March 27, 2008
XP virtual computing avoids dual-boot complexity
It's possible to have Vista and chow down on your XP cake, too, if you apply a free — for now — virtual machine. If you're stuck with a Vista PC, but you really prefer using XP, I'll show you how to set up XP as a virtual machine on Vista, plus some tricks you can use to get the most out of this setup. Read more »
Reader tips on portable computing flow in
In my Mar. 20 article, I described techniques for putting an entire Linux OS on a flash drive, which is almost like having a pocket computer that can run many of your favorite applications. I mentioned some limitations and presented a warning, but readers have come to our aid with insights on protecting and using your diminutive computer accessory. Read more »
Is that a good spot over there?
It's a vehicular jungle out there, with packed traffic, surly drivers, and a paucity of parking places, all begging the question, "Where the Sam Hill is everyone going to park?" Read more »
Get better results deep-cleaning Windows drives
This week, I'll add to my previous comments on free and easy ways to eliminate what the Disk Cleanup tool in Windows leaves behind. You can quickly eliminate megabytes or even gigabytes of hard-to-remove junk and boost your system performance! Read more »
Make a bootable thumb drive that runs XP
Some users benefit from having a bootable version of Linux on a USB flash drive — but did you know it's possible to do the same with XP? This week, I'll tell you how and explain a few challenges that stand in your way. Read more »
QuickTime, iTunes install Safari — like it or not
The auto-update routines for QuickTime and iTunes, two programs that play multimedia files, have quietly begun installing Apple's Safari browser unless PC users are sharp enough to turn off a little-noticed option. This week's abomination makes me question the entire concept of trusting auto-update mechanisms as a way of seeking better security. Read more »
March 20, 2008
We've made our secrets easier to find
The Windows Secrets Newsletter and the online periodical it merged with in 2006, the LangaList, have published thousands of tips over the years. Now we've made it more convenient for you to browse through our brainstorms and find exactly the article that you've been needing. Read more »
Carry an entire operating system in your pocket
Running applications from a USB flash drive on a public computer is convenient but exposes you to malware and other limitations of the host PC. By installing a Windows-like version of Linux on a flash drive, you can take a complete operating system wherever you go and work in a safe, secure environment, even in an Internet café. Read more »
You have another few months to acquire XP
In the Mar. 6 issue, I explained how to find a Windows XP system before retail and OEM sales of XP get yanked from the shelves on June 30 of this year. But system builders who cater to small businesses can still get XP until January 2009, which gives users who want to avoid Vista one more way to get their mitts on a Windows XP system. Read more »
Would you like mental floss with that?
It's Thursday. You've made it through the week so far without spilling coffee on yourself, calling a co-worker by the wrong name, or sending a scorching e-mail to the whole office by mistake. You're on top of your mental game. Read more »
Install Vista's fonts on XP — legally
Microsoft introduced a slew of new fonts with Windows Vista and uses one of them, Calibri, as the default font throughout much of Office 2007. So, if someone sends you a document, and it doesn't look quite right in XP, you probably need one or more Vista fonts — and I'll show you a perfectly legal way to get them absolutely free. Read more »
More need-to-know about network monitoring
Completing my recent series on monitoring file-system and Registry activity, I'd like to add what you need to know about packet capturing. To monitor a program's activity for troubleshooting purposes, you really need to record its file, Registry, and network activity — and today, I'll help you understand my favorite packet-capture tool. Read more »
Ready or not, he-e-ere's Vista Service Pack 1
Right on schedule, Vista Service Pack 1 is showing up for people who use Windows Update. You'll be prepared to install SP1 by the time you finish reading today's special Patch Watch column, but the real question is, will your PC be ready? Read more »
March 13, 2008
How to fix that gizmo you dropped in the loo
It happens to everyone: one moment, you're talking on your cell or dialing up a tune on your MP3 player, and the next, you're staring down at your gadget in a toilet, a puddle, or worse. If your portable electronic device gets dropped or submerged, is there anything you can do? Fortunately, the answer is yes. Read more »
OEM licenses for XP are nontransferable
My Mar. 6 article on buying systems with XP preinstalled stated that your XP license lets you remove the operating system from one machine and install it on another. But that's only true if you bought a retail copy of Windows XP, not a version that came preinstalled on your PC. Read more »
Hey, buddy, can you cc me on that?
Ctrl+C won't copy. Your Tab button won't tab. Ctrl+A selects absolutely nothing. We've all been there, when the simplest of functions just won't function. But what's really going on when we repeatedly punch that Copy button? Read more »
Using Windows' hidden Disk Cleanup options
You can get rid of more than just a few junk files by using some of Windows' little-known deep-cleaning settings. Most users report recovering dozens to hundreds of megabytes of space, and some users report gaining as much as 13GB of formerly-wasted space! Read more »
StartKey makes your desktop portable
Let's face it, laptops are a mainstay for portable computing — but what if you could have access to your desktop without lugging around a laptop? Microsoft is working on technology that will make that possible in the very near future, and this week I tell you what you can get out of it. Read more »
March patches for Office are 'lambs,' except...
Microsoft released this week four different security bulletins for MS Office, but (with a few exceptions) they seem to shape us as pretty tame updates. The old saying about March weather coming in like a lion, but going out like a lamb, is just about the way this patching month has shaped up. Read more »
March 6, 2008
Your contributions help us sponsor needy kids
One thing that editor-at-large Fred Langa and I agree on is that it's important to help disadvantaged people around the world. Ever since the LangaList newsletter and Windows Secrets merged in November 2006, we've continued to sponsor children in developing countries with a portion of your contributions — we just haven't taken the time to write about it. Read more »
Get yourself an XP system while you still can
With Windows XP scheduled to disappear from store shelves on June 30, time is running out to buy a computer with that venerable OS preinstalled. As manufacturers stop producing XP drivers, finding hardware that still supports XP is becoming a challenge, but I've produced one last shopping guide for you before the clock runs out. Read more »
Sizing up your boot drive's pagefile
My Feb. 28 article discussed ways to save space on your Windows drive when you have multiple hard drives or partitions. You can save even more space by shrinking the Windows pagefile on the boot disk, as long as you don't care about preserving some complex debugging data. Read more »
The art of water-balloon tossing
What was it about throwing water balloons as a kid that was so appealing? Throwing them at each other, your pets, moving cars. It was thrilling! Would it explode? How would your target react? Not to mention the ever-pressing question of how full could you actually get your balloon. Read more »
Hackers broke into my site — yours might be next
Last week, somebody using a Russian Internet address stuck a line of unwanted HTML code — an iFrame exploit — on the AskWoody.com main page, and my life suddenly got very complicated. It could happen to you: once the province of propeller heads and tech terrorists, hacking Web sites has become as easy as running a kiddie script. Read more »
Use Process Monitor to find hidden information
I'm finishing my Process Monitor (PM) series with a couple of examples of the kinds of behind-the-scenes information you can get by using it. Remember that the best feature of PM is that it catches transitory events that you might never see, even if you time things perfectly with some tool that only shows you your PC's current state. Read more »
