One of the most frustrating things about troubleshooting random blue screen errors is that the computer reboots before you have a chance to write down the error messages so you can google them later. I remember watching one of my friends trying to time it so he could snap a picture with his camera before it rebooted…

Instead of dealing with all that, we'll just turn off the automatic reboot option and force the blue screen to stay there.

Right-click on the Computer icon and choose Properties. Windows Vista users will be taken to the system properties screen, so click on Advanced system settings.



The Advanced tab should already be selected, so you'll want to click the Settings button under "Startup and Recovery".



Here we go… just uncheck the option for Automatically restart under the System failure section.



Next time you get a BSOD you'll be able to see it and able to write down the error message. You'll have to manually reboot the computer if this happens, of course.



This article made me start thinking… are there any horror movies based on the blue screen of death?

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

The Desktop Cube effect for Linux is extremely popular because people love eye candy, but the choices for Windows are much less interesting. The latest utility to give this effect for Windows is surprisingly fast, and works on both XP and Vista.

Here's the screen in action, which is surprisingly fast on my Vista laptop.



The system icon in the tray conveniently gives you access to everything, and even tells you what the keyboard shortcuts are.



The options page gives you a lot of options, and I'd recommend enabling the misspelled "Blendding" option, because it makes the effect look a lot nicer on a faster machine.



Here's the coolest part, the Screen Manager, where you can move windows around between screens by just dragging and dropping.



You'll need to make sure that your system has drivers that support OpenGL.

Download Shock 4Way 3D Desktop Utility

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Geeks everywhere have embraced the lightweight and free Foxit PDF reader instead of using Adobe reader, but did you realize that you can index PDF files without Adobe installed on your computer?

You might be thinking… isn't it working already? What you don't realize is that Adobe Reader also installs an IFilter that helps Windows index your documents.

Installation

Since our goal is to banish Adobe reader from our system, we'll need to fix download the IFilter and install it. Before it will work we'll need to rebuild the index.

Type in Indexing into the start menu search box to launch Indexing Options.



Now you'll need to click on the Advanced button.



And hit the Rebuild button on this page. The rebuild is going to take quite a while, so you might want to do it before you go to bed.



Once finished, you should be running on Foxit software instead of Adobe.

Download Foxit PDF IFilter

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

If you've ever wondered how to change the name of the person that Windows is registered to, this is the quick tip for you. It's not all that useful, but it might come in handy if you got a computer from somebody else.

Open up regedit.exe through the start menu search box, and then locate the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion



Now you can find the RegisteredOwner and RegisteredOrganization keys in the right-hand pane. Change them to whatever values you want.

To show off the new changes, just type winver.exe into the start menu search box to see the About Windows box:

Kinda useless, but one of those things I have to write about if I want to cover everything

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Start a Program

1. Do any of the following:

• Click the Start button or press the Windows key, and choose a program from the Start menu.
  
• Click the Start button or press the Windows key, type the first few letters of the program you want to run, and, after the search results on the Start menu show the program, press Enter or click the program.
  
• Click the Start button, click All Programs, click any relevant folders to display or expand their content, and click the program you want.
  
• Point to and then double-click the program icon on the Desktop.
  
• Click Computer on the Start menu, navigate to the folder that contains the program you want, and double-click the program.
  
• Click Documents on the Start menu, locate the document that's associated with the program, and double-click the file.
  
• Insert the disc or removable drive that contains a program that's designed to run from the disc or drive, and choose to run the program.

Use the program, and close it when you've finished.

Program Purpose

Windows Contacts: Stores names, addresses, and other contact information.

Calculator: Does arithmetic calculations and complex mathematical
calculations.

Character Map:
Inserts special characters from installed fonts.

Calendar:
Shows dates and records appointments and tasks.

Internet Explorer:
Functions as a Web browser and an HTML document viewer.

Photo Gallery:
Organizes pictures and picture tasks.

Notepad:
Creates, edits, and displays text documents.

Windows Mail:
Provides e-mail, newsgroup, and directory services.

Paint:
Creates and edits bitmap pictures; imports and edits scanned images and digital pictures.

Media Player:
Plays sounds, music, and videos.

Movie Maker:
Converts, edits, organizes, and distributes video files.

WordPad:
Creates, edits, and displays text, Rich Text Format, and Word documents.

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Accessing Your Documents in Windows Vista

The Documents folder is a personal storage area in which you should store allor at least mostof your documents, unless you're using a network-sharing system such as SharePoint or a document-management program.

