How to disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows 7

1. Go to Start Menu -> Control Panel -> User Accounts and Family Safety -> User Account
or
Start menu - Run - type "C:\Windows\System32\UserAccountControlSettings.exe" and click ok.
2. A window titled "User Account Conrol settings" will pop pup

To turn off UAC, move the slider to the Never notify position, and then click OK.  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
To turn UAC back on, move the slider to choose when you want to be notified, and then click OK.  If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Safely Remove Hardware...uh...not any more..

We might have tired of safely removing our hardware every time we eject our external drive..

There is a setting for the USB drives which tells the OS how to optimize their usage. Either it is optimized for Quick Removal or for Performance. To check it, do the following:

• Right click on the USB drive icon in My Computer.
• Select the Hardware tab.
• Select your USB drive and click on Properties.
• Now click on Policies tab.

Optimize for Quick removal
This setting disables write caching on the disk so that you can disconnect this drive without using the Safely Remove Hardware icon.

Optimize for Performance
This setting enables the write caching on the disk so as to improve disk performance. To disconnect this drive, you should use the Safely Remove Hardware icon so as not to hurt your USB drive.

Select the optimize for quick removal radio button. Now you can directly remove your hardware.

No sound Problem From Computer Speakers

No sound from your PC/Laptop?. it can be a number of reasons.



Is the Speaker Connections and Volume Control Settings alright?

1. Verify that the lack of sound is not due to faulty speaker connections. A simple way to test it is to substitute the speaker connection with headphones and see if you get any sound.

2. Open the volume control window by clicking your "Start" button and then "All Programs." Click "Accessories," then "Entertainment," then "Volume Control." Alternatively, just click on the speaker icon that's in your System Tray.

3. Check the volume and mute settings. If any of the mute check boxes have been checked, uncheck them. If this doesn't work, read on.


Try a System Restore.

1. If the sound has been audible from your computer's speakers and is suddenly lost, you may need to perform a System Restore. Click on the " Start" button and then "All Programs."

2. Click on "Accessories," then "System Tools," then "System Restore."

3. Complete the System Restore Wizard. If this doesn't work, read on.



Re install the Sound Drivers

1. Deleting and reinstalling your sound driver may resolve the problem. Your sound driver may have been corrupted or may be missing. The result of this is that the restore utility menu won't be available. For Windows XP, follow these steps.

2. Click on your "Start" button. Click on "Control Panel" and then "System." Next, click on "Hardware," then "Device Manager, then "Sound, Video and Game Controllers."

3. Click on a sound device named in the Device Manager, and then press the Delete key on the keyboard. Click "OK" in the window that appears. Remove all the listed sound devices i this way EXCEPT Audio Codec and Legacy Audio Drivers.

4. Restart your computer. Reinstall the deleted drivers using the Driver and Application Recovery CDs that came with your Windows XP system.

5. Visit your computer manufacturer's official website. Check for any updated sound driver software for your sound card. If any, download them along with the installation instructions.

Boost your Internet speed.

QoS Packet Scheduler is a method of network bandwidth management that can monitor the importance of data packets and depending upon the priority of the packet, give it higher or lower priority or bandwidth levels. It's not very useful unless you're using apps which are QoS-aware or running a server, so you can gain some network overhead back by turning it off.

Make sure you're logged on as actually "Administrator". Do not log on with any account that just has administrator privileges.
    Start > Run > type gpedit.msc (not available in home version).
    Expand the Local Computer Policy branch.
    Expand the Administrative Templates branch.
    Expand the Network branch.
    Highlight the "QoS Packet Scheduler" in left window.
    In right window double click the "limit reservable bandwidth" setting.
    On setting tab check the ENABLED item.
    Where it says "Bandwidth limit %" change it to read 0 (ZERO).
    Close gpedit.msc.

Effect is immediate on some systems, some need to re-boot.

Forgot your Windows XP admin password?? Don't worry...:-)

If that’s your only problem, then you probably have nothing to worry about. As long as you have your Windows XP CD, you can get back into your system using a simple but effective method made possible by a little known access hole in Windows XP.

This method is easy enough for newbies to follow – it doesn’t require using the Recovery Console or any complicated commands.
Here’s how with a step-by-step description of the initial Repair process

1. Place your Windows XP CD in your cd-rom and start your computer (it’s assumed here that your XP CD is bootable – as it should be - and that you have your bios set to boot from CD)

2. Keep your eye on the screen messages for booting to your cd Typically, it will be “Press any key to boot from cd”

3. Once you get in, the first screen will indicate that Setup is inspecting your system and loading files.

4. When you get to the Welcome to Setup screen, press ENTER to Setup Windows now
5. The Licensing Agreement comes next - Press F8 to accept it.

6. The next screen is the Setup screen which gives you the option to do a Repair.

It should read something like “If one of the following Windows XP installations is damaged, Setup can try to repair it”
Use the up and down arrow keys to select your XP installation (if you only have one, it should already be selected) and press R to begin the Repair process.

