Microsoft Easter Eggs

Some of Microsoft's early products included hidden Easter eggs. Microsoft formally stopped including Easter eggs in its programs as part of its Trustworthy Computing Initiative in 2002. Here are some of the easter eggs. there are more but 'll just post the few interesting ones.

Microsoft Office 2000

Following in the tradition of hiding a small game in Microsoft Office programs, using Microsoft Excel 2000 and the Microsoft Office Web Components, a small 3-D game called "Dev Hunter" (inspired by Spy Hunter) is accessible.[9] DirectX must be installed for this to work, and the egg is incompatible with certain service pack upgrades. This easter egg can be activated by performing the following steps:

1. Open a new Excel book.
2. Go to the File menu and select 'Save As Webpage'.
3. In the dialog box for Save As, select 'Selection: Sheet' and check the box labeled 'Add Interactivity'.
4. Click the 'Publish' button (file name is irrelevant).
5. On the Publish dialog box that appears, simply click the 'Publish' button again.
6. Open the .htm file that was created in Microsoft Internet Explorer (it should appear as a blank page with an Excel spreadsheet in the centre- if it doesn't, you likely don't have the Microsoft Office Web Components installed).
7. Scroll to the cell in row 2000, column WC. Align the spreadsheet so this cell is the first cell on the left. Select the whole row, with the cell in column WC sub-selected (it will be white, while the rest of the row will be colored light purple).
8. Hold down the Shift, Control, and Alt keys and left-click on the Office logo (the square composed of puzzle pieces).

The Dev Hunter game should now open. The car can be controlled using the arrow keys, the spacebar fires projectiles, and the 'H' and 'O' keys activate headlights and an oilslick, respectively. Developer credits and humorous sentences appear on the roadway. Interestingly, collisions between the car the user controls and other cars, as well as collisions between the other cars themselves, appear to correctly follow the principle of Conservation of Momentum.


Windows 98 credits egg

Windows 98 has a credits screen easter egg.There are two ways to view it. One involves the Date/Time properties dialog box, but the more straightforward method is listed below:

1. Create a shortcut to the Weldata.exe program in the C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Welcome directory.
2. Right-click on the shortcut and open the Properties dialog box.
3. In the target path field, add the text "You_are_a_real_rascal" to the end of the path (without the quotes).
4. In the Run field, select Minimized.
5. After making these changes, double-click on the shortcut and the credits egg should open.

Hover!
Hover! is a video game that came bundled with Windows 95. It was a showcase for the advanced multimedia capabilities available on personal computers at the time. It is still available from Microsoft [3] and can be run on all of Microsoft's operating systems released since Windows 95 including Windows Vista.

One level (shown as "small.maz" in the mazes directory of the game) is used as the introduction level shown when the game finishes starting up. While the player cannot move your ship or indeed move at all, if the player manages to relocate his or her car through some creative hacking, he or she can view pictures of the developer's heads.The player cannot simply rename and load this level normally; the maze is missing spawns for all other objects and crashes immediately on load.

Microsoft Word 97

word 97 has a pinball game hidden into it. just follow the following steps and you will be playing pinball after that.

1. Load Microsoft Word as you normally would.
2. Type the word "Blue" (without the quotes).
3. Highlight the word you just typed.
4. Click on the Format menu, and choose Font.
5. In the Font Dialog Box, make the word Bold by selecting Bold from the style section, and choose Blue for the colour.
6. Click OK.
7. Making sure the cursor is after the word Blue, push the space bar once.
8. Click on the Help menu, and choose About Microsoft Word.
9. While holding the Ctrl and Shift keys at the same time, click on the Word logo.

If all went right, a pinball game should appear, and you can control your padles using Z and M. Their will also be the credits of the Word programmers, displayed along the side of the screen.

Flight Stimulator in Microsoft Excel 97

Start Microsoft Excel as you normally would, then follow the instruction below:

1. Press either F5, or select the Go To command from the menu bar.
2. In the Dialog Box that appears, type X97:L97, and click on OK (or press enter). This will select the appropriate cells in the spreadsheet.
3. Push the Tab button on your keyboard once.
4. While holding down the Ctrl and Shift keys at the same time, click on the Chart Wizard button (on your toolbar).

