Windows XP
Restore “Show Desktop” icon in Quick Launch toolbar
Here’s another Taskbar tip. A handy area of the Taskbar is the Quick Launch toolbar where icons that you use a lot can be placed. One of these is the “Show Desktop” icon. Judging from how often the problem is mentioned on the Web, disappearance of this icon is a common problem. There are several [...]
Shortcuts to turn off your computer
This is a very popular tip. It was first posted in September, 2005:
I am often asked if there is a quick way to close down a computer without having to go through all the steps Start-Turn Off Computer-Turn Off. Windows XP comes with a special executable file for shutting down called shutdown.exe that allows you [...]
Hibernation and Stand By in Windows XP
Windows XP comes with two power management options and I find that many home PC users are unsure how they differ. The options are “Stand By” and “Hibernate”. (Your hardware must be Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)-compliant but newer PCs come with this feature.)
“Stand By” is a standard option in the dialog that you [...]
The operating system that won’t die
Windows XP simply won’t go away. Many PC users have decided that XP has all the features and stability they’ll ever need and is plenty safe enough. But the kicker may be that XP will run on a lot less hardware than is demanded by Vista or even the slimmed-down Windows 7. In other words, [...]
Some Windows 7 versions allow virtualized XP
Microsoft has revealed that Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate versions will come with the ability to run Windows XP in a virtual mode:
Windows XP Mode is specifically designed to help small businesses move to Windows 7. Windows XP Mode provides you with the flexibility to run many older productivity applications on a Windows 7 [...]
Quick way to configure Windows user accounts
If you want to add/modify a user account or change a user password in Windows, you can go the long way through Control Panel or you can take a shortcut. In Windows XP, go to Start-Run and enter
control userpasswords2
In Windows Vista, enter the same command in Start Search.
Windows not so “Genuine Advantage”
I’ve been complaining for a long time about Microsoft’s anti-piracy measures that go under the oxymoronic name “Windows Genuine Advantage” (WGA). In addition to continually harassing legitimate purchasers of Windows software, WGA is considered by many to contribute to security problems on the Internet. At ZDNet, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has a post, It’s time for Microsoft [...]
Stop Windows XP update reboot nagging
We just went through the monthly Windows update process and I was reminded of something that annoys many PC users who use automatic update. After the update patches are installed, Windows wants to reboot and in XP will keep nagging you every 10 minutes until you do. You can tell it to reboot later but [...]
Today is Windows patch Tuesday
Today is the regular monthly patch day for Windows and other Microsoft programs. This month brings an especially large bunch of security fixes. Some of the security holes being patched are already being exploited so be sure to apply all the critical and important patches. At ZDNet, Ryan Naraine reports:
Microsoft’s April batch of security patches [...]
Automatic distribution of IE8 to begin
Microsoft has announced that it will begin pushing out Internet Explorer 8 through automatic update:
Starting on or about the third week of April, users still running IE6 or IE7 on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, or Windows Server 2008 will get will get a notification through Automatic Update about IE8. This rollout will [...]
The end of support for Windows XP?
You may have read reports that Windows XP will lose support from Microsoft on April 14. For several reasons, that is misleading. It is true that one type of Microsoft support will end. However, it is the type of support that concerns business users much more than the home user. Security patches and their support [...]