Tips on cleaning up your computer Windows Xp

Right click My Computer.Click on Properties.Click on System Restore Tab.Put a check beside of Turn off System Restore.Click Apply and OK.

Speed up the Start Menu

To open Registry Editor, click Start, click Run, type Regedit, and then click OK.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Control Panel\ desktop] Create the string value MenuShowDelay. Set it to a number from 0 (fast) to 10 (slow).

Giving It a Clean Boot

Have you ever tried to install a program and it just wouldn't go? You know, you try it several times, but no matter what you do, it just doesn't install properly. I bet almost everyone out there has run into this at least once and today, I'm going to share a tip with you that I use daily when helping people install programs.
You know about safe mode, right? It's the way a computer can be started to try and fix problems when it won't boot up correctly. Safe mode is great for fixing major problems, but most of the time, it's too restrictive to try and fix less troublesome issues. If you're having trouble installing a program and safe mode doesn't help you, you may want to try a lesser known startup mode, called clean boot.
The clean boot mode is somewhat like safe mode. It makes the computer start up with fewer features running and no background programs. The main difference is while safe mode won't allow you to do many things with your programs, the clean boot mode will. That way, you can start your computer in the clean boot mode, try to install the troublesome program and finally succeed. So, without further ado, here's how you can start your computer in the clean boot mode!
For Windows XP:
1.) Go to Start, Run.
2.) Type in "msconfig" (without the quotes) and click OK.

3.) Under the General tab, you should see that your computer is on Normal Startup. Select Selective Startup and then uncheck the following boxes:
"process system.ini file"
"process win.ini file"
"load startup items"
When you're finished with that, your screen will look like the picture below:

Note: If your computer was already on Selective Startup, you may want to consider not finishing this tip. If your system is already set that way, someone has already modified your startup configurations. Therefore, you may end up altering those configurations by switching over to the clean boot and that may cause undesired results.
4.) Next, go to the Services tab and put a check next to "Hide all Microsoft services." Then click on the Disable All button

5.) Click OK and you will be prompted to restart your computer.
After your system restarts, it will be in the clean boot mode. Try to install the program you were having trouble with. After you're done, you'll need to put your system back into the normal mode. Here's how:
1.) Go to Start, Run.
2.) Type in "msconfig" (without the quotes) and click OK.
3.) Under the General tab, select Normal Startup.
4.) Click OK and then restart your computer once more.
For Windows Vista:
1.) Go to Start and type "msconfig" (without the quotes) in the search box. Then hit Enter on your keyboard.
2.) If you're prompted for an Administrator password or for a confirmation, type in the password or click Continue.
3.) You'll then see a screen labeled "System Configuration." On that screen, select Selective Startup and uncheck the box that says "Load startup items."

Note: If your computer was already on Selective Startup, you may want to consider not finishing this tip. If your system is already set that way, someone has already modified your startup configurations. You may end up altering those configurations by switching over to the clean boot and that may cause undesired results.
4.) Next, go to the Services tab and put a check next to "Hide all Microsoft services." Then click on the Disable All button.

5.) Click OK and you'll be prompted to restart your computer.
After your system restarts, it will be in the clean boot mode. Try to install the program you were having trouble with. After you're done, you'll need to put your system back into the normal mode. Here's how:
1.) Go to Start, type "msconfig" (without the quotes) in the search box and hit Enter on your keyboard.
2.) If you're prompted for an Administrator password or for a confirmation, type in the password or click Continue.
3.) You'll then see a screen labeled "System Configuration." On that screen, select Normal Startup and click OK.
After your computer restarts again, you'll be back to normal. Yes!

Keeping Your Passwords

Did you know that Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate all have a built-in feature that allows user accounts to have password expiration dates? And the real problem comes in when your local user account has been set to expire a password, because there's not an obvious place to change the setting. Luckily though, it's very easy to do and if you'd like to learn how, please keep reading! (Note: This problem doesn't exist in the Home editions of Windows).
First, in Windows Vista, open the Local Users and Groups administration panel by typing "lusrmgr.msc" (without the quotes) in to the Start menu search box. Select Users in the left hand pane and then double click on your user account. (In Windows XP, use the Run command instead of the search box).

