A Tip A Day ~ {ERG}

[LoneRanger]

05 July 2008:



Un-Hobble the Windows Recovery Console

There's a virus-infected file on my hard disk that I can't delete, so I'm trying to use the Windows Recovery Console to excise it. But the WRC apparently will only let me delete files in the root directory and in c:\Windows. What gives?

The WRC does more than repair master boot records; it provides access to the files on your hard disk when Windows isn't running, allowing you to copy, delete, or rename them as you see fit. However, it won't let you do this until you release a
restriction that's in place by default.

Return to Windows, go to Start --> Run, type secpol.msc, and press Enter to start the Local Security Settings editor. Navigate to \Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options in the tree on the left, and double-click the "Recovery Console: Allow floppy copy and access to all drives and all folders" entry on the right. Select Enabled, and click OK.

Next, return to the WRC and type:
set AllowAllPaths = true

Make sure to include the spaces before and after the equals sign, and press Enter. Thereafter, you can delete any file in any folder. Although the change you made in the Local Security Settings is permanent, you'll have to issue the above set command once each time you use the WRC.

You may have noticed a Catch-22 of sorts in this fix. If Windows won't boot and you're using the WRC to effect repairs, you won't be able to release the Local Security Settings restriction. In this case, you'll either have to live without the ability to delete files in other folders, or install a second copy of Windows XP on another partition and delete the file from there.

[bad-boy]

Man please let these coming .. really helping stuff...

[LoneRanger]

06 July 2008:



Windows Won't Shut Down

When I try to shut down Windows, it hangs at the "Saving Settings" screen. Why can't Windows even handle a simple shutdown?

Every time you shut down your PC, Windows attempts to close all running applications, stop all active services, and unload all drivers in memory. If just one of these components stops responding, Windows will wait until it can be closed successfully. As you can probably guess, all it takes is one crashed program or one stubborn driver to prevent Windows from shutting down.

The most common culprit is a power management bug found in many PCs. If you ever put your PC to "sleep" by pressing the power switch or closing the laptop lid, Windows may not be able to complete a formal shutdown thereafter. Unfortunately, there's not much you can do about this, other than checking your PC manufacturer's web site for a BIOS update.

If you never hibernate or sleep your PC, the problem may be spyware which can be adequately described as "stubborn"that refuses to be unloaded.

If an antispyware scan doesn't solve the problem, the errant program is likely a legitimate software component, and it may take a bit of sleuthing to track it down. Close all open applications, and then right-click an empty area of the Windows Taskbar. From the menu that appears, select Task Manager. Then choose the Processes tab to see a list all the programs running on your PC, including those running in the background; click the Image Name column header to sort the list alphabetically (see Figure).

Note: For an alternative to the Task Manager that allows you to see the full paths of the processes in memory, fire up the System Information tool (go to Start --> Run and type msinfo32.exe), expand the Software Environment branch on the tree, and select Running Tasks.

Your goal: find the programs that are causing your shutdown problem. Although the Task Manager won't give you this information directly, it will let you close almost any running program, one by one. Any program that you close with the End Process button in the Task Manager won't be running when you shut down, and thus can't prevent Windows from shutting down properly.

(This isn't foolproof, but it works pretty well most of the time.) Most of the programs listed in the Task Manager's Processes tab are Windows components necessary for the operating system to function (e.g., csrss.exe, inetinfo.exe, rundll32.exe, svchost.exe, winlogon.exe, etc.); the rest are either applications you've started or malware (viruses, spyware, etc.). A few processes will be self-explanatory, such as explorer.exe and firefox.exe, but odds are that you'll recognize very few others. So how do you tell the difference between the good processes and the bad?

The best way to research a particular process is to look up the filename in an online database of "known" processes, such as http://www.neuber.com/taskmanager/process/. If you need more information, search for the filename with Google. However, there are two big complications that make identifying your running processes more difficult.

First, some forms of malware use the same filenames as common Windows components to disguise themselves. For instance, csrss.exe is the main executable for the Microsoft Client/Server Runtime Server Subsystem, a Windows component, but it also can be a virus (the W32.Netsky.AB@mm worm or the W32.Webus Trojan, specifically). The good news is that such
ambiguities are almost always chronicled in the online process databases.

Note: Rather than trying to painstakingly distinguish valid processes from Trojan horses, just scan your system with trusted antivirus and antispyware utilities. If the shutdown problem persists once that's out of the way, odds are that the culprit is nothing more than a valid yet misbehaving driver or application.