If all goes as planned, a flight simulator will appear. You can control your vehicle using your mouse. If you click on the left mouse button, your vehicle will speed up, while if you click on the right mouse button, your vehicle will slow down and eventually go into reverse.

Try out these things(if you can cos no one these days uses the older versions of windows and office) and you can impress your friends.

Some useful Keyboard shortcuts

CTRL+X - Cut
CTRL+V - Paste
CTRL+Z - Undo
DELETE - Delete
SHIFT+DELETE - Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin
CTRL while dragging an item - Copy the selected item
CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item- Create a shortcut to the selected item
F2 key - Rename the selected item
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW - Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word
CTRL+LEFT ARROW - Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word
CTRL+DOWN ARROW - Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph
CTRL+UP ARROW - Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph
CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys - Highlight a block of text
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys - Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document
CTRL+A - Select all
F3 key - Search for a file or a folder
ALT+ENTER - View the properties for the selected item
ALT+F4 - Close the active item, or quit the active program
ALT+SPACEBAR - Open the shortcut menu for the active window
CTRL+F4 - Close the active document in programs that enable you to have multiple documents open simultaneously
ALT+TAB - Switch between the open items
ALT+ESC - Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened
F6 key - Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F4 key - Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer
SHIFT+F10 - Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
CTRL+ESC - Display the Start menu
ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name - Display the corresponding menu
Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu - Perform the corresponding command
F10 key - Activate the menu bar in the active program
F5 key Update the active window
BACKSPACE - View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer
ESC - Cancel the current task
SHIFT when you insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive - Prevent the CD-ROM from automatically playing
CTRL+TAB - Move forward through the tabs
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB - Move backward through the tabs
TAB (press continuously) - Move forward through the options
SHIFT+TAB - Move backward through the options
SPACEBAR - Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box

Tips to keep your computer Spyware free

1. Update Windows immediately. In the Windows Security Center in the Control Panel turn on automatic download and installation for updates. Unless the computer came with a third party security suite or firewall, turn on the Windows XP firewall.

2. Update the pre-installed antivirus definitions and other security apps. Set them to auto update.

3. Download and install an alternative browser like Firefox or Opera.

4. Lockdown Internet Explorer. Yes, do it even if you use a different browser.

5. Install at least two anti-spyware apps. My top two recommended free apps are Spyware Doctor and Microsoft AntiSpyware. Update definitions for both and turn on active protection.

6. Install some free protective programs like SpywareBlaster and SpywareGuard from Javacool Software.

7. Surf safe. don,t go into sites you don't trust or sites which just pops up

8. If your computer gets infected run scan on Spyware doctor. and remove the spyware

9. If you can't do it contact your local system mechanic or what ever you call him.

Orkut Tips and tricks -Part III

Star trick:-
Try & # 9 7 3 3 in your scrap book ,without the spaces, editor box above your Scraps and Write Your Message

Voila!! a STAR comes up Before ur Message.

Invisible name :-
1) Click on edit profile and tape the place where your name is written
2) Type ALT + 0173 in your first name and last name. (i.e. Type 0173 while pressing the ALT key of your keyboard.)
3) Click on Update and see the magic

Hindi sraps:-
Right click on the link below n open it in a new window !

http://www.technoarea.org/hindi/hindi.html

In the site write the hindi message you want to send in english. you can also view the message as you type it. then copy it and past it in the scrap book of your friend. you can also put your profile name in hindi using this. alos there is a keymap to guide you.check it out.

Sending links:-
when you try to send links to your friends a word verification pops up.

You can bypass this word verification while sending links by this trick. The simple logic is you make the link 'dead'. All you have to do is to just change http to hTTp (two capital T's) and www to wWw. Now the link will be dead and bypass the word verification.

