Freebies I Recommend

I know it's been forever since I've posted on this blog. Today I'm going to list a few freebie programs that I have installed on my own laptop and have found very useful.

1. PrimoPDF

This is a great little program for creating PDFs from Microsoft Word or other word processing programs. It acts as a printer, but instead of printing to a physical device it outputs the file to a PDF. Of course, make sure you have a program to read it (like Adobe Reader).

2. LogonStudio Vista

Tired of the Vista welcome screen? Here's a fun fix that allows you to create your own background. I prefer to use pictures. It makes the "welcome" to Vista a little less painful.

3. Active@ ISO Burner

There are a lot of free ISO burning programs available, but this is the one I've used most extensively. Burn ISO images to CD or DVD easily and quickly. I've used it for live CDs such as Ubuntu, Gparted, and Clonezilla, as well as operating systems and other bootable images.

4. Revo Uninstaller

I don't know about you, but I don't like how uninstalling programs from Add/Remove Programs (in XP) or Programs and Features (in Vista) doesn't completely erase the program and all the folders/files it created. Revo Uninstaller was a great solution for me. I use it whenever I'm uninstalling something. It goes all the way down to the registry and finds everything the program created, to erase it. I can't absolutely guarantee that it won't mess something up on your computer, because deleting registry entries is always a little risky. But it's never failed for me.

Changing Resolution

Do you feel like everything on your screen is too big? Too small? Do websites feel too crowded, or graphically messed up? It could be your resolution, and if so, there's an easy fix.

In Vista:

1. Right click your desktop and click "Personalize."

2. Click "Display settings."


3. Adjust your resolution. The higher the resolution, the smaller or more distant everything on your screen will appear. Personally, I always keep my computer at the highest resolution possible.


Note: XP steps are very similar. Right click Desktop, click Properties, and go to the Settings tab for resolution settings.

Enabling Telnet in Windows Vista

By default, neither telnet server nor client is installed in Vista. This is very easy to fix.

1. Go to start, Control Panel, and open Programs and Features.

2. Click on the "Turn Windows features on or off" hyperlink.


3. In the Windows Features dialog box that appears, check one or both of the Telnet boxes, depending on your needs.

It Really Works!

I was exasperated with Vista and how slow it was running. I kept reading that changing themes would help performance, but I didn't want to give up the cool Aero features (switch between windows, thumbnail previews on taskbar, cool graphics, etc).

Today, I gave it a try. I changed from Windows Vista Aero theme to Windows Vista Classic theme. It isn't pretty--in fact, it reminds me of Windows 2000. But immediately, I noticed a drastic difference in speed. I think I'm sold on it.

To change your Vista theme, right click the desktop and select "Personalize." Click "Theme." Select desired theme from available drop-down menu.

Windows Vista: A Few Good Things

I've had Vista on my personal laptop for over a month now. After upgrading to Vista Business and tweaking a few preferences, I've found that I can tolerate the operating system enough to where I'm not tempted to take a baseball bat to my monitor every twenty minutes. In hopes of encouraging those who are also stuck with Vista, I thought I'd highlight a few of its advantages over XP.

Taskbar thumbnail previews

This is a pretty cool feature. If you have the Vista Aero theme selected, hovering over any items on your taskbar reveals a real-time thumbnail preview. See example. Note that there is software that can be installed on XP to implement a similar feature.


Volume mixer

I have to say, this is a pretty sweet deal...and definitely an improvement with the Vista OS. Users can set different volume levels for every single program running. Maybe you want to hear your YouTube movie, playing in an open browser, and while you do, you don't want Outlook bothering you with the "New Mail" sound. Just single click on the volume button in the notification area of your taskbar, click the "Mixer" hyperlink, and specify the volume level for each program currently in use.


Start menu search box

The search box in the bottom of the start menu is very handy as well. You can choose to have it only search programs in your start menu, or even search all documents and files on your computer. Of course, there is a basic desktop search program that can be installed on XP...but it is handy to have it in the bottom of the start menu, and automatically included in the operating system.

