31 Dec, 2008
If you want to change the colours of windows, borders, buttons, text and so in XP, you can right-click the Desktop and select Properties. Click the Advanced button on the Appearance tab and then you can select window and button objects and select new colours. While I was exploring the Registry, I found these values are stored at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors. There are actually more items listed in the Registry, so you have more control over the colour schemes. To change something, like the menu text, you just double-click the MenuText value and enter three numbers between zero and 255 (for example, 128 87 214). These are the RGB – red, green and blue – values that, when mixed together, make up the colour.
31 Dec, 2008
Media Converter (www.mediaconverter.org) lets you download online videos such as YouTube, DailyMotion and Metacafe onto your hard disk. You first have to enter the web address of the video you want to convert, then choose the file format you want to save it in (such as WMV).
The website then asks you if you wish to set any video or audio codecs (this is optional). Then it goes ahead and downloads your file. You can save the audio track of the video by selecting an audio file type such as MP3 and converting the video. The site also lets you upload videos from your computer for conversion too.
31 Dec, 2008
I have two computers at home, one for me and another for the children to use. Each computer can access the other’s Shared Documents folder, but a useful tip is to let others (for example, your kids) access files, but not delete or edit them in any way. This keeps them safe and secure, and prevents them from being tampered with or accidentally deleted. To secure them, click Start, My Computer and then right-click Shared Documents. Click Properties and then the Sharing tab. Clear the tick next to ‘Allow network users to change my files’.
3 Dec, 2008
The simple act of turning a router off for a few seconds and then turning it back again might be enough to get it working properly. You can also try ‘pinging’ the router to check the connectivity. Go to Start, Run and type cmd into the box. Type ‘ping’ (without the quotes) and the router’s internal IP address (this should be listed in the manual). The common addresses are: 192.168.0.1 (Netgear and D-Link models), 192.168.1.1 (Linksys and 3Com) and 192.168.2.1 (USRobotics). If you get a reply, then the connection to the router is working.
3 Dec, 2008
Make sure you only download programs from websites that are well-known or recommended and read all user agreements carefully. Free software programs that promise wonderful treats often contain viruses that infect your computer files or connect you to the Internet via premium rate telephone numbers.
3 Dec, 2008
Orbit Downloader (www.orbitdownloader.com) promises up to 500 per cent faster downloads. It works by splitting the target file into sections and downloading each piece simultaneously. It also lets you download streaming videos and music from sites such as YouTube, MySpace and RapidShare.
