How to create a USB Windows 7 install stick

Tutorial: Create a custom installation of Windows on a USB drive

Use RT7Lite to create a custom Windows 7 installation and speed up future installs

Reinstalling Windows isn't always a walk in the park. It can take a lot of time and this is the main reason why many of us put it off for as long as possible. It could quite easily take all day to install updates and drivers, let alone all your favourite applications.
However, with the help of a program called RT7Lite you can create a faster custom installation of Windows that suits you. This enables you to reinstall Windows, its updates and your programs, all in one quick and easy step.
What you need is around 10GB free hard drive space on your computer, and a USB stick with a minimum of 4GB free. On top of that, you need a Windows 7 installation DVD and a valid product key.

Step-by-step: A faster Windows 7 installation

1. Prepare the files

Before you create your own Windows installation, you need to copy the files from your Windows 7 DVD to your computer. Alternatively, you could create an ISO image if you wish, but this is optional. Following this you have to download Windows 7 Service Pack 1 from here.
2. Browse for your files

Now download and install RT7Lite - make sure you install the correct version. It should be the version of Windows you are running. Then click Browse to select the Windows set-up files. If you created an ISO, select that option, otherwise select the folder where you copied the files from the DVD.
3. Select a version

Now choose the version of Windows 7 you wish to use. It must the same version that you hold a valid licence for. Once you have selected, be prepared to wait for a while before proceeding with the next step. RT7Lite is loading all the files and this can take a good 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Choose tasks

All the options that were originally greyed out are now live. The Task selection is essentially the list of tasks you want RT7Lite to perform and they are broken down into six different categories. Tick the Select All option and you will be able to perform all the tasks available.
5. Integration

You can add programs, updates and drivers to your Windows 7 installation, saving even more time. Under Integration you can choose the files you wish to add. Click Add to locate the file, such as Windows 7 Service Pack 1. Drivers need to be in the .inf format and they can be converted using 7-Zip.
6. Features and Tweaks

If you want to slim down your Windows installation, you can do this under the Features Removal tab. Some features are highlighted in red and it is advisable not to remove these because they are used by other components.
The fun part of this program is the Tweaks option, where you can choose from a whole host of desktop modifications that will be applied to your installation, including adding new themes and new skins for Media Player.
7. Leave it to get on with it

This is the section that will save you the most time. By filling in all the options provided, you are able to leave installation running unattended. Here is where you need your valid Windows product key and you can choose other options that nag you during a standard Windows set-up.
8. Create your installation

Once you have decided on all of your customisations, you can create your USB bootable installation. Under Mode, select USB Bootable, then in the USB Bootable option, select the device you wish to use, and click USB. Once this has completed, you are ready to reinstall Windows at your leisure.

4 Easy Ways to Customize Common Dialog Box on Windows XP

The humorist, Andy Rooney once quipped “computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don’t need to be done.”
Perhaps he was an early advocate of simplicity. The world has leapfrogged ahead since he made this observation and so has computer technology. If we dissect the razzmatazz of technology, life has been rendered simpler in some ways. Launches of new apps and software suites continue to push the agenda for productivity. Where would Windows tips and tricks or say, Firefox add-ons be without this central idea?
And we continue to search for productive ways to do the same old things. Even a simple thing like opening a file or saving it in default locations can be tweaked to shave a few seconds here and there.

15 cool things Windows 8 does that Windows 7 doesn't

Windows 8 boots much faster than Windows 7

When Microsoft released the Windows 8 Developer Preview last month it warned that it was unstable, incomplete, a very early build which has a long way to go before it's ready for release.
That doesn't sound too promising - but on installing it we were surprised to see just how many great new features Windows 8 already contained.
From the shiny new Metro interface and interesting Explorer tweaks, to new applets and major performance enhancements, Windows 8 is - even at this early stage - packed with essential functionality.
Here are 18 cool things Windows 8 does that Windows 7 doesn't

1. Boot quickly - by default

Yes, we know - every version of Windows promises boot time improvements. But this time Microsoft has really delivered.
Our test Dell Inspiron 1090 (a seriously basic laptop) took 48 seconds to launch Windows 7 from the boot loader.
Choose the Windows 8 option, though, and the Metro screen appeared in only nine seconds - more than five times faster.
How does it work? There are many tweaks, but maybe the most important happens when the system shuts down. It closes all your programs as normal, but the kernel is now hibernated, its RAM contents saved to your hard drive. This doesn't take long, and when you reboot your system can be reinitialised far faster than before.

2. Display alerts immediately

Your Windows 8 laptop won't just load faster, it'll also display useful information right away, without you having to do anything at all.
And that's because your lock screen, where you'll normally log in, can now be customised with apps which show you details on waiting emails, your schedule, RSS feeds, whatever you like.
So Windows 8 means you won't necessarily have to turn on your laptop, wait for an age as it loads, then wait even longer to launch an application, just to discover some really basic item of data: it could be available on the lock screen in seconds.

