Top 50 Windows Questions Answered In 2005!

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1 Please remember that when I give you a tip that involves a Registry Tip to go to the following address to make sure you know how to backup and restore the Registry! 1. Deleting A Forgotten Content Advisor Password In IE 6! 2. Disabling Animated Gifs In Microsoft Internet Explorer! 3. Control Remote Desktops Through A Web Browser In XP! 4. Remote Assistance With No Invitation Required! 5. Encrypt Files With Microsoft's Improved EFS! 6. Adding Client For Microsoft Networks in Windows XP! 7. Important Things To Know About EFS (Encrypting File System) 8. Don't Want To Go To MSN's Main Page When Your Browser Starts? 9. You Installed A New Editor For Internet Microsoft Internet Explorer's Edit Button! 10. You've Inserted A Picture Into A Message, But Your Recipients Don't See It! 11. Establish Your Own Archives In Outlook Express! 12. Deleting Cookies In Microsoft Internet Explorer 6! 13. To Start A Program As An Administrator Using Runas! 14. Troubleshooting Program Incompatibility In Windows XP! 15. Change Your Mouse Pointer In Windows XP! 16. Here Is How You Disable Modem Sounds In Windows XP! 17. Eliminate Balloon Tips in the Notification Area! 18. The Volume Control Icon Disappeared From Your Taskbar Notification Area In Windows XP! 19. Network Your Printer In Windows XP!

2 20. Quickly Locate Mistakenly Deleted Files In The Recycle Bin! 21. Track Down Startup Programs In Windows XP! 22. Use The Recovery Console In Windows XP! 23. Modify Windows XP Startup! 24. End Screen Spam In Windows 2000 and XP! 25. Create Start-Up Disks in Windows XP! 26. Here's How To Enable Windows XP's Built-in Internet Connection Firewall! 27. Get HTTP Hyperlinks In Outlook Express To Open Internet Explorer! 28. Opening Ports Or Adding Allowed Programs With SP2's Firewall! 29. To Troubleshoot System Restore Issues, Use One Or More Of The Following Methods! 30. Prevent Lost Data When Resetting Passwords In XP! 31. Turn Off Windows XP Firewall! 32. Remove Unwanted Windows XP Components! 33. Filtering Spam In Outlook Express! 34. Disable The AutoComplete Feature In Internet Explorer! 35. Your PC Thinks It Has Two Copies Of Windows! 36. Installing And Using Everest Inventory Software! 37. Perform A Quick Reinstallation Of Outlook Express In XP! 38. Reset Outlook Express Password! 39. Re-install A Printer In XP! 40. Use Internet Explorer In Offline Mode!

3 41. All Of A Sudden Internet Explorer Started Opening Up In A Tiny Window! 42. Access Your Drives From Another Computer! 43. Keep Your Activation Status Intact When Reinstalling XP! 44. Using The Forgotten Password Wizard In Windows XP Pro! 45. Assign A Drive Letter In Windows XP! 46. Add A Frequently Used Folder To The Send To Menu In XP! 47. Retrieve Declined Windows Update Reminders! 48. Create An Icon To Switch Users In XP! 49. Add Details To The Getmac Command's Report! 50. Quickly Map A Network Drive From Any Folder In XP! Deleting A Forgotten Content Advisor Password In IE 6! If you have forgotten the Content Advisor password, you can delete it by browsing to this folder in Regedit (remember to backup your registry first): HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ Ratings Select the icon called Key in the right-hand pane and press delete. Close Regedit. You can now start Internet Explorer and go to Tools, Internet Options... Select the Content tab, and click on Disable. When asked for a password, don't enter anything, just click on OK. This will disable Content Advisor, since there's no longer a password. You can enable it again as soon as you think up a more memorable password. Disabling Animated Gifs In Microsoft Internet Explorer! Disabling Animated Gifs In Microsoft Internet Explorer

4 If you find animated GIFs annoying, or if you just don't really feel a need for all that entertainment, you can turn off the animation in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6. To disable the animation, choose Tools/Internet Options. When the dialog box opens, deselect the "Play animations" check box and then click OK to close the dialog box and continue. From this point on, you will see only the quite still first frame of the animated picture. Control Remote Desktops Through A Web Browser In XP! People are doing this More and More at home! Remote Desktop is a new feature in Windows XP that allows you to control a remote computer and see the screen as if you were sitting behind that computer. Usually, you would use a special client application to connect to the remote computer. By default, Windows XP setup installs such an application: Remote Desktop Connection. You can also access the remote computer without another application, using instead your Web browser. However, before you can do this, you must first install certain components on the remote computer. To do this: 1. Open Control Panel. 2. Open the Add/Remove Programs dialog box. 3. Click Add/Remove Windows Components. 4. Select Internet Information Services in the Windows Components Wizard and then click Details. 5. Select World Wide Web Service and click Details. 6. Make sure Remote Desktop Web Connection and World Wide Web Service are checked. 7. Click OK. 8. Click OK. 9. Click Next and follow the wizard to complete the installation. After the setup installs all of the necessary files, you can access the remote computer by typing in your Web browser. When you connect to the remote computer for the first time, the computer will download ActiveX components, which requires you to have administrative privileges on the local computer. Remote Assistance With No Invitation Required! Windows XP includes a Remote Assistance feature that allows you to help others, by seeing their desktop or even gaining control over the remote computer. Remote Assistance uses the same technology as Remote Desktop but with one major difference--