Orkut Tipsand tricks -Part II

Want to play a trick on your friend? just put in the following links in his/her profile.Simply copy and paste the links. if you click on th links and go on netdisaster.com you can change the setting in the links below. there are lot of options to chose from. for example in the worst profile link i have used tomato's. if you go to the change it to cowdung and many more. try it. its fun

Worst Profile On Orkut

http://www.netdisaster.com/go.php?mode=tomato&url=http://www.orkut.com

Best Profile

http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx???2pid=0031517960896443124

Best Album

http://www.orkut.com/AlbumView.aspx?2uid=003492118394569816

Best Scrapbook

http://www.orkut.com/Scrapbook.aspx?2uid=00684921926003

Want to play a few more tricks. Try mirror links.These links if clicked redirects the person who clicked to his/her profile..
You can use these in Your Profile like :MY best frnd" and any one who clicks on these links u define will see hes/her own profile. just copy these links in their scrap book and impress them with comments like "profile of my best friend","scrapbook of my besft friend" etc.


this will give out the profile:

http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx???2pid=11731517960896443124

this will give out the Album :

http://www.orkut.com/AlbumView.aspx?2uid=3492118394569816171

this will give out the Scrapbook :

http://www.orkut.com/Scrapbook.aspx?2uid=6849219260034274333

Google search tips- for better searching

We all live in Google. It's more than merely the one of the best search sites on the planet; it has become a constellation of sites and services, from desktop applications to Internet-based applications and destinations, and it's even branching out into offering free Wi-Fi service.
In short, Google is its own universe—and like the universe after the Big Bang, it's constantly expanding. But as it expands the content of information in it increases. So when you search for a particular item a large number of references pop up, some of which may be totally useless to you. So for utilizing Google to its maximum use the following tips: -

1) Include and Exclude search items: -
If you want to search for some thing and want to search for something just include the item in your search add the '+" sign before the item you want to put a connection to.
eg: -if you want to search for apple(fruit) in Google, you will get many references. But most will be dominated by apple computers and all. to refine it put it as
apple +fruit
you will get a better search result

excluding the item is the same way as above. just put the '-' sign in from of the item you want to exclude from the search result

2) Pipe operator:- Google also understands a logical OR, as long as it is in caps. This means you can search for a hotel in Leeds OR Bradford, for example. It is very useful when people, places or things have alternative or variable spellings: [outsourcing bombay OR mumbai]. The OR command can be shortened to a vertical bar (|), as in [outsourcing bombay | mumbai]. Thus if you search for [~food], Google also searches for cooking, cuisine, nutrition, recipes and restaurants.

3) Quotes:- if you want to search for good boy Google will give out all pages with good and boy even if the words are unconnected. but to refine the results use the ' " ' operator. for example "good boy" will give you results of good boy only.

4) Similar terms:- Use the "~" symbol to return similar terms. [~dumb little man -dumb] will get you pages that contain "funny little man" and "stupid little man" but not "dumb little man". Thus if you search for [~food], Google also searches for cooking, cuisine, nutrition, recipes and restaurants.

5) Wildcard operator :- The "*" symbol is a wildcard. This is useful if you're trying to find the lyrics to a song, but can't remember the exact lyrics. [i * that way] will return the Backstreet Boys song you're looking for. It's also useful for finding stuff only in certain domains like using it in "*.edu".

6) Definitions:- Use the "define:" operator to get a quick definition. [define:dumb] will give you a whole host of definitions from different sources, with links.

7) Calculator: - One of the handiest uses of Google, type in a quick calculation in the search box and get an answer. It's faster than calling up your computer's calculator in most cases. Use the +, -, *, / symbols and parentheses to do a simple equation.

8) Number range:- This little-known feature searches for a range of numbers. For example, ["eplchampions 2002..2007] will return lists of champions of epl each of the years from 2002 to 2007 (note the there are only two periods between the two numbers).

9) Site operator:-Use the "site:" operator to search only within a certain website. [site:espnstar.com football] will search for the term "football" only within this site.

10) Link operator: The "link:" operator will find pages that link to a specific URL. You can use this not only for a main URL but even to a specific page. Not all links to an URL are listed, however.

11) Music and Movies:- The "music:" operator returns content related to music only. similarly you can try for movies ans shows.

12) Unit converter:- Use Google for a quick conversion, from yards to meters for example, or different currency: [22 yards in meters]

13) File types:- If you just want to search for .PDF files, or Word documents, or Excel spreadsheets, for example, use the "filetype:" operator.

