Remove your name from the Start menu in Windows XP

Takeaway: You know who you are—and so does your Windows XP system. But if you're the only person using the computer, it's easy to remove your name from the Start menu. In this Windows XP tip, Greg Shultz tells how to use Group Policy to remove your name when you're a group of one.

Windows XP places the name for the person currently logged on to the system at the top of the Start menu. The reason for this is to make it easier to tell which user is logged on to a Windows XP system set up with multiple users. However, if you're the only person using the computer, you don't really need to have your name at the top of the Start menu. You can remove it using the Group Policy console (the Microsoft Management Console snap-in used to edit Group Policy objects).

1. Launch the Group Policy console (Gpedit.msc).
2. Go to User Configuration | Administrative Templates | Start Menu And Taskbar.
3. Locate and double-click the Remove User Name From Start Menu setting.
4. Select the Enabled option button and click OK.
5. Exit the Group Policy console. The change will take place immediately.

Note: This tip applies only to Windows XP Professional.

Handle Windows Vista like a pro with these tricks

• Date: June 4th, 2008
• Author: Greg Shultz

As I’ve been using Microsoft Windows Vista, I’ve discovered a handful of useful tricks that I use every day to make things a bit easier. In this edition of the Windows Vista Report, I thought that I would pass on some of these tricks.

Keep track of multiple Time Zones

If you’re like most folks in this day and age, chances are good that you regularly communicate with people or businesses in cities in other time zones. As such, you’re always wondering what time it is where these people or businesses are, so that you know when to call or expect an e-mail response.

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could tell at a glance what time it is in those other time zones? Well, that’s the whole idea behind Windows Vista’s Additional Clocks feature, which can display up to three clocks: one for the local time, and two for other time zones.

This blog post is also available in the PDF format as a TechRepublic Download.

Fortunately, using and configuring Vista’s Additional Clocks feature is easy; just right-click the time display in the notification area and select the Adjust Date and Time command from the context menu. When you see the Date and Time dialog box, select the Additional Clocks tab. You can then select the Show This Clock check box, choose a time zone, and enter a name that you want to associate with the additional clock, as shown in Figure A. To activate your new clocks, just click OK.

Figure A

You can keep track of other time zones if you enable additional clocks.

Now, when you want to see what time it is in the other locations, you can just hover your mouse pointer over the time display in the notification area and you’ll see a pop up showing the time in the other time zones. If you click the time display, you’ll see a larger pop up showing you the clocks along with the calendar. Both of these pop ups are shown in Figure B.

Figure B

There are two displays that you can use to view other time zones.

Instantly access Task Manager

As you know, in Windows XP, you can press [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Del] and instantly get to Task Manager. In Windows Vista, that same keystroke combination will blank your display and display a full screen menu from which you can launch Task Manager.

In order to get directly to Task Manager in Windows Vista, you need to press [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[Esc].

Toggle Aero off and on

As you know, Aero is the fancy visual interface in Windows Vista that features the transparent glass design with cool window colors and neat animations. However, there are times when you may want to disable Aero to improve system responsiveness. For example, some games or other graphics intensive application may perform better with Aero disabled. Fortunately, you can easily do so with a shortcut.

To begin, right-click anywhere on the desktop and select the New | Shortcut command from the context menu. When the Create Shortcut wizard appears, type:

Rundll32 dwmApi #104

in the text box, as shown in Figure C, and click Next. Then, name the shortcut Turn Aero Off and click Finish.

Figure C

Create this shortcut to turn Aero off.

You can then create a second shortcut to re-enable Aero. To do so, launch the Create Shortcut wizard again and this time type:

Rundll32 dwmApi #102

in the text box. Name this shortcut Turn Aero On and click Finish.

Keep in mind that when you turn Aero off, the process will happen without any fanfare. However, when you turn Aero back on, the screen will blink momentarily as Windows readjusts the screen display.

