PC TIPS

MAINTENANCE, SECURITY, ETC.

Keep your pc clean:

The following should be done every few months, or any time your pc seems to be
responding slowly:

1. Open My Computer, right-click on the C: drive, choose Properties, then click

the Disk Cleanup button.
a. Make sure Temporary Files & Recycle Bin are checked & click OK.
2. Then, click Start, My Computer, right-click the C: drive, and then click
Properties.
a. Click the Tools tab, and the Check Now button under 'Error-checking'.
If you check ‘Automatically fix file system errors' in the next
dialog box, you may be told that you need to restart to complete
the test. Otherwise, click the ‘Start’ button and then click ‘OK’
twice.

Speed Up the Windows Boot:

The following should be done whenever a new application is installed and it appears as
though the application is loading at Startup for no good reason.

1. Click Start, Run, enter msconfig in the 'Open' text box, and click ‘OK’.
2. Select the Startup tab, and uncheck the unneeded ones (like Quicktime, etc.).

3. Click ‘OK’, and then click Restart.

4. When Windows restarts, and the System Configuration Utility pops up, check
“Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility” and click
‘OK’.

Accelerate your network:

This might help (haven’t tried it). Open Network Connections, right-click Local Area
Connection, select Properties > Configure > Advanced tab > Speed & Duplex > and then
change Auto > 100 Mb Full.

Obtain “Backup” for XP Home Edition:

Windows XP Professional includes ‘Backup’, a basic but handy backup utility (find it in
Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools). Although the XP Home Edition system
does not install ‘Backup’ by default, it can be obtained on the Windows XP Home
Edition installation CD.
 1. Insert CD, and browse to the CD's valueadd\msft\ntbackup folder.
2. Right-click ntbackup.msi, and choose Install.

3. If you're unlucky enough to have received a system restore disc with your PC
instead of an actual XP installation disc, you may have to hunt for the necessary
Backup files. You may be able to find the valueadd\msft\ntbackup folder in the
C: drive, under the ‘Windows’ folder.

Customize Windows Explorer:

Make your preferences in Explorer the default settings, including which details it
displays, what type of view (thumbnails, list, details, etc.) it opens in, and how files are
grouped.

1. Open any Windows Explorer window, click Tools, Folder Options, select the
View tab, make changes, and click ‘Apply to All Folders’.

Recover Autoplay:

Sometimes, such as after certain application installations, Windows will remove the
Autoplay feature. The following describes how to get it back.

1. Right-click the CD/DVD drive in My Computer.

2. Select Properties, select the Autoplay tab, and select ‘Prompt me each time to
select an action.’

a. If you know what action you want the drive to take, you can alternatively
select that instead.

i. For example, if you insert a Music CD, you can have Windows
Media Player begin playing the CD automatically.

3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 for other devices, like USB Flash Media.

4. If the above method does not work, download and run Microsoft's Autoplay
Repair Wizard @ http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?
FamilyID=c680a7b6-e8fa-45c4-a171-1b389cfacdad&DisplayLang=en

Recover Network Connections From Spyware:

One way some spyware programs hijack your computer is by inserting themselves deep
into Windows' networking software. Spyware removers should remove the offending
software. But such utilities can't always get your network running again. The free
WinSock XP Fix gets the information flowing once more. It can be downloaded @
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4372.html
Restore Show Desktop Icon to Quick Launch on Taskbar:

Quick Launch is a helpful toolbar, typically located next to the Start button. It provides
immediate access to places like your Desktop, so all your open windows won’t have to be
minimized to get there. To set up Quick Launch, right-click on any empty space on the
main, blue taskbar, select Toolbars, and check Quick Launch. Often, new programs will
install icons in Quick Launch, quickly filling up the Taskbar. Right-click on the ones you
don’t want, and delete them. If the Show Desktop icon is accidentally deleted from
Quick Launch, the procedure below will recreate the file.

Open Notepad and enter the following text:

[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop

Then, save the new file as Show Desktop.scf and then drag and drop the icon on the
Quick Launch bar.

Delete Stubborn Files:

Sometimes you may find that a certain file you are trying to delete will not delete and
will cause a Windows error message. Try these suggestions:

1. First, restart the pc, and try again.

2. If that doesn’t work, try deleting the folder the file is in, after relocating any other
important files in that folder.

3. If that doesn’t work, download and install WhoLockMe, a tool that shows which
Windows process is locking the file, in order to see if it is a virus/spyware/etc. It
then helps you delete it. WhoLockMe can be downloaded @
find.pcworld.com/47728

Use your own picture next to your name in the Start menu’s User Account:

If you are tired of seeing the snowflake, guitar, or whatever, click on the current picture,
and click “Browse for more pictures.” Navigate to and select your own picture, but make
sure it is one that will still look good shrunken. A close-up of a face is usually the best
option.

Decide which icons should be hidden in the Notification Area of the Taskbar:
If you are tired of having to expand the Notification Area every time you want to adjust
the volume, or are tired of constantly seeing “Local Area Connection – A network cable
is unplugged”, follow these instructions:

1. Right click on the Taskbar, and click Properties.

2. In the Taskbar tab, make sure the “Hide inactive icons” box is checked,
click Customize… and then set all of them however you prefer.
3. For example, for Volume, you can select “Always Show”; for Local Area
Connection, you can select “Always Hide”; and for your anti-virus utility,
you can select “Hide when inactive”.

Rename the Recycle Bin:

Warning! Since this tip utilizes the registry, and has not been tested by the author,
proceed with caution. Make sure you have backed up everything, and can risk re-
installing your hard drive.

1. Open Notepad, and copy the following text into a new file:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\
ShellFolder]
"Attributes"=hex:50,01,00,20

"CallForAttributes"=dword:00000000

2. Now save this text file as a .reg file, such as "Rename Recycle Bin.reg" and put it
wherever you like.
3. Double click on the file, and when it asks you if you want to import it into the
registry, choose Yes.

4. You will now notice a new option in the right-click menu to Rename the Recycle
Bin. You can also rename it by highlighting it and clicking on the file name (just
like renaming any other file.)

5. If you want to turn off this new feature, make another .reg file with the same
content as above, but change the first number in the "Attributes"=hex: line from
50 to 40 and import that file into the registry.

