http://malektips.com/windows_help_and_tips.html Windows tips for Windows Vista, XP, 2000, 98, and 95. Topics include security, the Internet, Control Panel, the Desktop, tweaks, DOS, the taskbar, and multimedia. en-us Thu, 4 Dec 2008 19:46:41 GMT Thu, 4 Dec 2008 19:46:41 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Custom webmaster@envprogramming.com (Andrew Malek) webmaster@envprogramming.com (Andrew Malek) http://malektips.com/graphics/logo_88x30.gif http://malektips.com/windows_help_and_tips.html 88 30 http://malektips.com/xp-keyboard-character-repeat-delay-rate.html If typed characters tend to repeat themselves too quickly, change Windows XP's repeat settings.

When you press and hold a key down, after a brief or long delay, the character will begin to repeat. This is useful when scrolling through documents with the cursor keys as you do not need to keep hitting a cursor key every time you want to move in the document.

Keyboard repeating, however, is not limited to cursor keys, and if you are typing a document and accidentally hold a key down too long, it will rrreeeeeepeat. The amount of time you must hold down a key, as well as the speed of the keyboard repeating, can be modified in Windows XP so that characters should not repeat so frequently....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 4 Dec 2008 19:46:41 GMT http://malektips.com/xp-keyboard-character-repeat-delay-rate.html http://malektips.com/xp-dos-defragment-file-directory-contig.html Only defragment a particular file or directory that you frequently access.

If you frequently modify a particular file or directory on your Windows XP system, that file or directory may become fragmented more quickly than other files / directories on your hard drive. If so, while you can defragment the entire drive via a batch file, it may prove useful and quicker to just target the particular file / directory for defragmentation if it is changed often.

Defragmenting a single file or directory can be accomplished via the contig command, available from the Sysinternals site, part of Microsoft Technet....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 4 Dec 2008 16:48:44 GMT http://malektips.com/xp-dos-defragment-file-directory-contig.html http://malektips.com/vista-start-menu-administrative-tools.html Provide links to Administrative Tools such as the Event Viewer and Task Scheduler directly from the Start Menu.

Depending on your Windows Vista Start Menu configuration, to access Administrative Tools such as the Reliability and Performance Monitor, you must either type the name of the tool into the Start Menu's search box, or first access the Control Panel and then the Administrative Tools section.

With a simple tweak you can place a link to an expanding Administrative Tools menu directly on the Start Menu, as well as a link from the "All Programs" menu....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 3 Dec 2008 19:27:26 GMT http://malektips.com/vista-start-menu-administrative-tools.html http://malektips.com/vista-hover-window-mouse-select.html Select windows just by hovering over them with the mouse pointer in Windows Vista.

Normally in Windows Vista, to switch focus from one window to another, you must click on the window to switch focus to with the mouse. In some computing environments, however, focus automatically switches between windows just by hovering over them with the mouse pointer.

Windows Vista, through its accessibility tools, offers this same feature, which can be a time-saver if you have multiple tiled windows open simultaneously....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 3 Dec 2008 16:26:40 GMT http://malektips.com/vista-hover-window-mouse-select.html http://malektips.com/xp-remove-cursor-blink.html Annoyed by the blinking cursor in Notepad, Microsoft Word, and other Windows XP applications?

By default, in Notepad, Microsoft Word, and other Windows XP software that supports text entry, the cursor position is represented by a blinking cursor.

Many people find that the blinking animation makes the cursor easier to see, especially on a cluttered desktop. However, if you find this animation annoying, it can be stopped....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Mon, 1 Dec 2008 19:34:48 GMT http://malektips.com/xp-remove-cursor-blink.html http://malektips.com/xp-outlook-express-ignore-read-receipt.html Prevent Outlook Express from ever prompting you to return a read receipt.

Some people request return receipts for particular e-mail messages they send to others using Outlook, Windows Mail, or other e-mail programs that support such receipts. Likewise, if you use Windows XP's Outlook Express, it may prompt you when these receipts are requested, allowing you to send a read receipt or ignore the request.

For privacy reasons, you may wish to ignore all read receipt requests without even being prompted. To make this change:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Mon, 1 Dec 2008 16:18:48 GMT http://malektips.com/xp-outlook-express-ignore-read-receipt.html http://malektips.com/xp-outlook-express-default-program.html Configure Outlook Express to be the default program used for managing e-mail and newsgroups.

