Registry mop

Labels: Customize, General, Tips, Tutorials

Works, but dangerous

"Cipher.exe is a command-line tool. Microsoft has developed an improved version of the Cipher.exe tool that provides the ability to permanently overwrite (or "wipe") all of the deleted data on a hard disk.
This feature improves security by ensuring that even an attacker who gained complete physical control of a Windows computer would be unable to recover previously-deleted data."

Labels: General, Tips, Tutorials

Get started in the right direction

• Access
  
  
• Adobe Acrobat
  
  
• Dreamweaver
  
  
• Excel
  
  
• FrontPage
  
  
• Microsoft Office Tools
  
  
• Outlook
  
  
• Outlook Web Access
  
  
• PowerPoint
  
  
• Publisher
  
  
• Visio
  
  
• Windows
  
  
• Word Art
  
  
• Word

Labels: Tutorials

Brand your own Explorer

Labels: Customize, General, IE, Tutorials

Be empowered

"Control Panel provides a set of special-purpose administrative tools so that users can configure the Windows, applications, and services environment. It includes default items in Control Panel for common tasks, for example, Display and Add Hardware. User-installed applications and services can also insert their own icons into Control Panel.

There are two view options for Control Panel: Category View and Classic View.

Category View displays Control Panel icons according to the type of task that the user wants to perform.

Classic View displays Control Panel icons in a view that is familiar to users of previous versions of Windows."

1. Click Start, and then Settings
   
   
2. Click Control Panel.
   
   
3. Click Appearance and Themes, and then click Folder Options.
   
   
4. Open Folder Options.
   
   
5. Under Tasks, click "Show common tasks in folders", and then click OK.
   
   
6. In the Control Panel box in the upper-left corner of Control Panel, click "Switch to Category" or "Switch to Classic View".

• Accessibility Options
• Add Hardware
• Add or Remove Programs
• Administrative Tools
• Date and Time
• Display
• Folder Options
• Fonts
• Game Controllers
• Internet Options
• Keyboard
• Licensing
• Mouse
• Network Connections
• Phone and Modem Options
• Power Options
• Printers and Faxes
• Regional and Language Options
• Scanners and Cameras
• Scheduled Tasks
• Sounds and Audio Devices
• Stored User Names and Passwords
• Speech
• System

Labels: General, Tutorials

"Free keyboard layouts — called Dvorak layouts — are available for people who type with one hand or finger. These layouts make the most frequently typed characters on a keyboard more accessible to people who have difficulty using the standard keyboard layout (called the "QWERTY" layout).

Dvorak keyboard layouts reduce the amount of motion required to type common English text. Use of these layouts may also help avoid some types of repetitive strain injuries associated with typing.

Studies have also shown an increase in typing speed and accuracy when using the Dvorak layout for two hands. The left-hand or right-hand keyboard layouts can also be useful for people who type with a wand."

Introducing the Dvorak Keyboard
By Marcus Brooks

A Brief Primer
by Randy Cassingham




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windows

Labels: General, Hardware, History, Tutorials

Finger tricks

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Accessibility Options.
   
   
2. On the Mouse tab, under MouseKeys, select the Use MouseKeys check box.
   
   
3. To turn off MouseKeys, clear the Use MouseKeys check box.

1. Press left ALT + left SHIFT + NUM LOCK.
   
   
2. In the MouseKeys message dialog box, press SPACEBAR to clear the Turn off keyboard shortcut for this accessibility feature check box.
   
   
3. Press TAB, and then press ENTER.

Labels: Customize, General, Hardware, Tips, Tutorials

List programs

"TechTrax is a free, monthly Ezine (online magazine) published the beginning of each month. TechTrax is geared toward anyone who wants to learn more about using computers, with a highlight on Microsoft technologies. TechTrax also makes a point to focus on issues of accessibility. The range of overall subjects and user level articles here in TechTrax are far reaching to cover a wide audience. From newbie to black belt articles."

Labels: Files, Tutorials

MFU list

To remove items from the Most Frequently Used Programs list, right-click Remove from this list. However, when you run the program again, it may reappear on the list.

You can stop a program from appearing on the Most Frequently Used Programs list. No mater how often you use the program it will never appear on this list.