On the next screen, you'll find the Password Never Expires checkbox.

Make sure the box is checked and you won't be forced to change your password anymore!.

I hope this tip has been helpful to you!

XP and Vista Uptime

If you leave your computer running 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week), you might be interested in determining the amount of uptime that has accumulated since your last reboot. Luckily, it's very easy to find that information in both Windows XP and Vista. Let's take a look!
Tracking Uptime in Vista
To find Vista’s uptime, right click on your taskbar and select Task Manager.

Now, with the Task Manager open, click on the Performance tab and you'll see the amount of uptime listed under the System section.

Tracking Uptime in XP (Professional edition only)
To find the uptime in XP, go to Start, Run, type in "cmd" and then click OK.

That will bring up a command prompt. Type in “systeminfo” (without the quotes) and then hit Enter. It will take a few minutes for the analysis to complete and get your results, but when it's finished, you'll see your uptime listed in days, hours, minutes and seconds.

Computer Fans

That is an excellent question and I'm so glad you asked! I'm sure you're not the only one who has ever wondered about this either. So, in a sense, I'll be taking care of two birds with one stone by helping you and everyone else who reads this tip. I love it when it works out that way! Well, let's not waste any more time and get right into it. Go!
I know every computer is different, but most of them usually have a heatsink fan and some case fans. All of the fans work to keep your computer protected so that it does not overheat or become inoperable. Let's start with an explanation of the heatsink fan.
Basically, the heatsink fan usually works right along with your CPU and it helps monitor the motherboard, video card and any other circuit boards that may work with your computer. The heatsink fan should always be blowing any heat away from the components I mentioned above. Its main purpose is to give the heat an escape route out of the computer case so that it doesn't damage any of the circuits inside. For example, if your motherboard was hit with too much heat, it's possible that it would stop working. And well, you need the motherboard to be able to use your computer, so you don't want that to happen!
So, while the heatsink fan is doing its job of blowing the air out, the case fans are working just as hard. How your case fans work depends on how your chassis is set up. Chassis is just another word for your computer case. It's the housing unit that holds all of your computer's components together. So, depending on how yours is laid out, the case fans will either be blowing the air out or sucking it in. Allow me to explain this a little more!
If your computer case only has one fan, it will more than likely be located in the back. In that case, the fan will be blowing hot air out. Now, another common configuration is to have one fan in the back and another in the front. In that instance, the fan in the back will be blowing hot air out while the fan in the front is sucking cooler air in. By default, your computer case brings cool air in from the front, because it's not constrained and it's more of an open area. So, once that cool air is sucked in by the front fan, it's blown out by the back fan once it's heated up. Interesting, huh? It's like this:

If you're still a little confused, all you really need to remember is if your computer case has two fans, one should always be sucking air in while the other is blowing it out. That's the best configuration to use to keep your computer in proper working condition. The heatsink fan then will always work on its own to blow hot air out, because it works in such close conjunction with all the major components of your computer.
That's it. Now you know exactly how the fans work for your computer. Who knew there was so much going on inside that little case?!

Troubleshooting Video Problems

Does your display flicker? Are your animations not working correctly? Have you been notified that you have “display problems. This program can’t continue”? This tip will help you solve those video problems.
Hold down the Alt key and double click on the My Computer icon, then select the Device Manager tab (XP Users: it’s the Hardware tab). Double click Display Adapters.

Next, double click your video card. The Device Status window will list any problems with your video card. If a problem is listed here it is usually a conflict between two devices. Click on the Resources tab. If there are any conflicts listed in the Conflicting Device List, make sure the Use Automatic Settings is checked and reboot your computer. You can also try running through the steps under the Troubleshooting button in the General tab of the Properties window

If either of these solutions doesn’t solve your problem, reload your video driver by repeating the above steps up to double clicking on your video card. From there click on the Driver tab, then Update Driver and follow the on-screen instructions. Have your video card driver disk or cd ready when you reinstall the driver.