5 Remote Assistance is invite only. This means that the remote user has to send you an invitation. But sometimes you might not want to deal with invitations on your local network. You can also configure Windows XP to accept Remote Assistance sessions without special invitations by changing a setting in the Group Policy. 1. Open Group Policy and browse to Local Computer Administrative Templates System Remote Assistance. 2. Change the state of Offer Remote Assistance to Enabled. 3. Choose the appropriate setting in the enabled dialog box. 4. Click the Show button and the users or group of users allowed to use Remote Assistance without invitation. 5. Click OK. Once you configure this option, specified users will be able to offer you Remote Assistance without invitation. However, this doesn't mean they will be able to control your system without your permission. When they connect to your machine, you will receive a prompt asking for permission. If you deny permission, they will not be able to view or control your computer. Encrypt Files With Microsoft's Improved EFS! With Windows 2000, Microsoft introduced a new feature called Encrypting File System (EFS), which allowed users to encrypt their files. This feature is still present in Windows XP Professional, but with a few improvements. Encrypting files in Windows XP is quite simple 1. Right-click a file or folder in Windows Explorer. 2. Select Properties. 3. Click the Advanced button on the General tab. 4. Check the Encrypt Contents To Secure Data check box. 5. Select OK and then OK again. Up to this point, everything is identical to Windows However, new in Windows XP is the Details button. After you have encrypted the files, click the Advanced button once more. You should now see the Details button enabled. Click it. The new Encryption Details dialog box appears. This dialog box allows you to share encrypted files with other users. Previously, you couldn't do this. Now, you can simply click the Add button and the public certificate of a user with whom you want to share files.

6 Keep in mind that the user must have a certificate. Once you add a certificate, click OK and both you and the user will be able to access the encrypted files. Adding Client For Microsoft Networks in Windows XP! Open Network properties by Right Clicking on the Network Icon on the desktop and selecting properties. Right under the list of protocols and installed components, you see a drop-down box... set it to read Client For Microsoft Networks instead of Windows login. If Client For Microsoft Networks is not there you will have to add it clicking on the install button in the same window and Select Client. Make sure you have your XP Pro CD if you have to add the Client. Important Things To Know About EFS (Encrypting File System) Windows XP's Encrypting File System (EFS) can help you secure important files. Even though EFS shipped almost three years ago with Windows 2000, it's still very safe. Since its inception, EFS has not been hacked; however, this doesn't mean you are safe from attack. You still must configure and manage EFS and follow security best practices. The first thing you should do is ensure that your users are using effective passwords. If they aren't, EFS won't help. No technology can help if passwords are weak. For instance, EFS can encrypt files, but if an attacker gets to a user's password, the hacker can access the user's EFS encrypted files. There's no need to hack EFS if you can obtain another user's password. Secondly, users should export their certificates and keep them in a secure place. If certificates fall into the wrong hands, EFS security is breached. You'll also have problems if you lose your certificate. This is true, for instance, if you encrypt files but forget to export the certificate and then reinstall the operating system. If you used a local account, your files would be lost, and would not be retrievable. Always remember to export the certificate and keep it in a safe place. EFS is a very important feature. If you use it on your computer, make sure you read everything about it in the Help and Support Center. (EFS is available only in Windows XP Professional.) Don't Want To Go To MSN's Main Page When Your Browser Starts? Change IE so it goes where you want.

7 1. Navigate to the page you want to start at. Personally, I use Internet Fixes main page Click Tools Internet Options and bring up the General tab. 3. Up at the top, where it says Home page, click Use Current, then click OK. 4. That's it. From that point on, every time you start Internet Explorer, it'll start with your chosen home page. If you prefer a blank page just click on 'Use Blank' instead of 'Use Current'. You Installed A New Editor For Internet Microsoft Internet Explorer's Edit Button! You just installed a brand new HTML editor. But, when you click the Edit button in Microsoft Internet Explorer, all you get are the same old choices. To add your new program to the list, run Windows Explorer and choose Tools Folder Options (this may vary depending on your Windows version). When the Folder Options dialog box opens, click the File Types tab. Now select HTML Document and click Advanced. Select Edit and then click the Edit button. Click Browse and locate your new program. Double-click the program's EXE icon to select it and then click OK. Click OK to close the dialog box and then click OK to close the Folder Options dialog box and save your new editor selection. You've Inserted A Picture Into A Message, But Your Recipients Don't See It! Here's a common Outlook Express complaint: You've inserted a picture into a message, but your recipients don't see it. Here's the simple fix: In the Tools menu, select Options, and then click on the Send tab. Where you see Mail Sending Format, make sure that HTML is selected. Then click on HTML Settings and check Send pictures with messages. Pictures visible, problem solved. Establish Your Own Archives In Outlook Express! One way to save hard drive space and boost OE's performance is to get messages off your system entirely. What you don't want to delete, you can archive: In Outlook Express, create a new folder called Archives (you can call it whatever you want; just use the same name in the subsequent steps). Move the messages you want to archive into this folder,

