Speed up Your Connection With Fasterfox

Fasterfox is a Mozilla Firefox extension that provides an interface to tweak some performance related settings such as browser network connection, cache, timings, as well as provide an optional controversial feature which forces Link prefetching. These changes can decrease (or if suboptimally set, increase) page loading time. Since 2006, the original extension version 2.0.0 is not maintained by the developer Tony Gentilcore, and is not compatible with Firefox 3.0 or later. As of November 2008, there are alternative extensions that are compatible with Firefox 3.0 such as Fasterfox (developed by spinball), and Fasterfox Lite by BigRedBrent.

Instalation for Fasterfox
After you download fasterfox (in rar.file) , please extract , then to install this addon , right-click at fasterfox_lite-3.0.21-fx.xpi file - open with - and choose your mozilla firefox file , (default in windows was located in : C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe).

Additional tips for windows user speed up the internet connection : Go to - Start - Run - Type: gpedit.msc - choose "Administrative Templates" - Network - Double-click at "Qos Packet Scheduler" - Double-click at "Limit reservable bandwidth" - from default "Not configured" change to "Enabled" - and at "Bandwidth limit" , from default "20%" - change to "0" (zero) . The 20% space of memory was used by windows for the need of their feature updates...if it's not important just ignore it...


Download Fasterfox For Firefox 3.0.8

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Favorite Easter Eggs

Just as children love hunting for Easter eggs, we love finding virtual Easter eggs in software and Web apps—those intentional hidden messages, features or jokes built into the software that users in the know may stumble upon at some point during their experience with the application. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite software Easter eggs of all-time (in no given order) in light of today’s holiday. Of course, there are many more Easter eggs out there. Tell us us your favorites in the comments!

1. Atari: The first ever software Easter eggs is speculated to have occurred in 1979 in an Atari game. Apparently, programmer identities were kept behind locked doors in the easly days of software development, with companies not wanting staff to gain more celebrity status than their brands

2. Google’s Picasa Teddy Bears: Image editing software Picasa has an entertaining teddy bear Easter eggs. If you open Picasa and press Ctrl-Shift-Y, a teddy bear will pop up.


3. The Book of Mozilla: If you type “about:mozilla” in the address bar of any version of Firefox, you will be led to a page with a quote from the “Book of Mozilla” about the birth of Firefox.

4. Google Earth Flight Simulator: If you open Google Earth, version 4.2, and press Ctrl-Alt-A (”Command” “Option” “A” on a Mac), Google inserted a flight simulator that lets you simulate being in the cockpit of a F16 fighter jet ot a lightweight SR22 propeller plane.

5. The Dark Castle on the iPhone/iPod Touch: According to this report, a teenager in the UK managed to discover this egg, the classic Mac game “Dark Castle”, in its entirety, available on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Activating this game is a bit complicated but, here are the directions.


6. Google’s Mobile App: Google unveiled a surprise Easter eggs for its Mobile App for the iPhone earlier this year. If you click on the settings tab, scroll to the bottom and keep swiping upwards until a secret option dubbed ‘Bells and Whistles’ appears (this also works in the foreign language versions of the app). The hidden menu lets you change the theme color of the app and its default sounds to chicken or monkey noises.

7. Microsoft’s Volcano: Microsoft inserted a volcano Easter eggs in all Windows Operating Systems prior to XP. If you go to control panel display, click on the screen savers tab, select “3D Text,” then click on settings and in the graphics text box type “volcano.” The screen saver then shows names of all the volcanoes in the U.S.

8. Google’s holiday Easter eggs: Last holiday season, Google put Easter Eggs next to the sponsored link search results for terms like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa Gifts, Christmas Sweaters, Hanukkah Sweaters, etc.


9. Mac OS X “Here’s to the Crazy Ones”: If you open Finder and go to Applications, look for TextEdit. If you enlarge the icon in CoverFlow, you’ll see a letter from John Appleseed quoting the text from Apple’s “Think Different” advertising campaign.

10. Goldeneye Breakdance: This egg was recently discovered. Apparently when playing Goldeneye 007, if the user tilts the cartridge during gameplay, this causes the characters to breakdance. It’s pretty funny-see the YouTube video of the dance below:

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How Do You Store FTP Login Information For Your Clients?

A common way to store FTP access information is in your FTP client. After all, that is where you use it, so that’s where it should be. But what happens if the FTP application crashes or your configuration file becomes corrupt? Is an FTP program secure enough to be your sole place for storing client logins?

Before making the permanent switch to a Mac last year, I had three PC crashes in a period of 18 months. I know all about data failure and did just about everything Craig Buckler listed in his “8 Tips for Surviving PC Failure” post. It worked; I saved almost all of my data. But even with dual backups and exporting my FTP configuration files to my backup data (which was a manual process with the FTP client I was using at the time), I wasn’t able to recreate all of my logins automatically. Either a password had changed or a new site was added to the mix since the last time the data was backed up, and I was left digging through thousands of e-mails trying to find the information I needed.

I’ve also stored passwords and logins in my address book as notes for each client. But that wasn’t foolproof either; some of the notes were lost when data was backed up, and more were lost when I moved to a new contact management system.

Some of the other options I’ve used or considered include:
* Password management utility, like KeePass
* Web-based FTP program that saves your data online, like AnyClient
* Excel spreadsheet
* Online (or even paper) notebook

Currently, I store all of my client data — including FTP logins — in a web-based project management system (Intervals), which is secure and accessible by my subcontractors, clients and anyone else who needs to access the data. Having it in one central place also eliminates the problem of dealing with outdated passwords, provided everyone uses the data in the system.