The other complication is that some entries in the Task Manager's Processes list are simply loader programs for background processes. Case in point: each instance of svchost.exe corresponds to a running service, but the Task Manager won't tell you which ones are which; all you'll see are multiple entries labeled svchost.exe. To see which services are running, and to stop, restart, or configure any services on your system, go to Start --> Run, type services.msc, and click OK.

When you've closed a handful of suspect programs, go ahead and shut down (or restart) Windows. If Windows shuts down normally, one of the programs you just closed was indeed the cause of the problem. Try updating or uninstalling the offending program or driver, and your shutdown problems should vanish.

[LoneRanger]

07 July 2008:



Unattended Shutdown

I thought I shut down my computer before leaving the office, but when I got back the next day I saw that it was still running. On the screen was a window that said an application had stopped responding. Why didn't Windows just close the program and shut off my PC?

As noted earlier Windows tries to close all running applications, stop all active services, and unload all drivers each time it shuts down. Often,
Windows just sits and waits if one of those programs won't cooperate and close. All it takes to grease the wheels and change how Windows treats hung applications is a few quick changes to the Windows Registry.

Note: Another problem that may cause an interminable delay when shutting down is an inability to "save settings" in a timely fashion. The fix, which is perplexingly not offered by the Windows Update service, is to apply the User Profile Hive Cleanup Service, available at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/.

Open the Registry Editor (go to Start --> Run and type regedit), and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Double-click the AutoEndTasks value in the right pane, type 1 (one) in the "Value data" field, and click OK. Next, double-click the WaitToKillAppTimeout value, type 1000 in the "Value data" field, and then click OK. Close the Registry Editor when you're done, and restart Windows so the changes can take effect.

Thereafter, Windows will close stubborn programs automatically and with all due haste (whenever possible) when it's time to shut down.

[LoneRanger]

08 July 2008:



Faster Application Startups

Sometimes it seems to take an eternity for programs to load. I stare at an
hourglass while listening to the hard disk thrash about, and then the application's window finally appears. There's got to be a way to speed this up.

Before Windows can load an application, it must set aside enough room in your PC's memory. If you have a lot of applications already loaded, you'll probably run out of memory, at which point Windows will use part of your hard disk called virtual memory to make up for the deficiency. Since hard disks are much slower than RAM, this technique (called swapping) slows down your computer considerably. You can temporarily alleviate this problem by closing unneeded programs before opening any new ones, but a better long-term solution is to install more memory
(RAM) in your PC.

Of course, no matter how much memory you have, Windows will still use your hard disk to some extent. To keep your hard disk and thus your system running optimally, run Disk Defragmenter routinely (go to Start --> Run and type dfrg.msc). Also, the more space you set aside for virtual memory, the more efficiently Windows can utilize it. At a bare minimum, make sure you have half a gigabyte (500 MB) of free hard disk space at all times.

[LoneRanger]

09 July 2008:

Faster Windows Boot

Why does Windows take so long to load? Is there anything I can do to speed it up?

All the software and hardware devices you add to your PC eventually take their toll, creating more for Windows to load each time it boots. The most effective way to combat this bloat is to routinely format your hard disk and reinstall the operating system and all your applications. Unfortunately, reinstalling can be a time-consuming and frustrating process, and when all is said and done, it'll only be a matter of time before Windows once again becomes bogged down. Instead, optimize a few key areas of your PC to effect a more permanent performance increase.

First, add more memory (RAM) to your system. You should have a minimum of 384 MB of RAM to run Windows XP, but 512 MB or even 1 GB is better. The more memory you have (up to a point), the easier it will be for Windows to find space for all those drivers and programs during boot time.

The rest of the time, that extra RAM means Windows will use slower virtual memory less often.

One of the biggest contributors to a slow bootup is the long list of programs configured to load at boot time. Not only do these programs take time and processor cycles to load, but they eat up memory and even more processor cycles while they're running, further sapping your PC's performance. Most of the startup programs you can control are listed in your Startup folder and in the Registry.

The Startup folder Start --> All Programs --> Startup) is merely a collection of shortcuts to programs that load every time Windows boots. This folder is empty by default; anything you see in your own Startup folder has been added presumably by you or by an application you installed since Windows was installed, and thus none of them are actually required by Windows. To stop a startup item from loading with Windows, just drag it into another folder for safekeeping (or straight into the Recycle Bin if you want to delete the shortcut).

Note: Startup Delayer, available for free at http://www.r2.com.au, allows you to have your proverbial cake and eat it, too. Instead of
deleting startup programs, Startup Delayer simply staggers when they're loaded, allowing you to begin using Windows more quickly.