3. Log on without passwords

If you already have more than enough passwords to remember, then the good news is that Windows 8 will offer you an unusual alternative: the picture password.
You'll be able to point Windows to a picture you'd like to use, which you then click, tap or draw on with your mouse or using a touch screen. So if you choose a picture of your house, say, you might draw an outline around the roof, then tap on a window and the front door. Windows will remember your gestures, and won't allow anyone to log in later unless they can repeat them.
If that doesn't sound appealing, don't worry - you can continue to log in with a regular alphanumeric password if you prefer, just as before.

4. Enjoy a dynamic desktop

The Windows 8 Metro interface doesn't give you static shortcuts to launch its applications. Instead you get dynamic tiles, which you can change in size to reflect an app's importance, and freely organise into whatever groups best suits your needs.
And, again, these tiles aren't just used to launch the apps. They can also display information from them, so if something interesting has just appeared on an RSS feed you're watching, then you'll get to see it right away.

5. Synchronise your settings

Of course, with so much functionality on the Metro desktop, it may take a while to set it up just the way you like. But don't worry, you only have to do this once, even if you've several Windows 8 PCs, because you'll be able to synchronise your Metro apps, their settings and application histories (as well as login details for applications and websites) across all your systems, entirely automatically.

6. Spot resource hogs

All this syncing, email-checking, RSS monitoring and so on could become a little expensive if you're using a metered 3G connection, of course. So it's just as well that the new Windows 8 Task Manager includes an App History feature which can show you exactly who's hogging all your network bandwidth (as well as your CPU time, hard drive and RAM).

7. Close apps automatically

Traditionally Windows has left it up to you to manage the programs you run. So you can launch as many as you like, and the system won't complain: it'll just get slower, and slower, and slower as you run out of RAM and it starts swapping to disk.
Windows 8 is fortunately a little different, at least when running Metro apps. If you're running short of resources then it'll close down anything you've not used for a while, to try to help out. Don't worry, the app's state is saved first, so you don't lose anything; relaunch it and you'll carry on exactly where you left off.

8. Share easily

Sharing something you've found online is an everyday experience for most web users, and so it's great to see Microsoft build that idea into Windows 8. If you've discovered a great photo or web page in IE10 then simply hit the Share button and you'll be able to send its link via any compatible app you've installed - and they'll then update your Twitter, Facebook or other account right away.

85 Windows 7 tips, tricks and secrets

 

Windows 7 lets you search online repositories as well as your PC

Whether you've just bought a new PC running Windows 7 or you've been using it for a while, there are bound to be things you didn't know you could do.
Whether it's tweaks to get the desktop the way you want it, tips for troubleshooting or ways to squeeze more performance from Windows 7, we've got it covered.
We've updated our popular Windows 7 tips article with a load of new ones, including how to recover locked-up apps, how to extend your jumplists, leave a Windows 7 Homegroup, and more. Read on for 85 tips to help you get the best from Windows 7.

