Yo! Here is the Part Two of my Windows Live Messenger (WLM) aka MSN messenger trick. You can read about part 1 HERE.

In part two i will teach about how to use WLM as a tool to get you more socialize and let more readers know about you!

Had you see anyone’s WLM windows showing like below:

If ya, did you wonder how to do this?

So here is that!
Im sure your WLM have the Whats new section below your contact list.

Move your cursor to the right of the whats new, you will see a “spana” thing come out.
Click that.

This will open a page on your favorite browser (default browser).

Login your Windows Live account.

Then this page should be appear on your browser

Showing to you is what you want to appear on your whats new section.

You can click on that to choose what you want your status to appear on other people’s WLM.

Note that there are two section of it:

One is Windows Live, which is all checked by default, and second on the end of the pictures showing Web activity which is why i written this review all about.

Try Spam Bully!

In conducting spam filter reviews we came across SpamBully, a spam blocker that has one of the best spam filter features on the market. SpamBully employs the Bayesian Spam Filter technology, which automatically gathers information about your daily email practices and learns to differentiate between acceptable senders and spammers. This anti-spam software makes identifiable email go to your inbox while certain spam goes to the "Spam" folder. Messages that may or may not be spam go to the "Unsure" folder. Further, you can educate SpamBully by using the Spam and Not Spam buttons.

Our anti-spam software reviews compare the variety of spam filters available to consumers, and in so doing found SpamBully to be a strong contender in the spam protection arena.

What's New With SpamBully?

• Vista Ready.
• It's All In The Details!

One key feature of SpamBully is that it provides detailed information about each and every email you receive. In receiving this information you can better understand how the spam protection product decides to allow an email in or not, and enables you to tell it which rules to continue and which ones to modify. StarReviews learned that SpamBully provides the following information about the emails that come to you: IP address, country, character set and mechanism by which SpamBully accepts or rejects emails. Our research determined that if you do not agree with how the spam blocker filters your email, you can modify the process.

SpamBully enables you to create a list that identifies who you will accept as a sender and who you choose to reject. Add in which senders, words, geographical locations and IP addresses are permitted or banned from your inbox. SpamBully anti-spam software automatically adds the email addresses in your address book to your accepted list, so you need not manually insert these. This optimal spam protection product works with Outlook and Outlook Express.

User Interface and Product Application:

One of SpamBully's best characteristics is that you can completely customize its features. For instance, you can:

• Automatically have all spam deleted instead of having them saved in a Spam folder
• Send a password to unrecognized senders that they must manually key in and send back to you in order to reach your inbox
• Modify SpamBully's interface to be in any of the following languages: English, Spanish, German, Russian and Romanian
• Forward acceptable messages to your cell phone
• Avenge spammers by returning their messages, thereby making them deal with their own spam, and reporting their practices to the FTC

As we compare spam protection products, we determine how their spam filters function. We found that the spam blocker, SpamBully, reviews your email's links and tracks web pages that point to spam. Star Reviews learned that SpamBully anti-spam software conducts real-time black hole list checks to identify mass spam senders and removes them from your incoming messages. SpamBully employs user-friendly spam protection technology with easy-to-manage toolbars that can help you customize its features.

Star Reviews' Favorite Feature: It's All In the Numbers...

Our reviews found that it is not only important to have spam protection, but be able to quantify it as well. With SpamBully's periodic graphs and data, you can assess the spam blocker's performance by analyzing how it is blocking/allowing messages to get through and reviewing its statistics of your account.

Pricing Plans

SpamBully anti-spam software regularly retails for $39.95 per year. Compare its regular price with its limited special offer of $29.95, and you will want to try out its 14-day free trial. Its best pricing structure is for those purchasing more than six copies:

Package Pricing:

• Free 14-Day Trial
• 6-10: $23.95
• 11-20: $21.95
• 21-50: $19.95
• 51-100: $16.95
• 101-250: $14.95

Contact SpamBully for additional discounts on 250 copies or more.

Customer Support

To gain access to customer support just click on "contact" at SpamBully. You will have the opportunity to review forums on the subjects of concern, as well as to conduct a search of their help topics.

Should you require additional help, just fill out SpamBully's online request form and expect to receive an answer within 24 hours. One great benefit of the SpamBully's online support request option is that you will receive spam protection support even if you are a trial user. Of course, confirmed subscribers do receive priority over trial subscribers.