Hiding the Recycle Bin:

Warning! Although this tip has been used successfully by this author, it utilizes the
registry. Therefore. proceed with caution. Make sure you have backed up
everything, and can risk re-installing your hard drive.
To remove the Recycle Bin icon from the desktop, use Notepad to create a text file called
Hidebin.reg. Copy the following to Hidebin.reg, and then double-click the file to import
it into the registry.

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
HideDesktopIcons]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
HideDesktopIcons\ClassicStartMenu]
"{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}"=dword:00000001

If you miss the Recycle Bin icon and want to show it again, create the text file
Showbin.reg and copy the following into it. Double-click Showbin.reg to restore the
Recycle Bin icon to the desktop.

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
HideDesktopIcons]

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
HideDesktopIcons\ClassicStartMenu]
"{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\
HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}"=dword:00000000

Both listings require you to refresh the desktop in order to see your changes. To do that,
click anywhere on the desktop, and then press F5.

Before removing the Recycle Bin’s icon from the Desktop, I personally like to drag the
Recycle Bin to Quick Launch. That way I can access it and empty it easily without it
sitting on my Desktop.

Get rid of the confirmation to delete files:

Sometimes, when you are sure you want to delete a file, you may highlight the file, and
click Shift+Delete, which bypasses the Recycle Bin. However, even with this shortcut,
Windows provides a last-chance to undo this permanent deletion, with a confirmation
dialogue box. I would recommend you do not remove this confirmation dialogue box,
just in case you accidentally click Shift+Delete. But, if the confirmation really annoys
you, you can simply right-click on the Recycle Bin, select Properties, and under the
Global tab, uncheck “Display delete confirmation dialog.”
Maximize the height of your widescreen LCD:

Widescreen LCDs are great for movies, but they are generally shorter than other screens
you may be used to. You can move the Taskbar (the “Start” bar) to the side of your
screen by dragging any unused portion of the blue area. You can then make it as thin as
you want, but when you make it as thin as I do, you want see the word “Start” on the
Start button, and it will be difficult to see what documents are open. If you make it any
thinner than I do, you may not be able to see the clock’s time at the bottom. Of course, if
you make it wider, you can even see the day and date. Another helpful tip is making the
Quick Launch icons larger. To do so, raise the bar above the Quick Launch area (if you
have moved your Quick Launch area to the bottom of the screen, as I have. If yours is
still on top, just under the Start button, lower the bar under the Quick Launch area.).
Then, right click on a blank area in the Quick Launch area, select View, and click Large
Icons. In fact, with this layout, you can drag all your desktop items to the Quick Launch
area and delete all the Desktop shortcuts, creating a clear and clean-looking Desktop.
Then, you can use the “Hiding the Recycle Bin” tip above to make the Desktop
completely blank. That is what I have done, and the following is what my current
Desktop looks like right now:
This is a close up view of my Taskbar with some applications open:

This is a close up view of my Taskbar’s Quick Launch and Tray:

Screenshots Made Easy:

There are plenty of programs out there that you can use to capture screen shots. To grab
your entire screen with just Windows, tap the Print Screen key. Then use Ctrl-V to paste
it into an e-mail message, Windows Paint, Word, or any other application. The Paint
applet, however, is best if you want to save the image as a file. But what if you just need
the active window? Hold down the Alt key when you hit Print Screen.

Get rid of the annoying Acrobat:

Most PC users will agree that Acrobat is annoying. PDF files viewed over the internet
usually lock up your browser, and PDF files on your desktop take forever to load and
close. Try this free alternative: FOXIT READER: www.foxitsoftware.com

And, while you are at it, download PDF CREATOR @

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator. It adds a special printer driver to your
Windows OS. When you want to create a PDF, simply print to that driver. Oh, and its
free.

You CAN use a firewall when installing a wireless router:

First of all, XP Service Pack 2’s own firewall is adequate, but does not block any
outgoing messages. So, you are better off installing a software firewall, like ZoneAlarm
(free; www.zonelabs.com).

Now, for some strange reason, there is this myth that you must disable your firewall in
order to get a network device working properly. In a nutshell, you should never disable
your firewall while your PC has an active Internet connection. Thanks to automated port
scanners, an Internet-connected PC without a firewall will be hacked in some form or
another within minutes.

That said, not only can you keep your firewall running after your router has been
installed, but you can keep your firewall running during installation. Check the Internet
Protocol (IP) address of your router in its user's manual and enter that as an approved
network address in your firewall utility on each networked PC.

In ZoneAlarm, double click the ZA icon in the system tray, select Firewall from the left-
hand menu, and click the Zones tab. Click Add/IP Range and type in the first and last IP
addresses of your network, which always begin with xxx.xxx.xxx.l and end with
xxx.xxx.xxx.255. If your router's IP address is 192.168.0.1, for example, that would be
the first address in the range, while 192.168.0.255 would be the last. After typing in a
name for your network into the Description field, click Apply. ZoneAlarm now sees your
network as a trusted zone, allowing data to pass freely to and from your router, as well as
other PCs on the network.

Get Rid of MSN Explorer, MSN Messenger, and Outlook Express for Good:
Click START, CONTROL PANEL, open ADD OR REMOVE PROGRAMS, and click
on ADD/REMOVE WINDOWS COMPONENTS on the left hand side of the window.
Uncheck only those annoying programs (not something important like Networking), click
NEXT, and let Windows configure its components. To get rid of MSN Messenger, click
START, then RUN, and type this long string into the field with no spaces:
RunDll32advpack.dll,LaunchINFSection%windir%\INF\msmsgs.inf,BLC.Remove

Make sure you do a full PC backup before performing this tweak, because if this is not
typed in exactly right, unpredictable results may occur.

Undelete!

If you have ever accidentally pressed shift-delete, or emptied the recycle bin, when you
wished you had not, you know how upsetting that can be. Most people don’t realize,
however, that when you delete a file, you’re not actually erasing it; you’re only erasing
the pointer that Windows uses to assign it a spot on the hard drive. As long as a new file
hasn’t already been saved over it, a utility like Recover Lost Data ($39.99,
www.stompsoft.com) can get it back. Before spending your money, though, try this
excellent and free utility: Restoration @ http://www.snapfiles.com/get/restoration.html.