But I pay a steep monthly fee for the project management service that has an SSL, and it’s probably much more robust than what’s needed for this type of issue by itself. Luckily, I need many of the extra features the service offers to run my business efficiently, but it’s probably not an option for everyone who needs to store a limited amount of information, like FTP logins.

Is there a best way to store this information? How do you manage FTP logins for multiple clients so they’re easy to access and secure?

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Free XP To Windows 7 Transformation Pack Download

Windows 7 is looks much better than both windows xp and windows vista, so almost every user of windows wants to get rid of the boring looks of windows xp and vista.


Today, we will tell you about two free transformation pack developed recently which can transform windows xp or windows vista. These tarsformation packs has been designed by niwradsoft.

XP To Windows 7 Transformation Pack ( Via NirmalTV )

Seven Remix XP is another free transformation pack which lets you change the look and feel of your windows xp into windows 7
This transformation pack is made to work on Windows XP (Home, Professional, RTM, SP1, SP2, SP3, Corporate) , Windows Media Center (Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, Web, RTM, SP1), Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.

Note: This transformation pack does not work on 64 bit versions of windows xp.

Download Seven Remix XP To Windows 7 Transformation Pack

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DLL Removal

Dynamic Link Libraries, or DLL, were created by Microsoft to run much of the operating system. Some programs contain a lot of different modules and these are all linked together with DLLs, making them run smoothly. When a program is changed-that is, when you download a newer version of one-this means that the entire program doesn't have to be re-coded, just certain modules. Code can be re-used and the programs load more quickly and run faster as well as taking up less space on your hard drive. Since DLL files aren't loaded into random access memory (RAM), you have more memory at your disposal during your computer session.
But sometimes DLL is a distinct disadvantage and even dangerous to the health of your computer. You may only go to sites that you think are safe. You might use your computer only for research and emails. You do everything you can to keep your computer free of viruses but still something goes wrong sometimes. You may even have unwittingly downloaded a worm or virus from a pornography site that you've never heard of or thought about viewing! DLL files are the cause of these woes.

Browser plugins and browser hijackers are both made of DLL files that change your system to let others have access to your computer. Other DLL files aren't malicious but cause trouble because the user didn't properly remove a program or application they no longer wanted on their computer. DLLs that are unwittingly left behind when a program isn't removed correctly can interfere with other files and if the DLL is malicious it can recreated itself when you reboot the computer.

Are you looking for a great resource to use when applying preventative measures or restoring your computer back to health. You can find the right software programs to remove all those DLL files safely and permanently. That way you'll have everything you need in order to safely identify and remove DLL files that may be causing your computer to malfunction, slow down or have trouble navigating the internet.

It is especially important to have DLL protection if you use the internet often. As you surf, doing research or chatting with friends on what you think are safe websites, there are a lot of DLLs floating about that can attach themselves to your computer. Click on the advertisement of a product you're interested in? You may be downloaded a DLL from a pornography site; those types of sites do everything they can to expose themselves to you whether you want them to or not. When chatting with someone or sharing pictures or other files, you may be exposing yourself to a malicious DLL.

You need help avoiding all the trouble and expense of cleaning your computer and help preventing the problem in the first place. Your computer is an integral part of your personal and business life. It's up to you to protect it.

For more information on removing computer programs, visit http://www.dllremoval.com and http://www.hostingprivateserver.com

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How to Re-Calibrate Your Laptop Battery?

It is difficult to predict how long a laptop battery charge will last because each computer user has different habits and needs. The rate at which you use laptop battery power will determine how long you can use the battery of your laptop. You can re-calibrate your laptop battery if the battery's life has gotten shorter over time. Your laptop battery might need a good calibration if it doesn't seem to be getting the mileage that it should. How to re-calibrate laptop battery? The following paragraphs will give you the answer.

First put the laptop computer to sleep by turning off the screensaver and other power management settings of the computer. Then fully charge the computer and allow it to run all the way down until the computer shuts off automatically. Once the laptop battery has fully drained, charge it back up again and restore the screensaver and power management settings.
Re-calibrate your battery every month or so by fully charging, fully discharging, and then fully charging again. Basically to have a chance to re-calibrate your laptop battery is to turn off all power-saving features completely and then fully recharge them. If it doesn't work for the first time then try two more full discharges and recharges.

The above way of re-calibrating the laptop batteries works well with laptops using Ni-MH cells. But not with laptops using Li-Ion batteries because deep discharges will actually decrease the charge capacity and lifespan of Li-Ion cells. Moreover Li-ion batteries irreversibly lose approximately 20% capacity per year from the time of manufacture at a typical 100% charge level at 25deg.C, even when unused. Li-ion batteries irreversibly lose approximately 2%, 4%, 15% at 0deg.C, 25deg.C and 40deg.C respectively, when stored at 40% charge level. That is every deep discharge cycle decreases the capacity of the Li-ion batteries. As the Li-Ion batteries are chemical in nature, charging and recharging is not going to fix the problem once the chemical reactions stop happening. Therefore the best advice for re-calibrating the Li-Ion batteries is to store the battery at 40% charge if it kept unused for any unlimited period of time. Also don't leave the battery in the laptop if you don't use the battery or if you plug the laptop into outlet power.

You can also re-calibrate your laptop battery using IBM Thinkpad Battery Maximizer in order to maximize your laptop battery's life. If your laptop has IBM ThinkPad Battery MaxiMiser and Power Management features installed, you can verify the condition of the laptop battery. You can check the status of your battery using the Battery MaxiMiser Gauge in the taskbar tray. The ThinkPad's Lithium Ion battery pack that seems to be an intelligent battery uses a microprocessor to monitor its capacity. Then the microprocessor of the battery pack passes the information about the remaining battery capacity to the laptop. The laptop indicates the capacity with high accuracy.