1. Click Start and select Run.
   
2. Type regedit and click OK.
   
3. Look for the registry key:
   HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\
   
4. Under this key are a series of sub-keys representing the installed applications.
   
5. Choose the executable you do not want to appear on the list. (for instance Excel.exe)
   
6. Click Edit, point to New, and select String Value.
   
7. Type NoStartPage for the value name.
   
8. Close the Registry Editor.
   
9. Restart the computer.

Microsoft Support:

Prevent a Program from Being Displayed in the Most Frequently Used Programs List in Windows XP

and

Start Menu (MFU) list is empty



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windows

Labels: Customize, Desktop, General, Tips, Tutorials

Click quizzers

Unlike the kids today, not all of us were born with a mouse in our pablum glazed paw.

If you have a new user who needs practice using a Mouse, take a look at some of these links. There are some very well done games and some step by step instructions.

Ferry Halim:
Games

Seniornet.org:
Mouse Exercises

• Placing the mouse
  
• Clicking the mouse
  
• Drag and drop
  
• Drawing with the mouse

USA Quiz

Paper doll game

Queens Borough Public Library, New York:
How to use the mouse

Click tester

Shambles.net:
(This website is designed to support the international school communities in 17 countries in South East Asia.)
Mouse skills collection



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windows

Labels: General, Hardware, Tutorials

Cougar Gold

"Paint.NET originated as a Computer Science senior design project during the Spring 2004 semester at Washington State University.

Paint.NET v3+ is image and photo manipulation software designed to be used on computers that run Windows. Paint.NET is jointly developed at Washington State University with additional help from Microsoft, and is meant to be a free replacement for the MS Paint software that comes with all Windows operating systems. The programming language used to create Paint.NET is C#, with GDI+ extensions.

It has been compared to other digital photo editing software packages such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Paint Shop Pro, Microsoft Photo Editor, and The GIMP."

Paint.NET free download

Tutorials

To order Cougar Gold Cheddar Cheese see:
The Creamery



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windows

Labels: Add-in, General, Tutorials

Safe or sorry, your choice

"This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs."

The Registry contains information that Windows continually references during operation, such as profiles for each user, the applications installed on the computer and the types of documents that each can create, property sheet settings for folders and application icons, what hardware exists on the system, and the ports that are being used

Here's the Microsoft support article to guide you through the process:
How to back up, edit, and restore the registry
in Windows XP, Vista and Windows Server 2003

Also:
How to backup the Windows Registry

WindowsNetworking.com :
WindowsRegistry Backup 101



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windows

Labels: Backup, General, Tutorials

Screen capture plus

" Windows Media Encoder can capture the screen as you perform a task such as editing a photo; in fact, almost anything you can do on the screen can be recorded as a video. You can even narrate the demo as you record the steps you're performing. It's surprisingly easy to achieve good results in minutes. Probably the only reason the program isn't more widely used is that few people know it exists."

Microsoft Windows Media:
Windows Media Encoder 9 Series

Microsoft Support:
Support for Windows Media Encoder

Microsoft Media Knowledge Center:
Getting Started with Screen Capture Using Windows Media Encoder.



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windows

Labels: Add-in, Tips, Tutorials

Plus or minus 32

Regedit.exe is the registration editor for 16-bit Windows. It is used to modify the Windows registration database.

Microsoft recommends that you use Regedit.exe only for its search capabilities on a Windows NT 4.0-based or Windows 2000-based computer.

Regedt32.exe is the configuration editor for Windows NT. It is used to modify the Windows NT configuration database, or the Windows NT registry. This editor allows you to view or modify the Windows NT registry.

The editor provides views of windows that represent sections of the registry, named hives. You must use extreme caution when you use it to change registry values.

Missing or incorrect values in the registry can make the Windows NT installation unusable.

Meryl.net:
An explanation with follow-up links.
A Tale of Two Regeds
By Meryl K. Evans

Also:
Editing the Vista Registry



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windows

Labels: Customize, General, Troubleshoot, Tutorials

Eat your heart out Dvorak

Ever wanted to quickly and easily define your own keyboard layout for a language Microsoft doesn't support? Or define your own keyboard layout so you can quickly and easily enter your favorite symbols with a simple keystroke? Well, want no more: the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator is here!

The Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator (MSKLC) extends the international functionality of Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 or Windows Vista (MSKLC will not run on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME or Windows NT4) by allowing users to:

• Create new keyboard layouts from scratch
  
• Base a new layout on an existing one
  
• Modify an existing keyboard layout and build a new layout from it
  
• Multilingual input locales within edit control fields.
  
• Package the resulting keyboard layouts for subsequent delivery and installation.

Global Development and Computing Portal:
Windows Keyboard Layouts
(many different language keyboards)

Belarusian keyboard

Labels: Customize, General, Hardware, Tutorials

On your demand

Labels: General, Tutorials