14) Location of term:- By default, Google searches for your term throughout a web page. But if you just want it to search certain locations, you can use operators such as "inurl:", "intitle:", "intext:", and "inanchor:". Those search for a term only within the URL, the title,
the body text, and the anchor text (the text used to describe a link).
for example : intitle:"index.of"(filetype|fyletype)Filename

15) Google specific searches:- Instead of searching for a term across all pages on the web, search within a specialized field. Google has a number of specific searches, allowing you to search within blogs, news, books, and much more:

o Blog Search
o Book Search
o Scholar
o Catalogs
o Code Search
o Directory
o Finance
o Images
o Local/Maps
o News
o Patent Search
o Product Search
o Video

16) Advanced search:- Last but not least. If you can't remember any of these operators, you can always use Google's advanced search. This can be helpful if you don't remember the operators.

Try these tips out and make the time you spend for hunting information in Google shorter. Happy hunting.

Orkut tips and tricks- Part 1

Press alt key and d following 4rm num pad ...
alt + 987 - █
alt + 1 - ☺
alt + 2 - ☻
alt + 3 - ♥
alt + 4 - ♦
alt + 5 - ♣
alt + 6 - ♠
alt + 7 - •
alt + 8 - ◘
alt + 9 - ○
alt + 0178 - ²
alt + 0489 - é
alt + 0756 - ô
alt + 0742 - æ
alt + 0719 - Ï
alt + 0739 - ã
alt + 0729 - Ù
The same way many combinations can be tried..
keep trying it and if you find any thing interesting do leave me a comment


Blank scrap

1) Open any scrapbook.
2) Write [i] in the scrapbook.
3) Do NOT write anything else in the scrapbook, and submit the scrap.
That's all.
NOTE:
You can also use [b] tag instead of [i] tag
You can also use this method to post a blank entry in any community forum.

Mass scrapping...scrapping all friends at once

if you want to scrap all friends at once and save time just get a Firefox Addon . You can get the addon at the link below.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/748

‮

Mirror message

For writing mirror scrap, follow the steps:


1.Type the text in the scrapbook or any text box.

2.Type (& # 8 2 3 8) without spaces before the message in the text box.

3.Now ENTER.

‮

For making your name invisible follow the steps:

1) Click on edit profile
2) Type ALT + 0173 in your first name and last name. (i.e. Type 0173 while pressing the ALT key of your keyboard.)
3) Click on Update

Try these tricks..I'll be putting in more.So wait and watch

Password Protection

Want to protect your password and protect your id from getting hacked....Here are some tips to to protect your password.

• Never write down your password- Take note and never write down your password on a piece of paper or save it in a file onto your hard disk.We never realize how many pieces of paper dominate our computer desk space.If you do so anybody can read it and your id can be easily hacked.
• Don't give your password to anyone for accessing your account,even to your close friends for that matter. and also don't give your password to websites you think are questionable.
• Be choosy while keeping your password. Don't keep the same thing as your id as your password. and also don't keep a password that can be easily guessed by other people.
• Try to use different cases, numbers and also symbols in your password so that i can't be cracked using BRUTE FORCE cracking(the most successful method of password cracking)
• Never use the same password for more than one id. So that in case your one id is screwed you atleast have your second id.
• If you have problem remembering the passwords for different id's use Firefox. It savs your passwords and your id when you enter it in a site. So if you forget your password just open the Mozzila Firefox options and check it there.
• If possible change your passwords once in atleast 2 monts so that you can ensure the safety of your login id.

Implement these tips and reduce the chances of being hacked.

Yahoo Messenger Tips

Almost all of us use yahoo messenger very frequently or daily in our day to day life but most of us never go for productivity shortcuts being provided in order to increase our productivity. I am telling you that using shortcuts greatly reduces your time taken for doing a particular operation.

So i am going to list some of the coolest keyboard shortcuts which will make you more productive with yahoo messenger.

