Increase Your SATA Hard Drive Performance

You can speed up the performance of your Serial ATA (SATA) drive by enabling the write caching feature in Vista. Even though Vista has built-in support for SATA drives, this feature is turned off by default. Here is how you can enable this feature:
1)Go to Start
2)In the Search field, type in: device manager
3)Open Device Manager and navigate to your disk drive section
4)Right click your hard disk
5)Select the Policies tab
6)Place a checkmark in the checkbox titled: Enable advanced performance

Create Desktop Shutdown/Lock/Restart/Hibernate Shortcut Icons

I get quite a few questions from people asking how they can create a shortcut icon on their desktop to force their system to either hibernate, sleep, lock or even restart. So instead of having many different tips for each task, I've combined them all in to one tip. Here's how it's done:

1)Right click an empty area of your Desktop
2)Select New>> Shortcut
3)In the text box titled: "Type the location of the item:" Enter the Command for the particular shortcut you would like to create. I've listed all of the commands below that activate their respective shortcut:
Name Command
Hibernate rundll32.exe PowrProf.dll,SetSuspendState
Lock Rundll32.exe User32.dll,LockWorkStation
Restart Shutdown.exe -r -t 00
Shutdown Shutdown.exe -s -t 00
Sleep rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState Sleep

4)Once you've entered the command, click "Next"
Vista will now ask you what you would like to name your shortcut. I've always just given it the name of its function (EG: Shutdown or Shutdown System).
Once you have named you shortcut, click "Finish". Your new shortcut will now reside on your Desktop. Simply double click the icon to activate the command.

Note: If you do not like the look of the "default" icon that Vista has given it, you can change the icon to a different one. Here's how:
1)Right click the shortcut icon
2)Select Properties
The shortcut properties window will now be displayed. Click the "Change Icon" button.
The "Change Icon" window will now appear. Here, you can select from the many available system icons. Click the icon that you would like to use as your shortcut icon and then click OK.

3)Your Desktop shortcut icon will now revert to the selected system icon.

That's it! Have fun!

Restoring personal files using the Windows.old file

Introduction:

The information contained in this article is useful to those that have installed the Windows Vista operating system using the "custom" installation.

When you perform a Custom Installation of Windows Vista, replacing a Windows XP installation. The old operating systems files will be created automatically in a Windows.old folder. This article will instruct users how they can retrieve thier personal files from the Windows.old file once their Windows Vista installation has been successfully installed.

The Windows.old folder contains the following from your replaced Windows XP installation:
Windows XP files
Documents and Settings
Program Files

How To Locate The Windows.old Folder:

When the Windows.old folder is created in Windows Vista, here is where it can be found:
1)Go to Start
2)Type: drive:\windows.old in the Instant Search text box.
3)Click to open the Windows.old file from the Programs list.

Note: You may be required to supply an Administrators password to access this folder.

Restore XPs My Documents Folder to Vista:

This is the most commonly restored folder from the old installation due to it typically having most of the personal files stored. It is advisable when restoring this folder to place it in Windows Vista's "Documents" folder. However, you can relocate this folder where-ever you would like. Here's how to restore the old My Documents folder:
1)Locate your Windows.old folder.
2)Open Windows.old and locate:
Documents and Settings\UserName

3)Right click the My Documents folder and select "Cut".
4)Go to Start>> Documents.
5)Right click the Documents folderand select "Paste".

Your XP My Documents folder will now reside in the Documents folder of Windows Vista.

Restore other personal files located in your Windows.old folder in the same mannor as outlined above. Once you are finished restoring all of the files that you need, you can safely delete the Windows.old folder.

Install Vista's Games

Some of the Vista versions do not come with the games pre-installed. If you would like to install them, here's how:
1)Go to Start
2)Select Control Panel
3)Select Programs and Features
4)Select "Turn Windows features on or off"
5)Place a checkmark in the checkbox titled: "Games"
6)Click OK

Enable the Hidden Aurora Boot Screen

If you get a little tired of the default Vista boot screen, you can enable a hidden boot screen that many feel is a more appealing boot screen. Here's how:
1)Go to Start
2)In the Search field, type in: msconfig
3)Press Enter on your keyboard
4)Select the Boot tab
5)Place a checkmark in the checkbox titled: "No GUI boot"
6)Click OK and reboot your system

How to disable Windows XP Boot logo

It is possible to disable the XP splash screen, which will slightly speed up the overall boot process. Be aware that removing the splash screen will also cause you not to see any boot-up messages that might come up (chkdsk, convert … ), but if your system runs without any problems then it should not matter.