8 then close OE. In Windows Explorer, find the Archives.dbx file, which is kept in OE's Store folder with the rest of OE's folders and messages. (Click on Tools Options, the Maintenance tab, then the Store folder button to locate it.) Back up Archives.dbx, then open OE and delete the Archives folder. To restore your messages, create a new folder in OE called Archives. Open the folder, then close OE. Delete the file Archives.dbx from the Store folder, and replace it with the backup copy of Archives.dbx. Open OE, and voilà! Your backed-up messages are back in the Archives folder. Deleting Cookies In Microsoft Internet Explorer 6! Microsoft Internet Explorer never offered an easy way to delete cookies--until Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 came along. You can now delete those no longer needed cookies quite easily. Just run IE 6 and choose Tools Internet Options. When the Internet Options dialog box opens, click the General tab (if necessary) and then click Delete Cookies. Click OK to close the dialog box and return to IE 6. To Start A Program As An Administrator Using Runas! 1. In Windows Explorer, click the program executable file that you want to open. 2. Press SHIFT and hold, right-click the program icon, and then click Run as. 3. To log on using an Administrator account, click The following user. 4. In User name and Password, type the Administrator account name and password that you want to use. Use this procedure if you want to perform administrative tasks when you are logged on as a member of another group, such as Users or Power Users. If you want to run a program as a domain administrator, in User name, type the name of the domain followed by the administrator account name. For example: DomainName\AdministratorName Use of Run as is not limited to Administrator accounts. If you try to start a program, such as an MMC console or Control Panel item, from a network location using Run as, it could fail if the credentials used to connect to the network share are different from the credentials used to start the program. The credentials used to run the program might not be able to gain access to the same network share. If Run as fails, the Secondary Logon service may not be running. You can also use Run as from the command prompt. The Secondary Logon service accepts only password authentication. If policies require smart card logon, then Run as will not work.

9 Troubleshooting Program Incompatibility In Windows XP! Programs That Should Work I have mentioned many times that if you're having trouble with a program on your Windows XP-based system, check the Windows Catalog at to see if the program is supposed to be compatible with Windows XP. If you find the troublesome program in the catalog (meaning it should be working), Microsoft suggests the following: Uninstall the software. Reinstall the software. If the issue is not resolved, contact your software manufacturer to inquire about how to manually uninstall the program. For example, you would need to know how to delete the folder for the program and the registry entries that were made by the program. Also, ask your software manufacturer about the availability of a fix for this issue, and then install the program again. Change Your Mouse Pointer In Windows XP! One of the neatest updates to Microsoft's latest operating system is your ability to customize so much of Windows XP to suit your individual tastes and style. And this includes your ability to change your mouse pointer from an arrow or an hourglass to a cool alternative of your choice. All you need to do is open Control Panel, and then double-click on the Mouse icon. Next, select the Pointers tab. From the Scheme dropdown list, select a scheme to preview its pointers. Windows XP offers a number of alternative pointer schemes, such as Dinosaur, Old Fashioned, and Conductor. Once you've found one you like, click OK to apply the scheme to your desktop. Here Is How You Disable Modem Sounds In Windows XP! Before you disable modem sounds, make sure you're dialing the correct number and set it as your default number. Now you're ready to disable the modem sound. 1. Go into Network and Internet Connections in your Control Panel. 2. Right-click your network connection (modem) icon. 3. Choose Properties. 4. Click the Configure button. 5. Disable the modem sound.

10 Eliminate Balloon Tips in the Notification Area! Most of the balloon tips tied to the notification area on the taskbar serve little or no purpose for experienced users; they're just distracting. To turn off the tips, run the Registry editor and navigate to the subkey HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Explorer\ Advanced. (Always use caution when editing the Registry. Any errors can cause system problems and data loss.) Right-click on the right pane, create a new DWORD value, and name it EnableBalloonTips. Then double-click on the new entry and give it a value of 0 (zero). Close the Registry editor and restart Windows. Note that this change will turn off all the balloon tips, which means that you may have to adjust some other options. If, for example, you have Automatic Update set to notify you before downloading anything, notifications of critical updates won't be as obvious. You may want to change your Automatic Update options or update manually. The Volume Control Icon Disappeared From Your Taskbar Notification Area In Windows XP! To display the volume icon in the taskbar notification area, you must select the "Place volume icon in the taskbar" check box in Control Panel Sounds and Audio Devices applet. If, when you try to select this check box, you receive the error Error Windows cannot display the volume control on the taskbar because the Volume Control program has not been installed. To install it, use Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. You need to copy the sndvol32.exe image from your commercial XP installation media (not a vendor-supplied "recovery" CD-ROM) to the system32 folder by performing the following steps: 1. Start a command session. 2. Navigate to the CD-ROM drive by typing <cd drive>: 3. Navigate to the i386 folder by typing cd i Expand the sndvol32.ex_ file by typing expand -r sndvol32.ex_ %systemroot%\system32