My Battle With Vista

Alright...well since you are all simply GLUED to this exciting, informative, and revolutionary blog, you've been waiting for over a week now to hear about creating a system restore point, right? (Yeah...in case you haven't caught on yet, that was a joke.) Well I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not going to write about the promised System Restore Point yet. It'll come eventually, I promise. But for right now, I'm going to post a few thoughts pertaining to the hectic roller-coaster ride I've had in the technological realm the past two days.

I bought a beautiful new HP Pavilion laptop. As far as the hardware goes, I love it. 4 GB RAM, a nice big hard drive, a core 2 duo processor...much more than my current use requires. The only problem? Windows Vista Home Premium. And yes, that's a definite problem.

I knew I would run into driver issues trying to install XP Pro, but I didn't know I'd encounter them during the installation process. I tried numerous tricks to fool Vista into letting me wipe it out for XP, but to no avail. After a lot of research and a lot of experimenting, I seem to be stuck with Vista. Permanently. And that pretty much stinks.

I ended up reverting my laptop to its original factory state. That meant I also had to optimize it on my own...basically remove all the junk it comes with as a new install.

As I began to make the best of Vista and prepare my laptop for school, I ran into some other problems I didn't know Vista had. (Besides being a resource hog, bugging me with constant pop-up boxes, and sticking things in out-of-the-way and irrational locations.)

1. The built-in administrator account is disabled by default in Vista. And given my specific scenario, that turned out to be a real pain.

2. You can't even get to a lot of the computer management tools in Home Premium. You have to upgrade to Vista Business or better in order to perform basic management tasks.

I am now in search of a Vista Business CD so that I can upgrade. I have a legal key for it, I just need the corresponding media. Given the hours I've spent with Vista and its wonderful little quirks these past couple days, I will probably be posting more Vista-specific articles in the near future. Stay tuned to find out more about working with this problematic operating system.

Closing Your Laptop: What Happens

Ever wished you could keep your laptop from going into standby mode when you close the lid? Well, you can. Here's how to control what shutting your laptop does, in Windows Vista.

1. Click on the Start button, and click on "Control Panel" to open it.

2. Click on the "Mobile PC" hyperlink.

3. Click "Power Options."


4. Click the "Choose what closing the lid does" hyperlink in the left sidebar.


5. Choose what you want your laptop to do when you close the lid, depending on whether you are running on battery or are plugged in. The options are Do Nothing, Sleep (stand by), Hibernate, or Shut Down.


My personal preference is to "do nothing" when I'm plugged in. This way I can close my laptop and still listen to the music I have playing, remain signed in to any chat engines, and hear system notification sounds. Note that from this dialog box, you can also specify what action the laptop takes when you press the Power or Sleep buttons.

Here's a very low resolution video of this easy process.

Bypassing Vista's Confirmation Messages

One of the major complaints about the Windows Vista operating system is against the constant dialog boxes that pop up asking if you want to continue. Unless you're unsure with the cursor and have a propensity for clicking the wrong buttons, this "helpful" little feature is irksome and slows people down. The average user probably doesn't realize how easy it is to disable this feature, which is called "User Account Control." Here's how you can bypass all those irritating boxes that pop up just when you least want to see them.

1. Click the Start button, and click "Control Panel" to open it.

2. In the Control Panel Home (check left pane to make sure you are not in classic view), click on the "User Accounts and Family Safety" hyperlink.


3. Click on the "User Accounts" hyperlink.


4. Click on the "Turn User Account control on or off" hyperlink.

5. Uncheck the box to disable User Account Control.

Changing Computer Name (Vista)

This is for the non-techy...ever wanted to give your computer a unique name? Many users never experience times when computer name means anything, but it does pop up occasionally, such as when the computer is part of a local workgroup. In situations like this, it is fun, and sometimes helpful, to have a memorable and unique computer name.

To change your computer's name in the Windows Vista operating system, follow these few simple steps.

1. Click the Start button, right click "Computer" in the right pane, and click "Properties."

2. Under Tasks in the left pane, click the "Advanced System Settings" hyperlink. The System Properties dialog box opens.


3. Click the "Computer Name" tab.

4. Click the "Change" button.


5. Enter the desired computer name in the box, and click "Okay". You will be prompted to restart your computer for changes to take effect.

Note: To accomplish the same task in Windows XP, click "Start," right click "My Computer," click "Properties," click the "Computer Name" tab.