Using Shell command shortcuts

While you can use Explorer, the Control Panel, or the Start menu to access key features in Windows Vista, sometimes a shortcut can be more useful. Hidden underneath the Windows Vista architecture are a whole host of special shortcuts known as Shell commands. To use a Shell command, all you need to is press [Windows]+R to access the Run dialog box and the word shell followed by a colon (:) and then the command as in:

Shell:command

As you can see there are no spaces between the word Shell and the colon and the command — it is essentially one word.

While there are close to 100 Shell commands, not all of them are very useful. As such, I won’t actually list them all. I’ll just list the ones that I find most useful in everyday situations first and then list the other ones that I find occasionally useful.

Keep in mind that not all of these Shell commands will work in all versions of Windows Vista.

Most useful Shell commands

• shell:ChangeRemoveProgramsFolder - opens the Programs and Features (Add/Remove Programs) window.
• shell:Sendto - opens the SendTo folder so that you can easily add more locations to the Send To list.
• shell:Common Administrative Tools - opens the Administrative Tools menu as a folder
• shell:Desktop - opens the Desktop as a folder.
• shell:Downloads - opens your Downloads folder.
• shell:Quick Launch - opens the Quick Launch folder.
• shell:Searches - opens the Search folder showing all your saved searches.

The other useful Shell commands

• shell:AppUpdatesFolder - opens the Installed Windows Updates location in Program and Files.
• shell:Cache - opens Internet Explorer’s temporary internet files folder.
• shell:CD Burning - opens the folder where Windows Vista temporarily stores files to be burned to a CD.
• shell:Common Desktop - opens the Public Users Desktop folder.
• shell:Common Documents - opens the Public Users Documents folder.
• shell:Common Programs - opens the Start menu shortcuts folder.
• shell:Common Start Menu - opens the Start Menu as a folder.
• shell:Common Startup - opens the Startup folder.
• shell:Common Templates - opens the Templates folder.
• shell:CommonDownloads - opens the Public Users Downloads folder.
• shell:CommonMusic - opens the Public Users Music folder.
• shell:CommonPictures - opens the Public Users Pictures folder.
• shell:CommonVideo - opens the Public Users Video folder.
• shell:ConflictFolder - opens the Sync Center Conflicts folder.
• shell:ConnectionsFolder - opens the Network Connections folder.
• shell:Contacts - opens your Contacts folder.
• shell:ControlPanelFolder - opens the Control Panel.
• shell:Cookies - opens the cookies folder
• shell:Favorites - opens your Favorites folder.
• shell:Fonts - opens Vista’s Fonts folder.
• shell:Gadgets - opens your Windows Sidebar Gadgets folder.
• shell:History - opens the Internet Explorer history folder.
• shell:InternetFolder - opens Internet Explorer.
• shell:Links - opens your Links folder location.
• shell:MyMusic - opens your Music folder.
• shell:MyPictures - opens your Pictures folder.
• shell:MyVideo - opens your Video folder.
• shell:MyComputerFolder - opens Computer window.
• shell:NetHood - opens Network Shortcuts folder.
• shell:NetworkPlacesFolder - opens the Network Places location.
• shell:Original Images - opens Windows Photo Gallery Original Images folder.
• shell:Personal - opens your Documents folder.
• shell:PhotoAlbums - opens your Slide Show folder.
• shell:Playlists - opens your Playlists folder.
• shell:PrintersFolder - opens Printers in the Control Panel.
• shell:Profile - opens your main folder.
• shell:ProgramFiles - opens the Program Files folder.
• shell:Public - opens the Public User folder.
• shell:Recent - opens the Recent Items folder.
• shell:RecycleBinFolder - opens the Recycle Bin folder.
• shell:Start Menu - opens Start Menu folder.
• shell:Startup - opens the Startup folder
• shell:System - opens the System32 folder location.
• shell:Templates - opens the Templates folder location.
• shell:UserProfiles - opens the Users folder.
• shell:UsersFilesFolder - opens your main folder.
• shell:Windows - opens the Windows folder.