Open a Document

1. Click the Start button, and choose Documents from the Start menu to open the Documents window.
   
   
2. Click a file to select it.
   
   
3. Review the properties of this file.
   
   
4. Review the contents of this file.
   
   
5. Double-click the file to open it, or press Enter to open the selected file.
   
   
6. Click the Close button when you've finished.

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Finding Any File in Windows Vista.

You know it's there somewhere, but where? Instead of wasting time digging through all the folders you think might hold that file you need, why not have Windows Vista do the searching for you? With the Search feature, not only can you search for a file name or even part of its name, you can also search for words that are contained in the file.

Search for the File

1. Click the Start button, and start typing in the Search box the name, or part of the name, of the file you want.
   
   
2. As you type, you'll see the search results. If there are too many results, type more of the name to narrow the search, or include the file extension if you know it.
   
   
3. When you locate the file, do either of the following:
   • Click the file to run the default action for that type of file. For a document, this means to open it in its default program; for a program, it means to run the program; for a folder, it means to open the folder.
     
     
   • Right-click the file, and choose the action you want from the shortcut menu.

Run an Advanced Search

1. Click the Start button, and choose Search from the Start menu to display the Search Results window.
   
   
2. Type your search text.
   
   
3. Select the type of file you want to search for.
   
   
4. If you want to search a location other than the default location, click the down arrow, and select the location you want to search.
   
   
5. Select the file property you want, select the search function, and enter the search parameters.
   
   
6. Enter any additional identifying information you want to use in the search.
   
   
7. Select this check box if you want to search every file, including system files and files that haven't been indexed.
   
   
8. Click Search to find the file or files.

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Accessing Everything in Windows Vista

The Computer folder is the gateway to your computer's contents, and it displays the icons that represent all your local storage areas: removable disk drives, hard disks, CD and DVD drives, and so on, as well as shared network files. From here you can venture as deep into the folder structure of your computer as you dare.

Open Any Folder

1. Click the Start button, and choose Computer from the Start menu to open the Computer window.
   
   
2. Double-click a drive icon to open a window for that drive.
   
   
3. Point to a folder and review the properties and content of the folder.
   
   
4. Click a new destination if you want to work in a different folder.
   
   
5. To open a folder, double-click it, or, if the folder is already selected, press Enter.

Explore

1. Do either of the following:
2. • Click a location to return to it.
     
     
   • Click a down arrow to see a list of locations you can go to, and click a location to go to it. If the scroll arrows appear, use them to find all available locations.
   
   
3. Click the Back button to return to the previous window, or click the Forward button, if available, to move to a folder you visited previously and then left using the Back button.
   
   
4. Click a link in the Navigation pane to go to that location.
   
   
5. To open a folder in a new window, hold down the Ctrl key and double-click the folder.
   
   
6. If you want to explore everything, click Folders in the Navigation pane to show all your drives and folders. Click a folder to go to that folder.

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Switching Among Open Windows in VISTA

Whatever your working style, it's likely that you'll end up with more than one window open on your computeryour Documents window and the Network window, perhaps, or a couple of program windows. Instead of closing one window to get to another, you can simply switch windows.


Select a Window

1. On the taskbar, point to the window you think you want, and use the thumbnail image of the window to confirm that it's the one you want.
   
   
2. Click the window on the taskbar to switch to that window.
   
   
3. If Windows has grouped similar types of windows under one button, click the button for the grouping, and then click the window you want.

Switch Windows

1. Hold down the Alt key and press the Tab key to display the open windows. Continue pressing the Tab key while holding down the Alt key to cycle through the open windows.
   
   
2. Release the Alt key when the window you want is selected.

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Mouse and Keyboard Maneuvers in Windows Vista

Windows lets us work the way we want. We can move around, choose items, and do much of our work using only the mouse, only the keyboard, or a combination of the two. With the mouse, we can jump directly to the point we want, grab and move things, and quickly choose commands. With the keyboard, we can do most things by using keyboard shortcuts or by moving around using the Tab key or the arrow keys. The way we work is up to us, and we might find that a combination of the two methods gets things done quickly, efficiently, and, most important, comfortably for us.

Mouse Moves

Point: Move the mouse until the mouse pointer (either a small arrow-shaped pointer or a tiny hand) is pointing to the item you want.

Hover: Point to an item and keep the mouse stationary.

Click: Point to the item you want, and then quickly press down and release the left mouse button.

Double-click: Point to the item you want, and then quickly press down and release the left mouse button twice, being careful not to move the mouse between clicks.

Right-click: Point to the item you want, and then quickly press down and release the right mouse button.

Select: Point to an item, and click to select it. To select an icon when the system is set to open an item with a single click, point to the icon but don't click. A selected item is usually a different color from other similar items or is surrounded by a frame.