• 22 common Windows 7 problems solved

1. Problem Steps Recorder
As the local PC guru you're probably very used to friends and family asking for help with their computer problems, yet having no idea how to clearly describe what's going on. It's frustrating, but Microsoft feels your pain, and Windows 7 will include an excellent new solution in the Problem Steps Recorder.
When any app starts misbehaving under Windows 7 then all your friends need do is click Start, type PSR and press Enter, then click Start Record. If they then work through whatever they're doing then the Problem Steps Recorder will record every click and keypress, take screen grabs, and package everything up into a single zipped MHTML file when they're finished, ready for emailing to you. It's quick, easy and effective, and will save you hours of troubleshooting time.
2. Burn images
Windows 7 finally introduces a feature that other operating systems have had for years - the ability to burn ISO images to CDs or DVDs. And it couldn't be much easier to use. Just double-click the ISO image, choose the drive with the blank disc, click Burn and watch as your disc is created.
3. Create and mount VHD files
Microsoft's Virtual PC creates its virtual machine hard drives in VHD files, and Windows 7 can now mount these directly so you can access them in the host system. Click Start, type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter, then click Action > Attach VHD and choose the file you'd like to mount. It will then appear as a virtual drive in Explorer and can be accessed, copied or written just like any other drive.
Click Action > Create VHD and you can now create a new virtual drive of your own (right-click it, select Initialise Disk, and after it's set up right-click the unallocated space and select New Simple Volume to set this up). Again, you'll be left with a virtual drive that behaves just like any other, where you can drag and drop files, install programs, test partitioning software or do whatever you like. But it's actually just this VHD file on your real hard drive which you can easily back up or share with others. Right-click the disk (that's the left-hand label that says "Disk 2" or whatever) and select Detach VHD to remove it.
The command line DISKPART utility has also been upgraded with tools to detach a VHD file, and an EXPAND command to increase a virtual disk's maximum size. Don't play around with this unless you know what you're doing, though - it's all too easy to trash your system.
4. Troubleshoot problems
If some part of Windows 7 is behaving strangely, and you don't know why, then click Control Panel > Find and fix problems (or 'Troubleshooting') to access the new troubleshooting packs. These are simple wizards that will resolve common problems, check your settings, clean up your system and more.
5. Startup repair
If you've downloaded Windows 7 (and even if you haven't) it's a good idea to create a system repair disc straight away in case you run into problems booting the OS later on. Click Start > Maintenance > Create a System Repair Disc, and let Windows 7 build a bootable emergency disc. If the worst does happen then it could be the only way to get your PC running again.
6. Take control
Tired of the kids installing dubious software or running applications you'd rather they left alone? AppLocker is a new Windows 7 feature that ensures users can only run the programs you specify. Don't worry, that's easier to set up than it sounds: you can create a rule to allow everything signed by a particular publisher, so choose Microsoft, say, and that one rule will let you run all signed Microsoft applications. Launch GPEDIT.MSC and go to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Application Control Policies > AppLocker to get a feel for how this works.
7. Calculate more
At first glance the Windows 7 calculator looks just like Vista's version, but explore the Mode menu and you'll see powerful new Statistics and Programmer views. And if you're clueless about bitwise manipulation, then try the Options menu instead. This offers many different unit conversions (length, weight, volume and more), date calculations (how many days between two dates?), and spreadsheet-type templates to help you calculate vehicle mileage, mortgage rates and more.
Don't take any Windows 7 applet at face value, then - there are some very powerful new features hidden in the background. Be sure to explore every option in all Windows applets to ensure you don't miss anything important.

CALCULATE MORE: The new Calculator is packed with useful features and functionality
8. Switch to a projector
Windows 7 now provides a standard way to switch your display from one monitor to another, or a projector - just press Win+P or run DisplaySwitch.exe and choose your preferred display. (This will have no effect if you've only one display connected.)
9. Get a power efficiency report
If you have a laptop, you can use the efficiency calculator to get Windows 7 to generate loads of useful information about its power consumption. Used in the right way, this can help you make huge gains in terms of battery life and performance. To do this you must open a command prompt as an administrator by typing 'cmd' in Start Search, and when the cmd icon appears, right-click it and choose Run as administrator.
Then at the command line, just type in 'powercfg -energy' (without quotes) and hit Return, and Windows 7 will scan your system looking for ways to improve power efficiency. It will then publish the results in an HTML file, usually in the System32 folder. Just follow the path it gives you to find your report.
10. Understanding System Restore
Using System Restore in previous versions of Windows has been something of a gamble. There's no way of telling which applications or drivers it might affect - you just have to try it and see.
Windows 7 is different. Right-click Computer, select Properties > System Protection > System Restore > Next, and choose the restore point you'd like to use. Click the new button to 'Scan for affected programs' and Windows will tell you which (if any) programs and drivers will be deleted or recovered by selecting this restore point. (Read our full Windows 7 System Restore tutorial.)
11. Set the time zone
System administrators will appreciate the new command line tzutil.exe utility, which lets you set a PC's time zone from scripts. If you wanted to set a PC to Greenwich Mean Time, for instance, you'd use the command
tzutil /s "gmt standard time"
The command "tzutil /g" displays the current time zone, "tzutil /l" lists all possible time zones, and "tzutil /?" displays details on how the command works.
12. Calibrate your screen
The colours you see on your screen will vary depending on your monitor, graphics cards settings, lighting and more, yet most people use the same default Windows colour profile. And that means a digital photo you think looks perfect might appear very poor to everybody else. Fortunately Windows 7 now provides a Display Colour Calibration Wizard that helps you properly set up your brightness, contrast and colour settings, and a ClearType tuner to ensure text is crisp and sharp. Click Start, type DCCW and press Enter to give it a try.
13. Clean up Live Essentials
Installing Windows Live Essentials will get you the new versions of Mail, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery and others - great. Unfortunately it also includes other components that may be unnecessary, but if you like to keep a clean system then these can be quickly removed.
If you left the default "Set your search provider" option selected during installation, for instance, Windows Live will install Choice Guard, a tool to set your browser home page and search engine, and prevent other programs from changing them. If this causes problems later, or you just decide you don't need it, then Choice Guard may be removed by clicking Start, typing msiexec /x and pressing [Enter].
Windows Live Essentials also adds an ActiveX Control to help upload your files to Windows Live SkyDrive, as well as the Windows Live Sign-in Assistant, which makes it easier to manage and switch between multiple Windows Live accounts. If you're sure you'll never need either then remove them with the Control Panel "Uninstall a Program" applet.
14. Add network support
By default Windows Live MovieMaker won't let you import files over a network, but a quick Registry tweak will change this. Run REGEDIT, browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Live\Movie Maker, add a DWORD value called AllowNetworkFiles and set it to 1 to add network support.
15. Activate XP mode
If you've old but important software that no longer runs under Windows 7, then you could try using XP Mode, a virtual copy of XP that runs in a window on your Windows 7 desktop. But there's a big potential problem, as XP Mode only works with systems that have hardware virtualisation (AMD-V or Intel VT) built-in and turned on. If you've a compatible CPU then this may just be a matter of enabling the option in your BIOS set-up program, however some high profile brands, including Sony Vaio, disable the setting for "security reasons". And that blocks XP Mode from working, too.
One solution has emerged, but it's a little risky, as essentially you'll have to alter a byte in your laptop firmware and hope this doesn't have any unexpected side-effects. Gulp. If you're feeling brave then take a look at the Feature Enable Blog for the details, but don't blame us if it goes wrong.
A safer approach might be to use VirtualBox, a virtualisation tool that doesn't insist on hardware support, but then you will need to find a licensed copy of XP (or whatever other Windows version your software requires) for its virtual machine.
16. Enable virtual Wi-Fi
Windows 7 includes a little-known new feature called Virtual Wi-Fi, which effectively turns your PC or laptop into a software-based router. Any other Wi-Fi-enabled devices within range - a desktop, laptop, an iPod perhaps - will "see" you as a new network and, once logged on, immediately be able to share your internet connection.
This will only work if your wireless adapter driver supports it, though, and not all do. Check with your adapter manufacturer and make sure you've installed the very latest drivers to give you the best chance.
Once you have driver support then the easiest approach is to get a network tool that can set up virtual Wi-Fi for you. Virtual Router (below) is free, easy to use and should have you sharing your internet connection very quickly.