By:
Amresh Anjan

Automatically generate and assign strong passwords in Windows XP

• Date: May 21st, 2008
• Author: Greg Shultz

Computer users consistently use very simplistic logic when creating passwords. For example, many of us choose meaningful words, personal dates, or a word commonly found in the dictionary because it makes the password easy to remember. These common practices cause us to sacrifice the security that passwords are intended to provide.

If you’re really at a loss when it comes to thinking of a strong password, you can let Windows XP create and assign a random password to your account. To let Windows XP generate your password, follow these steps. (Warning: Before you follow these steps, please be sure that you are paying careful attention and are ready to actually use a password that might not be as memorable as you’re accustomed to! Also, you cannot use this tip on a Windows Server domain.)

1. Open a Command Prompt window and type:

   net user username /random (username is your login account name)

2. Press [Enter]. Windows XP will randomly generate a secure password, as well as assign that strong password to your account. Windows XP will also display the strong password so you can remember it.

At your discretion, you may want to create a Password Reset Disk at this point. This disk will allow you to gain access to your computer in the event you forget your password. Here’s how to create the disk:

1. Open the Control Panel and double-click the User Accounts tool.
2. Click your account icon.
3. Select Prevent A Forgotten Password under Related Tasks.
4. Follow the instructions provided by the wizard.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional systems in either a standalone or peer-to-peer workgroup configuration.

By:

Amresh Anjan

Choosing a free alternative to Microsoft Office

• Date: May 9th, 2008
• Author: Tricia Liebert

Once upon a time, if you were using software that you had acquired free, you were a pirate and doing something wrong. Those days are gone forever as people have begun to embrace a new concept. Free is good. And it’s legal.

While this is not a new concept to Linux and BSD users, it is a shift in thinking for most. A slow shift, perhaps, but one that seems inevitable.

Take Massachusetts’ Pierre Avignon. To his thinking, it makes no sense to purchase a product like Microsoft Office when he can download Symphony free from IBM. And IBM isn’t the only player in this growing market.

Google provides an online collaborative environment with its Google Docs- a suite similar to Symphony that also provides the ability to synchronize your online documents with your computer allowing you to access and modify your documents while offline. Smaller Zoho offers a similar service but is restricted to online storage only.

While these offerings are somewhat limited, average users are able to do all that they need to do using an online solution.

From Reuters:

You can’t set up mass mailings or run sophisticated data analysis using most free Web-based software, says Rebecca Wettemann, an analyst with Nucleus Research. But she says few people actually use such features.
Google Docs and other free programs are looking increasingly attractive to businesses, she said, as they seek ways to keep down their information technology budgets.
Microsoft’s entry-level business version of Office costs $325 USD at Amazon.com, about triple the price of its version targeted at home users.

“Ninety percent of the users don’t need all the functionality that Office provides,” Wettemann said. “Ninety percent of people basically just use Excel to make lists.”

Power users, the people who fall into that remaining 10%, may want to consider Open Office as an alternative. But unless you specifically need the database and drawing capabilities of Open Office, a smaller package may be your best choice.

But how does this alternative work in the average business environment?

While providing all the tools that the average business environment needs, it may not be the best alternative from a support standpoint.

From Canadian Business:

But there absolutely is a price to be paid for migrating to any new productivity suite, regardless of its initial cost. “The savings are never as great as people would like to believe,” says Fen Yik, an analyst with Info-Tech Research Group in London, Ont., who frequently fields questions from clients about Office alternatives. “There is an increased maintenance cost, increased support costs associated with switching over to an unfamiliar interface, as well as possible customization work that will have to be done.”

Yik says companies must focus on compatibility and integration, both within their own companies and with outside partners, when considering a change. The alternative suites come with some built-in conversion capabilities, but there are always imperfections. “In terms of functionality, an alternative would be fine for a small company with a very simple IT environment that has no interactions with other companies,” says Yik. “The problem is that productivity apps don’t run in a vacuum. The Office suite isn’t the kind of software you can just rip out and replace.”

