Turn Your Double-Click Into Single-Click
In an effort to make things easier, Windows XP lets people choose whether a single click or a double click should open a file or folder. But if you’re not satisfied with the click method Windows XP uses, here’s how to change it:
Open any folder and Choose "Folder Options" from the "Tools" menu
In the "Folder Options" window, within "Click Items as follows", you can select whichever option you like to. For single mouse click, select the first option and for double, select the second. Once done, click on "OK"
If you select the first option of "Single-Click", then you can open any folder with one click of the mouse.
Open any folder and Choose "Folder Options" from the "Tools" menu
In the "Folder Options" window, within "Click Items as follows", you can select whichever option you like to. For single mouse click, select the first option and for double, select the second. Once done, click on "OK"
If you select the first option of "Single-Click", then you can open any folder with one click of the mouse.
Logon Message - Your Password Will Expire
You might have noticed Windows XP notifying you at logon that your password will expire in so-many days and ask if you wish to change it now.
This notification is to help enforce password policies but it can be very annoying too, especially if you are working on your home PC. By following the steps illustrated below, you can stop this notification from appearing.
Start by clicking on the "Start" menu on the taskbar and then click on "Control Panel"
Within the "Control Panel" window, click on "Performance and Maintenance".
Within "Performance and Maintenance" window, click on "Administrative Tools"
Within "Administrative Tools" double click on "Local Security Policy" applet.
Within the "Local Security Settings" window, double-click on "Account Policies" and then select "Password Policy".
In "Password Policy", locate "Maximum Password Age" in the right hand pane and double click on it and set this value to 0.
Click on "Apply" and then "OK" to close the "Maximum password age Properties" pop up window and then close the "Local security settings" window.
This will ensure that your passwords never expire.
This notification is to help enforce password policies but it can be very annoying too, especially if you are working on your home PC. By following the steps illustrated below, you can stop this notification from appearing.
Start by clicking on the "Start" menu on the taskbar and then click on "Control Panel"
Within the "Control Panel" window, click on "Performance and Maintenance".
Within "Performance and Maintenance" window, click on "Administrative Tools"
Within "Administrative Tools" double click on "Local Security Policy" applet.
Within the "Local Security Settings" window, double-click on "Account Policies" and then select "Password Policy".
In "Password Policy", locate "Maximum Password Age" in the right hand pane and double click on it and set this value to 0.
Click on "Apply" and then "OK" to close the "Maximum password age Properties" pop up window and then close the "Local security settings" window.
This will ensure that your passwords never expire.
Change Drive Letters
At times your external hard drive letter might coincide with your internal hard drive letter. In such a scenario, it becomes important to change the hard drive letter for one of them. It is quite easy to change the drive letters in Windows XP. Let's learn, how.
Start by clicking on the "Start" menu on the taskbar and then click on "Control Panel"Within the "Control Panel" window, click on "Performance and Maintenance".
Within "Performance and Maintenance" window, click on "Administrative Tools"
Within "Administrative Tools" double click on the "Computer Management" applet.
Once the "Computer Management" window opens, select "Disk Management" in the Storage section. You would now see a list of the fixed and removable disk drives on your system.
Right click on the drive letter you wish to change and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths" from the drop down menu list.
In the "Change Drive Letter and Paths" pop up window click on the Drive letter and then click on "Change" button.
Click on "Assign the following drive letter" and from the drop down list select the drive letter you wish to assign.
Select the letter and click on "OK"
Click on "OK" again and close the "Computer Management" window. Your drive letter is now changed for easy access.
How To Start PC In Safe Mode
The best way to diagnose a problem with your PC is to start Windows in Safe mode. Reason being, when you boot your PC in safe mode, you have access to only basic drivers for the computer to function, so the processor is free from running a lot of data.
Let's see how we can boot the PC in a Safe mode. There are two ways to it. You can select whichever way you are comfortable with.
In the first method, to get into safe mode, restart your PC. Before you get the Windows XP screen (shown below), press the F8 key on your keyboard.
Pressing the F8 key would take you to the "Advanced Options" menu.
Here you are presented with various options to select from. We will briefly describe what each option would do, if you select that.
Let's see how we can boot the PC in a Safe mode. There are two ways to it. You can select whichever way you are comfortable with.
In the first method, to get into safe mode, restart your PC. Before you get the Windows XP screen (shown below), press the F8 key on your keyboard.