11 Network Your Printer In Windows XP! Here is how to share a printer on a WinXP machine across your network. You need a printer properly installed and running on a WinXP PC, and the WinXP PC connected to the network. 1. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, and Printers and Other Hardware. 2. Open the Printers and Faxes folder. You should see every printer installed on the PC. 3. Select the printer you want to share. 4. Click Printer Tasks in the left window. 5. Choose Share this Printer. 6. Give your printer a unique name, preferably something easy to remember. 7. Click OK. Now you need to add the printer to other machines that will use the printer. 1. Navigate to the Printer folder. 2. Click Add a New Printer. 3. Select Network Printer instead of Local Printer. 4. Locate the correct printer on the network. 5. Click OK. 6. Run a Windows printer test to make sure everything works. You now have access to the networked printer on the WinXP machine. Remember, the WinXP machine must remain on at all times in order to use the printer. Quickly Locate Mistakenly Deleted Files In The Recycle Bin! Sooner or later you'll need to undelete a file that you mistakenly sent to the Recycle Bin. There are probably quite a few files and folders residing there, so how do you find the one you want to return to its previous location on your hard drive? Here are a few methods you can employ, depending on certain file criteria. First, open the Recycle Bin. If you know when you got rid of the file, one method you can use to locate the missing file is to switch to Detail view (choose View Details) and then sort the files by the date you moved them to the Recycle Bin. You can do this by clicking on the Date Deleted column heading. If you're looking for a graphic file, you can switch to Thumbnail view (choose View Thumbnails). Most graphics will preview this way, and you can be sure to identify and restore the right file quickly and easily.

12 But what if you're looking to recover an entire folder from the Recycle Bin and you can't remember its name, but you do remember what files it contains? Simply hover your mouse pointer over the folder in the Recycle Bin. A popup message alerts you to the names of the first few files in the folder, as well as the original location and the total folder size. This is a lot easier than restoring each folder, checking it, and then deleting it again until you find the right one. Track Down Startup Programs In Windows XP! As you may know, Windows XP provides several methods for automatically launching programs at startup. Of course, an obvious option is the Startup folder on the Start menu, and there's also the Run key in the registry. If you're trying to track down exactly what programs XP launches at startup, you might think that you have to check several places. However, that's not the case. Windows XP provides two ways to view all the startup programs in one place. The first place is the Startup tab of the System Configuration Utility. To access it, follow these steps: 1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing [Windows]R. 2. Enter msconfig in the Open text box, and click OK. 3. Select the Startup tab. The second option is the Startup Programs section in the System Information utility. To access it, follow these steps: 1. Go to Start All Programs Accessories System Tools System Information. 2. Expand the Software Environment branch. 3. Select the Startup Programs section. Use The Recovery Console In Windows XP! The Recovery Console, which has a DOS-like interface, is a flexible tool that lets you access and save data when your system won't boot. Using the Recovery Console, you can copy and delete files on FAT32 and NTFS partitions or even access the CD-ROM drive. There are three main ways to load the Recovery Console. You can install it on your hard drive and access it when booting your system, you can launch it from the Windows XP start-up disks, or you can use the Windows XP CD. To install the Recovery Console on your system, put your Windows XP installation CD in your CD drive, click on Start Run, and type d:\ i386\winnt32.exe/cmdcons, where d is

13 your CD-ROM drive letter. Press OK and you will be asked whether you want to install the Recovery Console. Click on Yes. Once this application is installed, it will add Microsoft Windows Recovery Console as an option on the boot menu. To start the Recovery Console using the Windows XP CD, boot your system from the CD (be sure your BIOS is set to boot from CD-ROM before the hard drive). Once you're past the welcome screen, press R and the Recovery Console will start. Inside the Recovery Console you can obtain a list of possible commands by typing recovery console commands or help at the command prompt and pressing Enter. For more information about a specific command, type help commandname. From here, you can copy important data off your hard drive or, if you are a more advanced user, troubleshoot and replace corrupt files that are preventing your system from booting properly. Modify Windows XP Startup! Windows XP, like all other versions of Windows except Windows 95 and Windows 2000, has a program called Microsoft System Configuration Manager, better known as MSConfig. It's a component of the System Information program you'll find in Start > Accessories > System Tools folder. You can use it to control which programs start up when you log in. 1. Log in as an Administrator. 2. Click Start, click Run, and type "msconfig" (without quotes). 3. Go to the Startup tab. 4. Uncheck any option you don't want to run at Startup. 5. Make sure you know what a program does before disabling it. 6. Click OK. End Screen Spam In Windows 2000 and XP! Windows 2000, Windows NT, and Windows XP all include the Windows Messenger Service. It's enabled by default. Messenger allows system admins to send little messages to everyone on a network, alerting them when the server is going down. The service makes a lot of sense on a corporate network, but home users don't need it. Here's how to disable it: 1. Right-click My Computer and click Manage. 2. Click Services and Applications. 3. Click Services. 4. Scroll down to Messenger and right-click the entry. 5. Stop the Service.