7. Let the Repair run. Setup will now check your disks and then start copying files which can take several minutes.

8. Shortly after the Copying Files stage, you will be required to reboot. (this will happen automatically – you will see a progress bar stating “Your computer will reboot in 15 seconds”

9. During the reboot, do not make the mistake of “pressing any key” to boot from the CD again! Setup will resume automatically with the standard billboard screens and you will notice Installing Windows is highlighted.

10. Keep your eye on the lower left hand side of the screen and when you see the Installing Devices progress bar, press SHIFT + F10. This is the security hole! A command console will now open up giving you the potential for wide access to your system.

11. At the prompt, type NUSRMGR.CPL and press Enter. Voila! You have just gained graphical access to your User Accounts in the Control Panel.

12. Now simply pick the account you need to change and remove or change your password as you prefer. If you want to log on without having to enter your new password, you can type control userpasswords2 at the prompt and choose to log on without being asked for password. After you’ve made your changes close the windows, exit the command box and continue on with the Repair (have your Product key handy).

13. Once the Repair is done, you will be able to log on with your new password (or without a password if you chose not to use one or if you chose not to be asked for a password). Your programs and personalized settings should remain intact.

I tested the above on Windows XP Pro with and without SP1 and also used this method in a real situation where someone could not remember their password and it worked like a charm to fix the problem.
And in case you are wondering, NO, you cannot cancel install after making the changes and expect to logon with your new password.
Cancelling will just result in Setup resuming at bootup and your changes will be lost.

Ok, now that your logon problem is fixed, you should make a point to prevent it from ever happening again by creating a Password Reset Disk. This is a floppy disk you can use in the event you ever forget your log on password. It allows you to set a new password.

Here's how to create one if your computer is NOT on a domain:

 Go to the Control Panel and open up User Accounts.
 Choose your account (under Pick An Account to Change) and under Related Tasks, click "Prevent a forgotten password".
 This will initiate a wizard.
 Click Next and then insert a blank formatted floppy disk into your A: drive.
 Click Next and enter your logon password in the password box.
 Click Next to begin the creation of your Password disk.
 Once completed, label and save the disk to a safe place

How to Log on to your PC Using Your Password Reset Disk
Start your computer and at the logon screen, click your user name and leave the password box blank or just type in anything. This will bring up a Logon Failure box and you will then see the option to use your Password Reset disk to create a new password. Click it which will initiate the Password Reset wizard. Insert your password reset disk into your floppy drive and follow the wizard which will let you choose a new password to use for your account.

Note: If your computer is part of a domain, the procedure for creating a password disk is different.

How to configure Gmail in Outlook 2010?

First you need to enable IMAP in your Gmail account. Following are the steps to do that

1. Login to Gmail.
2. Select Settings at the top the page.
3. Select the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
4. Select Enable IMAP.
5. Select any other options as desired and click Save Changes when you are done.

Now it’s time to launch Outlook 2010

There are two methods to do this
First is the Automatic Configuration – It is the simple method.

1. Click the Office logo in the upper-left corner.
2. At the top where it says Account Information, click the dropdown menu.
3. Select Add Account…
4. Fill in the name as you would like it to appear in your email messages, your Gmail address, and the password to your Gmail account. Click Next when you’re done.
5. It will communicate with the Google Mail server.
6. You should be sucessfully connected and your Gmail will now work through Outlook 2010. Click Finish to start using it.


If Automatic configuration does not work, find below the manual configuration

1. Click the Office logo in the upper-left corner.
2. At the top where it says Account Information, click the dropdown menu.
3. Select Add Account…
On the Add New Account screen, just choose Manually configure server settings or additional server types and click Next.

Choose Internet E-mail, connect to POP or IMAP server to send and receive e-mail messages and click Next.

Here give the User information, enter your Name, your full email address including @gmail.com or your @custom-mail.com.

Under Server information,
Account Type – IMAP
Incoming mail server – imap.gmail.com
Outgoing mail server (SMTP) – smtp.gmail.com

Also enter the logon information, enter your user name in full and enter the password.

NOTE: Now don’t click Next yet, click on More settings above it.
In the Internet email settings, go to Advanced Tab to change the server port numbers.

Change Incoming server (IMAP) to 993 and use SSL as the encrypted connection.
Change outgoing server (SMTP) to 587 and use TLS as the encrypted connection.

Now go to Outgoing server tab and check My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication and choose Use same settings as my incoming mail server.
Now you should be taken back to the Add new account screen, click on Test Account Settings and see if everything works without any errors. If there are any errors go back to all the settings and recheck if you have entered correctly.

Click Ok and Finish.

Now you will be taken to the main Outlook window and on the left sidebar a new set of folders will be created to synchronize with the Gmail account. It will also include Drafts, Sent Mail, Spam, Starred, Trash and all other mails synchronized.

Getting Blue Screen Error ?

The notorious Blue Screen of Death is a common term used by computer users to describe the error page that comes up every so often in Microsoft Windows. Though the screen rarely means "death" for the computer, it can be an annoyance, and -- if it begins to show up frequently -- it can be a sign that the computer is suffering from a serious problem. The screen typically appears when the computer has a system error and must shut down.