The keyboard shortcuts used to activate menus in Yahoo! Messenger -

• Activate “Messenger” menu = Alt + C
• Activate “View” menu = Alt + V
• Activate “Contacts” menu = Alt + C
• Activate “Help” menu = Alt + H

The menus contain lists of functions. The keyboard shortcuts to operate these functions are -

• Add a Contact = Ctrl + Shift + A
• Change My Display Image = Ctl + Shift + K
• Close = Ctrl + Q
• Find Contacts in Address Book = Ctrl + F
• Messenger Help = F1
• “Online Presence” = Ctrl + Shift + S (You can only use this when a name is selected within your Messenger list. It basically enables you to alter it so that a particular person sees you as being offline even when you’re online to everyone else.)
• Place a Call = Ctrl + L (This will launch BT communicator)
• Preferences = Ctrl + Shift + P
• Refresh = Ctrl + R
• Send an Instant Message = Ctrl + M (this opens the “message compose” window)
• Send a Text Message = Ctrl + T
• Send an Email = Ctrl + Y
• Sign Out = Ctrl + D
• Toggle between “Messenger List” and “Address Book” in the main screen = Ctrl + Tab
• Toggle between showing all contacts and only showing those contacts that are currently online = Ctrl + H

Enjoy yahoo working with these shortcuts on yahoo messenger and see how your usage time decreases greatly.Now no need to waste time chasing your mouse. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!

Control windows using your keyboard

If you like to keep many windows open while you work (or play) on your computer, you'll appreciate knowing these keyboard shortcuts. You can quickly switch between your Web browser, e-mail, instant message windows, and other programs without taking your hands off the keyboard.

Action	Shortcut
Minimize a window to your taskbar	ALT, SPACEBAR, N
Maximize a window so it takes up your whole desktop	ALT, SPACEBAR, X
Restore a window so it's visible but doesn't take up your whole desktop	ALT, SPACEBAR, R
Close a window	ALT+F4
Switch to the last window you had open	ALT+TAB
Switch to any window	Hold down the ALT key, and press TAB until the window you want is active

Programs often start up in a "restored" state, where the window takes up only part of the screen. To maximize the window so that it takes up the entire screen, press the ALT key, press the SPACEBAR, and then press X. This will feel natural after you do it a few times, and you will feel much more efficient while using your computer.

So try out this keyboard tips to make you work more efficient and fast. Using the keyboard saves lots of time and save the time consumed by you spend to find your mouse.

Opening programs using keyboard

The Start menu is great for finding programs, but its multiple levels of folders can be time consuming to navigate. If there is a program you start frequently, you should set a keyboard shortcut for it so that you can start the program without taking your hands off the keyboard.


1.Click the Start menu, and then click All Programs. Right-click the program that you want to start with a keyboard shortcut, and then click Properties.

2.Click in the Shortcut key box. Now press the letter on your keyboard that you want to use to start the program. Make it easy to remember—for example, press I for Microsoft Internet Explorer.
You can use either uppercase or lowercase letters when creating your keyboard shortcuts—and when accessing them later. In the Shortcut key box, Microsoft Windows XP automatically adds Ctrl + Alt + before the key you pressed. When you want to start the program, hold down both the CTRL and ALT keys simultaneously, while also pressing the letter you chose. This way, your program won't start every time you type that letter.

3.Click OK.

4.Now test your shortcut. Hold down the CTRL and ALT keys, and then press the letter you chose. If you find it difficult to hold down two keys at once, read Turn on the Sticky Keys feature. Your program should start.This can be done to opening your favorite or most used programs easily. Try this trick and impress your friends if you are doing this in front of them.

To activate StickyKeys

1.Press the SHIFT key five times. A dialog box opens with instructions on how to set up the StickyKeys feature.

2.Click OK.

Antivirus softwares

Protecting your data is getting harder every day.With more people using broadband connections, file sharing utilities, and sending/receiving email along with virus writers developing more sophisticated ways to attack, a good anti-virus package is imperative.

The features a good anti virus software must have are -

	Ease of Use
	Effective at Identifying Viruses and Worms
	Effective at Cleaning or Isolating Infected Files
	Activity Reporting
	Feature Set
	Ease of Installation and Setup
	Help Documentation

The following site provides you with a detailed account of most of the commomly used anti virus softwares in the market these days like AVG,Norton,McAfee, Nod32,Avast etc
just follow this link

http://www.anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

links to get some of these antivirus softwares -

AVG- www.grisoft.com
Norton-www.symantec.com
McAffe-www.mcafee.com
NOD32-www.eset.com
Avast-www.avast.com

Internet browsers-an comparision

There is a speed war on the web. Browsers compete on many fronts; security, standards support, features and speed.