If you are experimenting with multiple e-mail programs, you may have accidentally made one of them the default software used for handling e-mail and newsgroups. If so, you may wish to re-configure Outlook Express in Windows XP to be the default software for handling such actions.

1. Click the "Tools" menu, selecting "Options"....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:05:23 GMT http://malektips.com/xp-outlook-express-default-program.html http://malektips.com/xpwex0015.html Don't waste CPU cycles or cause your hard drive to spin every time you hover your mouse pointer over a folder.

Normally, when you hover your mouse pointer over a folder in Explorer, Windows XP will automatically calculate the size of all files in the folder and its subfolders, displaying the results as a folder tip popup. Note that if the folder contains too many items, XP will eventually give up and only state the folder is larger than a certain size.

Many people find this functionality useful. However, others do not need this information, or they don't want Windows XP wasting CPU cycles and spinning up the hard drive to calculate folder sizes. Also, if you have a laptop and commonly navigate files using Explorer, calculating the size of every folder you hover your mouse pointer on can drain some power from the battery as the hard drive must be accessed more frequently. Thus, to disable this feature:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:27:54 GMT http://malektips.com/xpwex0015.html http://malektips.com/xp-dos-batch-file-minimized-full-screen.html Force a program executed by a batch file to minimize to the Windows Taskbar or appear full-screen.

In some instances, when creating a batch file in Windows XP, you may wish to execute a program and force it to display as a full-screen window. Perhaps the application is displaying information that you or the batch file's intended user needs to see, and by opening the window normally the information may not be visible due to a smaller window size.

Conversely, a batch file may need to run an application that its user normally should not need to see. Perhaps an application needs to perform networking or file maintenance operations, and seeing its output may be confusing. If so, the batch file can force an application to start minimized to the Windows XP Taskbar....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:50:39 GMT http://malektips.com/xp-dos-batch-file-minimized-full-screen.html http://malektips.com/togglekeys-num-scroll-caps-lock.html Have Windows notify you if you accidentally or intentionally press the Caps Lock, Num Lock, or Scroll Lock key.

If you are touch typing a large document and keeping your eyes focused on the document and not the keyboard nor computer screen, it is possible while reaching for the A key that you might accidentally press the Caps Lock key by mistake. aLTHOUGH mICROSOFT wORD CAN HELP PROTECT YOU FROM THIS PROBLEM, OTHER PROGRAMS SUCH AS nOTEPAD DO NOT HAVE SUCH INTELLIGENCE BUILT-IN, CAUSING YOUR TYPING TO LOOK LIKE THIS.

Windows has a feature called ToggleKeys that can play a quick audio alert whenever you accidentally, or intentionally, press one of the "Lock" keys - Caps Lock, Num Lock, or Scroll Lock. To enable this feature:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:23:18 GMT http://malektips.com/togglekeys-num-scroll-caps-lock.html http://malektips.com/xp-outlook-express-read-receipt.html Request a read receipt for an important message sent in Outlook Express.

When sending an important message in Outlook Express in Windows XP, you can request a read receipt for said message. This way you can help ensure your e-mail reached its destination and was read, even if it has not been responded to yet.

Note that while read receipts may be a good idea for certain messages, receiving this notification is not guaranteed. Your recipient may use non-Microsoft software that does not support read receipts. Also, e-mail users with Outlook, Outlook Express, and Windows Mail can configure their software to never send receipts or ignore particular requests....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:41:03 GMT http://malektips.com/xp-outlook-express-read-receipt.html http://malektips.com/xp-outlook-express-sound-new-messages.html Prevent Outlook Express from audibly notifying you when new messages arrive.

Outlook Express in Windows XP plays a sound whenever new e-mail arrives. This is useful if you are multitasking; instead of keeping track of the Outlook Express window, you can work on other software and know by a sound whenever you need to check your Inbox.

There are some circumstances, however, where you do not want to hear when new messages arrive. For example, you may be listening to music or playing a game and may find the sound distracting. Thus, it can be disabled:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:04:10 GMT http://malektips.com/xp-outlook-express-sound-new-messages.html http://malektips.com/windows-vista-show-file-extensions.html Prevent Windows Vista from hiding file extensions in Explorer, a possible security risk.

Depending on your configuration, Windows Vista may hide the file extensions of known file types in Explorer views. The reason for this is to "clean up" the display of files, as often the file icon signifies the type of file anyway.