Our reviews also found that SpamBully provides a Simplified Help section that contains help files, including tutorials, to help you best manage SpamBully.

Upside:

Quantifiable results via graphs. Multiple customizable features. Free spam revenge. Best multi-user price structure.

You know that feeling you get when your friends or family see you do something on your computer that they've never seen before?

If you haven't had this opportunity, here's where you start.

If you have, then you know that you're feeling like the world's coolest power-user when this happens. Knowledge is power! Here are five Windows XP tips that will get you/keep you schoolin' your friends and family.

Related Links • Save time with quick computer shortcuts • Use single-click everywhere • Customize your Start menu • Create a keyboard shortcut to open a folder

Don't just maximize your windows—go full screen

When you need a really big window, don't just maximize it: go full screen! To view a window full screen, hold down the Ctrl key and double-click the window's title bar—or when the window is active, press the F11 key at the top of your keyboard—to get the biggest window possible.

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Add the Links toolbar to My Computer

You know what would make a great toolbar? One where you could put your favorite applications and documents so that you could open them from any window at any time. Guess what? You can and here's how: click Start, then My Computer. Now right-click the toolbar and then click Links. You now have the Links toolbar on your windows, just like in Internet Explorer. Note: Make sure that Lock the Toolbars is not checked. Click on it to deselect it if it is.

The really cool thing about the Links toolbar is that it's completely customizable. Try this: Navigate to your favorite application and drag and drop its icon to the Links toolbar. You just created a shortcut. Do this again and again for as many applications as you want to appear on the toolbar.

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Arrange windows on your desktop

You can display any two windows side by side on the desktop by first clicking a window's button on the Taskbar. Next, press and hold the Ctrl key and right-click the second window that you want to open, then click Tile Vertically. This works great when you want to view two Microsoft Word or Microsoft Internet Explorer windows at the same time.

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Organize your files into groups

Organize your files by grouping them. Try this: Open a folder containing several different subfolders and file types. Right-click any empty space on the window's contents pane, click Arrange Icons By, and then click Show in Groups. To arrange the window's contents, right-click again in any empty space on the window's contents pane, point to Arrange Icons By, and click Name, Size, Type, or Modified.

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Make your own icons

It's shockingly easy to create your own icons in Windows XP. Let's do it: Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, and then click Paint. On the Image menu, click Attributes. Type 32 for both the Width and Height of the document, and make sure that Pixels is selected under Units. Click OK to create a new 32x32-pixel document: the size of an icon.

Now add type, color, or do whatever you'd like to your image. I like to shrink photos (headshots work best) to 32x32 and simply paste them into my Paint document. When you're finished, open the File menu and click Save As. Use the dialog box to choose where you want to save your file, then give it a name followed by ".ico" (without the quotes), and click Save. (The extension ".ico" tells Windows that it's an icon file.) You just created an icon! Now you can change any shortcut or folder to your own icon—just browse to it on your hard drive.

These tips are from the book, Windows XP Killer Tips by Kleber Stephenson, ISBN 073571357X. Published here with the permission of Pearson Education, Inc.

Search For Hidden Or System Files In Windows XP

The Search companion in Windows XP searches for hidden and system files differently than in earlier versions of Windows. This guide describes how to search for hidden or system files in Windows XP.

Search for Hidden or System Files By default, the Search companion does not search for hidden or system files. Because of this, you may be unable to find files, even though they exist on the drive.

To search for hidden or system files in Windows XP:
Click Start, click Search, click All files and folders, and then click More advanced options.

Click to select the Search system folders and Search hidden files and folders check boxes.

NOTE: You do not need to configure your computer to show hidden files in the Folder Options dialog box in Windows Explorer to find files with either the hidden or system attributes, but you need to configure your computer not to hide protected operating system files to find files with both the hidden and system attributes. Search Companion shares the Hide protected operating system files option (which hides files with both the system and hidden attributes) with the Folder Options dialog box Windows Explorer.

To disable unneeded startup services for a safer, faster XP, use the "Services" Admin Tool (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services). If you are a single user of a non-networked machine, you can disable the following items, with no ill effect.