Browsers are the programs which allow you to view World Wide Web files, but you already know that. What you may not know is that it is bad form to choose sides in the browser wars, unless you're in a closed, controlled, intranet environment.

Many organizations and users try to claim that their browser is the fastest and better than the others. The Opera site claims that Opera is The Fastest Browser on Earth!. The Mozilla site claims that Firefox empowers you to browse faster (faster than what?). Mozilla itself is quoted as being an alternative to Microsoft IE and it's faster to boot.Internet Explorer users often claim that they use it because of its speed, as the alternatives take longer to start and load pages.

This year(2007) itself three new browsers were released- Internet explorer 7,Mozzila Firefox 2 and Opera 9. Lets us see the comparisons of these 3 browsers and see which browser offers what.

Feature	Firefox 2 Beta 1	Internet Explorer 7 Beta 3	Opera 9.00
Tabbed browsing	Yes	Yes	Yes
Add-ins	Yes—Extensions	Yes—Add-Ons	Widgets
Themes	Yes	No	Yes—Skins
Built-in search with multiple engine choice	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pop-up blocker	Yes	Yes	Yes
Anti-Phishing	Yes	Yes	No
One-Click Button to add Favorites	No	Yes	No
RSS reader	Yes	Yes	Yes
Download manager	Yes	No	Yes
Can remember open tabs for next session	No	Yes	Yes
Save group of tabs as bookmark	Yes	Yes	Yes
Thumbnails for tabs	No	Yes—Quick Tabs	Yes—Mouse over tab; also can tile tabs
Macintosh/Linux version	Yes/Yes	No/No	Yes
BitTorrent client	No	No	Yes
Spell-checker for text boxes	Yes	No	No
Download pause	Yes	No	Yes (stop and resume transfer)

Result by CHIP magazine

Firefox wins the browser test but Opera isn’t far behind. The upcoming version 9.1 – equipped with a phishing filter – should then be able to catch up with the ‘Fox. Internet Explorer, however, bags last place. With a commanding 87-percent market share, it stands at the top of hackers’ hit list, yet Microsoft still dares to leave a few holes open in the new Internet Explorer 7.

The real winner: -

Regardless of who will prevail in the browser wars, the users will win. While fighting each other, the browser makers innovate and simplify. They increase our productivity by integrating into the browser web concepts such as search, RSS, OPML, microformats and more. The core browsers are getting slimmer and faster, while extensions that cover a wide range of services are being developed by external parties.

Where to get the browsers :-

Mozilla Firefox- mozilla.org

Opera-opera.com/

Internet Explorer -microsoft.com/

Common Dos commands you need to know

Need to know about dos commands.Confused of the basic dos commands .Here are some of the basic dos commands you need to know. These are very simple to implement. just try them out in DoS promt.

ATTRIB	displays or changes file attributes
CHDIR or CD	displays the name of the current directory or changes the current directory
CHKDSK	checks the status of a disk and displays a status report; it can also fix disk errors
CLS	clears the screen
COPY	copies one or more files to a destination you specify
DEL	deletes the files you specify
DELTREIE	deletes a directory and all the files and subdirectories that are in it
DIR	displays the files and subdirectories that are in the directory you specify
DISKCOPY	copies the entire contents of one floppy disk to another floppy disk. It writes over the existing contents of the destination disk as it copies the new information on it.
ECHO	displays or hides the text in batch programs when the program is running.
EDIT	starts MS-DOS Editor, a text editor you can use to create and edit ASCII text files.
DEL or ERASE	deletes the files you specify
EXIT	quits the MS-DOS command interpreter and returns to the program that started it, if one exists.
FASTHELP	displays a list of all MS-DOS 6 commands and gives a short explanation of each.
FIND	searches for a specific string of text in a file or files
FORMAT	formats a disk for use with MS-DOS
HELP	starts MS-DOS Help
MKDIR or MD	creates a directory
MEM	displays the amount of used and free memory on your computer
MORE	displays one screen of output at a time
MOVE	moves one or more files to the location you specify
MSBACKUP	backs up or restores one or more files from one disk onto another
MSD	Provides technical information about your computer
PRINT	prints a text file while you are using other MS-DOS commands
QBASIC	starts MS-DOS Qbasic
RD or RMDIR	deletes a directory
REN	changes the name of the file or files you specify
RMDIR or RD	deletes a directory
SCANDISK	starts a disk analysis and repair tool that checks a drive for errors and corrects any problems that it finds.
TREIE	graphicaly displays the structure of a directory
UNDELETE	restores files that were deleted previously by using the DEL command
VER	displays the MS-DOS version number
XCOPY	copies directories , their subdirectories, and files except hidden and system files.