Using the HP Laptop Battery Learning Utility, a modified version of a Win98 boot floppy, can also help you. Just place it in the floppy drive, and then turn on the computer. The re-calibration process is automated and takes about six hours to finish. This utility is available in different versions for different models. You can run the utility every two months.

If the laptop battery is still bad then it must have developed a memory that cannot be erased easily. If calibration doesn't help, then it is the right time to purchase another battery.

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Speed PC in Seconds

The most common problems "slowing down" issue that facing most PC users. Windows PCs had long tradition when not managing well with interrupted files and programs scattered around the hard drive. Most times, large number of unnecessary background programs likely to slow your computer to a crawling speed without any valid reasons.
Sometimes the best way to optimize the PC using all-in-one offer full utilities reliable formula. You're not all alone, but don't worry - I'll show you e-book how you can eliminate most of the problems without spending money for upgrading or buying a new computer.

Let's not be worry about the e-book report. If you're not a technically-challenge type of person. The author of PC Secret Formula simplified the report with video tutorial easy to understand. Anyone with knowledge to watch the video to follow the steps to apply the PC Secret Formula. These report is not complicated jargon but with step by step screenshots provided for application.

The techniques providing full description tips for tweaking without any harmful or files deletion. All files are remain intact. You are experiencing a new advanced D I Y techniques to speed up PC that most people don't know or have any clues about. With PC Secret Formula report/video tutorial tips, you are able to improve the computer performance. For sure, you be willingly to share this skill knowledge with friends.

PC Secret Formula is an INCREDIBLE STRATEGIES and TACTICS the author had formulated to improve computer performance.

1. The amazing First 5 Steps to Blazing PC. The author exact techniques used for his clients and even his

own to achieve ultimate results.

2. For security- you will love this part - the author 3 modes of Personal Defense Strategy to protect and

secure your PC for external defense. I think you have no clues about it.

3. How to achieve Hidden Setting - to achieve top performance the author's click by click through the

Microsoft's best kept hidden secret - these tweaking will greatly turn your PC into speedy gonzales.

4. Slice Up Boot time - you learn the techniques tips to free those unwanted programs to create precious

resources. Thus enable the PC have more breathing space. So to speak.

5. To keep Computer Permanently Running at Peak Performance. A Simple Cheat Sheet crucial list tasks

to maintain and restore perform on weekly used.

Let's look at the value of PC Secret Formula - this revealed how effectively this formula that showed reliability from the techniques report/video tutorial guide. You don't need any technical jargons in order to use the tips. To me, this 27 pages report you can apply on any old and new computers and even for future used. Therefore my rating 10 out of 10 without any single doubt and I consider is a good investment with value for your money.

This formula is much more effectively that able to boast your PC speed faster. It is also applicable on old PCs too. You are getting more value in term of your investment on this formula system other than online soft-wares.

For your information click the site here - http://hubpages.com/hub/Powerful-E-Formula-Whip-PC-Speed-In-Seconds

If you want to save time and money - PC Secret Formula is the answer for you. You can check on site and compare on other software.

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What Makes Laptop Computers Better Than Desktop Computers?

Almost all of us would prefer using laptop computers rather than regular desktop computers. Why? Simple, because of the mobility it offers. There are actually more advantages that anyone can think of. Every user has a different experience with laptop computers and one can simply add an advantage while using it. But all of us share the same story that we are blessed with the invention of such machines.


Laptop computers offer mobility. Designed to work on batteries and direct electricity from wall outlets these are truly advantageous for someone who is always on the go. Who would want to bring a desktop on a plane? Without laptops monitoring businesses miles away would be difficult. This feature of a laptop gives us the freedom and ability to use computers anywhere. Be it in a restaurant, in a car or places we feel comfortable, we can use laptops as long as we do not disturb others and go beyond rules.

Unlike desktop computers, laptop computers are compact and may contain features that an ordinary computer set may not have. Built-in camera, speakers, Bluetooth, WiFi device, and infrared are among the features you would not normally see on desktop computers. All these features when added to a desktop computer require individual purchases and manually installation for both hardware and software.

What makes it more exciting is the processing power that laptop computers offer. Do you think laptops can give you the computing power you see while using desktop computer, considering the size and weight of a laptop? I tell! You will definitely get the same computing power. Though built in smaller sizes, architecture and components in laptops are similar to what desktop computers are made of. If Intel Core Duo can be used to run desktop computers, then it can also be used to run laptop computers. Size does actually matter, but this does not affect the performance it provides.

There may be differences with some features such as the display, but both offer good qualities. Laptop computers also save a lot of energy. Display for a laptop does not require that much electricity compared to CRT or LCD monitors for desktops. Since it's designed to work with batteries, one can still have the convenience of working even without the presence of electricity coming from the wall outlet.

Newest addition to the family of mobile computing is the ultra portable laptop or tablet. These super small and powerful computers have emerged to revolutionize computing. Providing extra convenience in mobility because of its size, this type of laptop is ideal for individuals who are also on the go. Aside from its tiny feature this comes into affordable prices that anyone can afford. Teachers wanting to use a different medium in teaching can use these devices. Buying these ultra portable laptops does not hurt someone's budget.

If you want to know more about laptops or printer then please feel free to visit http://www.Superwarehouse.com

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RegistrySmart Registration

I was online the other day and happened to come across something amazing, RegistrySmart registration. Now I really have nothing to do with this other than to let everyone know how excited I am because it worked and saved me hundreds of dollars. That's right I finally found a product on the internet that did exactly as it claimed it would.