If you don't mind working with the command line, though, maybe setting up some batch files or scripts, then it's not that difficult to set this up manually. See Turn your Windows 7 laptop into a wireless hotspot for more.
17. Recover locked-up apps
If an application locks up under a previous version of Windows then there was nothing you could do about it. A new Windows 7 option, however, can not only explain the problem, but may get your program working again without any loss of data.
When the lockup occurs, click Start, type RESMON and click the RESMON.EXE link to launch the Resource Monitor.
Find your frozen process in the CPU pane (it should be highlighted in red), right-click it and select Analyze Wait Chain.
If you see at least two processes in the list, then the lowest, at the end of the tree, is the one holding up your program. If it's not a vital Windows component, or anything else critical, then save any work in other open applications, check the box next to this process, click End Process, and your locked-up program will often spring back to life.

18. Fault-Tolerant Help
Windows 7 includes a new feature called the Fault Tolerant Help (FTH), a clever technology that looks out for unstable processes, detects those that may be crashing due to memory issues, and applies several real-time fixes to try and help. If these work, that's fine - if not, the fixes will be undone and they won't be applied to that process again.
While this is very good in theory, it can leave you confused as some applications crash, then start working (sometimes) for no apparent reason. So if you'd like to check if the FTH is running on your PC, launch REGEDIT, and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\FTH - any program currently being protected by the FTH will be listed in the State key.
Experienced users may also try tweaking the FTH settings to catch more problems, and perhaps improve system stability. A post on Microsoft's Ask The Performance Team blog (bit.ly/d1JStu) explains what the various FTH Registry keys mean.
19. Automatically switch your default printer
Windows 7's location-aware printing allows the operating system to automatically switch your default printer as you move from one network to another.
To set this up, first click Start, type Devices, and click the Devices and Printers link.
Select a printer and click Manage Default Printers (this is only visible on a mobile device, like a laptop - you won't see it on a PC).
Choose the "Change my default printer when I change networks" option, select a network, the default printer you'd like to use, and click Add.
Repeat the process for other networks available, and pick a default printer for each one.
And now, as you connect to a new network, Windows 7 will check this list and set the default printer to the one that you've defined.

How To Quickly See Available Keyboard Shortcuts On Windows Desktop

• J

Windows keyboard shortcuts may relieve you from not having to ever touch your mouse, which could accelerate things quite a bit. But when you combine custom program shortcuts in Windows, plus the native shortcuts in, say, Firefox and other applications, it’s very easy to just forget all the combinations that you created.