Free Remote Access:

If you forgot a file at home, my best advice is to go home and get it. While you are there,
download and install LogMeIn Free remote access service (www.logmein.com). With
LogMeIn, anyone can access their home home or office PC from any other Internet-
connected computer. This free service displays a full real-time image of your home or
office PC’s screen on your notebook. You can open files, run applications, access your e-
mail, and otherwise control your remote PC as if you were sitting right in front of it. The
next time you forget a file, you’ll have access to it from anywhere.

Transfer Files From One Laptop On Your Network To Another:

If you have two laptops on one network and want to transfer files between them, click
START, CONTROL PANEL, NETWORK CONNECTIONS, right-click on the network
icon, and select PROPERTIES. Check the box beside ‘File and Printer Sharing for
Microsoft Networks.’ Open MY COMPUTER, right-click on the SHARED
DOCUMENTS folder, select the SHARING AND SECURITY tab from the popup menu,
and click the checkbox beside “Share this folder on the network.” On the other PC, open
MU COMPUTER and select TOOLS/MAP NETWORK DRIVE. Enter a network drive
letter and the network path of that shared folder (i.e. \\Tim\SharedDocs), click the
“Reconnect at logon checkbox,” and press FINISH. A network drive icon will appear in
MY COMPUTER.

Retrieve Data when Windows Won’t Even Boot Up In Safe Mode:

If your hard drive crashes and Windows won’t even boot up in Safe Mode, you are NOT
out of luck. Remove the hard drive from your pc carefully and install it in an external
drive enclosure, which should cost around $30. Then connect that enclosure to a USB 2.0
port on a working OC. It will appear as a removable drive in MY COMPUTER, allowing
you to peruse the drive and copy any files that haven’t been damaged. If your drive isn’t
readable at all, you can pay a few hundred dollars to a data recovery firm, like Ontrack
(www.ontrack.com), which will use specialized hardware to find any readable data on
your drive.

Create Your own Recovery Disc:

For instructions, point your browser to go.pcmag.com/xpsp2recover.

Workaround For Rebooting To Safe Mode In XP:

Sometimes the common method for rebooting to Safe Mode are impossible, like if you
have a USB keyboard. (The common method is restarting and pressing F8, or some other
key, at the right moment.) To configure XP so its next restart will enter Safe Mode,
launch the System Configuration Utility (START, RUN, msconfig), click the BOOT.INI
tab and check the box titled /SAFEBOOT. Don’t touch the other settings. When you
reboot, XP will restart in Safe Mode and will keep doing so until you uncheck that box.

Create your own keyboard shortcuts:

For this tip, we will use MS PAINT to represent any program you wish to open with a
keyboard shortcut. Right-click PAINT’s icon, and select PROPERTIES. Click the
SHORTCUT tab and place the cursor in the SHORTCUT KEY box, that currently says
“None.” While pressing down CTRL, type any letter, like “P” (for Paint), and you will
see that in the SHORTCUT KEY box, it now says CTRL-ALT-P. Now, whenever you
type CTRL-ALT-P, Paint will open automatically.

Another great tool that is buried in START, ALL PROGRAMS, ACCESSORIES is

Calculator, which I have set up to open up with CTRL-ALT-C.

And if you don’t like the CTRL-ALT combo, try CTRL-SHIFT instead!

Fast Shutdown and/or Restart From Quick Launch or Desktop:

WARNING: This is an advanced tweak!

It is a bit ironic that you have to click START to shut down. This tip will enable you to
create a shortcut that will automatically shut down your PC, log you off, or reboot,
without having to go through the startup menu.

2. Right click on the desktop, select new..., and click shortcut.

3. A “Create Shortcut” Wizard dialogue box will pop up.
4. For a “shut down” shortcut, copy the following, and paste it into the location line:
shutdown -s -t 0
a. To create a “restart” shortcut, the location line should read: shutdown -r -t 0
b. To create a “log off” shortcut, the location line should read: shutdown -l -t 0
5. Click Next.
6. Name the shortcut "Shut Down PC" or whatever you want.
7. The new shortcut is now sitting on your desktop. Right-click on it and select
properties, then click on "change icon". Click OK, then pick a suitable icon, like
the red "off button" icon, click apply, and then click OK.
8. If you want this new shortcut in Quick Launch, simply drag the icon from your
desktop into the Quick Launch toolbar, resize the toolbar so all the buttons are
visible, and then delete the shortcut from your desktop.
9. If you also add the switch -t xx (where xx is a number of seconds), Shutdown.exe
will display a warning and countdown before activating. You can specify a
comment to be displayed with the warning by adding the switch -c "Your text".
For example, let’s say you want that shortcut to shut off your PC in 5 seconds and
read, “Shalom Aleichem.” The TARGET box should read: C:\WINDOWS\
system32\shutdown.exe -s -t 05 -c "Shalom Aleichem"
10. There is a catch: if you accidentally press it, there is no way to stop the shutdown
sequence. Well, there is a way, but it is cumbersome, and will take up even more
desktop real estate. You could create another shortcut, that you can call CANCEL
SHUTDOWN, with the switch -a (for abort) replacing -s. That way, if you set the
shutdown shortcut to 05 seconds, you will have 05 seconds to click the CANCEL
SHUTDOWN button.
11. I don’t know why, but if you try to create a keyboard shortcut for these shortcuts,
and then move the shortcut icon to a remote file, to clear your desktop, the
keyboard shortcut wont work. The keyboard shortcut will only work if the
shortcut icon is on the desktop, and that defeats the purpose. What can I tell you,
write to Bill Gates. For now, I would skip this tip.
Why AREN’T you hibernating?!

Hibernation saves the current state of your system to disk, so the system can completely
power down but be restored to the same state when restarted. Best of all, the battery
doesn’t drain in this state. To enable hibernation, launch POWER OPTIONS from the
CONTROL PANEL, click on the HIBERNATE tab, and check the box labeled ENABLE
HIBERNATION. Then, when you have need to shut down, but want a bunch of open
programs to still be open when you reboot, click START, TURN OFF COMPUTER,
hold down the SHIFT key (so “Standby” will turn into “Hibernate”) and click
HIBERNATE.