14 6. Choose Disable as the Startup Type. 7. Click OK. Create Start-Up Disks in Windows XP! There are times when you can't boot your system from the hard drive, thanks to either a system problem, a lost password, or the simple fact that the OS hasn't been installed. Windows XP offers a number of options for booting from floppy disks, but you must prepare them before they're needed. A computer with no operating system installed will usually boot from the Windows XP CD. For that rare system that won't, Microsoft offers downloadable programs to create the necessary set of bootable floppy disks. Navigate to Find the download link for your Win XP version and language. The downloaded program will create six setup disks, which can be used to start your system up and begin installing the OS from a CD in a nonbootable drive. If something goes wrong with the boot drive, you may be able to recover the system using a bootable floppy disk. Don't just format a disk with the box Create an MS-DOS Startup disk checked; you want to boot Windows XP, not MS-DOS. Start by formatting the disk without checking that box. Then copy the three files Boot.ini, Ntdetect.com, and Ntldr from the root directory of the boot drive (C:\) to the floppy disk. Boot the computer from this disk and verify that Windows XP starts (this may require that you change BIOS settings to boot from a floppy disk). Label the disk clearly and store it in a safe place. If you ever forget your password, a password reset floppy disk can save the day. This isn't the same as writing down your password and storing it in a safe. The password reset disk lets you reset your password without revealing what the previous password was. The precise technique for creating and using a password reset disk varies by account type and log-on type. Search on password reset disk in the Help and Support applet for details specific to your situation. Here's How To Enable Windows XP's Built-in Internet Connection Firewall! 1. Right-click your Network Connection icon and choose Properties. 2. Right-click your Connection icon and select Properties. 3. Go to the Advanced tab. 4. Check the box beneath "Internet Connection Firewall." 5. Click OK.

15 Get HTTP Hyperlinks In Outlook Express To Open Internet Explorer! Go to View Folder Options File Types in Windows Explorer and check the values for URL:Hypertext Transfer Protocol (click edit, open, edit). The values should read: application: "C:\PROGRAM FILES\INTERNET EXPLORER\iexplore.exe" -nohome (Check the path to iexplore.exe to make sure that is correct) DDE should be checked and in the boxes below it you should have: #1: "%1",,-1,0,,,, #2 IExplore #3 (blank) #4 WWW_OpenURL NOTE: The above applies to Win9x. For WinMe, Win2000, and WinXP, use Tools Folder Options or Control Panel Folder Options to access the file types. Then edit the OPEN action for the file type. The actual values specified above are the same for each Operating System. If you find that the above process is set correctly, and you still have problems, then go to Start Run and type regsvr32 urlmon.dll and see if that fixes the problem. Opening Ports Or Adding Allowed Programs With SP2's Firewall! 1. Click on Start / Run 2. Enter in firewall.cpl 3. Click on the Exceptions tab Adding a Port for Internet Access: 1. Click on the Add Port button 2. Name it whatever you want 3. Enter in the ports you want to open Adding a Program for Internet Access

16 1. Click on Add Program... button 2. A list of all installed programs will be displayed 3. Highlight the one you want to include for Internet access 4. Click on the OK button To Troubleshoot System Restore Issues, Use One Or More Of The Following Methods! If you receive an error message that is related to System Restore, always make sure that you first record the error message, and then follow the instructions that the error message contains to try to resolve the issue. Most System Restore issues generate an error message that contains a description of the issue and suggestions for how to resolve the issue. Make sure that you have sufficient disk space on all the drives where System Restore is enabled. Make sure that the System Restore service is running. To do this, use one of the following methods: Look in Control Panel. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, click Run, and then type compmgmt.msc in the Open box. 2. Expand Services, and then click System Restore Services. Open a command prompt window. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, click Run, and then type CMD. 2. Press ENTER, and then type Net Start at the command prompt to make sure that the System Restore service is up and is running. Make sure that System Restore is enabled on the drives where you want System Restore enabled. Try to run System Restore in Safe Mode. If you suspect that you do not have as many restore points as you should have, make sure that the data store is the size that you want the data store to be. View the event logs to investigate System Restore service errors. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Performance and Maintenance. 2. Click Administrative Tools, click Computer Management, double-click Event Viewer, and then click System. 3. Click the Source tab to sort by name, and then look for "sr" or "srservice." Doubleclick each of these services, and then evaluate the event description for any indication of the cause of the problem. Prevent Lost Data When Resetting Passwords In XP!