If you are wondering what I am talking about then sit back and listen for a couple minutes. My computer has been so sluggish the last couple of weeks that I was worried about what I was going to do. I knew I couldn't afford a new computer and I was really having a tough time justifying the 300$ especially when they told me that would be the minimum and there was no guarantee that would fix the problem. I also knew I couldn't be without my computer but by now on an hourly basis the thing was getting harder and harder to use. Then I came across RegistrySmart registration.

RegistrySmart registration claimed that it would do a free analysis on my computer and then I could decide if I wanted it fixed. The cost was so minimal that I was having trouble believing something like this would work. Well I decided to go ahead with the free scan and was in awe at what I was being told. No wonder my computer was running so slow. The scan was claiming that I had over 400 errors that needed to be fixed. It also guaranteed that it would fix every error that was making my computer so sluggish. I had a decision to make but for less than 20 bucks I thought I really had nothing to lose and I was at my wits end anyways.

It turned out that RegistrySmart registration was completely legit. It took a total of less than 30 minutes and it told me my computer was cleaned. It then told me to reboot my computer and I should notice a difference immediately. Guess what? It was amazing. I couldn't believe how quickly my computer booted up. Then I went to a few of the sites that were painfully slow in loading and was surprised to see them pop up immediately.

Well it has now been 3 months since I used RegistrySmart registration and I couldn't be happier. My computer is still running like it was brand new. I haven't had any problems since the scan and fix. I have no problem suggesting everyone with slow computer problems give this a try. I know you won't regret it.

I am just a normal person who was experiencing the same sort of problems that thousands of other people experience with their computers. I didn't have the money to buy a new one or the trust to get it fixed at a cost of high bucks so decided to try a product on the recommendation of a friend.

I used RegistrySmart registration and was absolutely pleased with the outcome. If you are having similar problems you must go to this website where it will explain the product in more detail.

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Simple Step to a Faster Computer

Is your computer painfully slow? Does it take forever to boot up and when it finally finishes booting, does it seem like you can click on something and walk away for a coffee break before it opens up? You are not alone. Luckily, there is a very simple solution that you can implement in about 15 minutes that will do wonders for your computer's speed and performance.


Just a few short years ago, if you wanted to perform maintenance on your computer and clean it up, you had to either take it in to a repair shop or hire expensive technical consulting to come out to our home and do it for you. However, times have changed and people want more control over their computers.

While there a number of things you can do to speed up your computer such as running a defrag on the disk drives or adding more memory, one of the most important things you can do is to get your hands on a registry cleaner.

Registry cleaners are super easy to use, and their benefits are huge.

What is the "Registry?"

Your computer's registry is essentially a central directory in which all of your Windows settings and options are stored. The information contained within the registry includes entries for such things as hardware, software, users, user preferences, policies, etc.

What does a Registry Cleaner do?

Over time, due to the installation of new programs, the removal of old or unused programs and the constant updating and patching we do to our computer's software, your registry will most likely become corrupt. This corruption leads to errors, blue screens, crashes, and a severe decrease in system performance.

What a registry cleaner does is scans your registry for corrupt entries and it fixes them. Whether it is unused entries that are just taking up valuable space , missing entries, or entries that contain incorrect information, a registry cleaner will go through your registry line by line and fix anything that it finds to be corrupted.

Once this occurs, your operating system as well as all the software you have installed will be able to find what it needs in a much more efficient manner, which results in an increase in the speed and performance at which your computer can perform tasks - essentially it will speed up your computer tremendously.

So if you are sick and tired of a painfully slow computer and are wondering what you can do today that will make your computer faster, go out and get your hands on a top of the line registry cleaner - you'll be amazed at the difference once you have a clean and efficient registry again.

Curious to know what the absolute Best Registry Cleaner on the market is? Visit http://www.TheBestRegistryCleaners.com today to find out what one registry cleaner will increase your computer's speed and performance much more than any other cleaner available.

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Avoiding Spam Email - Defending Your Inbox

Isn't it amazing how many people are concerned about you on the Internet?

You create a new email address and in no time at all, perfect strangers are suddenly very concerned about you having the best credit card, the best home loan, and especially the best "bedroom performance" possible. All of these "kind" people are sending you email every day in order to be sure you are up to date with the latest in electronics, the prettiest of Russian mail-order brides, and the most "exciting" websites you could ever want to visit.

We have all been a victim of it. This thing called "email spam." Unsolicited emails that clog your inbasket and make it very hard for you to find the emails that you actually care about. Congress has finally made some attempt to control spam, but there are still far too many loopholes for the unscrupulous to dive through in order to assault your inbox with junk email.

There are various tools you can use to try to cut down on the amount of spam that reaches you. If your email software allows for it, you can use a spam filter as well as a black list or white list. Unfortunately, each of these tools has their own drawbacks.

One of the best ways to deal with spam email is to avoid the online behaviors that cause your email address to be picked up by spammers and added to their lists. What follows is a set of rules to help reduce the chances that your inbox will fall prey to a spammer's unwanted attentions:

Rule #1: Never allow your email address to be displayed on a website. This means that if you are active in online forums, or if you maintain your own website, or are involved in any other online activity where you might possibly post your email address, it is best to use a modified email address that a human would understand but a computer program might not. For example, instead of posting "myaddress@gmail.com", you could post "myaddressDeleteThis@gmail.com". A human reader will know to remove the letters "DeleteThis" but a computer program designed to harvest email addresses from web pages would find it much more difficult. However, be warned that spammers are using other tricks these days that make even this technique not as safe as it used to be.

Rule #2: When you receive spam email, NEVER click on the line that says something like "click here to be removed from our list." In some emails, clicking such a line will in fact remove you from their list. Unfortunately, in other emails clicking on that link tells the spammer that your email address is "valid" (because someone clicked on the link). The spammer may or may not take your name off of their list, but what they WILL do is turn around and sell your email address to other spammers. Because they now have verification that the email address is a good one (because you clicked on the link), your email address brings them more money when they sell it.