Create Global Hotkeys:

Although this is a great tip, its quite complicated. Let’s say that you are transcribing an
audio recording. Every few seconds, you need to press pause, so you can type what you
just heard. Then you need to type, go back, and press play. A lot of time can be wasted
bringing your mouse back and forth from Windows Media Player (WMP) to Microsoft
Word. There are a few well known suggestions. For example, simply download and use
Winamp (see PC TIP, “Windows Media Player Alternatives”) instead of WMP. With that
player, you can customize global hotkeys for play and pause. But if you prefer sticking
with WMP, there is finally a solution that is relatively quick, albeit complex.

First, download and install AutoHotkey (http://www.autohotkey.com/download/). You

will now be creating a script which will basically have the same function as a global
hotkey. So, open a folder, like My Documents, where you want to keep the script. Right-
click inside the folder, select New, and then select AutoHotkey Scipt. Rename the file to
WMP.ahk (Don’t forget the “.ahk” because it will not create that automatically, unlike
“.doc”). Then right-click WMP.ahk and select Edit Script. Erase the words that are
currently in the file once it opens. Then paste the following text into the file:

^space::PostMessage, 0x111, 18808, 0, ,Windows Media Player ; Play/Pause Track

Close the file. Now, just double-click WMP.ahk and you should see a new icon in the
System Tray. That means that the script is running. Open up WMP and minimize it, so it
is visible on the Taskbar, but it is not in “mini-player mode.” Then, whenever you want
to press pause and play without switching to WMP, just type Ctrl-Space (that is, hold
down the Ctrl button and Space bar at the same time. Press them again, and WMP will
resume playing, etc.). To exit the script, right click its tray icon, and select Exit.

Check out http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/Tutorial.htm to learn other ways for using

this fine tool.

WMP Alternatives:
If you are looking for some alternatives to Windows Media Player (WMP), look no
further. Here are some of the many great features of VLC Media Player
(http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html):
1. It plays almost every imaginable file (even .VOBs!) without ever bothering
you about “missing codecs,” which has always been one of the most annoying
aspects of WMP.
2. You can pause a video, and open a second video in another instance of VLC
player, without interrupting the original paused video. With WMP, once you
open the second file, it frustratingly replaces the paused original, since it uses
the same window.
3. You can get a “snapshot” of the video easily, and save it in any picture format.
Try doing that easily with WMP!

If you are using WMP for transcribing, and don’t want to bother with AutoHotkey (see,
PC TIP, Create Global Hotkeys), simply download and use Winamp
(http://www.winamp.com/player/lite.php):
1. To customize you global hotkeys for pause/play, open Winamp, right-click in
an empty space of the player, select Options, and then Preferences. On the
left panel, navigate to and select Global Hotkeys. Then, in the right panel,
highlight Playback: Pause. Currently, the hotkey for that function is Ctrl-
Alt-Home, which I believe requires a little too much fumbling around. If you
want to change it, highlight Ctrl-Alt-Home in the bottom “Hotkey” dialogue
box, and type, Ctrl-Space (or whatever you prefer). Click Add, and then
Close. Now, whenever you are typing and want to pause playback without
switching to the player, just press the Ctrl button and Space bar at the same
time. Press Ctrl-Space again to resume playback.
2. Winamp also has another great advantage over WMP when it comes to
transcribing. It has a special rewind function that will automatically start
playback 5 seconds earlier than the current position. So, if you pressed pause,
but didn’t hear the last 10 seconds, you could just press this hotkey twice to go
back 10 seconds. With WMP, you would have to drag the Seek bar back a
little bit and hope you didn’t seek too far back or not far back enough! Like
Pause, the default global hotkey is cumbersome. Try this instead: Navigate to
and highlight Playback: Rewind, from the same menu as above. Highlight
Ctrl-Alt-Left in the bottom “Hotkey” dialogue box, and type, Ctrl-Left (or
whatever you prefer). Click Add, and then Close.
3. One of the best functions of WMP is its PLAYBACK SPEED settings. You
can download a plug-in for Winamp, “Pacemaker”, to add this function at
http://www.winamp.com/plugins/details.php?id=12689. Be sure to only adjust
the tempo, because the other controls could make the speaker sound like the
chipmunks.
4. Winamp’s fade-out and fade-in might be cool for songs, but it’s a burden
when transcribing. To get rid of it, go to Options, Preferences, and on the left
panel, navigate to and select Output. In the right panel, double-click
DirectSound Output. Select the Fading tab in the new pop-up box. Highlight
 each option in the center box and uncheck Enabled underneath, for each.
Click Apply and then OK.

Microsoft game hacks

Freecell hack
Ctrl-shift-F10, click abort, then move one card, and u win. Or, click Game,
select game, and type in -1 to get the cards in descending order…

Solitare hack
alt-shift+2

Pinball hack
At the beginning of a game type Gmax to activate the gravity center, or type bmax
for unlimited balls. Or, type : HIDDEN TEST before a game starts and u can
control the ball with the mouse.

Print a list of your MP3s with their tag data

The artist name in Windows Explorer comes from the Mp3 tags and the easiest way to
get at that data is with an Mp3 tag editor. Mp3/Tag Studio will create lists of Mp3 files
and their tag data. Go to the Create custom lists option. It's freeware but it does have a
nag screen.

Give Alt-Tab a Vista-like makeover

If u use alt-tab to browse/scroll through your open applications, then u will love this tool,
which gives alt-tab a make-over, providing a preview of each open page:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/
TaskswitchPowertoySetup.exe

Simplify the magnifier tool

If u use the magnifier tool in Accessories > Accessibility, but don’t like how much
desktop real estate it takes up, try this tool, which puts a magnifier section right on your
taskbar:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/
MagnifierPowertoySetup.exe

XP’s own version of Google Desktop

Windows XP offers its own version of Google Desktop for doing “deep” searches on
your hard drive:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4982072f-7660-492f-
b96c-e42b4f5ab4aa&DisplayLang=en
Recover corrupted or deleted image files:
If your image files are corrupted (on a memory card or on a CD), try Image-Recall. The
$40 tool restores deleted files, recovers damaged files, and determines whether your card
is damaged. A trial version (available at find.pcworld.com/51662) recovers 10 images.
If your image files are deletedtry PC Inspector Recovery, which is free but slow
(available at find.pcworld.com/51658).

MICROSOFT OFFICE
Make all menus in the Menu Bar in Microsoft Word XP expand by default:

1. Open Word, click Tools, click Customize, click Options, and under
"Personalized Menus and Toolbars", check “Always Show Full Menus” and click
Close.