1)Edit boot.ini.
2)Add ” /noguiboot” right after “/fastdetect”.
3)Upon restarting, the splash screen will be gone. It can be re-enabled by removing the new switch.

Common Computer Problems and Their Solution- II

1. Task Manager Disabled:

If you are working on Windows XP pro, following steps will help u to enable Task Manager

SOLUTION 1:
Click Start --> Run
Enter gpedit.msc in the Open box and click OK
In the Group Policy settings window, select User Configuration
Select Administrative Templates
Select System
Select Ctrl+Alt+Delete options
Select Remove Task Manager
Double-click the Remove Task Manager option
Disable that option

SOLUTION 2:
Click on Start >> Run and in the Open box type:

REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableTaskMgr /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Click OK.


2. Double-clicking any drive opens search option:

Solution 1:
That's a virus named as ravmon.exe and autorun.inf
Scan first with a good antivirus [Nod32 Recommanded]
then try this trick.

First show the hidden files and folders options then try this method

1. Go to Start-->run and type cmd then click ok

2. If u want to remove the infected file from c drive then type C: in command prompt and press enter

3. Type autorun.inf and press enter
autorun.inf file is opened

4. Now type "attrib autorun.inf -s -h -r" and press enter

5. Now delete the file by typing
"del autorun.inf" and press enter

6.Now type autorun.inf and press enter now, u will find no infected autorun.inf file.

7. same way do for all other drives then restart ur pc


3. I accidentally deleted my "mspaint.exe"/"notepad.exe"/etc. file, how can I get it back?


Solution::

You can use any of following methods:

A. Goto "%windir%\System32\DLLCache" folder and look for the file, if its there then copy it to "%windir%\System32\" folder.

B. Insert your Windows Setup CD and goto "I386" folder. Now look for the same file, it'll present there but the last letter of extension will be "_". e.g., u'll get "mspaint.ex_"/"notepad.ex_"/etc. Now open Command Prompt and goto "I386" folder and give following command:

expand mspaint.ex_ mspaint.exe
expand notepad.ex_ notepad.exe
etc.

Now u can copy the file to "%windir%\System32" folder.

C. Give following command in Command Prompt:

sfc /SCANNOW

It'll automatically restore the files.


4. When I right-click on Start button and select "Open", a "Copy To" or "Move To" dialog box opens automatically.

Solution:
Open regedit and goto:
Code:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\

Now under this key, delete following 2 keys:
Copy To
Move To


5. Windows is showing some wrong icons of files. How can I reset the corrupted icons?
Solution:

You can use any of following methods:

A. Download TweakUI and then click on "Repair Icons" in "Repair" section.

B. Open My Computer and goto:
C:\Documents and Settings\User_Name\Local Settings\Application Data

Replace C:\ with your system drive and "user_Name" with your username.
Now there'll be a HIDDEN file "iconcache.db", delete it and restart your system.


6. A strange process "ctfmon.exe" always runs in background and if I click on "End Process" button, it restarts automatically.

Solution:
Open Control Panel and goto Add/Remove Programs list. Now click on the Microsoft Office entry and then click on "Change" button. Now select "Add/Remove Features" and click on "Next". Now expand "Office Shared Features" and click on "Alternative User Input" and then select "Not Available" and finally click on Update. It'll permanently remove that ctfmon.exe and your problem will be solved.


7. My Windows Login Screen has changed to "Classic Logon Box". I want the new Welcome Screen back.

Solution:
Type "control userpasswords" in RUN dialog box or Open "User Accounts" in Control Panel. Then click on "Change the way Users log on and off". Now check the option "Use Welcome Screen". If you get following error:

Uninstall client services for netware.

Then Open "Network Connections" and open Properties of your Internet Connection. Now goto "Networking" tab and select "Client services on Netware" option and click on the"Uninstall" button.


8. Whenever I start my computer, Scandisk starts running even I proper shut down the PC last time.

Solution:
Do as following:

A. Open regedit and goto:

Code:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager

In right-side pane, change the value of BootExecute to:

autocheck autochk *

B. If the above trick doesnt help then give following commands in Command Prompt:

chkntfs /x drive_name

for e.g., if ScanDisk runs automatically for C: and D: drives, then give following commands one by one:

chkntfs /x C:
chkntfs /x D:


9. When I start my computer, I get error message:

"Windows\System32\config\system" file missing or corrupt

Solution::
Boot using Windows Setup CD and enter into "Recovery Console" by pressing "R". Now Log into windows installation and enter admin password. Now give following commands at prompt:

copy %windir%\Repair\system %windir%\System32\Config

If it doesnt work, then again boot into "Recovery Console" and give following commands:

fixmbr
bootcfg /scan
bootcfg /rebuild
fixboot