17 When you're dealing with passwords, you should understand the difference between resetting and changing the passwords, and you need to be familiar with the consequences each of them might have. Normally, users change their password. Of course, they need to know their original password in order to change it. But resetting a password is different. It doesn't require the user to know the previous password. By default, only administrators can reset passwords, but any user can change his or her own password. Knowing the difference between changing and resetting passwords takes on a new importance in Windows XP, thanks to a new security feature, which can also cause a lot of trouble. Resetting a password will cause the loss of access to certificates, private keys, Web page credentials, and file share credentials. The password protects all of these areas. But if you don't know the original password, you won't be able to retrieve your data if you reset the password. The best way to prevent this loss of access is to create a password recovery disk, which you can do in both Windows XP Professional and Home Edition. With this disk, you can reset the lost password and regain access to the lost data. Next time, I'll tell you how to create a password recovery disk. Prevent Lost Data When Resetting Passwords In XP, Part 2! It's dangerous to reset a password in Windows XP because it causes the loss of access to certificates, private keys, Web page credentials, and file share credentials. The best approach to keep this from happening is to create a password recovery disk, which you can do in both Windows XP Professional and Home Edition. To create a password recovery disk, follow these steps: 1. Go to Start Control Panel User Accounts. 2. Select the username. 3. On the left side under Related Tasks, click Prevent A Forgotten Password. 4. Follow the wizard. Please keep in mind that you can only create a password recovery disk for computers not joined to a domain. Now, when you enter the wrong password, you'll see a yellow balloon that offers the Use Your Password Reset Disk option. Selecting this option will take you through a wizard. Then, you'll be able to access all your files again. Of course, remember that you have to create the password recovery disk before you lose your password. It's a good idea to create it immediately once you start using your

18 computer. Make sure you keep it in a safe place. If the disk gets in the wrong hands, other users could gain access to your files. Turn Off Windows XP Firewall! 1. Click Start, click Run, type Firewall.cpl in the Open box, and then and push the enter key. 2. When the Window opens select to turn off the Windows XP Firewall! Follow the same steps to turn the Windows XP Firewall back on again! Remove Unwanted Windows XP Components! When you install Windows XP, the computer won't prompt you to select which applications you want to install with the operating system. By default, setup installs almost all applications. But if you don't use them all, and you don't want all those extra components cluttering up your system, you can safely remove them. Removing Windows components is an easy process. Here's how to do it: Go to Control Panel and double-click Add/Remove Programs. Select Add/Remove Windows Components for a list of options. However, you won't see all the components installed on your system listed in those options. To remove many of the components, you have to look for them. Go to the hidden %systemroot%\inf folder and open the Sysoc.inf file. This file lists all the components you can remove. To view these components in the Add/Remove Windows Components dialog box, you must remove the word HIDE from each line. After you've made your changes, save the file and reopen the Add/Remove Programs dialog box. You should now see those additional components. Filtering Spam In Outlook Express! An easy way to filter spam in Outlook Express is to use Outlook Express' message filtering. To check this out, choose File Folders New. Select Local Folders and type "Spam" into the "Folder name" entry box. Click OK to continue. Now choose Tools Message Rules Mail. Click New and then select the check box labeled "Where the To line contains people". Next, select the check box labeled "Move it to the specified folder".

19 Next, under Rule Description, click "Contains People" and then type in your address and click Add. Now click Options and select the radio button labeled "Message does not contain the people below" and click OK. Back in the New Mail Rule dialog, click "specified" under "Rule Description" and double-click your Spam folder. Now, click OK to close the dialog box. In Message Rules again, click OK to close the dialog and record your new rule. Outlook Express will now send all that arrives without your address in the To box to the Spam folder where you can check to see if you need it. Disable The AutoComplete Feature In Internet Explorer! Disable the AutoComplete feature! There are several places you'll have to look, depending on the application you're using. Use the following steps to disable AutoComplete in Internet Explorer: 1. Open Internet Explorer. 2. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options. 3. Go to the Content tab and click the AutoComplete button. 4. Choose from a variety of AutoComplete Settings options. You can enable or disable AutoComplete For Web Addresses, Forms, and/or User Names And Passwords On Forms. You can also choose Clear AutoComplete History, which disables all existing entries. 5. Close all dialogs and exit Internet Explorer. Your PC Thinks It Has Two Copies Of Windows! Sounds to Me like your computer's boot.ini file is configured with multiple operating system entries, and apparently, one is not configured correctly. How did this happen? It could be from an incomplete or aborted Windows installation or someone messing around with the boot.ini file. In any case, you can edit the boot.ini file to delete the incorrect entry. The first step is to determine which is the correct, functioning one. Boot the system and note the text that the boot menu offers you, or the order in which they are displayed (is the first one in the list the working copy or is it the second?) Next, boot Windows to the working copy and follow these steps:

20 1. Open My Computer and choose Tools, Folder Options. 2. Click the View tab, place a check beside Show hidden files and folders, and click OK. 3. Open drive C and look for the file boot.ini. 4. Right-click boot.ini and choose Properties. 5. Clear the Read-only check box and click OK. 6. Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Notepad. 7. In Notepad, open boot.ini from drive C. Look in the [operating systems] section. There should be two entries, one for each of the boot options offered by the boot menu. Let's add some text to each one to help you better identify them during boot so you can verify which is working and which is not. 8. Click in the text that is enclosed in quotes and add a descriptor, like WORKS or DOES NOT WORK. Make sure you add this text somewhere inside the two quotes. 9. Save the file and restart the computer. At boot, choose the entry that includes WORKS in the operating system description. 10. If the system boots properly, you now know that the entry with DOESN'T WORK in its description is the one to delete. Open boot.ini in Notepad again, delete the entire line (it will probably start with the word multi or scsi), and save the file 11. Reboot to make sure the system boots normally. That should give you the information you need to track down this problem. Installing And Using Everest Inventory Software! Go to and download the Everest Home Edition of hardware inventory software. Install it and then go to for instructions on how to use this. What this software does is compile a list of all the hardware and software in your computer. When you are requesting help for a PC problem this file helps a lot! What this software does is give you a complete list of your hardware along with links on where to download the drivers you need for your video card, monitor, etc. Perform A Quick Reinstallation Of Outlook Express In XP! Most of the applications that ship with Windows XP cannot be removed or reinstalled separately. However, there are some tricks around this that are helpful in certain situations, such as the reinstallation trick for Outlook Express (OE).