Alerter
Clipbook
Computer Browser
Fast User Switching
Human Interface Access Devices
Indexing Service (Slows the hard drive down)
Messenger
Net Logon (unnecessary unless networked on a Domain)
Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing (disabled for extra security)
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)
Remote Procedure Call Locator
Remote Registry (disabled for extra security)
Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)
Server
SSDP Discovery Service (this is for the utterly pointless "Universal P'n'P", & leaves TCP Port 5000 wide open)
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telnet (disabled for extra security)
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Upload Manager
Windows Time
Wireless Zero Configuration (for wireless networks)
Workstation

You must first enable the Remote Desktop feature on your office computer so that you can control it remotely from another computer. You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group to enable Remote Desktop on your Windows XP Professional-based computer.

To setup your office computer to use Remote Desktop:

• Open the System folder in Control Panel. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click the System icon.

• On the Remote tab, select the Allow users to connect remotely to this computer check box, as shown below.

• Ensure that you have the proper permissions to connect to your computer remotely, and click OK.

• Leave your computer running and connected to the company network with Internet access. Lock your computer, and leave your office.
  
  The Remote Desktop Connection client software allows a computer running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 to control your Windows XP Professional computer remotely. The client software is available on the installation CD for Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition. The client software is installed by default on computers running Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home Edition.
  

To install Remote Desktop Connection software on a client computer

• Insert the Windows XP compact disc into your CD-ROM drive.

• When the Welcome page appears, click Perform additional tasks, and then click Setup Remote Desktop Connection as shown below.

• When the installation wizard starts, follow the directions that appear on your screen.
  
  Once you have enabled your Windows XP Professional computer to allow remote connections, and installed client software on a Windows-based client computer, you are ready to start a Remote Desktop session.

To create a new Remote Desktop Connection

• Open Remote Desktop Connection. (Click Start, point to Programs or All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, and then click Remote Desktop Connection.)

• In Computer, type the computer name for your computer running Windows XP Professional that has Remote Desktop enabled and for which you have Remote Desktop permissions

• Click Connect.

• The Log On to Windows dialog box appears.

• In the Log On to Windows dialog box, type your user name, password, and domain (if required), and then click OK. The Remote Desktop window will open and you will see the desktop settings, files, and programs that are on your office computer. Your office computer will remain locked.

• Nobody will be able to work at your office computer without a password, nor will anyone see the work you are doing on your office computer remotely. Note: To change your connection settings, (such as screen size, automatic logon information, and performance options), click Options before you connect.
  

To open a saved connection

• In Windows Explorer, open the My DocumentsRemote Desktops folder.

• Click the .Rdp file for the connection you want to open. Note: A Remote Desktop file (.rdp) file contains all of the information for a connection to a remote computer, including the Options settings that were configured when the file was saved. You can customize any number of .rdp files, including files for connecting to the same computer with different settings. For example, you can save a file that connects to MyComputer in full screen mode and another file that connects to the same computer in 800×600 screen size. By default, .rdp files are saved in the My DocumentsRemote Desktops folder. To edit an .rdp file and change the connections settings it contains, right-click the file and then click Edit.

PowerToys are additional programs that developers work on after the product has been released to manufacturing, but before the next project has begun. These toys add fun and functionality to the Windows experience.

We've taken great care to ensure that PowerToys operate as they should. But please note that these programs are not part of Windows and are not supported by Microsoft. For this reason, Microsoft Technical Support is unable to answer questions about PowerToys

The PowerToys are installed into the directory you specify during setup. Typically this is the system32 directory.

To uninstall the PowerToys, Open the control Panel. Launch the Add/Remove Programs control panel applet. Find the PowerToys for Windows XP entry, and choose Modify/Remove. From here you can remove specific toys or all of them.

Faster User Switcher
Note: You cannot use this toy if fast user switching is not enabled.

What it is: With Fast User Switching enabled on Windows XP, this PowerToy allows you to switch users without having to use the logon screen.
Special requirements: This PowerToy requires a Windows key on your keyboard.
How to use: Press the Windows key then the Q key to activate; release and press Q to switch to a different user tile, then release both Q and Windows key to switch to that user.

Shell Player
What it is: This PowerToy plays MP3 files and WMA files from the taskbar.
How to use: Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Audio Player." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the player, you will have to unlock it. This will allow you to access the play list editor and view all the buttons.

Task Switcher
What it is: Replaces the existing Alt + Tab application switching mechanism of Windows XP. It provides a thumbnail preview of windows in the task list and is compliant with the new Windows XP visual style.
How to use: (NOTE: You must log off and then log on again for the changes to take effect). Use just as you do the existing Alt + Tab mechanism by pressing the Alt key and the Tab key to activate. While holding down the Alt key, press the Tab key to cycle through running applications. To move backwards, press Shift + Alt + Tab. Release all keys when the desired application is highlighted.