Disable Word's annoying Overtype key

If you are often frustrated by accidentally hitting the Insert key, causing Word to switch
into Overtype mode, this is the fix.
1. Click Tools, Customize, and then click the Keyboard button to open the
Customize Keyboard dialog box shown here.

2. From the Categories list on the left, choose All Commands.

3. From the Commands list on the right, choose Overtype.
 4. In the Current Keys box, you'll see that the Insert key is defined as the Overtype
toggle. Select that value and then click Remove.

5. Click Close in the Customize window to save your changes.

6. This dialogue box is a great time-saving tool, in general. For example, if you want
to change the shortcut for Bold, from ctrl+B to ctrl+F1, choose Bold, and, in the
“Press new shortcut key” box, enter ctrl+F1. Underneath that box, it will let you
know if that shortcut is already used by another command. If you want to replace
the old command with the new command for that shortcut, or if there is no
previous command listed, click Assign.

7. The same action can create shortcuts for your favorite symbols and wingdings as
well. Choose Symbol, click the Symbol box that pops up under the list, double-
click the desired Symbol, and create a shortcut.

8. An even easier method for creating symbol and wingding shortcuts is to select
Insert, select symbol (or Wingding from the drop-down Font box), click the
Shortcut Key box, and create a new shortcut. Alternatively, if you don’t want to
use the ctrl/shift/alt keys for a shortcut, but still want an easy way to insert a
symbol, select a symbol, and then click the AutoCorrect box. Make sure the
symbol is in the With box, and then enter a simple shortcut in the Replace box
(like “zz”, or something).

Customize Word’s context menu:

The context menu is the small menu that pops up when you right-click on text in
Microsoft Word. Usually, “Cut, Copy, Paste” is there along with a bunch of other random
options, like “Select text with similar formatting.” You can customize that context menu
to have whatever options you want there. That way, you wont have to drag your mouse
pointer to the top of the screen every time you want to select a certain command, like
“Bold.”

1. Click Tools, Customize, and then click the Toolbars tab.

2. Scroll down and check the box next to “Shortcut menus.”

3. Once the floating Shortcut Menus toolbar appears, click on its Text item.

4. Once the submenu appears, scroll down to, and click, Text.

a. This displays the actual context menu that appears when you right-click on
text within your document.

5. Once that submenu appears, move your mouse back to the original Customize
box, and switch to the Commands tab.
 6. Drag any command found under any category, and drop it in the Text submenu
that you had just previously opened.

a. Note that the commands can be dragged anywhere in that menu.

Additionally, at this point, you can even remove those options you don’t
wish to keep on your new context menu. For example, I clicked on
“Translate” and dragged it out of the box and onto a blank area in MS
Word.

7. Click Close in the Customize window to save your changes.

8. Unfortunately, you will have to repeat this process if you want the same changes
to appear in the context menu that pops up when you right click on anything other
than plain text, such as words found in lists like this one.

a. When you are in the Text submenu of the Text item in Shortcut Menus,
scroll down to Lists, instead of Text, and proceed from there.

Create Blank Lines in Lists in Microsoft Word:

Are you in the middle of writing a numbered or bulleted list and want to insert a blank
line to make the list more readable? If you press ENTER, you just add another list item.
If you press ENTER twice, your cursor will move out of the list, which is not what you
want.

Instead, while you are in the middle of typing a list, press SHIFT-ENTER and your
cursor will stay in the list and move down a line without inserting another bullet or
number. Press ENTER and a new bullet or number will form. This can be useful in case
your lists contain items several sentences long, as blank lines between items may make
your lists more readable.

Stop Requiring CTRL-Click to Visit a Hyperlink in Microsoft Word:

Whenever you want to visit a hyperlink using Microsoft Word, you cannot just click on
the hyperlink. Instead, you must hold down the CTRL key while clicking the hyperlink.

This is for your protection. Microsoft Word keeps you from accidentally visiting web
sites that you don't want to visit linked in documents, plus it keeps you from editing a
document and accidentally jumping around to a different section.

However, you may want to disable this setting so just clicking on a hyperlink views its
destination without requiring the CTRL key.

1. Click Tools, then Options, and then select the Edit tab.
2. Uncheck "Use CTRL + Click to follow hyperlink."
3. Click OK to save your changes.
Hide the Office Clipboard:

In Microsoft Word, whenever you copy multiple items to the Clipboard, an Office
Clipboard appears to the right of your current document. This Clipboard lets you copy
and paste text using one of the last several items copied to the Clipboard. While many
people find this feature useful in that they can copy several items to the Clipboard for
later pasting use, others find this pane annoying in how it automatically pops up,
potentially hiding part of the current Word document. To prevent the Office Clipboard
from automatically popping up:

1. If the Clipboard is not already onscreen, click Edit, then click Office Clipboard,
and then click on the Options button at the bottom of the pop-up window.
2. Uncheck “Show Office Clipboard Automatically,” uncheck “Show Office
Clipboard Icon on Taskbar,” and uncheck “Show Status Near Taskbar When
Copying”.
3. Click the "X" on the top-right of the Office Clipboard pane to close.

Password-Protect a Document in Microsoft Word:

You can password-protect a document in Word so that only authorized users can open or
modify its contents. Note that a skilled hacker may be able to break the encryption, but
password protection may work in some cases. To enable this feature:

1. Open the document you want to protect.

2. Click Tools, then click Options, and select the Security tab.
3. Next to "Password to open" type in the password necessary to view the document.
4. Next to "Password to modify" type in the password necessary to make changes to
the document.
5. The above two choices are mutually exclusive.
a. So, for example, if you only want to prevent users from editing your
document, but don’t mind them reading it, ignore step 3 and follow step 4.
b. And, if you decide to create a password to modify your document only,
realize that another user will still be able to edit and save your document
under a different file name.
6. I can not stress this point enough: REMEMBER YOUR PASSWORD!
7. Click OK to save your changes.