In fact, one of our readers in the MakeUseOf Answers community pondered whether the dream of a centralized shortcut manager existed. ActiveHotkeysQliner both aim to provide interfaces to view enabled shortcuts, but may not contain information about the shortcut actions or native keyboard combinations from all programs. and

25 Cool Windows 7 Keyboard Tricks That Will Impress Your Friends

Anyone working professionally with a computer has their hands on the keyboard most of the time. Reaching for the mouse can be an annoying disturbance and personally I often turn over my mouse in such situations. An easy solution is to simply keep the hands on the keyboard and complete as many tasks as possible with keyboard shortcuts only.

Apart from making you work more efficiently and faster, you can also impress your friends or colleagues by being able to work without a mouse. This article describes some cool Windows 7 keyboard tricks to get you started. In the end you might never want to take your hands off the keyboard again.

HAL.DLL Missing or Corrupt

If you get an error regarding a missing or corrupt hal.dll file, it might simply be the BOOT.INI file on the root of the C: drive that is misconfigured

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
3. Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
   Typically this will be #1
4. Type bootcfg /list to show the current entries in the BOOT.INI file
5. Type bootcfg /rebuild to repair it
6. Take out the CD ROM and type exit

Stopping the Messenger Service

To remove the ability for anyone in the world to pop up messages on your computer,
you can disable the Messenger service.

1. Click Start->Settings ->Control Panel
2. Click Performance and Maintenance
3. Click Administrative Tools
4. Double click Services
5. Scroll down and highlight "Messenger"
6. Right-click the highlighted line and choose Properties
7. Click the STOP button
8. Select Disable or Manual in the Startup Type scroll bar Click OK

Services You Can Disable

There are quite a few services you can disable from starting automatically.
This would be to speed up your boot time and free resources.
They are only suggestions so I suggestion you read the description of each one when you run Services
and that you turn them off one at a time.

Some possibilities are:

• Alerter - Sends alert messages to specified users that are connected to the server computer.
• Application Management - Allows software to tap directly into the Add/Remove Programs feature via the Windows Installer technology.
• Background Intelligent Transfer Service - The Background Intelligent Transfer service is used by programs (such as Windows AutoUpdate) to download files by using spare bandwidth.
• Clipbook - ClipBook permits you to cut and paste text and graphics over the network.
• Error Reporting Service - Allows applications to send error reports to Microsoft in the event of an application fault.
• Fast User Switching - Windows XP allows users to switch quickly between accounts, without requiring them to log off.
• Help and Support - Allows the XP Built-in Help and Support Center to run.
• IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service - You don't need this if you have other software to create CDs.
• Indexing Service - Indexes contents and properties of files on local and remote computers; provides rapid access to files through flexible querying language.
• IP SEC - Manages IP security policy and starts the ISAKMP/Oakley (IKE) and the IP security driver. If you are not on a domain, you likely don't need this running.
• Messenger - Transmits net send and Alerter service messages between clients and servers. This is how a lot of pop-up windows start appearing on your desktop.
• Net Logon - Supports pass-through authentication of account logon events for computers in a domain. If you are not on a domain, you don't need this running
• Network DDE - Provides network transport and security for Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) for programs running on the same computer or on different computers.
• NT LM Security Support Provider - Provides security to remote procedure call (RPC) programs that use transports other than named pipes.
• Performance Logs and Alerts - Collects performance data from local or remote computers based on preconfigured schedule parameters, then writes the data to a log or triggers an alert. If you don't need to monitor your performance logs, then you don't need this service.
• Portable Media Serial Number - Retrieves the serial number of any portable music player connected to your computer
• QOS RSVP - Provides network signaling and local traffic control setup functionality for QoS-aware programs and control applets.
• Remote Desktop Help Session Manager - Manages and controls Remote Assistance. If you are not using Remote Desktop you don't need this service.
• Remote Registry - Enables remote users to modify registry settings on this computer.
• Routing & Remote Access - Offers routing services to businesses in local area and wide area network environments. Allows dial-in access.
• Secondary Login - Enables starting processes under alternate credentials. This is what allows you to run an application as another user.
• Smart Card - Manages access to smart cards read by this computer.
• Smart Card Helper - Enables support for legacy non-plug and play smart-card readers used by this computer.
• SSDP Discovery Service - Enables discovery of UPnP devices on your home network.
• TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper - Enables support for NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) service and NetBIOS name resolution. This should not be needed in today's network environment.
• Telnet - Enables a remote user to log on to this computer and run programs, and supports various TCP/IP Telnet clients.
• Uninterruptible Power Supply Service - Manages an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) connected to the computer.
• Universal Plug and Play Device Host - Provides support to host Universal Plug and Play devices
• Upload Manager - Manages synchronous and asynchronous file transfers between clients and servers on the network.
• Volume Shadow Copy Service - Manages and implements Volume Shadow Copies used for backup and other purposes.
• Web Client - Enables Windows-based programs to create, access, and modify non-local files across the Internet.
• Wireless Zero Configuration - Provides automatic configuration for the 802.11 adapters
• WMI Performance Adapter - Provides performance library information from WMI HiPerf providers.