Open Command Window Here
What it is: This PowerToy adds an "Open Command Window Here" context menu option on file system folders. This gives users a quick way to open a command window (cmd.exe) pointing at a selected folder in the Explorer UI.
How to use: After installation, right click on the folder you would like to have a quick launch command window for.

Tweak UI
What it is: Provides access to system settings that are not exposed in the Windows XP default user interface.
How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, TweakUI for Windows XP.

PowerToy Calc
What it is: Graphing calculator
How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, PowerToy Calc

Bulk Resize for Photos
What it is: Allows you to make a new, resized copy of your selected pictures in the same folder they are currently located in. You can opt to resize one or many pictures (as a batch).
How to use: Right click any image(s) and select Resize Pictures in the context menu.

ISO Image Burner
What it is: Allows you to burn an ISO Image using a CD-ROM burner that is compatible with Windows XP
How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, ISO Burner

Slide Show Generator
What it is: Generate a slideshow when burning a CD
How to use: Add only images to a CD-ROM using Windows XP Explorer, then Write these files to disk. A new task is presented in the wizard for generating the autorun for the slideshow.

Virtual Desktop Manager
What it is: Manage up to 4 desktops from the Windows Shell Taskbar.
How to use:Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Desktop Manager." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the manager, you will have to unlock it.

Background Wallpaper switcher
What it is: Allows you to switch the background image periodically.
How to use: Access this PowerToy by right clicking the desktop, click properties. It has added a new tab that will allow you to specify the interval as well as the directory to obtain the images from.

Taskbar Magnifier
What it is: Allows you to magnify part of the screen from the taskbar.
How to use:Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Taskbar Magnifier." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the magnifier, you will have to unlock it.

Slide Show Wizard
What it is: This wizard helps you create a slide show of your digital pictures. When you're done, you can put your slide show on the Web so that your family and friends can view it.
How to use: Launch the Wizard from the Start Menu under All ProgramsPowertoys for Windows XPSlide Show Wizard. Follow the steps of the wizard to select and arrange your pictures, choose from a few simple options, and then save a Web-ready HTML slide show to a folder.

The My Music folder is the place where Windows automatically saves all the audio clips you download from the Internet or save on your hard drive with Windows Media Player. The My Music folder, like My Pictures, is an automatic part of the My Documents folder.

To open the My Music folder from the Windows XP desktop, click the Start button and then click My Music (normally third from the top in the right-hand column in the Start pop-up menu). To open this folder from another folder, such as My Computer, click the Address bar drop-down button (on the right side) and then click My Documents at the top of the pop-up list (right below Desktop at the very top). You can then open My Music by double-clicking that folder icon (the one with the music note in it) in the My Documents window.

Like the folders in My Pictures, the folders in My Music appear in thumbnail view. To play a particular audio file that you've saved in the My Music folder with Windows Media Player, right-click the file icon and then click Play on the shortcut menu. Windows Media Player opens and begins playing your selection.

To play all the audio files in a particular folder, click the folder icon before clicking the Play All hyperlink in the Music Tasks section of the My Music folder. To play all of the audio clips and tracks saved in the My Music folder, make sure that no folder or file is selected before you click the Play All hyperlink.

Take your favorite tunes with you when you jog or work out at the gym. Windows Media Player for Windows XP is set up to make the transfer of music to portable players as simple as 1-2-3. And since the music is stored on your computer hard drive, you can keep refilling your portable player as often as you want.

To transfer music to a portable player

Connect your portable player to your computer, according to the directions supplied with the player.
Click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Windows Media Player.
Click Copy to CD or Device. If necessary, click the player to which you want to copy music.
Choose a playlist from the Music to Copy drop-down menu.
Clear the check boxes beside any tracks you do not want to copy.
Click Copy Music.

Microsoft has announced it will not include support for the Java programming language in the upcoming Windows XP. After settling a lawsuit with Java creator Sun Microsystems in January, the software giant decided the easiest way to prevent further litigation was to simply remove the code entirely.

The settlement stipulated that Microsoft would no longer license Java from Sun, and refrain from stating that Windows is "Java Compatible." Outdated Java support will remain available as an added download from Windows Update if required. Java's removal from the software giant's new operating system comes on the heels of announcements surrounding .NET, Microsoft Web services based on XML.