Organize Your Wires

Most of us have wires all over the place. If you're a neat freak, this can be a constant source of aggravation and frustration.
Well, there's a simple way to get them off the floor, off the monitor, and generally out of the way.
A woodworking tool known as a 'clamp' (a spring type thing for holding wood together, SIMILAR to huge spring clips for paper), selling for anywhere from $0.99-2.00 at Home Depot, works fantastically well for this. I am in the process of moving around (yet again) and until things are situated right (with networks, attachments, scanners, etc.) the wires are in the way.
I just took one of those big clamps and clamped it to a shelf on the desk. There is plenty of room behind the grasping edge of the clamp and the jaws to fit a bunch of wires. I used a total of 4 clamps and all the wires are up and out of the way.

Tip contributed by SHAHAN

Multiple Monitors

If one monitor is good, two is better, right?
I've been using two monitors simultaneously with my laptop for over 3 years now. Let me tell ya, it's great having all that DESKTOP real estate to play with. Your mouse moves from screen to screen and you can move open windows from one screen to the other just as if you were using a single large monitor.
So how do you set it up?
Basically, all you need to have is two video adapters (cards). Your computer already has one, but you'll need to either install another one yourself or take your computer to someone who can.
Keep in mind that depending on your configuration, you may not have any space (or interrupts) left for adding another video card. Due to the millions of possible configurations, I don't really have any guidelines to give you in regard to this. If you're not sure, take your machine into a computer shop and have them look at it.
If you're using a laptop, you may already have multiple video adapters. One for your LCD display and one for a standard monitor. Just plug your regular monitor in and go. It's that easy. Of course, you'll want to confirm this before you go out and buy a new monitor, buy most newer laptops will support this configuration.
Once you get the hardware taken care of, the rest is easy. Right-click your desktop and select "Properties" from the resulting menu. Hit the "Settings" tab.
You'll see both monitors displayed. You can set resolution and color depth for each individually as well as drag the monitor icons themselves into their real world positions (makes transitions from one monitor to the next smoother).

Liven Up Your Mouse

I've read about the FDA testing the effect of caffeine on laboratory mice, but that won't help us here. Adjusting the speed of your mouse pointer and buttons can help liven up your mouse.
Open Mouse in the Control Panel (click Start , Control Panel , Printers and Other Hardware , and then Mouse )

Under Buttons , you can adjust the double-click speed to your preference. Just slide the Speed setting left or right to adjust. (NOTE: I use an optical mouse with Windows XP, so your interface and options may vary. You may need to search around for this feature).
On the Pointer Options tab, under Motion , drag the slider make the mouse faster or slower.

While you're in Mouse Properties, look around at the other cool stuff that might be available to personalize your mousing experience.

~SHAHAN~

Hardware Refresh

Here's a cool way to save yourself some time. If you have any kind of external (non USB) device (like a scanner, tape backup, external ZIP DRIVE, etc), they probably need to be powered on before you boot, up your computer. If not, the computer doesn't recognize them and you need to turn them on and re-boot. Or do you?
For example, let's say you forgot to turn on your scanner. Now, normally you would have to turn it on and re-boot the computer. Wait - here's how to get around it.
1. Right-click My-Computer and select Properties from the resulting menu.2. Click the Device Manager tab and then the Computer item at the top. Towards the bottom of that screen, you'll see a "refresh" button. Click that.

Windows will now "refresh" it's hardware profile! Once it's done (it shouldn't take too long at all) you'll find your scanner is now part of the hardware profile and you can now use it, no re-booting required!
This will (should) work for any device that's attached to your computer and you forgot to turn on. It seems like I need to hit the refresh button twice on some computers to get this to work. Go figure.
Please note - if you forgot to attach a device to your computer, it's best to attach devices to the computer ONLY when it's off (Unless is a USB device).