Pressing the F8 key would take you to the "Advanced Options" menu.
Here you are presented with various options to select from. We will briefly describe what each option would do, if you select that.
- Safe Mode: It loads minimum processes required to start Windows XP
- Safe Mode with Networking: Along with starting computer in safe mode it includes drivers needed for network connectivity
- Safe Mode with Command Prompt: On starting the computer, it displays Command Prompt instead of Windows GUI.
- Enable Boot Logging: It troubleshoots boot problems and creates a log to help you identify the device or driver which is causing problem during startup.
- Enable VGA mode: It starts the PC in standard VGA mode by using the video driver. You can use this option if you are getting distorted video display.
- Last known Good configuration: It restores the entire configuration that was used last when your computer functioned successfully. This is the safest and should be tried out first in Safe booting.
- Debugging mode: It uses kernel debugger to troubleshooting.
- Start Windows Normally: Starts Windows in normal mode.
- Reboot: Restarts the computer.
Using the arrow keys on your keyboard, highlight "Safe Mode" and press "Enter". When a dialog box shows up stating that "Windows is running in safe mode". To proceed to work in safe mode, click yes. Click on the "Yes" button and you can start working in Safe mode.
Once you complete making necessary changes, restart your PC and this time let it start in the Normal mode.
In case you are not comfortable logging into safe mode in the method described above, you can try this:
Click on the "Start" menu on the taskbar and then click on "Run"
In the "Run" dialog box type: msconfig and then click on "OK"
Next, in the "System Configuration Utility" window that open, under the "BOOT.INI" tab, within the "Boot Options" area, check mark on "/SAFEBOOT" box. Click on "Apply" and then "OK". Now when you boot, Windows will go into Safe mode.
A brief description of options along with /SAFEBOOT:
Once you complete making necessary changes, restart your PC and this time let it start in the Normal mode.
In case you are not comfortable logging into safe mode in the method described above, you can try this:
Click on the "Start" menu on the taskbar and then click on "Run"
In the "Run" dialog box type: msconfig and then click on "OK"
Next, in the "System Configuration Utility" window that open, under the "BOOT.INI" tab, within the "Boot Options" area, check mark on "/SAFEBOOT" box. Click on "Apply" and then "OK". Now when you boot, Windows will go into Safe mode.
A brief description of options along with /SAFEBOOT:
- Minimal: This option uses a minimal set of device drivers and services to start Windows.
- Network: This option uses a minimal set of device drivers and services to start Windows along with the drivers needed to load networking.
- DSREPAIR: This is the "Directory Services Repair Console" . You don't need to use this.
- Minimal(AlternateShell): This option is the same as Safe mode, except that Cmd.exe starts instead of Windows Explorer.
When you no longer need Safe mode, you need to repeat the process and uncheck that box.
Help For Command Prompt Window
Here's a small tutorial, as to how you can get a help on using command prompt commands in a notepad for quick reference.
Click on "Start" menu on the taskbar and then click on "All programs" followed by "Accessories" and then "command prompt"
A Command prompt window would open.
In the "Command prompt" window that opens, type this:
To read the Commands.txt file, you can launch Notepad and just open the file from the location where you created it (As mentioned above, if you haven't changed the location, it would be there in C:\Documents and Settings\Username.
However, now that you are in the command prompt window, there is an easier way out.
In the next command line, enter the command
This would open the notepad "Command.txt" from its location and you can refer the help commands from there.
You have all the commands with their explanation with you.
Click on "Start" menu on the taskbar and then click on "All programs" followed by "Accessories" and then "command prompt"
A Command prompt window would open.
In the "Command prompt" window that opens, type this:
help>commands.txtThis would create a list of all commands to help you to use the command prompt window. The file is created in whatever directory you are in, at present. By default the directory where the command prompt help is created would be C:\Documents and Settings\Username (Here username would be the name with which you login to windows)
To read the Commands.txt file, you can launch Notepad and just open the file from the location where you created it (As mentioned above, if you haven't changed the location, it would be there in C:\Documents and Settings\Username.
However, now that you are in the command prompt window, there is an easier way out.
In the next command line, enter the command
start commands.txt
This would open the notepad "Command.txt" from its location and you can refer the help commands from there.
You have all the commands with their explanation with you.