Rule #3: Set up a "junk email" account and use it when you make one-time purchases or any other time a website that you must use requires an email address. Most internet service providers give you the option of creating multiple email addresses. If yours does not, you can always create a "throw away" email address on Gmail, Yahoo, or any of a number of other free email services. Once you have this account set up, always use this email address when you need to supply an email address to a company or website that you do not expect to visit more than once. This goes doubly true for taking advantage of "free offers" online that first require you to enter your email address. Many of these "free" online offers are getting paid through the selling of your email address!

Rule #4: Avoid becoming part of those large chains of emails that get forwarded to tons of people. You know the kind. Someone gets a funny story, a spiritual thought, or some other interesting bit of news and then forwards it to everyone in their address book. The problem is that every time someone forwards such an email, all of the email addresses belonging to the other people "in the chain" also get transmitted with the message (unless the sender is savvy enough to remove them...which most people are not). All it then takes is for a spammer to get a hold of any ONE of these messages (which is now serving as a traveling email address collector) and suddenly you are on a spammer's list again. If you ever have an email that you wish to send to lots of people in your address book, do them all a favor and do not expose their email address to the spammers as well. Address the email TO YOURSELF, and then include all of the desired recipients on the "bcc" line (the "blind carbon copy" line). Doing so will allow you to send a "mass email" without exposing anyone else's email address (because "bcc" email addresses are not included as part of the message, which is not the case if you "cc" the recipients or put them on the "to" line).

Rule #5: Never give your email address to anyone who does not need it. I cannot count the number of times this has happened to me. You are in a "brick and mortar" store and a clerk casually asks for your email address as if it is required to complete the transaction. If it is a store I know and trust and I actually want to receive emails from them, I might give them my email address. More often, however, I tell them "you do not need that information to completejavascript:void(0) the transaction." This rule leads to a very good rule to follow in all of your life's dealings: NEVER GIVE PERSONAL INFORMATION OUT TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT NEED IT!

These are just a few behaviors that can help you avoid getting your email address on a spammer's list. The most important thing to remember is that your email address represents money to unscrupulous email spammers. Armed with this information, you will be able to go quite a long while before having to change your email address due to a clogged inbox.

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Top 10 Things People Do to Mess Up Their Computers

Similar to the way people feel about their cars, computers are often a black box which they pretty much know nothing about except how to turn it on and use it. Computers are actually pretty complex but by following a few simple rules you shouldn't have to worry about what's under the hood. The list below is a compilation of common mistakes that people make which can lead to serious computer problems.

10.) Installing Software with Reckless Abandon

Ahh, this one can be tricky. We love to download all kinds of cool little programs to our computers including software for downloading music, games, new wallpapers, etc. While these can be lots of fun and serve a purpose, many of these programs are a vehicle to install malware on your computer. While it's not always the case, over time, you may see some extra pop-ups or your computer may begin to run a bit more slowly. The best thing to do is only download software that you are sure you need and avoid anything from websites that aren't well known sites.

9.) Leaving the Administrator password blank

Its always a bad idea to have a blank administrator password. Without having a password set you make it much easier for hackers and trojan viruses to connect to your computer remotely and take control of it. It's highly recommended to set a password with at least 8 characters which contains numbers and letters as well as some uppercase letters. Also, its generally a best practice to login to your computer (for all of your daily routines) with an account that does not have admin access. This way you can't accidentally install software you weren't intending on or execute a virus you weren't unaware of.

8.) Not Using WEP/WPA Wireless Security

Are you familiar with WEP/WPA? If not, pay close attention to this section. Many people nowadays have switched over to wireless networks and are using either Linksys or Netgear type wireless routers bought from big name electronic stores. One of the great selling points is how easy they are to setup but this out of the box configuration leaves your network wide open for anyone within about a 100-200 foot radius to connect in and surf the Internet on your dime. Not to mention, possibly hacking your computers. Anyways, if you're setting up one of these wireless routers be sure to read the section on WEP, or even better, WPA security. It's really not that complicated to setup and it provides you with another strong layer of security.

7.) Not Shutting Down Properly

Do you always wait for your computer to fully shutdown? Do you actually go to the Start MenuàThen Shutdown? If so, you're better than most. Many people just press the power button on their computer and this can cause some serious problems ranging from hardware issues (primarily the hard drive) to things like OS corruption. Whenever possible its definitely better to click the Start button on the lower left corner and then select Shutdown. By doing this, your computer will gracefully shutdown and will leave much less room for any problems.

6.) Not Defragging Your Hard Drive

Disk Defragmenter - A simple, yet often forgotten tool, which can be accessed by going to Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools. This defrag tool will analyze the volumes on your hard drive and then consolidate fragmented files/folders so that they each occupy a single, contiguous area on the volume. By defragging your drive, your computer will be able to access files and folders more quickly and efficiently. It's always a good idea to do this at least once a month.

5.) Not Installing Windows Security Updates

While many times security updates go unforgotten, these can be the deciding factor on whether or not you get infected with certain viruses/malware or even becoming a victim of someone hacking your computer. It's highly recommended to download and install updates on a monthly basis. If you don't think you'll remember, its probably a good idea to just go into your Control Panel->Automatic Updates and set them to download and install automatically. This way you won't have to worry about it.

4.) Opening Email From People You Don't Know

This one is very important. A good majority of viruses/malware is spread through emails, whether it's an attachment or even just an embedded link within the email, so it's always best to just delete anything you don't recognize. Many Anti-Virus programs will do much of the work for you but if you're not sure who the sender is just treat the email as SPAM.

