Windows XP

Windows Start-up & Shutdown Sounds from Windows 3.1 on up

It seems that people will collect almost anything. Vince Bognot has put together Windows Start-up and Shutdown Sounds from Windows 3.1 to Windows 7. I am not sure who cares but here is his collection:

Via the Windows Club

Scrap files scrapped

Windows is a complicated operating system and has many properties and features that most PC users are unaware of. One of the odder and lesser known features in Windows 98/XP was something called a scrap file. I wrote about scrap files some years ago in connection with their use by virus writers. I visit the [...]

Fixing Windows update problems

For one reason or the other, it sometimes happens that a file or a Registry entry gets corrupted in one of the never-ending Windows updates. In that case, it often becomes impossible to carry out updates without getting error messages. The problems are common enough that Microsoft has come up with a tool to fix [...]

Microsoft patches patched

Some of the Microsoft security patches from the October patch Tuesday were buggy. Microsoft issued some fixes yesterday. So you may need to check Microsoft Update. Details at InfoWorld.

How 32-bit software runs on 64-bit Windows

When I took a look at the many PC offerings being rolled out for the advent of Windows 7, I was struck by how many of them were 64-bit systems. It’s a little geeky but an explanation of how Windows Vista/7 64-bit systems manage 32-bit software may interest some. TechSupportAlert has an overview of how [...]

Truckload of Microsoft updates

Speaking of security updates, today is the monthly Microsoft patch Tuesday and it’s a big one, in fact, the biggest ever. It even includes Windows 7. Computerworld reports:
Today’s security updates from Microsoft were unprecedented, with 13 separate bulletins that quashed 34 vulnerabilities. Both were records for the company since it began delivering monthly updates six [...]

Tweaking guides for Windows XP and Vista

Windows is eminently tweakable and there are a number of applications and guides for configuring Windows XP and Vista. Some applications will carry out tweaks for you while others simply give instructions. In this latter category is a nice collection of useful tweaks from Tweakguides. A free PDF document is available, one for Windows XP [...]

Information at Microsoft

The Microsoft Web site contains vast amounts of information about Windows and other Microsoft products. It is not always easy to find things on the site but one place I find very valuable is the TechNet Library. It contains documentation for all sorts of Microsoft products. It is intended for IT professionals but PC users [...]

FAQ for upgrading to Windows 7 from XP

If you have an XP system that you think has enough horsepower to run Windows 7 and want to know what is involved in an upgrade, Gregg Keizer has an upgrade FAQ at Computerworld.
First, however, run the Microsoft software Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. Download the advisor here. It will assess your system and tell you [...]

Temporary fix for latest IE security problem

As posted yesterday. Internet Explorer in Windows XP systems is being subjected to attacks from infected Web sites that exploit a security hole in an ActiveX component. You can disable ActiveX yourself or you can use a Microsoft site to do it for you. Go to this Microsoft “Fix-it” page.

New ActiveX problem in Internet Explorer

A security hole in an ActiveX component of Internet Explorer is being attacked with drive-by downloads. As far as I can tell, it is Windows XP that is affected. ZDNet reports:
Malicious hackers are launching code execution exploits against new, unpatched vulnerability in the Microsoft Video ActiveX Control, the company warned in an advisory.
The attacks are [...]