These services are accessed over the Internet from a variety of devices. Coincidentally, Sun has been developing its own Java-based version of .NET, dubbed Jini. However, Microsoft vehemently denies claims that it intends to phase out support for Java as an attack on Sun.

To reduce instances of "casual copying" (a nice name for software piracy), Microsoft has implemented a two-stage antipiracy scheme in its upcoming OS. The first stage is the installation and registration counter: this lets you install Windows XP only five times on the same system. (Note that you'll be able to install the final version of XP on only one machine, as opposed to the current beta, which can be installed on five machines for testing purposes.) The second stage creates a profile of the system to prevent you from reinstalling or registering the OS on different PCs.

To make this scheme work, you must activate your copy of Windows--over the Internet or by calling for an activation code--within 30 days of installation. Activation differs from a classic registration process in that no personal information is requested by or sent to Microsoft, just a record that a specific copy of Windows XP is installed on your specific PC. If you fail to activate your copy of the OS within 30 days, your login will fail. (Since XP is based on Windows NT-like privilege levels, you can't use your computer until you log on.)

Microsoft says the scheme should not prevent you from reinstalling your copy of XP on your PC as many times as you need to, as long as it's the same PC or close to it, allowing for some hardware changes. It's the "some" that has most folks worried. In theory, you might have to reactivate your OS if you upgrade significantly or swap out a lot of components because XP might think it's running on a new PC. So far, Microsoft isn't saying what system information the OS uses to determine the "same PC or close to it" status. That means we don't know to what degree you can upgrade your hardware before you cross the invisible line. We also don't know how much, if any, personally identifiable data Microsoft is gathering from your PC.

Microsoft says you can, of course, change at least one and possibly several hardware components--RAM, video or sound cards, CPUs, motherboards, and so on--without having to reactivate your OS. But if you try to reinstall your copy of Windows XP on what Microsoft calls a "different or significantly upgraded or changed PC" (again, the company declined to specify how different), the activation will most likely be rejected, requiring you to call Microsoft to explain and get a new (free) activation code.

Microsoft plans to set up a new call center for U.S.-based customers to expedite activation issues. Many non-U.S. customers will likely have to go through the existing, shared Microsoft technical support lines they currently use. Microsoft says it expects only 2 percent of the total installed base of Windows XP to have to reactivate the OS. Whether the anti-piracy initiative will present problems for consumers or result in fewer upgrades to XP remains to be seen. Remember, the final release is at least a few months off.

If you're like me, you probably have grown way too close to the familiar Windows interface. That's OK. I don't adjust well to change either.

After installing XP you may notice the revamped interface looks nothing like the old one. I was completely thrown back when I tried using it for the first time, but I suspect that over time the new interface will begin to grow on you as it has with me.

Therefore, to ease your transition to the new OS, make a simple adjustment to XP to give it that classic look.

Here's how to do it:

Right-click your Desktop and select Properties.
On the Desktop Display properties, click the Appearance tab.
Under the Windows and buttons pull-down menu, select Windows Classic.
Click Apply to see your new look.
Click OK to close the Desktop Display properties.

It used to be darn near impossible to create a personal screen saver using your own photo collection. To do this, you had to track down a third-party application and sloppily piece together your pictures to create a screen saver.

Well, the engineers at Microsoft must have realized they hated third-party applications and decided enough was enough. XP can take any pictures stored in your "My Pictures" folder and display them in random order as a screen saver.

To make a personal screen saver in XP, follow these directions:

Right-click an empty spot on your desktop and choose Properties.
Click the Screen Saver tab inside the Display Properties dialog box.
In the Screen Saver pull-down menu, choose "My Pictures Slideshow."
Underneath the Screen Saver pull-down menu, adjust the time of inactivity before Windows will initiate your screen saver.
Click Settings to make additional adjustments. You'll be able to adjust transition effects between pictures, how frequently they change, what size the pictures should be, and more.
Click OK when you're done tweaking the settings adjustments.
Press the Preview button to see what your screen saver looks like.
If everything is to your liking, click Apply.

Symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) is a technology that allows a computer to use more than one processor. The most common configuration of an SMP computer is one that uses two processors. The two processors are used to complete your computing tasks faster than a single processor. (Two processors aren't necessarily twice as fast as a single processor, though.)