Unfortunately, this configuration is a potential security risk. For example, it is possible that a filename that looks like it ends with ".txt", or a filename with an icon that looks like a notepad icon, actually has a hidden OTHER extension. If you double-click what you think is a simple text file, you may actually run malware instead!...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:21:21 GMT http://malektips.com/windows-vista-show-file-extensions.html http://malektips.com/xp-outlook-express-do-not-send-immediately.html Prevent Outlook Express from automatically trying to send messages as soon as you compose them.

Depending on your configuration, when you compose e-mail in Outlook Express in Windows XP, the software will automatically attempt to connect to the Internet to send your e-mail.

If you have an always-on connection to the Internet, this immediacy may be useful so you don't accidentally forget to send the e-mail later. However, if you are using a dial-up connection or one where you must pay for bandwidth, you might rather have Outlook Express queue your outgoing e-mail into the "Outbox" and only send it when you click the "Send / Recv" button or when Outlook Express automatically performs a periodic send / receive action....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:49:54 GMT http://malektips.com/xp-outlook-express-do-not-send-immediately.html http://malektips.com/media-player-11-srs-wow.html Enhance media playback in Windows Media Player 11 with SRS WOW 3D and TruBass effects.

Windows Media Player 11 includes a player enhancement called SRS WOW, a feature you may wish to experiment with for enhanced audio playback. SRS WOW adds a 3d "depth" to the sound and offers bass adjustments via TruBass.

1. Switch to Media Player's full mode by pressing Ctrl + 1....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:50:49 GMT http://malektips.com/media-player-11-srs-wow.html http://malektips.com/media-center-2005-remove-animation-transition.html Remove animations when navigating between screens in Windows Media Center 2005.

By default, when navigating between screens in Windows Media Center 2005, screens pop in and out through transition animations. While many people appreciate this "eye candy", others may find this needless and would rather have the increased navigation speed with these animations removed.

1. Select "Settings"....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:15:24 GMT http://malektips.com/media-center-2005-remove-animation-transition.html http://malektips.com/vista-explorer-send-to.html Add the ability to right-click on a file and send it to a text editor, a word processor, or other application.

When you right-click on a file or folder, a "Send To" menu appears, allowing you to create a Desktop shortcut, compress files, send files as attachments, and more.

In previous versions of Microsoft Windows, it was easy to modify this list of items. Simply creating a shortcut in the user's "SendTo" folder, directly underneath the "Documents and Settings" folder, did the trick. Windows Vista, however, places this folder in a different location....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:58:57 GMT http://malektips.com/vista-explorer-send-to.html http://malektips.com/windows_xp_0007.html Keep the Windows XP Blue Screen of Death visible for diagnostic purposes.

If Windows XP detects a critical error, a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) is displayed with some diagnostic information about the error. Then, Windows XP will attempt to send information to a log file and automatically reboot the computer.

If you would rather Windows XP not try to automatically restart so you can view the BSOD and jot down information for possible later debugging, perform the following tweak. Note that you should be logged in as an administrator first. Also, it is not recommended to perform this tweak on server machines as in many cases these should automatically restart, unless you are diagnosing a serious error....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:55:42 GMT http://malektips.com/windows_xp_0007.html http://malektips.com/windows-98-system-information-msinfo32.html Display hardware, component, software, and Internet Explorer information in Windows 98.

If you're having difficulties with your computer and need to contact technical support, you may need to provide detailed information about your computer setup.

Since not everyone knows all the technical data about our computers at the top of our heads, Windows comes built-in with a tool, Microsoft System Information, that displays such details....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:05:09 GMT http://malektips.com/windows-98-system-information-msinfo32.html http://malektips.com/xpwex0011.html Make it easier to know what folder you are opening in Explorer. Add full paths to the title bars of Windows XP folders.

When you open a subfolder from Explorer in Windows XP, such as C:\Downloads\Graphics or C:\Multimedia Files\Graphics, only the name of the subfolder, i.e. "Graphics", appears in the folder's title bar. If you have multiple folders on your computer with the same name, it may prove confusing to determine the full path of a particular opened folder. For example, if the Taskbar contains two buttons representing a folder "Graphics", which button relates to which folder?

You can configure Explorer to show the full path in the folder's title bar. This way you can quickly glance at the window, or the folder's button on the Windows Taskbar, to see exactly which path is represented by a particular Explorer window....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:41:41 GMT http://malektips.com/xpwex0011.html