Tips & Tricks

Clean Computers :

When it comes to our computers, all we tend to think about is the stuff we see on the screen - the software. Most of tend to neglect the computer itself.
What can you do with your computer to make it run longer? Keep it clean.I can't tell you the number of computers I've opened that have been clogged with dust. In fact, I've seen computers fail and have intermediate problems due to excessive dust build up. In addition, a lot of dust in your computer can cause it to run hotter than it should, shortening its life.
So, what can you do?
I recommend that you open your computer's case (unplug it first) about once every 6 months or so and blow it out with that canned air stuff (you can get it at any office supply store). Of course, be careful not to disconnect or damage anything. Make sure you blow out the power supply (DO NOT open up the power supply unit) and the CPU fan too. Since all this dusting can make a mess, you may want to do it outside.
Here's a shot of one of my dirty old PCs. This one uses a Pentium III processor, so its CPU fan is vertical in orientation. Your CPU fan may be flat on the board.

Also, make sure you keep your can of compressed air upright. The propellant inside those things tends to come out when the can is inverted or at an angle, so be careful.
Oh, if you can get some kind of good "mini-vacuum" that would be OK too. In fact, some would argue vacuums are better because compressed air can force dust deeper into the cracks and crevices of your computer.
That said, I still like canned air better for a several reasons.
1. I've yet to find a little vacuum that was any good. They all seem to leave a ton of dirt behind on the boards. In my opinion, if you can't get all the dirt off, what's the point?
2. In addition, there are a lot of places that even small attachments just can't get to. Again, what's the point of cleaning if you can't get it all?
3. I've been cleaning computers since before DOS, and have yet to actually see a problem with using canned air. In my opinion, compressed air simply removes the most dust. So, I'll stick to my little cans, you can still vacuum if you like :-)
Finally, no matter how tempting it is, washing your computer with the help of a garden hose is always a bad idea :-)

Wireless Networking Security Tips

• The following tips are very helpful in securing your wireless computer network.


• Change the Default SSIDChange the Default Administrator’s password
  Disable SSID broadcast.


• Enable Mac Address Filtering


• Assign Static IP address to the Network devices and computers.


• Turn on and configure the firewall on every computer in your network.


• Enable IPSec, SSL, Encryption, WPA and WPE according to your security requirements.

Performance

• To get the optimized performance from your computer network, you need to perform the following actions on every computer of your network.


• Use System Tools


• Delete Unnecessary Files


• Update Device Drivers


• Update BIOS


• Uninstall Unused Programs


• Update Operating System

Troubleshooting

You can troubleshoot the computer network related problems by using the right tools and techniques. Be default, Windows based operating systems offer the TCP/IP stack, which contains the troubleshooting and diagnostic utilities such as PING, IPCONFIG, Hostname, ARP, Telnet, NSLOOKUP, Tracert and many others. Pinging a network computer is the first troubleshooting step as it checks the connectivity with the destination computer. Additionally, you can use the other troubleshooting tools such as Ethereal, IP Sniffer, LanGuard, Packeteer and many others. These tools help to diagnose the cause of the problem and troubleshoot them

Maintenance

Computer network availability and security is very critical for the businesses. Maintenance include the domain setup, dealing with the internal and external security threats, assigning IP addresses to the computes, enabling/disabling network services like DHCP, FTP SMTP, SNMP, taking data backup, adding/removing users, troubleshooting the software/hardware, configuring the firewall and implementing the security in the overall IT infrastructure. To perform the maintenance related tasks in your compute network, you need the perfect tools.

Connectivity

Computer networking sometimes considered to be complex and seems to hard to troubleshoot. The connectivity problems occur in the computer network due to the devices conflicts, outdated LAN card’s driver, faulty hardware, faulty cable or connectors and misconfigurations. To troubleshoot the connectivity related issues, you need to perform the following tasks.

• Check the LEDs of your LAN card.


• Update the driver of your LAN card.


• Scan your computer for the viruses and spyware.


• Check the UTP/STP cable, the both end of the cable should be properly inserted i.e. one end in the LAN card and one end in the hub/switch or router.


• Check the configurations of the LAN card.


• PING the destination computer and check the status.


• If your problem is still not resolved, replace the LAN card and reconfigure it.

Browser Security

Raise the level of security of your web browsers.

Updated Operating System

Update your Windows based operating systems with the latest service packs, hot fixes and security patches.

Anti spyware

Install and configure an up-to-dated anti spyware software in your network.