Add a Drop Cap in Microsoft Word:

T his is a great tip for anyone who wishes their text to appear like a novel. A drop
cap is basically the first letter of the first word of a paragraph displayed in a large
font. Aside from would-be authors, many users may find that a drop cap can add a
touch of style or class to a document. Used sparingly, it can spice up a series of boring,
plain paragraphs… um… like this one. To add a drop cap to your document:
 1. Position your cursor at the beginning of a paragraph where you would like to see
a drop cap.
2. Click Format, and then click Drop Cap.
3. When the "Drop Cap" dialogue box appears, select whether you would like a
"Dropped" or "In margin" drop cap.
4. Select the font you wish to use for the cap.
5. If desired, select a different “Distance From Text” to make the Drop Cap letter
more or less removed from the paragraph.
6. If desired, increase or decrease the “Lines to Drop” to increase or decrease the
size of the Drop Cap letter.
7. Click OK to apply your desired changes.

Sorting Text in Microsoft Word:

Word can sort the first letters of text, even outside of a table, and even with full
sentences. However, the option is still somewhat hidden under the "Table" menu. To sort
text:

1. Highlight the list of text with your mouse.

2. Click Table, then Sort.
3. Ascending order is the default setting, but if you wish, you can click the
"Descending" radio button to sort the text in descending order (Z  A).
4. Click OK to save your settings.

Save Space by Deleting Word’s Old Recovered Files:

Click START, SEARCH, choose ALL FILES AND FOLDERS, enter “~*.tmp” in the
box labeled ALL OR PART OF A FILE NAME, select LOCAL HEARD (C) under
LOOK IN, and click SEARCH. Then delete those old temp files.

Easily Get Rid of Formatting or Style:

If you need to dump a bunch of formatting, say, bold or italics, highlight the bothersome
text, press Ctrl-Space, and you're back to plain vanilla. It's just as easy to get rid of the
underlying Style with Ctrl-Shift-N anywhere in the troublesome paragraph.

Have your Microsoft Office Documents READ To You!

To open the appropriate toolbar, choose TOOLS, then SPEECH. If you don’t have this
feature installed, Office will install it now, or ask you to insert the Office CD. Once
installed, you may see a message welcoming you to Office speech recognition and telling
you that you have to make certain adjustments with the microphone. For now, choose
CANCEL to bypass the training and open the Language toolbar. Make sure the
MICROPHONE button is toggled off, or it might start typing!. By default, the Language
toolbar will not show a choice for speaking text. But if you click on the down arrow at
the extreme right of the toolbar, you will see options for SPEAK TEXT and PAUSE
SPEAKING. Choose each of these in turn to add them to the toolbar. If you don’t select
(highlight) text first, it will start reading at the current cursor position. Finally, to change
the voice or the reading speed, go to the language toolbar, choose TOOLS, OPTIONS,
the ADVANCED SPEECH button, and then the TEXT TO SPEECH tab. All of the
above can be done in Excel as well. Once the Speech feature is installed, here is the quick
method: just type WindowsKey-S.

Use Your Pictures Instead of Bullets in Your Lists:

Most people know that in recent versions of Microsoft Word you are no longer limited to
the bullet symbols listed in the Bullets and Numbering dialog box, such as  and .
For example,    are some of the more popular substitutes. But did you know that you
can use small versions of your pictures instead? Here’s how:

Click in the paragraph you want bulleted, click the Format menu, and then
click Bullets and Numbering.
Select a bullet format, and then click Customize.
Click Picture and then click Import.
Navigate to the image you want to use as your bullet. I am using a picture of
Quagmire from Family Guy. Since the image is so small, it is best not to use
something with too much detail.

Repeat Yourself Easily: Repeat Yourself Easily:

Have you ever needed to type the same word or sentence over and over a few times?
Probably not. But it can happen. Instead of copying it, and pasting it over and over again,
simply press F4. It will repeat your last main action.

Time Saving Keyboard Shortcuts for Microsoft Word:

Keyboard Shortcuts are hard to remember, but here are a few worth noting because of
how much time they can save.

1. Ctrl-Backspace will delete the previous word.

2. Ctrl-Left and Ctrl-Right will move the cursor past words.
3. Ctrl-Shift-Left and Ctrl-Shift-Right will highlight entire words.

And don’t forget the well-known ones:

1. Ctrl-C will copy selected text.

2. Ctrl-V will paste selected text.
3. Ctrl-B will make the selected text bold.
4. Ctrl-I will make the selected text italicized.

Remember, you can always create your own shortcuts. For example, if you have trouble
remembering that Ctrl-V is paste, and never use the Print shortcut (Ctrl-P), you may like
to assign Ctrl-P for Paste.

1. Click Tools, then Customize.

2. Select the Commands tab and click Keyboard at the bottom.
3. Select Edit from the Categories box.

4. select EditPaste from the Commands box.

5. Press Ctrl-P in the box under "Press new shortcut key:"

a. Note that it should read Ctrl+P afterwards, not Ctrl-P.

6. Click Assign.

Time Saving Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows Explorer:

1. Alt-F4 will close the open program.

2. Alt-Left button will go back.

Utilizing the Work Menu in Microsoft Word:

If you have many documents you work on constantly but have them all in various folders,
and hate navigating to them each time you use Word, try this tip out.
1. On the Tools menu, click Customize and then click the Commands tab.
2. Under Categories, click Built-in menus, and then from under Commands, drag
the Work menu to your toolbar.
3. To add a file to the Work menu, open the file, click the Work menu, and then
click Add to Work Menu.
a. To access a file you've already added, click the Work menu and then click
the file name.
b. To delete a file from that menu, press Ctrl+Alt+-, and when your mouse
cursor turns into a minus sign, click the Work menu and then click the file
you want to delete.

Use Microsoft Office’s Spike feature

(Spike: A special AutoText entry that stores multiple deletions. Microsoft Word appends
one item to another until you paste the contents as a group in a new location in your
document. You can also use the Microsoft Office Clipboard to get the same result.)

To use the Spike , you remove two or more items from nonadjacent locations, append
each item to the Spike's contents, and then insert the items as a group in a new location or
document. The items remain in the Spike, so you can insert them repeatedly. If you want
to add a different set of items to the Spike, you must first empty the Spike's contents.
 1. To move an item to the Spike, select the text or graphic you want, and then press
CTRL+F3. (You can repeat this step for each additional item you want to move to
the Spike.)
2. Click in the document where you want to insert the Spike's contents.
3. Do one of the following:
 To insert the Spike's contents and empty the Spike, press
CTRL+SHIFT+F3.
 To insert the Spike's contents without emptying the Spike, point to
AutoText on the Insert menu, and then click AutoText. In the Enter
AutoText entries here box, click Spike, and then click Insert.