So how do you tell what belongs and what doesn't? The names of most of the shortcuts in your Startup folder should be self-evident; the Microsoft Office Startup Assistant, for instance, is a component of Microsoft Office that's supposed to help Office applications start faster. Delete the Startup Assistant from your Startup folder, and you likely won't notice any difference… except that Windows will load slightly faster. Deleting other shortcuts here may disable some (typically noncritical) features, so be sure to check the program's documentation for the purpose of the shortcut.

Note: If you want to see all your startup programs in one place, whether they're listed in the Registry or your Startup folder, open up
the System Information tool (go to Start --> Run and type sinfo32.exe), expand the Software Environment branch, and select Startup Programs.

Programs configured in your Registry to start with Windows are typically listed in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run. (Use the Favorites menu in the Registry Editor to bookmark these locations, making it easy to return to each key
and clean out any unwanted programs as they appear.)

To remove an unwanted program from either Registry key, just highlight it and press the Delete key. You'd be wise to back up both keys before making any changes, though: to create a backup, just highlight a key, select File --> Export, and type a filename for the .reg backup file.

Then, if you need to reinstate a deleted value, just double-click the .reg file to merge its contents with the Registry.

Programs listed in these Registry keys are typically less self-descriptive than their counterparts in the Startup folder, so you may need to do some research before you remove anything.

While you're at it, open the Services list (go to Start --> Run and type services.msc) to see some other programs Windows loads at startup. Any service that says "Automatic" in the Startup Type column is set to load when Windows starts, and ones that say "Started" in the Status column are currently running. (Click either column header to sort the list to make these services easier to find.) If you double-click a service, you can stop it by clicking the Stop button, or prevent it from loading the next time Windows starts by selecting Manual or Disabled from the "Startup type" drop-down list. Be warned, though: most services listed here are essential Windows components.

Read the description shown to learn more about any particular service.
Aside from startup programs, sometimes having too many files in your Temp folder can not only slow Windows startup but, in extreme cases, prevent Windows from loading at all. Windows and your applications use this folder to temporarily store data, usually from documents you have
open. When you close applications (or when applications crash), temporary files are often left behind, and these files can proliferate faster than rabbits in spring. To clean out this folder, open Windows Explorer, navigate to \Documents and Settings\{username}\Local Settings\Temp, and delete any files with modification dates earlier than the last time you started your PC. (You can use Creative Element Power Tools, available at http://www.creativelement.com/powertools/, to
clean out this folder automatically.)

If you have hundreds of fonts installed on your system, they may be adding to boot time as well. If you can survive without 400 different decorative typefaces (especially if all you ever use is Times New Roman), thin out your fonts to speed Windows bootup. Open the Fonts control panel and uninstall any unwanted fonts by dragging them to another folder (or to your Recycle Bin to delete them permanently). Be careful not to delete any Windows fonts, though, such as Marlett, Fixedsys, MS Sans Serif, or any other fonts that start with "Microsoft" or "MS" (you can find a list at http://www.kayskreations.net/fonts/fonttb.html). If you do delete a system font by mistake, don't sweatXP's Windows File Protection system will restore it.

If you periodically need a lot of fonts, invest in font-management software such as Adobe Type Manager, which can remove and reinstall fonts in groups at the click of a button.

[LoneRanger]

09 July 2008:

Faster Windows Boot

Why does Windows take so long to load? Is there anything I can do to speed it up?

All the software and hardware devices you add to your PC eventually take their toll, creating more for Windows to load each time it boots. The most effective way to combat this bloat is to routinely format your hard disk and reinstall the operating system and all your applications. Unfortunately, reinstalling can be a time-consuming and frustrating process, and when all is said and done, it'll only be a matter of time before Windows once again becomes bogged down. Instead, optimize a few key areas of your PC to effect a more permanent performance increase.

First, add more memory (RAM) to your system. You should have a minimum of 384 MB of RAM to run Windows XP, but 512 MB or even 1 GB is better. The more memory you have (up to a point), the easier it will be for Windows to find space for all those drivers and programs during boot time.

The rest of the time, that extra RAM means Windows will use slower virtual memory less often.

One of the biggest contributors to a slow bootup is the long list of programs configured to load at boot time. Not only do these programs take time and processor cycles to load, but they eat up memory and even more processor cycles while they're running, further sapping your PC's performance. Most of the startup programs you can control are listed in your Startup folder and in the Registry.