In order for a computer to take advantage of a multiprocessor setup, the software must be written for use with an SMP system. If a program isn't written for SMP, it won't take advantage of SMP. Not every program is written for SMP; SMP applications, such as image-editing programs, video-editing suites, and databases, tend to be processor intensive.

SMP in Windows XP

Operating systems also need to be written for SMP in order to use multiple processors. In the Windows XP family, only XP Professional supports SMP; XP Home does not. If you're a consumer with a dual-processor PC at home, you have to buy XP Professional. Windows XP Advanced Server also supports SMP.

In Microsoft's grand scheme, XP Professional is meant to replace Windows 2000, which supports SMP. In fact, XP Professional uses the same kernel as Windows 2000. XP Home is designed to replace Windows Me as the consumer OS, and Windows Me does not support SMP.

The difference between XP Professional and XP Home is more than just $100 and SMP support. XP Professional has plenty of other features not found in XP Home; some you'll use, others you won't care about. Get more information on the differences by reading this article.

There are three reasons why you may need to install a new copy of Windows XP:

• Your current operating system doesn’t support an upgrade to Windows XP Professional.
  
• Your current operating system supports an upgrade to Windows XP Professional, but you don’t want to keep your existing files and personalized settings.
  
• Your computer does not have an operating system.

The setup process is similar for new installations and upgrades with a few notable exceptions. For example, during a new installation, you are able to configure Special Options, convert your file system, and create a new partition for the Windows XP installation.

IMPORTANT A new installation deletes all programs or system files from a previous installation.

Special Options

Under Special Options, you have the choice to change Language, Advanced, and Accessibility settings during the setup process.

Note: If you are in a country that has recently adopted the euro as its currency, you may have to modify the currency settings to display monetary amounts correctly.

For more information, go to Help and Support Center and type “euro” in the Search box.

Select	If you want to...
Language	Choose the primary language and regions for Windows XP, which affects the default settings for date, time, currency, numbers, character sets, and keyboard layout. Choose additional language groups and character sets to use with the programs you are running on Windows XP.
Advanced Options	Change the default location of the Setup files. Store system files in a folder other than the default (Windows) folder Copy the installation files from the CD to the hard disk.
Accessibility	Use Narrator or Magnifier during Setup.

IMPORTANT Unless you're an advanced user, it's recommended that you use the default settings.

Choosing a File System

During a new installation of Windows XP, you may have to choose which file system your computer should use. Windows XP Professional supports:

• FAT32: An enhanced version of the file allocation table (FAT) system that is standard on all Windows operating systems starting with later (32-bit) versions of Windows 95. The FAT32 system can be used on large hard disks, from 512 megabytes (MB) to 32 gigabytes (GB).
• NTFS: The NT file system (NTFS) is used with the Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP operating systems. NTFS provides enhanced reliability, stability, and security, and supports large hard disks of up to 2 terabytes (TB).

IMPORTANT You can convert your file system any time, even after you install Windows XP, without losing any of your data. The conversion to NTFS is one–way only; if you convert your FAT or FAT32 file system to NTFS you can’t convert your hard disk back to FAT later.

If you’re not sure which file system to use, keep the one your computer defaults to during Setup. If you want to change your file system, here are a few recommendations:

• Use FAT32 if your hard disk is smaller than 32 GB.
• Use FAT32 if you want to install more than one operating system on your computer.
• Use NTFS if your hard drive is larger than 32 GB and you are running only one operating system on your computer.
• Use NTFS if you want enhanced file security.
• Use NTFS if you need better disk compression.

Disk Partitions

You can create partitions to organize information—for example, to back up data—or to install more than one operating system on your computer. A hard disk can contain up to four partitions.

If you’re performing a new installation, the appropriate disk partition is selected automatically during Windows XP Setup unless you click Advanced Options and specify your own requirements

For more information about configuring, sizing, reformatting, or converting disk partitions, see your current online Help before you install or upgrade to Windows XP Professional.

Microsoft provides a Knowledge Base article, but reading it is like walking through molasses: It describes in infinite detail a file security system based on a 1-to-5 scale. However, if you look for this 1-to-5 scale anywhere in your security-settings interface, you may come away a little confused. These numbers are nowhere to be found.

Microsoft's 1-to-5 scale means nothing to the individual user and relates in no way to the actual practice of setting your security protocols. Enter the Screen Savers. We are here to explain it to you.

