Hidden XP Utility: Verifier
Earlier this week we covered the process of rolling back a device driver in XP. One step we can take to help verify the driver we download will work is to use a little known XP utility called Verifier.
To access Verifier go to Start \ Run and type in “verifier” without the quotes.
The Driver Verifier Manager utility will open up. Here you have different options, where you will choose a task best suited for your setup.
In the next screen you can choose to auto select a driver or select from a list. For this example I am going to use the list.
Let’s say I am having a problem with my audio driver. I select that device driver and am prompted to reboot the computer. If there are any issues with the driver you will get the famous Blue Screen of Death with an error message. If the driver is working properly then the system will start up normally.
To disable the Verifier utility go to Start \ Run and type in “verifier /reset” without the quotes.
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Black Theme for Windows XP
I've received a number of emails asking where we got the sweet black theme for Windows XP in most of the screenshots. It's the Zune theme from Microsoft, which you can get directly from their download site:
The best thing about this theme is that it doesn't require any cracks or hacked versions of system files, since it was created by Microsoft. Just run the installer and it's ready to go.
Here's a screenshot of the default theme look.
The first thing I do is swap out the background image with something better.
Enjoy!
Click here to View more...System Restore in XP
Windows is well-known for having driver and .dll conflicts, as well as all sorts of software that causes problems with your computer. Luckily there's a System restore feature that can return your computer back to a known working configuration, as long as you've created a restore point.
Note that some software installations will create restore points automatically, but you should run it manually before installing any questionable applications. (Or better yet, don't install questionable applications!)
Creating a Restore Point Manually
To create a Restore Point click on Start \ programs\ Accessories \ System Tools \ System Restore, and you'll be given a wizard screen.
Click on "Create a restore point" and then click the Next button. You'll be brought to a screen where you can type in a description for your restore point. Use something memorable if possible.
Once your restore point is created (which might take a while), you will get a confirmation screen.
All done creating the restore point!
Restoring from a Restore Point
To restore from a previously created restore point, open System Restore the same as above, but this time we'll select "Restore my computer to an earlier time". Note that System Restore is going to reboot your computer in order to restore.
Click the next button, and you'll be shown a calendar with bolded dates wherever there is a restore point. Click on the date, and then click a restore point in the right hand side.
You'll get a confirmation screen asking if you really want to do this. We'll assume that there's a problem requiring you to restore, so go ahead.
Your system will reboot and then restore your computer back to the previous configuration.
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Vista Breadcrumbs for Windows XP
The same programmer that created yesterday's Tabbed Explorer plugin also has another add-in that will give you Vista-style breadcrumbs in Windows XP. This application should be really helpful for those of you that aren't ready to switch to Windows Vista yet, but want to get some of the new features.
Installation of this application is fairly simple, just unzip the files into the location you'd like to keep them, and then double-click on the QTAddressBar.exe file.
Select the Install option, and then click the Next button to register the component with Windows.
At this point you need to either log off and back on, or restart explorer.exe through Task Manager. You can select the File \ New Task option once you kill the process.
Assuming you are back from restarting explorer, now right-click on the toolbars area and do these two actions:
- Deselect Address Bar
- Select QT Breadcrumbs Address Bar
Now you'll have an incredibly similar breadcrumbs implementation for Windows XP.
Of course, there are also some of you that don't like the breadcrumbs in Vista, and there's a way to disable those too.
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Vista Style Analog Desktop Clock for Windows XP
One of the features that regular users seem to love in Windows Vista is the sidebar's analog clock. Every time I glance at somebody's desktop in a coffee shop they are using one. Windows XP users are not left out in the cold with the ClocX desktop clock that works similarly.
The clock really looks slick, especially if you choose a nice looking theme:
If you right-click on the clock you can change some of the common options, and also get to the options panel.
The options panel has loads of different options you can choose from… note that you can use the Pin to Desktop option in here and remove Always on top if you want the clock below all the other windows.
On the Appearance tab you can change the theme to any one of the preloaded themes.
From the clock's right-click menu you can also access the Alarms feature, which is surprisingly full-featured.
Clicking on the New button brings you to the Alarm editor, where you can use the standard options for time, date and recurrence, but you can even set it to launch an application, sound or even a video.
I'm not a big fan of these types of clocks, but it seems like everybody I know loves them, so here you are!
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Remove Icons Background Color in Windows XP?
If you've been wondering why your XP desktop icons have a background color, you'll be glad to know you can flip a checkbox and have them go back to a normal transparent background.
Here's the two versions side by side.
To set the transparent background on the icons, we'll need to open System Properties in Control Panel (or right-click on My Computer and select Properties).
In this dialog, click the Advanced tab, and then the Settings button under the Performance section.
Now scroll down to the button where you'll find a checkbox for "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop". Make sure you check this box if you want transparent backgrounds on the icons.
Why this option isn't just labeled "Enable Transparent Icons On the Desktop", I just can't say.
Update
If the above does not work, you might want to also check these additional settings suggested by readers in the comments.