So while office productivity tools in online solutions or as downloadable executables are a great alternative for home and small business users, it appears that they may not be ready for the enterprise environment. Having said that, IT support should at least be looking at them. As online collaborative and productivity tools become more pervasive, it may only be a matter of time.

By:

Amresh Anjan

A scalpel specially designed for PDFs

• Date: May 12th, 2008
• Author: William Jones

A few months back, I posted an article detailing some of the software tools that I use to provide support for PDFs in my office. My goal was to avoid shelling out big bucks for the expensive, bloated, and buggy packages from Adobe. Turns out that many of you have had similar problems with Acrobat, because the comments on that post are filled with suggestions of programs that you guys have found useful as Adobe replacements.

This time, I’m going to introduce you to a program that I learned about while going through the responses to that original post. TechRepublic reader Lost4now suggested that I take a look at his program of choice, PDFill. I’ll be honest; I haven’t paid for the full version of PDFill Editor, because the free tools that the developers offer have met my needs so well.

That’s right. I said “free tools.” The developers of PDFill have packaged their simple PDF manipulation applications together with a PDF print driver and offer these tools to Windows users, absolutely free — even for corporate clients. That caught my attention.

The PDFill PDF Tools are a scalpel because while they don’t offer a lot of frills, they perform their function with surgical precision. The free Ghostscript package is required for PDFill to work, and that’s basically because the PDFill PDF Tools interface is a simple button-based GUI front-end to the powerful Ghostscript engine.

“Why do I need the PDFill Tools if I can use Ghostscript?” you ask. I don’t know about you, but I have better things I can be doing with my time than supporting the intricacies of Ghostscript’s command-line interface. The PDFill Tools streamline my users’ workflow by putting the power of Ghostscript right at their fingertips, in a clear task-oriented way.

One thing that’s been a problem in my office has been supporting users who want to use graphics from our PDF publications in a PowerPoint slide show that they’re putting together. PDFill PDF Tools makes it trivial for anyone to grab a high-quality raster graphic from any of our PDFs and have it be completely compatible with PowerPoint. PDFill has proven its value in my department with just that single use case.

I love it when I can recommend a small, simple software scalpel; a tool that does one thing but does it better than anything else. PDFill PDF Tools is even better, because it does several things, and it’s completely free.

By:

Amresh Anjan

Build a computer for a Vista 5.9 Performance Rating

• Author: Joe Rosberg

The Vista Performance Index provides a visual and numerical representation of how well your computer might perform. Having to support users in a graphics-extensive environment, I’ve found it useful to help grade various computer components. It’s not a coincidence to see the sluggish computers return a low performance score, 2.8 for example, and the real barn-burners consistently score at or near the 5.0 range. I realize it’s not the most detailed and telling performance monitor, but it does provide a pretty good snapshot of what you might expect from your computer.

Because of a major software upgrade, I’ve had to recently replace quite a number of computers for my users. Their old ones just didn’t have the computing horsepower to meet even the minimum software requirements, much less the recommended — which I always increase as much as realistically (and financially) possible. I wanted to get as much computing bang for the buck, so to speak, so I paid particularly close attention to how I specified my next generation of computers. I update my standard computer specification probably once a year, and it’s been a while since I’ve last written about it, so that time has again arrived.

All (or most) of my P4 generation of computers had to be replaced, especially for the power-users who relied heavily on our graphics software. I had a scattering of Core 2 duo computers, and even a Quad Core, but not even those reached the 5.9 level on Vista’s performance rating. That was my target — 5.9 — without breaking our bank.

I started with the processor and decided on the Intel Core 2 Quad, Number Q9450. It’s the 2.67 GHz processor @ 1333 MHz FSB. I almost spent the extra $200 for the 2.8 GHz but suspected that those dollars could be better spent elsewhere. Of course, I could have selected a Core 2 Quad Extreme (3.2 GHz @ 1600 MHz FSB), but a $1,500 price tag put that one entirely out of reach. Besides, my target performance rating was a 5.9, and Vista can’t report anything higher, so although that Extreme processor would have much greater computing power, it wouldn’t necessarily show up in the rating score.