The Startup folder Start --> All Programs --> Startup) is merely a collection of shortcuts to programs that load every time Windows boots. This folder is empty by default; anything you see in your own Startup folder has been added presumably by you or by an application you installed since Windows was installed, and thus none of them are actually required by Windows. To stop a startup item from loading with Windows, just drag it into another folder for safekeeping (or straight into the Recycle Bin if you want to delete the shortcut).

Note: Startup Delayer, available for free at http://www.r2.com.au, allows you to have your proverbial cake and eat it, too. Instead of
deleting startup programs, Startup Delayer simply staggers when they're loaded, allowing you to begin using Windows more quickly.

So how do you tell what belongs and what doesn't? The names of most of the shortcuts in your Startup folder should be self-evident; the Microsoft Office Startup Assistant, for instance, is a component of Microsoft Office that's supposed to help Office applications start faster. Delete the Startup Assistant from your Startup folder, and you likely won't notice any difference… except that Windows will load slightly faster. Deleting other shortcuts here may disable some (typically noncritical) features, so be sure to check the program's documentation for the purpose of the shortcut.

Note: If you want to see all your startup programs in one place, whether they're listed in the Registry or your Startup folder, open up
the System Information tool (go to Start --> Run and type sinfo32.exe), expand the Software Environment branch, and select Startup Programs.

Programs configured in your Registry to start with Windows are typically listed in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run. (Use the Favorites menu in the Registry Editor to bookmark these locations, making it easy to return to each key
and clean out any unwanted programs as they appear.)

To remove an unwanted program from either Registry key, just highlight it and press the Delete key. You'd be wise to back up both keys before making any changes, though: to create a backup, just highlight a key, select File --> Export, and type a filename for the .reg backup file.

Then, if you need to reinstate a deleted value, just double-click the .reg file to merge its contents with the Registry.

Programs listed in these Registry keys are typically less self-descriptive than their counterparts in the Startup folder, so you may need to do some research before you remove anything.

While you're at it, open the Services list (go to Start --> Run and type services.msc) to see some other programs Windows loads at startup. Any service that says "Automatic" in the Startup Type column is set to load when Windows starts, and ones that say "Started" in the Status column are currently running. (Click either column header to sort the list to make these services easier to find.) If you double-click a service, you can stop it by clicking the Stop button, or prevent it from loading the next time Windows starts by selecting Manual or Disabled from the "Startup type" drop-down list. Be warned, though: most services listed here are essential Windows components.

Read the description shown to learn more about any particular service.
Aside from startup programs, sometimes having too many files in your Temp folder can not only slow Windows startup but, in extreme cases, prevent Windows from loading at all. Windows and your applications use this folder to temporarily store data, usually from documents you have
open. When you close applications (or when applications crash), temporary files are often left behind, and these files can proliferate faster than rabbits in spring. To clean out this folder, open Windows Explorer, navigate to \Documents and Settings\{username}\Local Settings\Temp, and delete any files with modification dates earlier than the last time you started your PC. (You can use Creative Element Power Tools, available at http://www.creativelement.com/powertools/, to
clean out this folder automatically.)

If you have hundreds of fonts installed on your system, they may be adding to boot time as well. If you can survive without 400 different decorative typefaces (especially if all you ever use is Times New Roman), thin out your fonts to speed Windows bootup. Open the Fonts control panel and uninstall any unwanted fonts by dragging them to another folder (or to your Recycle Bin to delete them permanently). Be careful not to delete any Windows fonts, though, such as Marlett, Fixedsys, MS Sans Serif, or any other fonts that start with "Microsoft" or "MS" (you can find a list at http://www.kayskreations.net/fonts/fonttb.html). If you do delete a system font by mistake, don't sweatXP's Windows File Protection system will restore it.

If you periodically need a lot of fonts, invest in font-management software such as Adobe Type Manager, which can remove and reinstall fonts in groups at the click of a button.

[LoneRanger]

10 July 2008:

Is That Update Safe?

I maintain a bunch of PCs for a small company, and I've turned off the Automatic Updates feature on every machine, mostly for my own sanity. The last thing I need is for Microsoft to deliver a "fix" to all the employees that ends up causing more problems than it solves. Is there an easy way to keep these PCs up to date while excluding the more troublesome patches?

Ever feel like an unpaid beta tester for Microsoft? If so, join the club.

The problem with being too conservative about the updates is that many of them fix serious security holes in Windows and we all know how common those are. If you're an experienced user and take the proper precautions, you can probably forgo most updates and be perfectly safe. But when you're administering PCs for an office full of people who can't tell the difference between virus-infected attachments and letters
from their mothers, you may be better off installing many of those updates.