3.) No Anti-Virus Installed

In this day and age, there's no excuse for not having an Anti-Virus program installed. There's more viruses and spyware out there than ever before and for the $30-50 investment it's well worth the cost. Some of the good names in Anti-Virus software are Symantec, Mcafee, Panda, and AVG among others. Many computers now come with an AV program preinstalled so its just a matter of purchasing a subscription to download the updates.

2.) Not Keeping Your Anti-Virus Updated with New Virus Defs

Anti-Virus programs need to constantly be updated so they can detect the new viruses as they come out. Without these updates, many viruses will go undetected since the AV software isn't looking out for it. Having an AV program is important. Having an 'updated' AV program is all the difference. If at all possible, setup your AV program to download updates and install them automatically every few days or at most once a week.

1.) Not doing backups

First and foremost, the biggest mistake that people make is not backing up their data. Most people have GB's of important data on their computers and never think twice about the possibility of losing it. That is, until they're hard drive crashes and they lose everything. From that point on, you can be sure they'll be backing things up. Today there are numerous options for backing up data from just a basic external hard drive to online backups over the Internet. For the small cost of setting something like this up you'll be glad you did if you ever run into problems.

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Google Earth

How to display weather in Google Earth
Using Google Earth and need to check out the current weather for your home town or the forecast for where you're traveling? Curious if rain or snow is on the way?

There's no need to open your web browser and check the weather reports when you can view cloud cover, radars, and forecasts from within Google Earth itself. Here's how:

In the sidebar on the left side of the Google Earth window, you should see a "Layers" section near the bottom. Next to "Weather" check the box to check the entire category of weather-related boxes:

* Clouds
* Radar
* Conditions and Forecasts
* Information

Google Earth will now display weather information, where available. You can even click on the weather icons to display detailed reports from The Weather Channel.

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SP00LSV.EXE and Its Gang - How to Restore Your Print Spooler's Function?

There are several known malicious programs that camouflage like a legal print spooler subsystem. Nothing can be printed without it if you work under Windows operating system. Printing stops working when you have print spooler service failure. Unfortunately, as a rule spooler subsystem app failure happens in most unsuitable moments.

This subsystem is basically used to manage printing tasks from different applications and users. It's critical for printer spooler subsystem app files to be intact. If you experience problems with printer spooler, first of all check if spoolsv.exe is running. If spooler service not runs, printing is not possible. Trying to run print service may result in failure, if spooler files are corrupted.The main sign of the printer subsystem crash is an error window, displaying every time you try to print something. Some users even can't add or remove printer drivers when spooler subsystem app service is corrupted. Spoolsu.exe is one of the most famous trojans that cause spooler susbsystem error. Watch if the spoolsv is working, if you have problems with printing. If spoolsv.exe service does not run, it may be the result of spoolsv0.exe malware's activity.

Spoolso.exe is one the issues which is responsible for spooler subsystem errors. Installing printer driver which contains errors or is incompatible with already installed drivers will also cause spool sv service to stop. If you have SP00LSV.EXE virus, check your computer with the most recent anti-virus or anti-spyware or even both. Clear printer's job queue before you try to fix up spooler subsystem problem. Please remember, that not every anti-virus can help you to solve printer spooler malfunction.

Be careful when trying to redeem printer spooler subsystem app failure via printer drivers reinstallation. It is not recommended to trying to relieve printer spooler error manually. If you try to save from spooler subsystem malfunction manually, things may get even worse. Asking a specialist to relieve you printer spooler error would be a more wise idea rather than fixing it by yourself. Reinstalling printer drivers sometimes can also lead to total inoperability of printer spooler subsystem.

Using Spooler Fix Wizard is the fastest and most reliable way to solve printer spooler subsystem app failure. It is guaranteed by moneyback seal that we'll return your money if Spooler Fix Wizard doesn't eliminate your printer spooler error. Relieving spooler subsystem malfunction with Spooler Fix Wizard is as easy as 1...2...3. Just download this Fix Wizard and let it relieve your problem automatically.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Konstantin_Artemev

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How to Speed Up Internet Explorer 7

Internet Explorer has been in a features arms race with Firefox for a while. More and more people are switching to Firefox because of its speed and stability. A big reason people still use Internet Explorer is it is the first browser that a new user will see so they become familiar with it.. If Internet Explorer did not ship with Windows it would not have the amount of users it does.

If that new user wants to use Internet Explorer but wants to give their browsing a speed boost. Here are a few tips.

If you Don't Need a Proxy Don't Use One.

A proxy server is used if you have a slow connection. If you have a high speed connection you usually don't need it. Here is how you remove it. Go to tools and select Internet Options. In the Internet Options click on the Connections tab and press the LAN settings. Just remove all of the check marks, click on OK.

Get Rid of 3rd Party Toolbars

Some software companies have learned that there is money to be made by installing their software branded toolbar. The problem with these toolbars is when installed they take up bandwidth and computer resources while you browse the internet. To remove the toolbars you don't need, just identify the toolbar and remove it for add/remove programs. If it is not listed in add/remove programs it may be spyware. You will then need to scan your computer with your favorite spyware/malware software.

Increase the Amount of Connections Internet Explorer uses.

By default Internet Explorer only uses 10 simultaneous connections to download content from a webpage. Here is how you can increase the amount of connections. Open notepad and paste the code below in it.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionInternet Settings]

"MaxConnectionsPerServer"=dword:00000020

"MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server"=dword:0000020

Save the file by clicking save as, change Save as type to All Files, name the file speedup.reg.