The Windows Key

All of windows users must have seen a windows key on your keyboard. The key with a windows icon on it. the one on the right and left of the Alt key after the space bar. ya the same one. on pressing this the Start menu is displayed. but this key is the most unused key in the keyboard and it has various short cut functions which can make the working on the computer faster and much simpler. some of the functions and their combinations are given below.

Shortcut Keys	Description
WINKEY + D	Minimizes all windows and returns the user to the desktop.
WINKEY + M	Minimizes all windows.
WINKEY + SHIFT + M	Undo the minimize.
WINKEY + E	Open Microsoft Explorer.
WINKEY + Tab	Cycle through open programs through the taskbar.
WINKEY + F	Display the Windows Search / Find feature.
WINKEY + CTRL + F	Display the search for computers window.
WINKEY + F1	Display the Microsoft Windows help.
WINKEY + R	Open the run window.
WINKEY + Pause / Break key	Open the system properties window.
WINKEY + U	Open Utility Manager.
WINKEY + L	Lock the computer (Windows XP and above only). displays the welcome screen if you have multiple users and can change users.

Check out these keys and make your computer working experience fun.

10 TIPS TO SPEED UP YOUR COMPUTER

Is your computer slow? Is it taking too long to get booted? them try out the tips below to increase your system start up

1.Let your PC boot up completely before opening any applications.

2.Refresh the desktop after closing any application. This will remove any unused files from the RAM.

3.Do not set very large file size images as your wallpaper. Do not keep a wallpaper at all if your PC is low on RAM (less than 64 MB).

4.Do not clutter your Desktop with a lot of shortcuts. Each shortcut on the desktop uses up to 500 bytes of RAM

5.Empty the recycle bin regularly. The files are not really deleted from your hard drive until you empty the recycle bin.

6.Delete the temporary internet files regularly.

7.Defragment your hard drive once every two months. This will free up a lot of space on your hard drive and rearrange the files so that your applications run faster.

8.Always make two partitions in your hard drive. Install all large Softwares (like PSP, Photoshop, 3DS Max etc) in the second partition. Windows uses all the available empty space in C drive as virtual memory when your Computer RAM is full. Keep the C Drive as empty as possible.(For those who dont know to increase their virtual memory pls check back to this site later. I'll be posting that in a differtent section).

9.When installing new Softwares disable the option of having a tray icon. The tray icons use up available RAM, and also slow down the booting of your PC. Also disable the option of starting the application automatically when the PC boots. You can disable these options later on also from the Tools or preferences menu in your application.

10. Protect your PC from dust. Dust causes the CPU cooling fan to jam and slow down thereby gradually heating your CPU and affecting the processing speed. Use compressed air to blow out any dust from the CPU. Never use vacuum as it may sometimes damage the circuity of the board in the cpu.

Computer crash

10 reasons why computers crash

"Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."

You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Microsoft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?
1 Hardware conflict

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.

For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.

If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.

Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.

Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.

Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).

When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.

To be fair to Microsoft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

2 Bad Ram

Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.

But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.

One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.

Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.

EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.

3 BIOS settings

Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.

Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.

A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.

Microsoft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

4 Hard disk drives

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.

The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).

Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-Hard Disk.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.

Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors

Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.

These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.

If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.

If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.

Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).

Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

6 Viruses

Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs

Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.

A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.

An excellent antivirus programme's are AVG antivirus by GriSoft(www.grisoft.com),McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( www.nai.com). Another is Norton AntiVirus , made by Symantec ( www.symantec.com).

7 Printers

The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.

If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.

8 Software

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.

The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.

Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org

Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.

Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.

Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

9 Overheating

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from www.computernerd.com or www.coolit.com

CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.
10 Power supply problems

With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost