Access xp user account if you forget your password

If you think that if you forget your login password for your account in windows xp, you can never recover it and reinstalling the operating system is the only option, then wait! Maybe you can try this out.

Boot your pc in safe mode. To do this, press F8 key several times while your pc begins to boot. If you do this right, you will see a screen which shows the different ways in which you can start your windows xp. Select the option to boot in safe mode using the up or down arrow keys. Now, when your xp in safe mode has started, go to control panel > administrative tools. Click computer management. Double click Local Users and Groups, double click the folder Users. Right click on the account name that is locked out, and click on Set Password. Leave the New Password box blank, also leave the Confirm Password box blank. Click OK then OK and finally reboot your system. Now you can access your user account in xp easily.

Stars Wars in Windows XP

Open the run dialog box from start menu in Windows XP. Type ‘telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl’ in the field(without quotes) and hit enter. As you hit enter a separate window will open and after a few seconds you will see the Stars Wars movie in the Microsoft Windows style! 

Go… try it yourself!

How to speed up your computer easily

Do you think your computer’s speed is getting slower and slower day by day? Does your pc takes ages to complete a certain task? If yes, then some of the tips mentioned below may help you speed up your pc.

If your hard disk is jam packed with data, it could possibly be the reason for your machines slow performance. If the partition of the hard disk containing your operating system is low on disk space, you better make some. Sometimes a lot of unnecessary programs take up a large amount of space. So, try to install those programs which use less space and less memory. Remove the programs that you no longer use from add or remove programs list. Disk Defragmenter is another utility available in windows xp which can increase your system speed. It is designed to increase access speed by rearranging files stored on a disk to occupy contiguous storage locations, a technique commonly known as defragmenting. The purpose is to optimize the time it takes to read and write files to/from the disk by minimizing head travel time and maximizing the transfer rate.

A virus can cause your system to slowdown or work inappropriately. Viruses are everywhere. They come through emails, p2p sites, or even through your friend’s cd. So it is always better to be guarded then seek cure afterwards. Keep your antivirus running all the time and make sure you have the latest virus definitions installed. After the removal of virus, you can see a visible difference in the performance of your machine. Some of the most popular antivirus available are NOD32, AVG Antivirus, Kaspersky, McAfee and Norton Antivirus.

Spy-ware is Internet jargon for Advertising Supported software (Ad-ware). It is a way for shareware authors to make money from a product, other than by selling it to the users. There are several large media companies that offer them to place banner ads in their products in exchange for a portion of the revenue from banner sales. This way, you don't have to pay for the software and the developers are still getting paid. If you find the banners annoying, there is usually an option to remove them, by paying the regular licensing fee. It tends to slowdown your pc’s performance considerably because of the various services being run by it. You can see them in the processes tab of task manager in xp. Some of the most popular spyware removal tools are :

Lavasoft Ad-Aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/)

Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/)

Spy Sweeper v2.2 (http://www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php)

HijackThis 1.97.7 (http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html)

Upgrading your computer’s RAM or simply memory makes a hefty difference in the speed of your pc. If you cannot remember the last time you upgraded your system’s memory then probably it’s time to. As you install newer and newer programs, the total memory usage increases. So the only option left is to upgrade it.

Custom Boot Screens

The screen that shows that your operating system is being loaded while booting is called a boot screen. This picture shows the default boot screen for windows XP.

To change you boot screen, you can use an application called BootXP. On running the program for the first time, it will ask you to make a backup of your boot.ini file. Click save and run BootXP. This is necessary if you want to revert to the original Windows XP boot screen.. With BootXP, you can set your own images as boot screens. Just browse for the amage file, select and click,'Set as boot screen'. The next time you boot your machine, you can see your favourite photographs while loading Windows XP.

You can also download boot screens from www.themexp.org. In BootXP, browse the boot screen file in which it was downloaded, select 'ntoskrnl.exe' in 'Your boot screens' tab and click 'preview boot screen'. If you are satisfied with it click 'set as boot screen'. You can check it by restarting your machine.

Faster Printing in XP

Windows XP uses a service called 'Print Spooler' to print your documents, while you can simultaneously work on other application. What print spooler actually does is that it collects all the printing data and saves it to a temporary file before initiating the printing process. This may be time consuming when printing multiple documents or images. You can turn print spooler off and print directly from the printer rather than letting windows save your printing data in a temporary file and then start the printing.

To do this, head to Start > Printers and Faxes. Right click on the name of your printer, click on properties, click on Advanced tab, select ' directly from the printer' option to disable spooling. One thing to be kept in mind though, you may not be able to work on other applications until the whole printing is done.

Faster End Task

While working on your computer, if an application hangs, you press Ctrl+Alt+Del to open up the task manager dialog box. You select the application name from the application tab, and press end task to terminate the program. It is observed that the application takes some time to terminate after pressing the end task button.

To reduce this time, go to Start menu > Run. Type regedit and press OK. The registry editor will show up. Navigate through the options to locate 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ ControlPanel \ Desktop'. On the right side of the window pane, right click on ' HungAppTimeout' and click on Modify. You should see the 'Edit String' dialog box. The numerical value in the 'Value Data' field denotes the time in milliseconds to end the program. Change its value to somewhere around 500 and click OK. Finished!

What a cool cabinet!

Does your computer cabinet gets too hot while running? Do your applications occasionally hang? Has your cabinet got a bit noisy over a period of time? If yes, then its time for some cleanup.

Open your cabinet by removing the left side cover. Before proceeding make sure that you are well grounded in order to prevent your computer from electrostatic discharge (ESD). ESD can occur when working in your computer and will cause components you touch to no longer work properly. The best way to prevent it is wear an antistatic wrist band which is easily available in the market.

Accumulation of dust over fans and other components hinders air flow in your cabinet, which ultimately causes it to heat up and reduce the efficiency of your machine. Use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the dust. If you dont have one, you can also use an air-pump used for bicycles, to blow away the settled dust. Make sure the cords are not hanging unevenly, cluttering you cabinet all over. Tie them together with rubber bands and keep them as much away as possible from fans. This trick is extremely effective as the air coming inside the cabinet can be diverted out without any disruption.

Still not satisfied with the performance?
Consider adding additional fans in your cabinet. There are mainly two types of fans available. Ball bearing type and sleeve bearing type. A ball bearing type fan is a better choice as they are more effective and outperform the sleeve bearing type. Check for vacant space available at front or back side of your cabinet to install a fan. One of the most important point to keep in mind is to know the direction of air throw by the fan. If done correctly, you'll find yourself with an excellent air circulation mechanism. Usually, there are directional arrows marked on the fan blades to help you.

That's it, you are chilled!