sharing programs are here.]

Categories
Analysis

Diffrence Between Actual “Size” and “Size On Disk”

Many of you might have noticed that while you see the properties of some folder their are two sizes shown over there in properties window. Those sizes are labeled as “Size” & “Size on disk”. You can also notice that size on disk is always greater than actual size. So, here is the explanation of these two terms.

  • Size – It is sum of sizes of all containing files and folders in it, in raw form (count of number of bytes).
  • Size on disk – It displays the effective size which they occupy in disk.

It is the file system of hard disk which determines the “Size on Disk”, where as “Size” will remain same, irrespective of file system (like NTFS, Fat32, UDF, etc.).

The disk is further divided into tracks and sectors, file system determines how many tracks or sectors to be included in one cluster. So, if the disk is having a cluster size of 16KB (generally in case of FAT file system). Any file on that disk will have size on disk in multiples of 16KB. So, a file size up to 16KB will occupy 16KB as disk space and file from size 16 to 32KB will occupy 32KB on disk space and so on.

ADVERTISEMENT

In this way a large volume of disk space gets unused. So, there is a need of file system having smaller cluster size. This is one reason Microsoft came up with a new file system NTFS, after windows millennium.

Related: Accessing Linux partitions from Windows OS

[Editors Note: This post is by our co-blogger Prateek from Go Hi-Tech where he writes about Technology.

If you too like to write for Devils Workshop, please check this. Details about our revenue sharing programs are here.]

Categories
Tips

Get Vista Style Breadcrumbs Navigation in WinXP

I formatted my Vista 64Bit and installed WinXP SP3 32Bit. Apart from the reduction in memory from 4GB to 3.5GB, there is no change which I have encountered. Windows XP feels more crisp and responsive than Vista. Your view may differ but this post is about an addon I found which makes Navigation through Windows Explorer in WindowsXP similar to Vista style breadcrumbs trail.

Here is the Application in action, its a freeware, small in size – 333KB.

The trail of breadcrumbs toolbar shows the directories you’ve navigated to get to the current folder, giving you an easy way to navigate back to one of the root folders or to another folder in the trail.

Its very convenient hitting the address bar to copy the path or go up a few levels with no more than 2 clicks. It looks neat and is really useful. Get Breadcrumbs Navigation

There’s also a similar add on available for both XP and Vista users called Direct folders which lets you access deeply nested folders with ease, it even allows rescaling of Windows File Open/Save dialog box!

[Editor Note: This post is by guest blogger Vaibhav Kanwal. He blogs at Calling All Geeks about technology.

If you too like to write for Devils Workshop, please check this. Details about our revenue sharing programs are here.]

Categories
Tips

Change Folders Background in Windows XP

I am going to post a trick, which many of you may be interested to know that how to change background of a Folder in Windows XP. After much Googling on this topic I’ve found two ways one is related to coding, so it is recommended to advanced users and the other way is by using a simple software which anyone can easily use.

I am posting the most convenient way over here. For this you need to get a software named SodaBush Windowpaper XP. It is a freeware and you can get from its official website. It requires .NET Framework 2. After getting this Software you can select the folder and change its background whatever you would like to have.

Preview

You can now be able to change from your old boring white background to your own custom Background. The background image can be bmp , gif or jpg.

I’ve posted a short video which explains how the changes are done. Enjoy!!

Link: SodaBush Windowpaper XP

[Editors Note: This is the first post by our new co-blogger Prateek from Go Hi-Tech where he writes about Technology.

You can also write for DW and earn some bucks.  Deatils about revenue sharing program are here.]