Save Files Getting Copied and Pasted In The Same Folder
You must have faced this, maybe every now and then, when you hold down the "Ctrl" key to copy a list of files within a folder and without doing anything further, you notice to your dismay that the system creates a duplicate copy of every file and pastes it in the same folder. It certainly is frustrating because not only you need to start all over again but also delete all those extra duplicate copies. Well, not anymore. Here is small tip on how to go about it.
Start by clicking the topmost file. Next, hold down the "Ctrl" key and "down arrow" across the list you wish to copy. You will notice a faint selection rectangle that moves down as you press the down arrow. When it reaches another file you want to copy, press the "space bar". In case you select the wrong file by mistake, all you need to do is to press the space bar again and it gets deselected. Once your selection is complete, press C without releasing the Ctrl key to copy the files to the clipboard and then navigate to the destination folder and press Ctrl+V to paste in copies of those files. No more hassles of duplication!
Start by clicking the topmost file. Next, hold down the "Ctrl" key and "down arrow" across the list you wish to copy. You will notice a faint selection rectangle that moves down as you press the down arrow. When it reaches another file you want to copy, press the "space bar". In case you select the wrong file by mistake, all you need to do is to press the space bar again and it gets deselected. Once your selection is complete, press C without releasing the Ctrl key to copy the files to the clipboard and then navigate to the destination folder and press Ctrl+V to paste in copies of those files. No more hassles of duplication!
Remove "Stand By" Option
Try out this if you wish to remove the "Standby" option from the Windows XP.
Begin by clicking on the "Start" menu on the taskbar. Followed which, click on "Run".
In the "Run" window, type: regedit and click on "OK"
Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services\ ACPI\ Parameters
On the right side of the window, right click, select "New" and then click on "DWORD Value"
Right click on the value to rename it as "Attributes".
Double click on "Attributes" to set its "Value data" to 70. Make sure that 'Hexadecimal" is selected.
Click on "OK", exit the Registry editor, and reboot.
Now the next time when you Turn off your computer, you won't see the option "Standby".
Begin by clicking on the "Start" menu on the taskbar. Followed which, click on "Run".
In the "Run" window, type: regedit and click on "OK"
Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Services\ ACPI\ Parameters
On the right side of the window, right click, select "New" and then click on "DWORD Value"
Right click on the value to rename it as "Attributes".
Double click on "Attributes" to set its "Value data" to 70. Make sure that 'Hexadecimal" is selected.
Click on "OK", exit the Registry editor, and reboot.
Now the next time when you Turn off your computer, you won't see the option "Standby".
Convert NTFS into FAT File System
To convert NTFS to FAT, you need to back up the data from the drive, reformat the drive, and then restore the data.
Click the "Start" button on the taskbar. Followed which, right click on "My Computer" and select "Manage".
In the "Computer Management" window that opens, click on the (+) before "Storage"
Click on the "Disk Management" option.
Right click the drive you want to format and choose "Format" from the context menu. Here we choose the D drive.
Using the File System drop down list, choose the file system you want to use for the drive. In this case, we are choosing a FAT file system.
The size of the drive you’re formatting dictates the choices available in the File System drop down list. Only those file systems that can handle the drive you’re formatting are listed.
Click on "OK"
And you are done with the conversion along with the formatting. Reboot the system for the effect to take place.
Click the "Start" button on the taskbar. Followed which, right click on "My Computer" and select "Manage".
In the "Computer Management" window that opens, click on the (+) before "Storage"
Click on the "Disk Management" option.
Right click the drive you want to format and choose "Format" from the context menu. Here we choose the D drive.
Using the File System drop down list, choose the file system you want to use for the drive. In this case, we are choosing a FAT file system.
The size of the drive you’re formatting dictates the choices available in the File System drop down list. Only those file systems that can handle the drive you’re formatting are listed.
Click on "OK"
And you are done with the conversion along with the formatting. Reboot the system for the effect to take place.
Convert FAT into NTFS File System
A simple one step on how to convert FAT file system into NTFS:
Click on "Start" menu on the taskbar and then click on "All programs" followed by "Accessories" and then "command prompt"
In the "Command prompt" window that opens, type this:
Thats all. Conversion may take a while and once completed, you need to reboot your system for the effect to take place.
Click on "Start" menu on the taskbar and then click on "All programs" followed by "Accessories" and then "command prompt"
In the "Command prompt" window that opens, type this:
convert d: /fs:ntfsThis is to convert your D drive into NTFS. If you wish to convert another drive to NTFS you need to replace the drive letter "D" to "E" or "F", the drive that is applicable.