The security settings the user actually sets relate to read access, write access, shared folders, and password protection. These features are available in both Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional, however the features only work if the operating system is installed with NTFS. FAT32 does not support the file permissions described here.

You can choose to install Windows XP Home using NTFS, but you should use a FAT32 file system if you are dual booting and want to see the contents of your Windows 95, 98, or Me partition from your XP partition. Your file system is not set in stone when you install Windows XP. You always can change your file system from FAT32 to NTFS without losing any of your data; however, the transition is one-way only.

There is no going back to FAT32 from NTFS unless you grab a copy of Partition Magic. Microsoft recommends you install Windows XP Home with FAT32 if you intend to install more than one OS on your computer or if your hard drive is less than 32GB.

If you have Windows XP Home or Professional running NTFS, you can hide files and entire folders from prying eyes. When you set up multiple user accounts on one machine, any user with administrator access can view the documents in another's My Documents folders. To protect a folder, right-click it, choose Properties, the Share tab, and select "make this folder private." No one, not even a fellow system administrator, can access these most secret files.

Every file or folder contained within whichever folder you choose to make private will take on the settings of the parent folder. If the administrator does not have a password to the account, Windows XP will prompt the user to make a password or risk subjecting his or her private work to public scrutiny. No Windows password means no protected files.

A person who logs in as a guest or as a user without administrator privileges cannot see the contents of any other user's My Documents folder, even if the folder has not been explicitly made private. The user with limited privileges can, however, set a password and protect his or her documents from the prying eyes of the administrators. Windows XP is all about privacy.

It is a nice feeling to keep your personal tax documents secure from the passing lookey-loo. It's about time Microsoft made snooping your computer more difficult than snooping your medicine cabinet.

If you're having trouble running older programs originally developed for previous versions of Windows, you're not out of luck. Luckily for consumers, Microsoft built Compatibility Mode into XP. Compatibility Mode allows you to run a program using the shell of the original program it was developed for.

Here's how to access a program's Compatibility Mode in XP:

Find the executable or program shortcut icon you'd like to run.
Right-click the icon and select Properties.
Click the Compatibility tab and place a checkmark next to the text labeled "Run this program in compatibility mode."
Select the operating system that the program was originally intended to run on.
You may need to fine-tune the three fields under "Display Settings" if an older program requires 640x480 resolution or 256 colors.
Click Apply.

Try starting the program after making these changes. If it still gives you trouble, try a different operating system. If the program was written for Win95 and worked fine in Win98, there's nothing that says it still won't work fine with Win98.

Fire up the Windows Explorer and navigate your way to the %SYSTEMROOT% \ INF folder. What the heck is that thingy with the percentage signs? It's a variable. For most people, %SYSTEMROOT% is C:\Windows. For others, it may be E:\WinXP. Get it? Okay, on with the hack! In the INF folder, open sysoc.inf (but not before making a BACKUP copy first). Before your eyes glaze over, look for the line containing "msmsgs" in it. Near the end of that particular line, you'll notice that the word "hide" is not so hidden. Go ahead and delete "hide" (so that the flanking commas are left sitting next to one another). Save the file and close it. Now, open the Add and Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel. Click the Add / Remove Windows Components icon. You should see "Windows Messenger" in that list. Remove the checkmark from its box, and you should be set. NOTE: there are other hidden system components in that sysoc.inf file, too. Remove "hide" and the subsequent programs at your own risk.

Many people are unaware of these little "tips and tricks" when working in Word (or any Microsoft Office software)...

Here are some handy shortcuts:

To Cut:

After you highlight the text you wish to cut, hold down the CTL key and then the "x" key.

So, CTL + x is the shortcut to CUT.

Similarly:

• CTL + c will work for COPY,
• CTL + v will PASTE
• Perhaps the handiest shortcut of all is CTL + z to "UNDO."

If you have multiple windows open, and would like to minimize them all:

Hold down the WINDOWS key, and while holding it, hit the "m" key. This will minimize all. What's the WINDOWS key? ... On most keyboards, it's in the row closest to you, toward the left, somewhere between the CTL and ALT keys. It has a WINDOWS icon on it, which looks like this:

To undo this action:

Do the same, but add the SHIFT key to the sequence:

Hold down the SHIFT and WINDOWS keys, and while depressing them, hit the "m" key. This will restore all windows to the sizes they were before you minimized them all.