21 Follow these steps to reinstall OE: 1. Open the Start menu and select Run. 2. Type %SystemRoot%\Inf in the prompt and press Enter. 3. Locate and right-click the Msoe50.inf file. 4. Select Install. 5. Close the folder window after the copy process is complete. 6. Run OE. This completely reinstalls OE and lets you start over. Outlook Express does not have an uninstall option, so it cannot be removed from the computer. Always Backup Your and Address Book before using this tip! Note: These steps to reinstall Outlook Express are not supported by Microsoft, so be aware of possible unforeseen issues in the future concerning this procedure. Reset Outlook Express Password! No matter how many times you check the Remember Password box, Outlook/Outlook Express will refuse to save passwords for your account(s). To fix: 1. Start the Registry Editor 2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Protected Storage System Provider \ 3. Right-click the Protected Storage System Provider key, and from the menu choose Permissions 4. On the Security tab, press the Advanced button 5. On the Permissions tab, select the Replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects check box. Click Apply, and then click Yes on the Security warning dialog 6. In the Name column, ensure that the user currently logged on has Full Control access. Click OK. The following message appears: Do you want to replace the permission on all existing subkeys within Protected Storage System Provider? 7. Click Yes 8. Double-click the Protected Storage System Provider key to expand the key, click the user subkey folder that is directly below the Protected Storage System Provider key, click Delete on the Edit menu, and then click Yes in the warning message dialog box The user subkey folder looks similar to the following example:

22 S Note: For every identity that you have, there may be a subkey under the Protected Storage System Provider key. To resolve this issue in all of your identities, you must delete all of the user subkeys folders under the Protected Storage System Provider key. 9. Close the registry editor 10. Log restart Windows for the changes to take effect The next time you start your program, enter the password when prompted and select Remember Password. This should now be retained. Please remember that when I give you a tip that involves a Registry Tip to go to the following address to make sure you know how to backup and restore the Registry! Re-install A Printer In XP! As long as you have the software that came with the printer I would just Delete The Printer and Re-install iti Click Start, Settings and then click Printers and Faxes. Click on the printer in question and select Delete from the left hand side of the window. After that Click On Add A Printer and use your software when asked! If this doesn't solve the problem me at info@internetfixes.com with the Model and Make of the printer! Also include and information if you have made any updates in the past several days. Use Internet Explorer In Offline Mode! There are benefits to using HTML pages for publishing company information to your network users. However, you may have users who rarely connect to the network. If the HTML pages in question are basic, static pages that require no Web server processing, you can copy them to the users' computers when they log in to the network-- either as part of a login script, as a manual procedure, or as an attachment. Next, create a shortcut to a batch file that starts Internet Explorer and points straight to the page on the disconnected computer without the browser trying to go online. The batch file should contain the following lines: reg update "hku\.default\software\microsoft\ windows\currentversion\internet settings\globaluseroffline=1"

23 "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe c:\htm_pages\start.htm" You may have to alter the path to Internet Explorer. The first line forces the browser into Offline mode--regardless of the mode it was closed in--and the second line opens the first page. This provides a good start for a mechanism that makes distribution very simple for users. All Of A Sudden Internet Explorer Started Opening Up In A Tiny Window! I get this question quite often! How do I reset it to open in a full window all the time? Many readers report problems with IE's window sizing. Like its cousin Windows Explorer, IE has a notoriously bad memory for certain things, window sizes among them. Here is a technique that often fixes the problem, though it's not guaranteed. First, close all open IE windows, then launch IE again. Right-click on any link and choose Open in New Window. Resize the resulting secondary window to the size you want for all secondary windows. Now close the window by holding the Shift key and clicking the X icon in its top-righthand corner. Set the remaining window to the size you want IE to have when initially launched, and close it in the same way. IE should now remember your preferred window sizes. If it forgets after a while, apply this simple fix again. Access Your Drives From Another Computer! By default, when your computer is configured for networking, hidden shares are created to the drives on your computer. They remain hidden because a dollar sign symbol ($) is appended to the share name. This means when another user is browsing the shared resources on your computer, your drives are not visible to them. You can remotely access your computer's drives by typing in the appropriate UNC (Universal Naming Convention). Simply open the run command by clicking Start and selecting Run. Type in the UNC to the drive you want to access and Click OK. For example, to access the C: drive on a computer called Workstation1, you would type in the following: \\Workstation1\C$ You can use this method to access any hidden share on your computer. Keep in mind though that it does require you to have administrative privileges on the computer you are trying to access. Keep Your Activation Status Intact When Reinstalling XP!