Multiple-select: To select a list of adjacent or sequential items, click the first item, hold down the Shift key, and click the last item. To select or deselect nonadjacent items, hold down the Ctrl key and click each item you want. (Note that not all windows and dialog boxes permit multiple selection.)

Drag: Select the item you want. Keeping the mouse pointer on the selected item, hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse until you've "dragged" the item to the desired location; then release the left mouse button.


Keyboard Moves

Keyboard shortcuts: Press two or more keys in combination or consecutively. Keys you press in combination are linked with a plus sign, so Ctrl+C means hold down the Ctrl key and press the C key, and then release both keys. Keys you press consecutively are separated by a comma or commas, so Alt, F, X means press and release the Alt key, press and release the F key, and then press and release the X key.

Windows key: A special key that displays the Windows logo: Press it by itself to open the Start menu. Many programs have keyboard shortcuts that use the Windows key.

Arrow keys: Four keys, each with an arrow pointing in a different direction: Use them to move the highlight, the insertion point, or the selection in the direction of the arrow.

Tab key: This key has different functions. In a document, it inserts a tab character or moves you to the next column; in a window or dialog box, it moves you from section to section. To go in the opposite direction, press Shift+Tab.

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Managing Windows in VISTA

Managing" a window means bossing it around: We can move it, change its size, and open and close it. Most programs are contained in windows. Although these windows might have some different features, most program windows have more similarities than differences.

Use the Buttons to Switch Between Sizes

1. Click the Maximize button, and the window enlarges and fills the screen. (If the window is already maximized, you won't see the Maximize button.)
   
   
2. Click the Restore Down button, and the window gets smaller. (If the window is already restored, you won't see the Restore Down button.)
   
   
3. Click the Minimize button, and the window disappears but you can see its name on a button on the taskbar.
   
   
4. Click the window's name on the taskbar button, and the window zooms back to the size it was before you minimized it.

Use the Mouse to Resize a Window

1. Move the mouse over one of the borders of the window until the mouse pointer changes into a two-headed arrow. Drag the window border until the window is the size you want. The directions of the arrowheads show you the directions in which you can move the window border.

Move a Window

1. Point to the window's title bar, and drag the window to a new location.

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Using Shortcut Menus for Quick Results in Wondows Vista

Windows Vista and the programs that work with it were designed to be intuitive that is, they anticipate what We are likely to want to do when we working on a particular task, and they place the appropriate commands on a shortcut menu that we open by clicking the right mouse button. These shortcut menus are dynamic, which means they change depending on the task in progress.

Use a Shortcut Menu Command

1. Right-click an item.
   
   
2. Choose a command from the shortcut menu to accomplish the task at hand. If the item or action you want isn't listed on the shortcut menu:
   
   • From the shortcut menu, choose an item whose name has an arrow next to it to see whether the item or action you want is on one of the shortcut menu's submenus.
     
     
   • Check to be sure you right-clicked the proper item.
     
     
   • Check the program's documentation or Help files to verify that what you want to do can be accomplished from the item you right-clicked.

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Getting Help in Windows Vista


Browse the Help And Support Center

1. Click the Start button, and choose Help And Support from the Start menu to open the Windows Help And Support Center.
   
   
2. Do either of the following:
   • Click a topic, and browse to display a list of topics you can choose to view.
     
     
   • Type a question or keywords, and press Enter to search Help.
   
   
3. Click a link to the main topic of interest. If the item has subtopics, click the subtopic you want.
   
   
4. Review the content of the Help topic.
   
   
5. If the content doesn't answer your question, use the Back button to return to the previously viewed topic, and choose a different item to read. Use the Forward button, if available, to look at a previously viewed item.
   
   
6. To print a displayed topic, click Print, and select your print preferences in the Print dialog box.
   
   
7. To look up another topic, use the Search box to search Help.
   
   
8. To continue browsing the Help topics, click either the Home button to select another topic or find additional help, or the Browse Help button to see the Help table of contents.

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Composing a Document in Windows Vista

WordPad is a powerful little word processor we can use to create documents either in Rich Text Format or as plain Text Documents. In most cases, we'll want to create a document with formatting for a well-designed, professional look. Save the document as we create it, and print it when we've finished..

Create a Document

1. Click the Start button, type wordpad in the Search box of the Start menu, and click WordPad to start the program. If WordPad is already running, click the New button on the toolbar, click Rich Text Document in the list, and click OK.
   
   
2. Type your text. Press Enter only when you want to start a new paragraph.
   
   
3. To edit the text, click in the document where you want to make the change. An insertion point indicates where your edit will be placed.
   
   
4. To insert additional text into a paragraph you've already typed, click where you want to insert the new text, and type it. If the text you want to insert is stored on the Clipboard, click the Paste button on the toolbar (or press Ctrl+V) instead of typing the text.
   