- You can't be displaying a web page as your background. To check this, right-click on the desktop and choose Properties. Select Customize desktop on the Desktop tab, then select the Web tab on the desktop items window and deselect any web pages that are shown.
- You need to make sure that High Contrast is not selected under Accessibility \ Display Options in your Control Panel.
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Fix for VLC Skipping and Lagging Playing High-Def Video Files
VLC is the king of all media… it plays almost anything on any platform, any time, any place. It's great. Lately, however, I've been having issues with VLC skipping whenever I'm playing high-def media streaming over a network.
Fixing the Lagging and Skipping
If the file that is skipping is playing from a local hard drive, choose the "All" settings at the bottom of the dialog to show all of the options, then navigate to Input / Codecs -> Access modules -> File.
The caching value here is set in milliseconds, so setting the value to 1000 will buffer for 1 second (the default is 600, or 0.6 seconds). The problem with setting this option too large is that if you want to manually skip to a new point in the file, there will be a larger lag while the content is buffered again.
If the file you are trying to play is located on a network share, you can navigate to Input / Codecs -> Access modules -> SMB and change the caching value here.
For illustration, I've shown the value set to 1 second, but this setting can be used to buffer as much as you want… a cache of 20 seconds would probably eliminate the skipping even over wireless networks.
The next thing you can do is adjust an option that makes a huge difference when dealing with high-def media over a slow I/O connection… browse down to Input / Codecs -> Other codecs -> FFmpeg.
Change the "Skip the loop filter for H.264 decoding" option to All. This option makes playback smoother by slightly degrading the quality of the picture. You can try the other settings first, and only use this as a last resort.
The last setting, although arguably the most important one, is to test using a different video output module. Using the DirectX 3D video output should offload some of the processing onto the video card, but you can test OpenGL or GDI to see if it helps.
It should be noted that at least on my system, Direct3D is the default anyway.
Hopefully at least one of these tips will solve your buffering problems.
If you haven't used VLC, you should head to their download page and check it out.
Click here to View more...Windows XP Articles
XP Articles
- Add an External Drive to Windows Home Server
- Add Copy To / Move To to the Windows Explorer Right Click Menu
- Add the Command Prompt to the Windows Explorer Right-Click Menu
- Adding a TCP/IP Route to the Windows Routing Table
- Assign Keyboard Media Keys to Work in Winamp
- Bring Misplaced Off-Screen Windows Back to Your Desktop (Keyboard Trick)
- Change Default Wallpaper Folder to My Pictures on Windows XP
- Change XP Desktop Icons Into Smaller List View
- Clear IE7 Browsing History From the Command Line
- Clear Recent Commands From the Run Dialog in Windows XP
- Clear Recent Documents in the XP Start Menu
- Command Line Hack for: "Terminal Server Has Exceeded the Maximum Number of Allowed Connections"
- Create a Shortcut for Locking Your Computer Screen in Windows Vista
- Create an Email Template in Outlook 2003
- Customize Your Folder Icons in Windows XP
- Customizing Your Icons in Windows XP
- Defrag Multiple Hard Drives At Once In Windows
- Defragment Your System Files (Pagefile and Registry) in Windows XP
- Disable "Your computer might be at risk" Popup in Windows XP SP2
- Disable Administrator Logon Warning in Windows Home Server
- Disable Autoplay of Audio CDs and USB Drives
- Disable Fast User Switching on Windows XP
- Disable Notification Balloons in XP
- Disable that Annoying Windows Logon Warning Message
- Disable those annoying "X Application has Encountered a Problem and Must be Shut Down" messages in Windows XP
- Display a list of Started Services from the Command Line (Windows)
- Display Hidden Folders in XP
- Display the routing table in either Windows or Ubuntu
- Download and Convert Real Media Audio Streams the Easy Way
- Dual Monitors: Use a Different Wallpaper on Each Desktop
- Enable Quick Copy and Paste with the Mouse on SecureCRT
- Enhance Productivity With Extensions For Windows
- Find a Forgotten Password Saved in Firefox
- Find Out If Your Computer Can Run Windows Vista
- Find Your Missing USB Drive on Windows XP
- Fix "New transaction cannot enlist in the specified transaction coordinator" on Server 2003 SP2
- Fix for Firefox memory leak on Windows
- Fix for VLC Skipping and Lagging Playing High-Def Video Files
- Fix for Windows Explorer Folder Pane in XP Becomes Grayed Out
- Fixing "The Event Log is Full" Error on Windows XP
- Force Open/Save Dialogs to Use Details Mode in Windows XP
- Force Terminal Services Clients to Disconnect when Idle
- Geek Repair: Create Your Own Ultimate Recovery CD
- Get Vista Explorer Style Full Row Selection and Checkboxes in Windows XP