So there you have it. With these few changes you can really change the performance of Internet Explorer. If you want a completely better experience give Firefox a try. You won't be disappointed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Man

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Easy Way to Activate Windows Home Server (Crack and Bypass Activation)

Windows Home Server is a home-based server operating system from Microsoft, where interested user can request for a free evaluation kit with installation DVD with 120 days activation free grace period to be delivered to user’s doorstep. To continue using Windows Home Server beyond 120 days free evaluation trial period, user will require to purchase a legitimate license, or try the following hack to crack and bypass the Windows Home Server activation requirement.


1. Click on Start button.
2. Click on Run.
3. Type regedit into the Run text box and press Enter.
4. Navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WPAEvents
5. Note: From this step onward, the cracking process must be performed as quickly as possible, as it hacks activation stuff and Windows may change back the setting if there is a delay of more than few seconds.

Locate a string value named OOBETimer.
6. Right-click on OOBETimer, and click on Modify.
7. Change the value to FF D5 71 D6 8B 6A 8D 6F D5 33 93 FD.

8. Click on OK.
9. Right-click on WPAEvents and select Permissions….
10. Click on Advanced button.
11. Uncheck the check box for Inherit from parent the permission entries that apply to child objects. Include these with entries explicitly defined here.
12. Click on Apply.
13. When prompted, click COPY.
14. From there, highlight the SYSTEM line, and click Edit.
15. Choose the Deny option to ban all users from accessing and editing the key.
16. Click on OK.
17. Reboot the computer.

After the hack, Windows Home Server should run completely as a free copy, with users able to access Windows Update to get latest hotfixes and patches. The crack does not require BIOS mod.

To verify that the activation crack works after restarting the system, go to Start -> All Programs -> Activate Windows. The dialog should say Windows is already activated. Alternatively, go to Start -> Run and type oobe/msoobe /a.

Note: Some users reported that the method does not actually remove the activation grace period, even though it makes the system activated.

Read also similiar page : How to make Windows XP Genuine

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Which is Worse? Accidentally Deleting a File Or Death?

Well I have you roaming around the floor with a laptop quantifying network metrics and on the hunt for rogues. Now is the time to revisit how waves radiate, propagate, disperse, and reflect. You need to know this stuff in order to provide a logical and accurate survey.

Recall my analogy about a pebble tossed into a calm pond. Always go back to this picture when trying to visualize radio waves. The calm pond is open air. In your environment, most likely open air will be those spaces between obstacles. Obstacles change the behavior of dispersing RF radiation. When you think of obstacles, think of how an in-flight tennis ball might react to the obstacle.

You could throw the ball straight down a hallway, but if you bounce it off of a wall, you can visualize the ball bounce back and forth between the two sides as it transverses the hallway. Radio waves do that too, only it looks more like this: Part of the wave goes straight down the hallway, but each edge of the wave bounces back and forth between the two walls. The portion of the wave that heads straight down the hallway arrives at the antenna first, and the bouncing signals arrive milliseconds later. The network card is smart enough to know that although it is receiving that same transmission over again, only one copy of the transmission is utilized.

As a column will cast a shadow in the path of a flashlight beam, obstacles in the path of a wireless transmission will generate RF Shadows. If you have an Access Point antenna mounted on a building column, the air on the backside of the column will be in the RF shadow.

Heavy walls and doors dampen or attenuate signal; metal reflects or bounces the signal backwards. RF signals cannot penetrate metal. Materials that are porous absorb the energy of the signal, materials high in water content also suck up signal. Going back to the pebble on water analogy, RF waves can sometimes skip like a stone across the surface of the water and end up farther than what would be a normal range.

You can see that the more stuff that is in the area to be surveyed, the more complex the survey. As a surveyor, you must make sure that you have ample (but not too much) coverage in any given area.

Gary "g-man" Wesselhoff is a technical guru working the Chicago Metro area. You can contact him at: gman@gmanblues.com

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10 Tips And Shortcuts To Make Using Windows Easier

There are a number of tricks and shortcuts that are fairly well known among people that have been using Windows a lot over the last 14 years of it's existence. However, we tend to take it for granted that everyone knows these things, when in fact they don't.

Some of these functions are documented in the Windows help files, but I've noticed (with our secretary and my colleagues, for example) that most people never read the help files. I suppose they are kinda boring...

So with out further ado, here are some turbo tips for Windows:

(If a key name is in bold, it means you HOLD IT DOWN while pressing the other keys)

1. Windows key (the one with the flying window on it) and E

will open Windows explorer, instead of right clicking the My Computer Icon on the desktop and then clicking Explore. Very useful if your desktop is full of open windows and you wnat to get another explorer window open.

2. Ctrl B for making marked text bold

3. Ctrl C to copy marked text to the clipboard

4. Ctrl V to paste that text into a new document.

5. Ctrl A selects All; either all text in a document, or all files in Explorer.

6. Alt Prt Sc to copy the presently open window to the clipboard. You can then use Ctrl V to paste it, as a jpeg image, into a document, or a photo editing program.

7. Crtl Shift Esc will open Task manager, where you can see what processes are running, and stop them if they are misbehaving and won't close. Task manager also gives you a graph which shows how hard your CPU and memory are working.

8. In Windows Explorer and in Outlook Express (and other programs) if you click on the column headings, it will sort the whole thing according to the alphabetic/numeric order of that column. Clicking it again will reverse sort it.

9. Clicking a word of text twice will highlight (ie mark) that word. Clicking the word three times in quick succession will select the whole sentence, line or paragraph. (Depending on your text editor)

10. In Windows Explorer, if you hold your Ctrl key down, you can click on numerous, random files and select them, even if they are not contiguous (For foreign readers, this means: one after the other)

I hope this helps you. I will post another 10 tips in my next article.

Duncan Kelly

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A lot of other items are there that you may just be interested in. Check out the Promotions and Special Offers Page!