24 Have you ever wanted to reformat the hard disk and reinstall Windows XP on a system but you didn't want to mess around with Microsoft's Product Activation after the reinstall? Fortunately, you don't have to. As long as you aren't making any hardware alterations, you can back up the activation status files before you reformat the hard drive and then restore them after you reinstall the operating system. To perform the backup, follow these steps: 1. Use Windows Explorer to open the C:\Windows\System32 folder. 2. Copy the Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files to a floppy disk or CD. To perform the restore, follow these steps: 1. Decline the activation request at the end of the installation procedure, and restart Windows XP. 2. During bootup, press [F8] to access the Windows Advanced Options menu. 3. Choose the Safe Mode (SAFEBOOT_OPTION=Minimal) option. 4. Use Windows Explorer to open the C:\Windows\System32 folder. 5. If they exist, rename the new Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files to Wpadbl.new and Wpabak.new. 6. Copy the original Wpa.dbl and Wpa.bak files from the floppy disk or CD to the C:\Windows\System32 folder. 7. Restart the system. Using The Forgotten Password Wizard In Windows XP Pro! Windows XP's Forgotten Password Wizard helps create a Password Reset Disk that you can use to gain access to your computer if you forget your password. There are different steps, depending on your computer's connection to the network and the type of account you have. For example, follow these steps if your computer is on a workgroup and you have an administrator account: 1. Open Control Panel and the User Accounts tool.

25 2. Click your account. 3. Within Related Tasks, select Prevent A Forgotten Password. 4. Follow the instructions provided by the wizard. If you have a limited account, simply skip step 2 in the instructions above. If your computer is on a domain, perform these steps: 1. Log off. 2. Press [Ctrl][Alt][Delete]. 3. Click Change Password. 4. Select the local computer in the Change Password dialog box. 5. Click Backup. 6. Follow the instructions provided by the wizard. When you log in to this computer that's on a domain and receive a Logon Failed error message, just click the Reset button to launch the Password Reset Wizard. If this computer is on a workgroup, you'll see the message Did You Forget Your Password? Click Use Your Password Reset Disk to launch the Password Reset Wizard. Keep in mind that the Password Reset Disk only works on the computer on which it was created. In addition, within a domain environment, the Password Reset Disk will only allow you to gain access to the local computer. You'll still have to ask your domain administrator to change your domain password in order to regain access to the network. Assign A Drive Letter In Windows XP! To assign a drive letter to a drive, a partition, or a volume, follow these steps: 1. Log on as Administrator or as a member of the Administrators group. 2. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Performance and Maintenance. Note If you do not see Performance and Maintenance, go to step 3. Performance and Maintenance appears in Control Panel only if you use Category view. If you use Classic view, Performance and Maintenance does not appear. 3. Click Administrative Tools, double-click Computer Management, and then click Disk Management in the left pane. 4. Right-click the drive, the partition, the logical drive, or the volume that you want to assign a drive letter to, and then click Change Drive Letter and Paths. 5. Click Add. 6. Click Assign the following drive letter if it is not already selected, and then either accept the default drive letter or click the drive letter that you want to use. 7. Click OK.

26 The drive letter is assigned to the drive, to the partition, or to the volume that you specified, and then that drive letter appears in the appropriate drive, partition, or volume in the Disk Management tool. Add A Frequently Used Folder To The Send To Menu In XP! If you frequently work with the contents of a particular folder on your hard drive, you may wish for a way to quickly send your documents to that folder without having to work through the My Computer or Windows Explorer folder trees. You'll be pleased to know that you can easily add a shortcut to that folder to the Send To menu to be able to easily send your documents to this folder. Open My Computer, and double-click on the C: drive icon. Next, double-click on the Documents And Settings folder, and then double-click on your username's folder. Next, display the SendTo folder, which is hidden by default. Choose Tools Folder Options, select the View tab, and then select the Show Hidden Files And Folders option button, and click OK. Next, choose File New Shortcut, and follow the Shortcut Wizard to create a shortcut to your frequently used folder. The next time you right-click on a file and select Send To, the shortcut to the folder you added will appear on the submenu. Retrieve Declined Windows Update Reminders! As you know, Microsoft's Windows Update feature scans your computer and provides you with updates that apply only to the software and hardware you have installed. The updates include security fixes, drivers, critical updates, and the latest Help files to keep your computer current. However, there may be times when you elect not to install a specific update that has been downloaded, and as a result, Windows deletes the update files from your system. If you happen to reconsider this later on and wish you could go back and download the declined updates, you'll be relieved to know you can. Click the Start button and choose Control Panel. In Category view click on the Performance And Maintenance link, and then click on the System link. In Classic view, double-click on the System icon. Select the Automatic Updates tab, and then click the Restore Declined Updates button. If any of the updates you previously declined still apply to your computer, they will appear the next time Windows notifies you of available updates. Keep in mind that you can always install specific updates from the Windows Update Web site, by opening Windows Update via the Help And Support Center. Create An Icon To Switch Users In XP!