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Author: mmessier

10 cool registry edits and tweaks for Windows XP

10 cool registry edits and tweaks for Windows XP

You’re probably pretty familiar with the Registry Editor. For Windows XP, you just run the REGEDIT command at the Run prompt. Then, move down through the organization tree levels to the values and settings you want and double-click them to change them in a dialog box format. However, before you start making any changes, it’s a good idea to make a backup copy of the registry by choosing File | Export. Here are a few handy hacks that will help…

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10 Linux rescue tools for recovering Linux, Windows, or Mac machines

10 Linux rescue tools for recovering Linux, Windows, or Mac machines

1: Knoppix [UPDATE: New link] Knoppix is one of the better tools for rescuing data from sick machines. It’s a full-blown live Linux distribution with a strong, user-friendly GUI that will allow you to easily mount a drive and then copy the data (which you will locate in an easy-to-use file manager) to an external source. Of course, Knoppix comes with the full arsenal of Linux commands, which place just about everything you need at your fingertips. 2: Trinity Rescue…

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Disabling indirect file transfer through remote desktop

Disabling indirect file transfer through remote desktop

Certain security zones may require that file transfer is prohibited in or out of the network. This is frequently addressed by blocking file transfer permissions at a firewall. There are a number of ways to do this; off the top of my head, I can think of the following file transfer mechanisms: ports 80 and 443 for web-based file transfer sites port 21 for FTP port 445 for server message block (Windows file transfer) port 135 for remote procedure call…

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Windows 7 Welcome screen pauses for 30 seconds during logon

Windows 7 Welcome screen pauses for 30 seconds during logon

It’s a feature not a bug According to Microsoft Knowledge Base article 977346, set a solid color as your desktop background will cause Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 to displace the Welcome screen for 30 seconds during logon. Why? Apparently, the pause occurs because of a time-out interval that sometimes occurs when Windows switches between sessions. Microsoft Knowledge Base article 940452 discusses this time-out interval in greater detail and explains how it can also cause a 30-second delay…

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Get the Classic Start Menu in Windows 7 with Classic Shell

Get the Classic Start Menu in Windows 7 with Classic Shell

IT pros and confirmed geeks tend to develop strong feelings about their favorite technology, whether it’s an OS, an application, or even an icon. So, it’s no surprise that many long-time Windows users were pretty ticked when the Classic Start Menu disappeared with the release of Windows 7. Some people even refused to upgrade over it!   To get the Start Menu back in Windows 7 start using a free program called Classic Shell.

Five tips for speeding up Windows XP performance

Five tips for speeding up Windows XP performance

If some of your Windows XP clients run slower than others, it could be due to some of the default settings located in the Performance Options dialog box. You can change the options in this dialog box to boost the performance of a Windows XP client. Let’s examine the settings you can change to improve Windows XP’s performance. 1: Access the Performance options The most useful Windows XP performance-tuning options are on the Visual Effects and Advanced tabs of the…

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Increase performance in Windows Vista with these 10 tips

Increase performance in Windows Vista with these 10 tips

Windows Vista has some great new security and functionality features, as well as cool eye candy, such as Aero transparency, Flip 3D, and other graphical tricks. But all this comes with overhead that may lead to a performance hit on anything less than a top-of-the-line supercomputer. If you find Vista’s performance lagging, the good news is that you can make it run faster. Here are some of the steps you can take. #1: Add more RAM There’s no denying it:…

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Extend lithium-ion battery life with these five tips

Extend lithium-ion battery life with these five tips

In today’s mobile world, battery life is precious. If you don’t believe me, go to an airport and watch the road warriors jockey for position around the available power outlets. And once you start traveling, it doesn’t take long to learn what helps preserve the current charge on your batteries. What many don’t know however, is how to actually care for the battery itself, which is just as important. A little research was done and came up with five tips…

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Troubleshooting tips for wireless connectivity issues

Troubleshooting tips for wireless connectivity issues

Wireless connectivity is quickly becoming a must-have for companies across the globe. And end users must be able to make these wireless connections quickly and easily. But when a problem arises, the troubleshooting of the connection (especially when it’s done remotely) can be a real challenge. Where do you start? How do you help remote users who have no idea what the Control Panel is or where to find it? This task can drive even the most patient administrator or…

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