I was talked out of my preference for Asus motherboards (by a sales adviser) and settled on the Gigabyte S-Series GA-EP35C-DS3R motherboard. I always consider room for growth when it comes to motherboards, and this one will somewhat allow for future expansion. If I ever want to upgrade the processor, it will support the Quad Core Extreme and the faster 1600 MHz FSB speed and it will have slots for either DDR3 or DDR2 memory, but it can’t use both. The downside is that it will have a maximum capacity of only 4GB of DDR3 RAM, or 8GB of DDR2. Considering the cost of a more expandable board, however, I settled for this. Besides, I was overspecifying the amount of RAM I really needed, so it should be good for several future software releases (I hope).

Although 4GB RAM would be more than enough for my application’s recommended amount, I opted to bump it up to 8GB — the DDR2 flavor.

When it came to hard drive(s), I noticed several things with my current computers. SATA drives did, in general, provide higher performance scores than IDE drives; and ones with a lot of available disk space rated higher than those with limited space (the 500GB drives rated higher than the 160GB drives). However, the Vista rating for the Disk Data Transfer Rate was less than a 5.9 on all my machines except for two. Those were the ones with two drives (400GB each) installed in a Raid 0 configuration. I therefore decided to install two 500GB SATA drives in a Raid 0 configuration. I opted for the Hitachi Deskstar model. (I’ve come to prefer Seagate, but there were none available at the time — and I got a pretty good deal on these Deskstar models.)

Graphics was the weak link on all my existing computers. Since the Vista Performance Rating is only as high as the lowest scoring component, in almost all cases, my graphics capabilities brought it down — in some cases, as low as a 1.0, but in most cases, to the 3.0 range. The first card I tried with my prototype system was the Diamond ATI PCIe card with 1GB DDR2 - model HD3650. However, it only scored a 5.4 on the Vista Rating. I exchanged that card for the Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT with only 512MB memory – but it has the faster DDR3. I was pleasantly surprised that the card with less memory, but running at a higher speed, outperformed the one with more memory. And at a price of only $160, it seemed like a great way to go.

I’ve always liked the Antec Sonata cases, and for my new computer specification I selected the Sonata III model. Quiet fans and a 500w power supply will do quite nicely, and it has front ports for audio, two USB devices, and an eSATA connection.

I selected an inexpensive OEM 20x DVD R/W (branded Optiarc, but made by Sony). And for the first time ever, I put these together without a 3.5″ floppy disk drive. If I ever need one for a BIOS upgrade or something, I have plenty of extras on the shelf.

· Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad, Number Q9450 ($300)
· Motherboard: Gigabyte S-Series GA-EP35C-DS3R ($160)
· Memory: 8GB - Two Corsair XMS2-6400 4GB Kits ($220)
· Hard Drives: Two 500GB SATA configured Raid 0 ($180)
· Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT PCIe ($160)
· Case: Antec Sonata III ($130)
· DVD: OEM brand ($40)

Total cost: $1,190

Operating System: Vista Ultimate 64-Bit. I didn’t have to buy it, but add about $220 for the OEM product if you do. The same goes for an Office Suite. I currently have Microsoft Office 2007 Professional, so there was no need for me to buy that, but add another $350 to the cost of your system if you do. (Or better yet, consider the free Office Suite from OpenOffice.org — I’ve looked at it, and it’ll do nicely for the basic stuff.)

Vista Performance Rating: 5.9

There ya’ go. That’s my Vista 5.9 Performance system for about $1,200 (not including operating system, Office Suite, and monitor). I’m sure we’ll get plenty of suggestions and ideas on how to either improve on this system or build it for less — or both!

By:

Amresh Anjan