International Characters

Use these keyboard shortcuts to insert international characters in Microsoft Word.

Keystroke Combination Results
à, è, ì, ò, ù,
CTRL+` (ACCENT GRAVE), the letter
À, È, Ì, Ò, Ù
á, é, í, ó, ú, ý
CTRL+' (APOSTROPHE), the letter
Á, É, Í, Ó, Ú, Ý
â, ê, î, ô, û
CTRL+SHIFT+^ (CARET), the letter
Â, Ê, Î, Ô, Û
ã, ñ, õ
CTRL+SHIFT+~ (TILDE), the letter
Ã, Ñ, Õ
ä, ë, ï, ö, ü, ÿ,
CTRL+SHIFT+: (COLON), the letter
Ä, Ë, Ï, Ö, Ü, Ÿ
CTRL+SHIFT+@, a or A å, Å
CTRL+SHIFT+&, a or A æ, Æ
CTRL+SHIFT+&, o or O œ, Œ
CTRL+, (COMMA), c or C ç, Ç
CTRL+' (APOSTROPHE), d or D ð, Ð
CTRL+/, o or O ø, Ø
ALT+CTRL+SHIFT+? ¿
ALT+CTRL+SHIFT+! ¡
CTRL+SHIFT+&, s ß

INTERNET
Faster Website Address Typing:
Instead of typing “http://www.anysite.com” you can just type “anysite”, then press
ctrl+Enter, and it automatically puts in the “http://www.” and the “.com”. Of course, in
Firefox, many websites don’t need the “www” or “.com” – for example, simply typing
“yahoo”, and then pressing enter, will immediately bring up www.yahoo.com.

Maximize Internet Explorer On Opening:

When Internet Explorer opens it can range in size anywhere from that of a postage stamp
to almost filling the screen. Clicking the maximize button works for that particular
window but the next time you open IE the same situation repeats. The default behavior
for Internet Explorer is to open at the same size it was at the last time it was closed.
While the default does apply in many cases, it's not always consistent. Try the following
workaround.

1. Open a single Internet Explorer window to the smaller size.

2. Drag the corners of the window until it completely fills the screen. Do not use the
maximize button to enlarge the window.

3. Hold down the Ctrl key, keep it depressed, and using the mouse click File and
then Exit on the menu bar. Do not use the "X" in the upper right corner to close
the window.

4. Internet Explorer should now open in a full window.

5. If it still opens to a smaller size repeat the above instructions, substituting the
"Shift" key for the "Ctrl" key.

Another method:

1. Open IE, hold down the “Shift” key, and click a link.
2. A new IE window will open.

3. Set the position and size the new window, but do not maximize it.

4. Now switch back to the first IE window, close it, and close the second window.

Extra Pop-Up Prevention:

In Firefox, select Tools --> Options, click on Privacy, and click the + sign next to
‘Cookies.’ Put checkmarks in the boxes next to ‘Allow sites to set cookies’ and ‘for the
originating site only.’

Making Mozilla's Firefox Faster for Users with Broadband:

Here's something for broadband subscribers that will really speed Firefox up:
 1. Type "about:config" into the address bar and hit Enter.
2. Scroll down and look for the following entries:
a. network.http.pipelining
b. network.http.proxy.pipelining
c. network.http.pipelining.maxrequests
3. Normally, the browser will make one request to a web page at a time. When you
enable pipelining it will make several at once, which really speeds up page
loading.
4. Alter the entries as follows:
a. Set "network.http.pipelining" to "true" by double-clicking on it.
b. Set "network.http.proxy.pipelining" to "true" by double-clicking on it.
c. Set "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests" to some number like 100.
i. This means it will make 100 requests at once.
5. Lastly, right-click anywhere and select New, then Integer.
a. Name it "nglayout.initialpaint.delay" and set its value to "0".
(This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on
information it receives. If you're using a broadband connection you'll load
pages 2-3 times faster now).
6. Also, make these changes:
a. network.http.max-connections = 64
network.http.max-connections-per-server= 32
network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server= 16
network.http.request.max-start-delay = 0
7. Close Firefox and start it again.

Send Free Text Messages to Cell Phones via Email:

Sending text messages via email is not new, but until now you needed to know the right
domain, carrier, etc… Now, just enter the ten-digit phone number followed by
@teleflip.com into the "To:" box of an email message. It should look like this
"[email protected].

Disposable Email Addresses:

Need a temporary email address to give to some annoying web site that insists on you
registering? Well, simply make up anything and then add the suffix “@mailinator.com”.
For example, [email protected]. Then go to the Mailinator website and collect any
email to that account. It's free and you don't even need a password to get your temporary
mail. All mail is deleted after a few hours. Check it out at http://www.mailinator.com .

Free Service Tests a Suspicious File:

Got a program you'd like to run but not sure if it's kosher? Then upload it to this site
where they'll run it through 13 different virus scanners and let you know the results.
Check it out at http://virusscan.jotti.org .
Some Great Firefox Keyboard Shortcuts:

 Find Text: /
 Insert “www” and “.com” around entry: Ctrl-Enter
 Use entire screen for viewing page: F11
 Increase text size: Ctrl-Plus
 Decrease text size: Ctrl-Minus
 Restore text size to 100%: Ctrl-0
 Cycle to next tab: Ctrl-Tab (or, Ctrl-PageDown)
 Cycle to previous tab: Ctrl-Shift-Tab (or, Ctrl-PageUp)
 Set focus to address field: Ctrl-L
There are many more, but these are the more useful ones.

Have Multiple Home Pages Load In Firefox:

If there are a number of websites that you check every time you open Firefox, you can
make them load in tabs as multiple home pages. Click on TOOLS, then OPTIONS, and
underneath the home page location bar is a button marked USE CURRENT PAGES.
Click that and Firefox will automatically make all the currently open tabs your home
page.

Open Multiple Bookmarks at Once in Firefox:

If you would like to open a number of bookmarks at once, without setting them as
multiple home pages, try this: Take the group of bookmarks you want to open at once,
and store them in one folder on the Bookmarks toolbar. Right-click the folder and select
“Open In Tabs.”