Thats all. Conversion may take a while and once completed, you need to reboot your system for the effect to take place.
File System: NTFS or FAT?
A File System is an organizational method that the operating system uses to store information on a disk drive. In other words, your operating system needs to organize a hard drive so that it can easily store and retrieve things.
Windows XP supports two primary file systems: NTFS and FAT. Let's understand in brief what these two file systems mean and then we will find out which file system we use on our PC.
FAT file system:
FAT which stands for "File Allocation Table" has two variants: FAT 16 and FAT 32. The difference between the two is how they allocate space and the size of the hard drive partitions they can access. FAT 16 can access drive partitions up to 2GB and can store only up to 512 entries in the root directory. FAT 32 can access drive partitions up to 32GB in size and has no limit on the number of files that can be stored in the root directory.
NTFS file system:
NTFS which stand for "New Technology File System" is the default file system for hard drives in a Windows XP. It is used in instances when you need increased file security or you share your data with others over a network. NTFS can access drive partitions up to 2TB (terabytes) in size which is 62.5 times larger than the largest partition accessible by FAT 32.
Now that we have an idea about FAT and NTFS, lets learn to identify the type of system that we use.
Click the "Start" button on the taskbar. Followed which, right click on "My Computer" and select "Manage".
In the "Computer Management" window that opens, click on the (+) before "Storage"
Finally, click on the "Disk Management" option.
A list of your disk drives appears at the right side of the Computer Management window. At the top right you see a list of all your system’s drives. The File System column indicates the file system used for the drive. (Different drives can use different file systems.)
Windows XP supports two primary file systems: NTFS and FAT. Let's understand in brief what these two file systems mean and then we will find out which file system we use on our PC.
FAT file system:
FAT which stands for "File Allocation Table" has two variants: FAT 16 and FAT 32. The difference between the two is how they allocate space and the size of the hard drive partitions they can access. FAT 16 can access drive partitions up to 2GB and can store only up to 512 entries in the root directory. FAT 32 can access drive partitions up to 32GB in size and has no limit on the number of files that can be stored in the root directory.
NTFS file system:
NTFS which stand for "New Technology File System" is the default file system for hard drives in a Windows XP. It is used in instances when you need increased file security or you share your data with others over a network. NTFS can access drive partitions up to 2TB (terabytes) in size which is 62.5 times larger than the largest partition accessible by FAT 32.
Now that we have an idea about FAT and NTFS, lets learn to identify the type of system that we use.
Click the "Start" button on the taskbar. Followed which, right click on "My Computer" and select "Manage".
In the "Computer Management" window that opens, click on the (+) before "Storage"
Finally, click on the "Disk Management" option.
A list of your disk drives appears at the right side of the Computer Management window. At the top right you see a list of all your system’s drives. The File System column indicates the file system used for the drive. (Different drives can use different file systems.)
Change The Default Path To Install Programs
The default path when we install any new programs is usually C:\Program Files. If you feel that the C drive is packed with a lot of programs and is slowing down the performance of the PC, you can change the default path to install your programs to another location, so that the next time you install any new programs they are directly installed in the path that you choose. To change the default installation path, we need to go to the Registry editor.
Let's begin by clicking on the "Start" menu on the taskbar. Followed which, click on "Run".In the "Run" window, type: regedit and click on "OK"
Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE \Microsoft \Windows \CurrentVersion
On the right side of the window, locate the key titled "ProgramFilesDir" and double click on it.
In the "Edit String" dialog box that opens, change the "Value data" from C:\Program Files to a location of your choice. We changed it to E:\Programs after creating a folder "Programs" in the E drive. This is the location where we want all our softwares to be installed by default in the future.
Click on "OK" to save the changes.
Once the location is changed in the Registry Editor, you can close it and henceforth you need not change the location of every program manually.
Protect Your Wireless Router From Unauthorized Access
To protect your wireless router from unauthorized access the first and easiest thing you should do is to make sure encryption is turned on and is required for anyone to connect to your network. Next you should get your network router to disable the broadcasting of SSID (Network name). This stops your network from being listed when a user searches for a new network in your area. To connect to your network the user will now have to know both the SSID and password for your network. Finally if you have a small set of computers which dont change frequently, you could add the MAC addresses of your computers to your wireless router. MAC addresses are unique computer identification codes which are guaranteed to be unique for each computer.
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