   
5. To delete text, select it, and press Delete. To save the text for later use instead of deleting it, place it on the Clipboard by clicking the Cut button on the toolbar (or pressing Ctrl+X).
   
   
6. To replace existing text with different text, select the text, and then type the new text.

Format the Document

• Select the text to be formatted.
  
  
• Specify the font, font size, and font script (the locale or type of font). Apply bold, italic, underlined, or color emphasis as desired.
  
  
• Click in the paragraph you want to format, or select all the paragraphs to which you want to apply the same formatting.
  
  
• Use the Alignment buttons to align your text, or use the Bullets button to create a bulleted list.
  
  
• Drag the indent markers to set the left, right, and first-line indents. Click in the ruler to set a tab stop.
  
  
• Save the document.

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Saving, Closing, and Opening a Document in Windows Vista

After we've created a document, we'll probably want to save it for later use. When we've finished creating the document, close the program in which we created it so that the program isn't using space or taking power from our computer. When we're ready to work on our document again, we can easily restart the program and open the document directly from the running program.

Save a Document

• Click the Save button on the toolbar, or, if the toolbar isn't visible, choose Save from the File menu.
  
  
• If you don't want to save the document to the default folder, specify a different location. If the Favorite Links list isn't displayed, click the Browse Folders button.
  
  
• Type a name for the document. The name can be up to 255 characters long (including any path and file extension); it can contain spaces but can't contain the * : < > | " \ or /characters. Note that long file names are often truncated by programs, so a descriptive short name is best.
  
  
• If you want to save the document in a different format from that of the default file format, select the format.
  
  
• Click Save. As you work with the document, click Save frequently. Windows will now save the file without displaying the Save As dialog box.

Close a Document

• Click the Save button one last time to make sure that you've saved all the changes in the document.
  
  
• Click the Close button to end the program.

Open a Document

• With the program you want to use running, choose Open from the File menu to display the Open dialog box.
  
  
• If necessary, specify the location of the document you want.
  
  
• If necessary, double-click a folder to navigate to the document. Continue double-clicking folders until you locate the document.
  
  
• Specify the file type of the document you want to open. Only documents of the specified file type will be displayed in the list of files.
  
  
• If you can't locate the document, type its name, or part of the name, in the Search box.
  
  
• Double-click the document to open it.

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Copying Material Between Documents in Windows Vista

It's easy to copy material from a document that was created in one program to a document that was created in another program. The way we insert the material depends on what it is. If it's similar to and compatible with the receiving document some text that's being copied into a word pad document, for example we can usually insert it as is and can edit it in the receiving document's program. If the item is dissimilar a sound clip, say, inserted into a word pad document either it's encapsulated (isolated) as an object and can be edited in the originating program only, or we simply are not able to paste that item into our document.

Copy and Insert Material

1. In the source document, select the material you want to copy.
   
   
2. Choose Copy from the Edit menu (or press Ctlr+C). Windows places copied items on the Windows Clipboard. (You can copy only one item at a time, so always paste the Clipboard contents into your document before you copy anything else, or you'll lose whatever was on the Clipboard.)
   
   
3. Switch to the destination document.
   
   
4. Click where you want to insert the material.
   
   
5. Click the Paste button, choose Paste from the Edit menu, or press Ctrl+V.

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer

Copying Your Screen Content in Windows Vista

We use the Snipping Tool program to capture an image or a snippet of a Web page or just about anything else on our computer screen. We can then e-mail the image, save it, or paste it into a document in another program. When we save or e-mail a snipped image, it's saved as a single-page HTML document. When the image is that of a Web page, the URL (the Web address) is automatically inserted into the document.

Snip an Image

1. If the Snipping Tool isn't already running, click the Start button, type snip in the Search box of the Start menu, and then click Snipping Tool to start the program.
   
   
2. Click the down arrow next to the New button, and select the type of snip you want:
   
   • Free Form Snip to capture in any shape
     
     
   • Rectangular Snip to capture a rectangular snip
     
     
   • Window Snip to capture a program or a folder window
     
     
   • Full-Screen Snip to capture everything on your screen
   
   
3. Capture your snip. For free form and rectangular snips, drag out the shape with the mouse (while holding down the left mouse button) or a stylus. For a window snip, click or tap anywhere in the window. The full-screen snip is captured automatically.
   
   
4. In the Snipping Tool window, use any of the tools to save, copy, send, or modify the snip.
   
   
5. Click New to capture another image, or click Close to exit the Snipping Tool.

__________________
Prasanna Vignesh
MCPD | Web Developer