Software Errors
o Errors with software running on the computer are common causes of the Blue Screen of Death. When drivers are incorrectly installed (or not installed at all), Windows may encounter a system error and be unable to continue running the software. The solution usually lies in installing the correct drivers for the software or upgrading the computer so that it meets the minimum requirements of the software.

Hardware Errors
o Hardware errors, such as errors from ancillary products (an external CD drive, a flash drive, or even a printer) can cause the Blue Screen. This can be due to the hardware malfunctioning, or even be correlated to the user unplugging the hardware in the middle of an operation. Because of this, newer versions of Windows let the user know when it is safe to remove a piece of hardware.

Installation Errors
o The Blue Screen of Death commonly shows up during the installation process of a new piece of software. Indeed, installing Windows itself (such as to a freshly built computer or a re-install) can be a very critical time for errors. This can happen when the computer's hardware is incorrectly configured.

Startup
o If a computer is infected with a virus or too much spyware, the Blue Screen can appear upon startup. These malicious programs make changes to the registry in order to collect information on the user. Sometimes these changes make it impossible for Windows to boot correctly.

Random Errors
o Because they don't seem to follow any type of predictable pattern, random appearances of the Blue Screen of Death can be the most frustrating. The causes for these intermittent errors can be anything from low memory to a processor overheating. Unfortunately, these seemingly random errors are usually the surest signs of serious computer trouble. The best defense is to begin moving important files off the hard drive and consider getting a new computer.

How to get rid of it?

Once the blue screen error persist on your computer, it will not go away unless you fix it. The most common reason for the problem is errors in the computer registry. It contains all the instructions that instruct your program applications to run correctly.

Another possible reason for the blue screen error is due to bad sections in the RAM. Your CPU is regularly making calls to your Random Access Memory, and having bad sections inside can cause the computer to stop processing and show the blue screen.

1. How To Repair The Registry?
The blue screen problem can be easily fixed by using a registry cleaner, if your errors are caused by errors in the registry. This was exactly what I did to cure my computer. It does not only get rid of the blue screen, but you should also find that your computer performance will improve if you have never maintained your registry before.
To clean your registry, you will need to download a cleaner software and run a free scan to find all the errors. To download the top rated software that I used, you can visit my website link at the end of this article to learn more.

2. How To Fix The RAM?
If unfortunately, your computer problems are coming from the RAM, you will have to replace the faulty RAM stick. You can also test your current RAM stick by changing it with another working one, and see if the blue screen error returns. If the error still persists, it would mean that there is no problem with the RAM stick, and vice versa.

Common Blue Screen Error Codes

Blue Screen Error Code #1 – STOP 0x000000D1 or DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_OR_EQUAL
This error is the most commonly encountered blue screen error code by Windows users. It is thrown when one of the drivers on your computer attempts to access a memory location while the OS is using the same location. The normal troubleshooting method for this error code is to identify new software or hardware that has been installed or upgraded on your computer and remove it or regress to a previous version of the driver.

Blue Screen Error Code #2 – STOP 0x0000000A or IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
This error occurs when a process of the OS kernel or a driver tries to access a memory location and does not have the correct permission-levels to do so. The device that creates the error is normally listed in the message and can give specific information on what to do to troubleshoot the problem. Many times a system service, new virus scanner, or backup program can be the result of the error.

Blue Screen Error Code #3 – STOP 0×00000050 or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
This error results from a system service or hardware driver that attempts to access data not resident in the computer memory. Many times antivirus software or remote control software can be the cause in addition to the installation of a new device driver on the computer.

Blue Screen Error Code #4 – STOP 0x000000C2 or BAD_POOL_CALLER
Normally occurs from a bug in a new software program or a device driver. It can also be triggered by failed hardware devices.

Blue Screen Error Code #5 – STOP OX000000ED or UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME
If Windows is not able to access the hard drive volume that contains the OS boot files this error will be thrown. It has been seen occasionally when updating the Vista OS when not using the appropriate IDE cable for the computer’s hard drive.

Blue Screen Error Code #6 – STOP 0x0000001E or KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
This error is thrown when the OS kernel finds an unknown or illegal process instruction that can be caused by a corrupt driver or hardware device. The error code will identify the device that causes the error.

Blue Screen Error Code #7 – STOP 0×00000024 or NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM
The most common cause of this error is a failure of the hardware disk or disk controller. Many times it is thrown if the connection to the hard disk has become loose.

Blue Screen Error Code #8 – STOP 0x0000002E or DATA_BUS_ERROR
The physical memory of the computer has failed or become buggy. In recent years, this has been thrown by the memory in your computer’s video adapter. It can also be thrown if the motherboard has become damaged or the hard disk has been corrupted.

Blue Screen Error Code #9 – STOP 0x0000003F or NO_MORE_SYSTEM_PTES
This error occurs less frequently, but is commonly caused by a faulty computer data back-up program or faulty device driver.

Blue Screen Error Code #10 – STOP 0×00000077 or KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR
Your computer’s OS has tried to load or read kernel information from the computer’s virtual memory and could not find it at the expected address or location. It can be challenging to troubleshoot since it can be caused by a faulty hard drive, corrupted data, malware infection, or a disk controller that is not configured properly.