Network Connection Always Shows Access Denied

Network Connection Always Shows Access Denied

If you are always getting Access Denied errors when trying to connect to a XP computer,
and you know you have the correct user names and passwords on the computer,
the solution may be a simple registry edit.

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SYSTEM / CurrentControlSet / Control / Lsa
3. Change the value of a key called "restrictanonymous" to 0 instead of 1
4. Don't change "restrictanonymoussam" value.
5. Reboot

Fixing the Registry

Fixing the Registry

Sometimes after adding the right click with the Explorer, the default setting for opening a folder is changed.
To correct this:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ Directory \ shell
3. Edit the default value to be explorer or none

Download reg file

Changing the Internet Explorer Title

 Changing the Internet Explorer Title

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Window Title
3. Enter what you want appear in the title bar

Printing a Directory

Printing a Directory

WindowsXP does not allow you to use previously describe methods for printing the contents of a directory.
To do this requires the creation of a small batch file which is then added to your right-click options.

Batch File

On the root of the C: drive, create a batch file called print_directory.bat with the following lines:

@echo off
dir %1 /o:g > c:\directory.txt
start /w notepad /p c:\directory.txt
del c:\directory.txt
exit

Note: dir %1 /o:g will print with any directories listed first. You can add whatever other switches you like

Stop Password Expiration

Stop Password Expiration

Updated 12/21/02

If you want to do this for all users, enter:

Start / Run / net accounts /maxpwage:unlimited

If you are getting an error message that your password is about to expire:

1. Right click on the My Computer icon
2. Select Manage
3. Go to Local Users and Groups / Users
4. Right-click on the user you want to change
5. Select Properties
6. On the General tab, check Password never expires
7. Click OK

NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM Not Found

NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM Not Found

Added 2/9/03

If you get an error that NTLDR is not found during bootup,

If you have FAT32 partitions, it is much simpler than with NTFS.
Just boot with a Win98 floppy and copy the NTLDR or NTDETECT.COM files
from the i386 directory to the root of the C:\ drive.

For NTFS:

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
3. Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
   Typically this will be #1
4. Enter in the administrator password when requested
5. Enter in the following commands (X: is replaced by the actual drive letter that is assigned to the CD ROM drive.
   COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C\:
   COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:\
6. Take out the CD ROM and type exit

Corrupted or Missing \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG

Corrupted or Missing \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG

If you get the error:
Windows could not start because the following files is missing or corrupt
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM or \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE

1. Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
3. Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
   Typically this will be #1
4. Enter in the administrator password when requested
5. cd \windows\system32\config
6. Depending on which section was corrupted:
   ren software software.bad or ren system system.bad
7. Depending on which section was corrupted
   copy \windows\repair\system
   copy \windows\repair\software
8. Take out the CD ROM and type exit

Don't waste your life in doubts and fears: spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours or ages that follow it.

Failure

Failure does not mean Im a failure;

It does mean I have not yet succeeded.

Failure does not mean I have accomplished nothing;

It does mean I have learned something.

Failure does not mean I have been a fool;

It does mean I had enough faith to experiment.

Failure does not mean I have disgraced;

It does mean I have dared to try.

Failure does not mean I dont have it;

It does mean I have something to do in a different way.

Failure does not mean I am inferior;

It does mean I am not perfect.

Failure does not mean I have wasted my life;

It does mean that I have an excuse to start over.

Failure does not mean that I should give up;

It does mean that I should try harder.

Failure does not mean that I will never make it;

It does mean that I need more practice.

Failure does not mean that You have abandoned me;

It does mean that You must have a better idea.

ART OF LIFE

Living in the favourable and unfavourable situation is called “PART OF LIFE”,

But smiling in all those situations is called “ART OF LIFE”.

Think....

life is a great puzzle,
and survival is a great mystery!!!

We have food, clothes, shelter, freedom, safety, some money, and friends
and still we are fighting , deceiving our friends, relatives and ourselves
for small personal gains.....

Think....

Are those reasons big enough than these  ??????

we r born to win

World is waiting for you

Walk with your aims,

Run with your confidence

Fly with your achievements

Reach the peak of success...

"WE ARE BORN TO WIN"

If Facebook Existed Back in the Day

--  

Day in, day out, my tear stained face
Pressed against the window pane.
My eyes search the skies, desperately for rain.
'CAUSE RAINDROPS WILL HIDE MY TEARDROPS
And no one will ever know.
That I'm cryin'... cryin' when I go outside.
To the world outside my tears, I refuse to explain.
Oh, I wish it would rain. (Oh, how I wish that it would rain)
Ooo, baby.

