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Windows XP SP3 fixes many things. But it also removes the Internet Explorer icon form the desktop and the “address bar” toolbar from the taskbar. If you want to restore your Internet Explorer icon, check out this guide. If you want the address bar back, keep reading.

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In addition to the few additions included with SP3 for Windows XP, Microsoft also removed a few features. Apparently in connection with its European anti-trust settlement, Microsoft’s latest service pack tries to “deintegrate” Internet Explorer from the operating system. As such, many users will notice their Internet Explorer icon is missing from the desktop after [...]

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If you’re like me, your computer is a container for everything from your DVD and music collection, to family photos and financial documents. And, if you are one of the estimated 75% of users who don’t backup their data regularly, a computer crash can cost you time, sanity, and potentially lots of money. The good [...]

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If your computer is slower than the day you bought it, there is a problem. Unlike mechanical devices, a computer’s performance doesn’t degrade from wearing out. Any change in performance is due to software (the operating system, programs you have installed, etc.). The good news is, troubleshooting and fixing a slow computer is easy and [...]

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Ever need to save a file (such as a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, or picture) as a PDF? Adobe Acrobat (NOT the free “Acrobat Reader”, but “Acrobat”) includes tools to create a PDF from any file. However, if you don’t own Acrobat, you can still create PDF files for free.

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It seems that there are some issues with the new image/media uploader in Wordpress 2.5. The following are some of the issues users have experienced:

Upload progress gets “stuck”
Upload fails with an HTTP error
Upload box does not appear at all
If the upload window does appear, images can’t be managed or added

I personally was getting unable to [...]

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Ubuntu 7 runs great inside of Virtual PC 2007, at least once you get it installed. The installation would turn away most new Linux users since, by default, neither the graphics or mouse work. Not being able to see or interact with the installer is obviously a major issue. With a few simple text commands [...]

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When you install Windows Vista Service Pack 1 on your computer, the SP1 installer will not remove the older versions of Vista files from the hard drive. These older are required if you decide to uninstall SP1. If you are satisfied with the performance of Windows Vista SP1 and don’t plan on removing it, you can [...]

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When you start your computer, you may receive one of the following error messages:

STOP: 0×0000007B (parameter1, parameter2, parameter3, parameter4)
INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
Setup has encountered a fatal error that prevents it from continuing.
Contact your product support representative for assistance. The following status will assist them in diagnosing the problem.
(0×4, 0×1, 0, 0)
Setup cannot continue. Power down or reboot your [...]

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If you use Outlook and you’ve noticed it being excessively slow or just having errors, you should probably scan and repair your Personal Folders file for any problems. It’s sorta like checkdisk for your email client.

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The Quick Launch toolbar (which can be enabled by right-clicking on the taskbar, clicking “Toolbars”, and then clicking “Quick Launch) by default contains a shortcut to instantly minimize all open windows and show the desktop. It is possible to accidentally move or delete this shortcut. If you have accidentally removed the shortcut and want it back, use [...]

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To comply with current Internet standards, Internet Explorer (Internet Explorer 5.5, Internet Explorer 5.01, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0, Windows Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP, Windows Internet Explorer 7 for Windows Server 2003, Windows Internet Explorer 7 for Windows Server 2003 IA64) limits the number of simultaneous downloads (from the same server) to [...]

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All versions of the Windows operating system support “hidden” files and folders. When a file or folder is marked as hidden, it will (by default) not be visible to the user. Files are often hidden to prevent accidental deletion or editing of important system files by the user. Sometimes it is necessary to view hidden [...]

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The paging file is very closely related to the physical RAM installed in the computer.

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If you are having trouble with the FairUse4WM/mirakagi programs read on.

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User Account Control (UAC) is a technology introduced in Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system. It aims to improve the security of Microsoft Windows by limiting application software to standard user privileges until an administrator authorizes an increase in privilege level. In this way, only applications that the user trusts receive higher privileges, and malware is kept [...]

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CrossLoop is a remote control program built on VNC technology. It allows for an easy, secure connection to a remote computer. I often use this tool to remotely solve software problems. Though not as robust as UltraVNC, Crossloop is much easier to use, works around firewalls out of the box, and is perfect for infrequent [...]

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Inside of your Windows folder you will notice multiple folders named “$NtServicePackUninstall$” or similar. Because these folders are hidden by default, you may have to go into My Computer or Windows Explorer and select Tools, Folder Options. Select the View tab and change the Hidden Files and Folders setting to Show Hidden Files and Folders. These [...]

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If you have the “Show hidden files and folders” option enabled, you may have noticed a folder named “$hf_mig$” inside of your Windows directory. This folder contains information about previously installed updates. According to Microsoft, “When a security update, critical update, update, update rollup, driver, or feature pack installs GDR version files, the hotfix files [...]

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All versions of Windows allow for the sharing of folders and printers over a network. This feature is useful if you want to be able to access files stored on one computer while using a second computer. There are plenty of guides availible that explain how to set up secure file sharing (that is, assigning permissions [...]

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Virtual PC.exe is the Virtual PC command-line utility and can be used to perform a variety of Virtual PC and virtual machine tasks. By default, it is located in \Program Files\Microsoft Virtual PC. The following is a list of all supported command line options for Virtual PC 2007.

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If you’ve ever had an application pop up in front of the window you are working in (for example, when an instant messenger window opens while you are typing in Word), you’ve experienced “focus stealing.” The Microsoft tool TweakUI was capable of changing this behavior in Windows XP, but the tool no longer works in Windows Vista. [...]

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Every computer connected to a network has an IP address. An IP address is the digital equivalent of a street address. It allows information to be delivered to the appropriate computer. Normally, your computer is automatically assigned a unique IP address by your Internet service provider, or the router on your network. This normally works [...]

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 Recently, my Toshiba M200 stopped booting. I needed it reinstall Windows, but the M200 doesn’t have a CD drive. I tried everything from booting from a Secure Digital card to external USB drives (which weren’t recognized at the BIOS level). Finally I came across information about PXE booting, also know as booting from a network [...]

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If you receive an error message when performing a Send and Receive in Outlook or Outlook Express, examine the message for the error code. The following error codes are the most common:

0×800ccc15
0×80042108
0×800ccc0e
0×8004210b
0×800ccc0b
0×800ccc79
0×800ccc67
0×80040900
0×800ccc19
0×8004210a
0×80042109
0×800ccc0f
0×800ccc0d

All of these error codes are typically associated with Outlook or Outlook Express not being able to communicate with the mail server. This can [...]

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