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As we develop our website, we will feature additional tips and tricks for working with Windows XP, Microsoft Office and other popular software.

Here's a tip to make text easier to read on your screen:

Ensure Crisp Text On-Screen By Konstantinos Karagiannis May 4, 2004
Laptop screens are usually easier on the eyes than the oh-so-subtly flickering CRTs. Even at high resolutions, however, fonts on LCDs can look a little jaggy around the edges. To clear them up with ClearType, right-click on your desktop and select Properties. Hit the Effects button on the Appearance tab and select ClearType under Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts. While you're there, click on Use large icons, too, if you have a high-resolution display. And for best overall display results, always use your display's native resolution.

How to Restore Window Size Default to Maximize

People often find their browser window no longer automatically opens up to the maximum size -- and are frustrated because every single time they now go to the internet, they must click on the maximize button. Those extra clicks are sometimes annoying.

The browser window remembers the last size you specified -- and until you tell it to do otherwise, will open to that same memorized size each time. Clicking the maximize button will not change the default.

Instead, you must manually drag the window edges to the maximum size. Gently move your cursor to position it along an edge of the browser window until it changes to a double-headed arrow (see below)

Then drag the edge until it reaches it's maximum size. Repeat the process (if necessary) for the lower, upper and left edges of the window. Then close all browser windows. When you reopen the browser, the window should default to the size you just specified.

How to Print a List of the Files in Any Folder:

1. Open the folder in Windows Explorer. Be sure you can see its address. (If the address window does not show, see directions below) Select the full address in the Address Bar and copy it (CTL + C or right click, then click on"COPY".
2. Go to Start menu -> Run->.
3. Type "cmd" in the Run Window and hit OK.
4. The DOS window will open. Type the following:

cd

5. Make sure to type a space after the letters cd, then right-click choose Paste, and press "Enter". (NB: You cannot use CTRL +V in this instance to paste. It will not work in DOS.)

   (You should then see the prompt string display your folder 's address. (e.g., C:\Program Files>)

6. Enter the following command exactly as shown: (You may copy it by selecting it and using CTL + C or right-click and COPY) If you copy it instead of typing it, be sure to use Right Click and PASTE in the DOS window.)

dir /on /b *.* > C:\foldercontents.txt

Close the DOS window.

Go to My Computer, drive C:\ and you should see your new file "foldercontents.txt" which will now contain the list of files in the folder you specified.

Launch Windows Explorer and locate your newly created list of files in C:,open the file and print your list.

OS X is very clever, but I’m sure you know that already. It has lots of built in tools that developers can utilize, making it easier to create great apps. ImageTricks by BeLight Software, is one such example.

ImageTricks is built around Tiger’s Core Image functionality, a little utility for developers to do some cool stuff with images. It’s a bit complicated to get into, (especially since I’m not a developer) but if you want more info, head over to Apple’s website for a brief explanation.

Anyway, on with the app. Image Tricks allows you to apply Core Image filters to any image with ease. You simply drag a picture into the window and use the sidebar to apply a huge number of effects (48 in total, 54 in the pro version). You can adjust the colours, make it artsy (stylize it), distort the image, blur the picture, or simply crop it.

These effects do everything. Most of them are just for fun (aka making people’s faces look silly), however, some will find the colour management and focusing tools very useful. It is rather easy to use, while still appealing to a fairly wide audience. The image below was made using the Parallelogram Kaelidescope filter.

It won’t replace your image editor of choice; ImageTricks is mainly for playing with, having a laugh, or touching up a single photo when you’re in a hurry. You can also generate images using the ‘Generate’ tab at the top, which is great for making funky backgrounds. Don’t underestimate the power of geometric shapes, because I managed to create the pattern below.

ImageTricks also integrates with BeLight’s popular ‘Printfolio’ suite of desktop publishing software, which is a nice touch for those who use Printfolio. Once you’re done messing around with your images, ImageTricks can also re-size/rotate images and add rounded corners. The app provides options to export your creation in any one of the usual image formats (TIFF, JPEG, PDF, PNG and GIF).

Image Tricks is a really fun app, possibly the next best after Apple’s PhotoBooth. Even if you’ll only use it once or twice, it’s really worth it, mainly due to the fact that it’s freeware is rather fully featured. You can upgrade to a pro version, if you find you use it a lot.