Let it rain, let it rain.
I NEED RAIN TO DISGUISE THE TEARS IN MY EYES.
Oh, let it rain.
Oh, yeah, yeah listen.
I'm a man and I got my pride.
Give me rain or I'm gonna stay inside.
Let it rain.

success

hehehe

Equations! 

 

Equation 1
Human = eat + sleep + work + enjoy
Donkey = eat + sleep
Therefore:
Human = Donkey + Work + enjoy
Therefore:
Human-enjoy = Donkey + Work
In other words,
A Human that doesn’t know how to enjoy = Donkey that works.
++++++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ ++ ++
Equation 2
Man = eat + sleep + earn money
Donkey = eat + sleep
Therefore:
Man = Donkey + earn money
Therefore:
Man-earn money = Donkey
In other words
Man who doesn’t earn money = Donkey
++++++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +
Equation 3

Woman= eat + sleep + spend
Donkey = eat + sleep
Therefore:
Woman = Donkey + spend
Woman – spend = Donkey
In other words,
Woman who doesn’t spend = Donkey
++++++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +++++++++ +
To Conclude:
From Equation 2 and Equation 3
Man who doesn’t earn money = Woman who doesn’t spend
So Man earns money not to let woman become a donkey!
And a woman spends not to let the man become a donkey!
So, We have:
Man + Woman = Donkey + earn money + Donkey + Spend money
Therefore from postulates 1 and 2, we can conclude
Man + Woman = 2 Donkeys that live happily together!

uvaraj

smile please.... : )

Most Interesting Leave Applications     

1.A student’s writes a leave letter:
“As I am suffering from my uncle’s marriage I cannot attend the class….”
——————————————————————————————-
2. A candidate’s application:
“This has reference to your advertisement for the post of ‘typist And an accountant – Male or Female’…
As I am both for the past several years and I can handle both; I am applying for the post.”
——————————————————————————————-
3. I.T.I., Lahore: An employee applied for leave as follows:
The Employee goes along with his wife to sell a land but instead writes leave letter below
Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife. Please sanction me one-week leave.
——————————————————————————————-
4. Another employee applied for half day leave as follows:
“Since I’ve to go to the cremation ground at 10 o-clocks and I may not return, please grant me half day casual leave”
——————————————————————————————-
5. A leave letter to the headmaster:
“As I am studying in this school I am suffering from headache. I request you to leave me today”
——————————————————————————————-
6. A leave letter to the headmaster:
“I am suffering from fever, please declare one day holiday.”
——————————————————————————————-
7. Another leave letter written to the headmaster:
As my headache is paining, please grant me leave for the day.
——————————————————————————————-
8. Funny Leave Letter received From H.A.L. Administration dept:
As my mother-in-law has expired and I am responsible for it, Please grant me 10 days leave.
——————————————————————————————-
9. Actual letter written for application of leave:
“My wife is suffering from sickness and as I am her only husband At home I may be granted leave”.
——————————————————————————————-
10. Letter writing:
“I am in well here and hope you are also in the same well.”
——————————————————————————————-
11. Another gem from I.T.I. Leave-letter from an employee who was arranging his daughter’s wedding:
“As I am marrying my daughter, please grant a week’s leave…”
————————
 

Regards,

Akhil Dharmajan

IS Dept.cochin
 

Intel Shows How A PROCESSOR Is Made   

Intel Shows How A PROCESSOR Is Made – Amazing process

Sand. Made up of 25 percent silicon, is, after oxygen, the second most abundant chemical element that’s in the earth’s crust. Sand, especially quartz, has high percentages of silicon in the form of silicon dioxide (SiO2) and is the base ingredient for semiconductor manufacturing.

After procuring raw sand and separating the silicon, the excess material is disposed of and the silicon is purified in multiple steps to finally reach semiconductor manufacturing quality which is called electronic grade silicon. The resulting purity is so great that electronic grade silicon may only have one alien atom for every one billion silicon atoms. After the purification process, the silicon enters the melting phase. In this picture you can see how one big crystal is grown from the purified silicon melt. The resulting mono-crystal is called an ingot.

A mono-crystal ingot is produced from electronic grade silicon. One ingot weighs approximately 100 kilograms (or 220 pounds) and has a silicon purity of 99.9999 percent.

The ingot is then moved onto the slicing phase where individual silicon discs, called wafers, are sliced thin. Some ingots can stand higher than five feet. Several different diameters of ingots exist depending on the required wafer size. Today, CPUs are commonly made on 300 mm wafers.