Conversely, to save all of your open tabs at once, just click on the BOOKMARK menu
and select BOOKMARK THIS PAGE. Though the window that pops up will prompt you
for a name for the single bookmark, just pretend it’s asking you for a folder name. Type
that in, select the Bookmarks folder for a location, and make sure you click “Bookmark
all tabs in a folder.” A new folder will appear in your Bookmarks menu containing all the
tabs currently open in your browser.

Receive and Send Faxes From Your PC without a fax machine:

For incoming faxes, you can use eFax (http://www.efax.com). The service will give you
gives me a free fax number with an area code that's somewhere in Ohio. Faxes can be
delivered to your inbox as an e-mail attachments. There's no charge; there's no limit on
the number of incoming faxes; and you will only get occasional spam from eFax pitching
upgrades.

To fax documents from your PC, you can use Fax1 (http://www.fax1.com). You pay a
paltry 12 cents per page, and you get a dollar in credit to try the service. Fax1 can be used
for incoming faxes, but it charges $9 per month for that service, while eFax receives
faxes for free.

Search for free MP3s using Google

method 1

put this string in google search:

"parent directory " /appz/ -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -
md5sums

"parent directory " DVDRip -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -
md5sums

"parent directory "Xvid -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -
md5sums

"parent directory " Gamez -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -
md5sums

"parent directory " MP3 -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -
md5sums

"parent directory " Name of Singer or album -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml
-opendivx -md5 -md5sums

Notice that i am only changing the word after the parent directory,
change it to what you want and you will get a lot of stuff.

method 2
put this string in google search:

?intitle:index.of? mp3

You only need add the name of the song/artist/singer.

Example: ?intitle:index.of? mp3 beatles

method 3
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-
8&q=apache+server+index+mp3+BANDNAME

Get Gmail in Outlook

How to get Gmail onto outlook:

1. First you need to allow POP3 from Gmail's website.

a. Log in to Gmail and select Settings in the top right hand corner.
b. Select Forwarding and POP, then select: Enable POP only for mail that
arrives from now on.
c. Save changes.
2. Go to Outlook, open Messaging and click onto accounts.
3. Select New Account from the list.
 4. Enter your e-mail address, including the @gmail.com, and then click Next.
5. Enter any name you want into the first box -it will appear on your sent messages.
6. In the box below, enter your username - this will be all the other writing in your
e-mail address except for the @gmail.com.
7. Then enter your password (you have the option of saving the pw), and then click
Next.
8. Select the POP3 option from the Account Type drop down list, then in the box
below enter a name for this account (Like, “Gmail”), and then click Next.
9. In the Incoming Mail box, enter this: pop.gmail.com
10. In the Outgoing Mail box enter this: smtp.gmail.com
11. DO NOT enter anything into the DOMAIN box - leave it blank.
12. Select Options.
13. Leave everything as it is; however, you may need to change the Connection from
“The Internet” to “Work”, and vice-versa. – But first try “The Internet”.
14. Click Next.
15. Uncheck the top box.
16. Check the Require SSL Connection and also check Outgoing mail requires
authentication box. Leave everything else the same.
17. Click Next.
18. You can select “Get full copy of messages” if you want.
19. Click Finish.
20. It should now be done. Select the two-letter Icon on the Messaging bottom bar.
It will now connect. If any pop-ups come up asking about security, or whatever,
select OK in the corner.

Disposable Email Address

Need a temporary email address to give to some annoying web site that insists on you
registering? Well, simply make up anything and then add the suffix "@mailinator.com”.
For example, [email protected]. Then go to the Mailinator website and collect any
email to that account. It's free and you don't even need a password to get your temporary
mail. All mail is deleted after a few hours. http://www.mailinator.com

Test a Suspicious File

Got a program you'd like to run but not sure if it's kosher? Then upload it to this site
where they'll run it through 13 different virus scanners and let you know the results.
http://virusscan.jotti.org

Some Great Firefox Extensions

DownThemAll:
If you ever need to download many items on a web page, but don’t want to sit there,
right-clicking all day, install DownThemAll, which lets you download all of the links
contained in a webpage. It also features an advanced accelerator that increases speed up
to 400% and it allows you to pause and resume downloads at any time. DownThemAll is
absolutely freeware and open-source.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/201

TabMixPlus:
Tab Mix Plus enhances Firefox's tab browsing capabilities. It includes such features as
duplicating tabs, controlling tab focus, tab clicking options, undo closed tabs and
windows, plus much more. It also includes a full-featured session manager with crash
recovery that can save and restore combinations of opened tabs and windows.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1122

FEBE:
FEBE backs up your extensions (including profiles and settings), themes, bookmarks,
saved passwords, and even cookies (if you want), for easy restoration and transfer to
other PCs.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2109

Highlighter:
Allows you to highlight text on a webpage by selecting it and clicking “Highlight” on the
popup menu. If you hold down the Shift key while opening the popup menu, a sub-menu
appears with more advanced options.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/791

ClocX:
Windows’ own clock doesn’t display seconds, and has no alarm. Replace it with the free
ClocX, which lets you set alarms, display a pop-up-calendar, etc…
http://www.tenzor.cz/clocx/

Record Flash-based video:

To record flash-based video (like Youtube and Google video files), just enter the video’s
URL at Keepvid.com, and it will convert it into an FLV file you can download. VLC
media player should be able to play the file, but you can convert the video to an .avi file
by visiting vixy.net/flv_converter.

Free File Hosting:

Mediafire.com is one of the best free file hosting services available. It requires no
registration, and allows unlimited maximum file size, unlimited downloads, and multiple
simultaneous downloads. Take that Yousendit!

Online Backups:
Generally, I don’t recommend online backup services to backup important files (what if
they shut down their service?!) But, if you regularly backup your files using either DVDs,
CDs, or External Hard Drives, and want to supplement these procedures with 2GB of
secure off-site storage for free, I recommend Mozy Remote Backup. http://mozy.com/?
ref=451c76aa
Online Shopping Tips:
Do a background check on a retailer at the Better Business Bureau’s website at
search.bbb.org, and compare prices at www.pricerunner.com and www.pricegrabber.com

Blacklist someone from texting you on Verizon Wireless:

To blacklist someone from texting you, log on to vtext.com - there is a control there that
lets you blacklist a limited number of senders, and to blanket blacklist messages from the
web or messages from email. The sending party will get an auto-reply back stating
something like "Phone number <insert your number here> no longer accepts messages
from this number."