- Get Vista Style Drive Icons in Windows XP
- Get Vista Taskbar Thumbnail Previews in Windows XP
- Have Windows Notify You When You Accidentally Hit the Caps Lock Key
- Hide Flashing Command Line and Batch File Windows On Startup
- How to automate FTP uploads from the Windows Command Line
- How to Delete, Modify or Disable an Incorrect or Duplicate Entry on the XP Boot Menu
- How to Fix Double Click Always Opens Search in Windows Explorer
- How To Fix System Tray Tooltips Not Displaying in Windows XP
- How To Get Detailed Information About Your PC
- How to Get Virtual Desktops on Windows XP
- How to Remote Desktop to the Actual Server Console on Windows 2003
- How to Remove Shared Documents Icon from My Computer in Windows XP
- How to Run a DirectX Diagnostic on XP
- How to Secure Gaim Instant Messenger traffic at Work with SecureCRT and SSH
- Important: How To Scan and Remove Malicious Viruses
- Install Recovery Console as a Boot Menu Option on Windows XP
- Installing Windows Home Server
- Keep SecureCRT SSH Sessions from Disconnecting
- Keep Start Menu From Closing After Opening Applications
- Kill Processes from the Windows Command Line
- Login Automatically on Windows XP Home / Professional
- Make Ctrl+Tab in Internet Explorer 7 Use Most Recent Order
- Make Disk Cleanup Compress Older(or Newer) Files on XP
- Make VLC Player Look like Windows Media Player 11
- Make Windows XP Shut Down Faster
- Make Windows XP Use a Custom Theme for the Classic Logon Screen
- Make Your Windows XP Logon Screen Look Like Windows Vista
- Make Your XP Computer Look Like OS X
- Minimalist Explorer Breadcrumbs for Windows XP
- Mysticgeek Blog: A Look at Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 on Windows XP
- Mysticgeek Blog: Hidden XP Utility - Driver Verifier
- Open Source PDF Reader for Windows in a Single .Exe
- Power Up Your Windows Context Menu with Shell Menu Tools
- Prevent Windows XP from Creating the Thumbs.db Thumbnail Cache Files
- Print Only Selected Text From Web Pages
- Quick Help: Downloadable Show Desktop Icon for XP
- Quick Tip: Empty Internet Explorer 7 Cache when Browser is Closed
- Quick Tip: Restart Windows From Task Manager
- Quickly Remove Items from Windows XP Startup
- Registry Hack to Set Internet Explorer Start Page
- Reinstall Ubuntu Grub Bootloader After Windows Wipes it Out
- Remove "Please wait while the document is being prepared for reading" Message in Adobe Reader 8
- Remove ISP Text or Corporate Branding from Internet Explorer Title Bar
- Remove PartyPoker (Or Other Items) from the Internet Explorer Tools Menu
- Remove QuickTime Icon From System Tray
- Remove the Built-In Search Bar on IE 7
- Remove the Username From the Start Menu in XP
- Remove User Accounts from the Login Screen in Windows XP
- Remove Windows Logo During Boot Up In XP
- Resize the Recycle Bin in XP
- Resolving "Setup did not find any hard disk drives" during Windows XP Installation
- Save 15 Keystrokes - Use Ctrl+Enter to Complete URL
- Save CPU and RAM: Disable the Indexing Service on Windows XP
- Search Your Internet Explorer Favorites From Within IE in Vista or XP
- Set Windows as Default OS when Dual Booting Ubuntu
- Speed Up Disk Access by Disabling Last Access Updating in Windows XP
- Stop the Annoying "There are unused icons on your desktop" Popup Balloon
- Stupid Geek Tricks: Shrink the XP Volume Control
- Sweet Black Theme for Windows XP
- Switch to the Dvorak Keyboard Layout in XP
- Tabbed Remote Desktop / VNC Client for Windows
- Temporarily Disable "Restart Now" Dialog from XP's Automatic Updates
- Troubleshooting "My Computer" Opening Slowly on Windows XP
- Troubleshooting: Prevent "Locate Link Browser" Popup Dialog when Clicking on Links in Outlook
- Turn Off the Annoying Windows XP System Beeps
- Unofficial Windows XP Themes Created by Microsoft
- Using Password Phrases For Better Security
- Using System Restore in XP
- Vista Breadcrumbs for Windows XP
- Vista Style Analog Desktop Clock for Windows XP
- Why Do My Icons Have a Background Color in Windows XP?
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Bomb scare at LNT Infotech Powai firm
MUMBAI: A bomb scare on the premises of Larsen and Toubro in Powai forced authorities to evacuate all employees at around 3.10 pm on
Tuesday.
An anonymous caller informed the L&T office about a bomb planted on the premises of the L&T infotech office at Powai.
The call, however, turned out to be a hoax as officers of the bomb disposal squad and a sniffer dog did not find anything on the premises.
"Following a threat call, about 2,000 employees were evacuated. After searching the premises for two-to-three hours, nothing was found,'' said Rajdoot Rupwate, senior inspector at Powai police station. "No case has been registered yet but we are attempting to trace the caller who tried to spread panic,'' he added.
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Last Lear Wallpaper
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Brad Pitt Wallpaper
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Akshay Kumar : Levi's Live Unbuttoned Ad Wallpapers
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