Once cut, the wafers are polished until they have flawless, mirror-smooth surfaces. Intel doesn’t produce its own ingots and wafers, and instead purchases manufacturing-ready wafers from third-party companies. Intel’s advanced 45 nm High-K/Metal Gate process uses wafers with a diameter of 300 mm (or 12-inches). When Intel first began making chips, it printed circuits on 50 mm (2-inches) wafers. These days, Intel uses 300 mm wafers, resulting in decreased costs per chip.

The blue liquid, depicted above, is a photo resist finish similar to those used in film for photography. The wafer spins during this step to allow an evenly-distributed coating that’s smooth and also very thin.


At this stage, the photo-resistant finish is exposed to ultra violet (UV) light. The chemical reaction triggered by the UV light is similar to what happens to film material in a camera the moment you press the shutter button.
Areas of the resist on the wafer that have been exposed to UV light will become soluble. The exposure is done using masks that act like stencils. When used with UV light, masks create the various circuit patterns. The building of a CPU essentially repeats this process over and over until multiple layers are stacked on top of each other.
A lens (middle) reduces the mask’s image to a small focal point. The resulting “print” on the wafer is typically four times smaller, linearly, than the mask’s pattern.

In the picture we have a representation of what a single transistor would appear like if we could see it with the naked eye. A transistor acts as a switch, controlling the flow of electrical current in a computer chip. Intel researchers have developed transistors so small that they claim roughly 30 million of them could fit on the head of a pin.

After being exposed to UV light, the exposed blue photo resist areas are completely dissolved by a solvent. This reveals a pattern of photo resist made by the mask. The beginnings of transistors, interconnects, and other electrical contacts begin to grow from this point.

The photo resist layer protects wafer material that should not be etched away. Areas that were exposed will be etched away with chemicals.

After the etching, the photo resist is removed and the desired shape becomes visible.


More photo resist (blue) is applied and then re-exposed to UV light. Exposed photo resist is then washed off again before the next step, which is called ion doping. This is the step where ion particles are exposed to the wafer, allowing the silicon to change its chemical properties in a way that allows the CPU to control the flow of electricity.


Through a process called ion implantation (one form of a process called doping) the exposed areas of the silicon wafer are bombarded with ions. Ions are implanted in the silicon wafer to alter the way silicon in these areas conduct electricity. Ions are propelled onto the surface of the wafer at very high velocities. An electrical field accelerates the ions to a speed of over 300,000 km/hour (roughly 185,000 mph)

 

 

After the ion implantation, the photo resist will be removed and the material that should have been doped (green) now has alien atoms implanted.

This transistor is close to being finished. Three holes have been etched into the insulation layer (magenta color) above the transistor. These three holes will be filled with copper, which will make up the connections to other transistors.


The wafers are put into a copper sulphate solution at this stage. Copper ions are deposited onto the transistor through a process called electroplating. The copper ions travel from the positive terminal (anode) to the negative terminal (cathode) which is represented by the wafer.

The copper ions settle as a thin layer on the wafer surface.


The excess material is polished off leaving a very thin layer of copper.


Multiple metal layers are created to interconnects (think wires) in between the various transistors. How these connections have to be “wired” is determined by the architecture and design teams that develop the functionality of the respective processor (for example, Intel’s Core i7 processor). While computer chips look extremely flat, they may actually have over 20 layers to form complex circuitry. If you look at a magnified view of a chip, you will see an intricate network of circuit lines and transistors that look like a futuristic, multi-layered highway system.

This fraction of a ready wafer is being put through a first functionality test. In this stage test patterns are fed into every single chip and the response from the chip monitored and compared to “the right answer.”

After tests determine that the wafer has a good yield of functioning processor units, the wafer is cut into pieces (called dies).


The dies that responded with the right answer to the test pattern will be put forward for the next step (packaging). Bad dies are discarded. Several years ago, Intel made key chains out of bad CPU dies.

This is an individual die, which has been cut out in the previous step (slicing). The die shown here is a die of an Intel Core i7 processor.


The substrate, the die, and the heatspreader are put together to form a completed processor. The green substrate builds the electrical and mechanical interface for the processor to interact with the rest of the PC system. The silver heatspreader is a thermal interface where a cooling solution will be applied. This will keep the processor cool during operation.
A microprocessor is the most complex manufactured product on earth. In fact, it takes hundreds of steps and only the most important ones have been visualized in this picture story.
During this final test the processors will be tested for their key characteristics (among the tested characteristics are power dissipation and maximum frequency).
Based on the test result of class testing processors with the same capabilities are put into the same transporting trays. This process is called “binning”. Binning determines the maximum operating frequency of a processor, and batches are divided and sold according to stable specifications.

Regards,

Akhil Dharmajan

IS Dept.
+91 484 408 0500 tel
+91 9995887026 mobile
akhil.d@te.com
Plot no: 44, CSEZ, Kakkanad
Cochin- 682037.

www.te.com