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How to Quickly Perform a Clean Reinstall of Windows XP

Many people find themselves wanting to perform a clean reinstall of windows XP. However, most people immediately give up even before they start. This is because the reinstallation process could seem a bit complicated. But if you are presented with a quick and simple step-by-step guide, reinstalling windows XP is not difficult at all.

Before you start performing the clean reinstall, there are things you have to do first. First, list down all the hardware and software that you use. If your system is newly built, then you should already have a list of your hardware. If you don't know what hardware your system is using, you can go online to get a listing of your system specifications. Then, you can also visit the manufacturer's website to check if there are drivers for your hardware. Important drivers include scanners, printers,

pen tables, and so on. Also check for software compatibility. Usually, driver disks are shipped along with the hardware for newly built systems. Another option is using Windows 2000 drivers. Once you made a list of these, it's time to create copies of any existing data and other important programs.

Now, you're ready to do a clean install for Windows XP. First, change your CMOS settings of the BIOS for the boot order to boot from the CD. Once done, you can then boot your PC using the Installation CD.

After you have changed the boot order in the CMOS settings of your BIOS, save the changes, and then reboot your PC. Your installation CD should already be placed inside the CD-ROM. You will then be prompted to press certain keys to directly boot from CD-ROM emulation, usually the space bar. Do what the prompt says.

The installation will then begin copying the preliminary setup files to your PC. This might take some time, so be patient. Once completed, you can then start directing the install process.

You will be asked whether you want to do a new installation, repair and existing installation or quit. Since you want to do a clean reinstall, press the key corresponding to "perform a new installation". Agree to the terms of agreement once you have read it.

Then, decide on which partition of your hard drive you want to install Windows XP on. Just remember to keep partitions within reasonable size. A tip is to use multiple partitions of 4 to 8GB, and if possible, on more than just one hard drive.

Once that is decided, it's time to format. You can format the partition either to NTFS, which is recommended for single OS install, or FAT32. Choose to do a full format. Once the partition is formatted, the setup program will automatically start copying files. Again, this could take some time so use it to take a break.

Afterwards, select your region and language, type in your name and organization and key in your product license key. Name the computer, type in an Admin password, and remember to take note of the password for future reference. Then, enter the accurate date and time. Select your network settings. If you are using a dhcp server to assign IP addresses, leave it automatic. But if you have static IP address for broadband Internet access, then use the settings provided by your ISP. Choose a domain name or workgroup, and register your copy of Windows XP (after installing all hardware on your system). Log in, update drivers, and you're done!

Kris Mainieri is an accomplished Computer Tech focusing on innovative and unique ways to help people take their computing performance to a whole new level free.

For a limited time, you can claim the "Secrets That Most People Will Never Know About Computers" e-book absolutely free Windows XP Tweaks CLICK HERE!

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5 tips for buying a new computer

Brian Cooley shares smart tech advice to purchase the best equipment
Get info from the three sources
Editor's reviews, user opinions and manufacturers information — each has a different perspective. Editors are going to have approached the product methodically and without bias if they are from an independent source like CNET.com. Users will have lived with the product for the longest time and in the most diverse ways, which can reveal flaws or benefits that don't become apparent in short-term lab reviews.

And Manufacturers will have a unique concept of how they intended the product to be used and what makes it stand out. Armed with these three perspectives you can feel pretty well-armed to figure out if the computer — or any consumer electronics product — is the right one for you.


Make more RAM (random access memory) your main priority with any PC
CPU speed and hard drive space are usually OK, memory is what's often skimpy on a new machine. All too often what is perceived by users as their computer being too slow is actually not the CPU speed but the amount of memory. When a computer has too little memory, it doesn't tell you, it just starts using part of the its hard drive space as a poor form of additional memory known as swap space or virtual memory. It's a clunky, slow way for a computer to run but it at least keeps things going. Much better is to give a computer the RAM it needs, 2GB at least if you want to run any of the latest operating systems with all their features.Consider 3GB if you can afford it because there's almost no such thing as too much RAM and the sweet spot for RAM for most users is somewhere between 2GB and 4GB if they are running Windows Vista with all the bells & whistles enabled.
Shop for a laptop online and in store
You need to test drive the keyboard, mouse and monitor since they are integrated. You can always change the monitor, keyboard and mouse on a desktop PC but not on a laptop unless you have it tethered to a desk. Check the keyboard for good key action — the amount of travel from top to bottom of a key press; more usually feels better. Laptops use many different kinds of mouse pointing devices so make sure you like the one your new laptop uses. Or at least find out if you hate it and should buy a travel mouse right away.

And of course check the brightness of the monitor. Laptops are often used in brightly lit areas where ambient lighting it not idea, so make sure you have a bright display and one that seems large enough to your eyes.
Take advantage of weekly store specials
Computers are largely commodities, so chase a low price point aggressively. There are new models of computers coming on the market every few weeks and frankly they often differ very little in any meaningful way. So take advantage of the fact that the retailer wants to move the "old stock" by cutting prices of the remaining units in inventory. They also have other incentives for offering special price cuts, like special promotions from the PC manufacturer. The bottom line: There is usually nothing "wrong" with a machine that is being blown out cheaply since computers are very mature and not subject to dramatic technology improvements month to month. Shop for price somewhere in the range of $500 - $750 and you could almost go to the store blindfolded and still make a good choice.
Don't get hung up on parts
So buy like the pros and don't get hung up on some concept that a certain brand of PC is necessarily faster or better built than another. Instead you might want to ask friends and other users online what kind of product support experience they have had with a given brand of computer. That's where PC brands can differ rather substantially. Check the warranty, support section of web site, and even call their toll free support number with a test question to see what the people are like on the other end.

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