Still, there's no rule that says you have to install updates right away. Instead, wait a few weeks to see what ugly problems the press and users report. First, disable the Automatic Updates feature: open the System Properties control panel, choose the Automatic Updates tab, and then select "Turn off Automatic Updates." Click OK when you're done.

As they become available, research new patches. Sites such as http://www.patchmanagement.org and http://www.annoyances.org are full of stories, complaints, and solutions relating to Microsoft's "fixes.

Once you've decided to install an update, visit the Windows Update Catalog at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/catalog/ (Figure 6-4 ) and click the "Find updates for Microsoft Windows operating systems" link. Select your Windows version from the list of operating systems, and then click the Search button to reveal all the updates released to date. Select the desired category (such as "Critical Updates and Service Packs"), and in the "Sort by" drop-down menu, sort the listings by "Posted date" to group together the most recent updates. Click the Add button below any update to add it to your download queue.

Note: One advantage to using the Windows Update Catalog is that you'll get a self-contained installer that you can use repeatedly without having to download the update for each PC, saving you time and bandwidth .

Note: To install SP2 on multiple computers remotely, download the Windows XP SP2 Deployment Tools for Advanced Users package from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/ .

It's especially important to install service packs manually, as opposed to letting the Automatic Updates feature do it. These über-updates are enormous and can require several hours per PC to install. The last thing you want is a new service pack tying up all the PCs in your office. Instead of allowing these to be installed automatically, wait a few months for the bugs to be ironed out (in the form of subsequent updates) before you install any Microsoft service pack. When you're ready, pick a weekend or a day when everyone is in a meeting, and download the "Network install" version of the service pack directly from Microsoft's web site (go to http://www.annoyances.org/sp2/ for a shortcut to the SP2 network install). Put the installer on a network share or burn it to a CD, and run it directly on each PC.

[LoneRanger]

11 July 2008:

Remove a Windows Update

I've been getting an obscure error message that says, "The instruction at 0x30303731 referenced memory at 0x30303731. The memory could not be 'read'." I searched Google for the message and came upon an article that tied it to Hotfix Q328310, which I gather is an update from Microsoft. Will removing the update fix the problem? If so, how do I do it?

Well, it's worth a shot. If you suspect that a Windows update is causing a problem, you can uninstall it by opening the Add or Remove Programs control panel and placing a checkmark next to the "Show updates" option at the top of the screen. Scroll down to the "Windows XP Software Updates" section, select the update from the list, and click the Remove button. (Of course, if this doesn't fix the problem, you can always go to the Windows Update site and reinstall the update).

But what happens if Add or Remove Programs says "This update cannot be removed," or if the update isn't in the list at all? First, it's possible your article got the number wrong confirm it, search Google or the Microsoft KB at http://support.microsoft.com/search/ for the update number (e.g., Q328310). It's also possible that the hotfix was installed along with a service pack and thus might not show up in Add or Remove Programs.

If you're sure you have the right number for the installed update but it doesn't show up in Add or Remove Programs, there's another place you can look. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the Windows folder (usually C:\WINDOWS ). Make sure Explorer is configured to show hidden files, and locate the subfolder that begins with a "$" character and corresponds to the hotfix you want to remove. In the case of Q328310,
you'd want the \WINDOWS\$NtUninstallQ328310$ folder; use Explorer's Search feature (Ctrl-F) if you can't find it.

When you've located the correct folder, open it, go to the spuninst subfolder, and double-click the
spuninst.exe file inside to uninstall the update.

[LoneRanger]

12 July 2008:

Update Internet Explorer Safely

According to the Windows Update site, there's a new version of Internet Explorer, but I'm afraid to install the update lest it overwrite a bunch of settings without asking. What are my options?

You're right to be suspicious; if you install IE via Windows Update, it will almost certainly overwrite your file types and make itself the default browser, whether you want it to or not. Fortunately, you can download a standalone installer from http://www.microsoft.com/ie/ , which will let you choose the installation options. Make sure you click any "Advanced" or "Custom" buttons you encounter during installation so you can customize IE's installation to suit your needs.

[LoneRanger]

13 July 2008:

Get Past the Validity Check

I recently tried to use Windows Update, but I got a "Validation Failure: Product Key Failed Validation" error. What does this mean, and how do I get past it?

Microsoft has shipped millions and millions of copies of Windows XP since its release in 2001, and each one has a unique product key: the 25-digit series of letters and numbers you had to type when you installed XP. Of course, if your PC came with Windows XP preinstalled, that key was entered when your machine left the factory, but it's in there nonetheless.

In an attempt to combat software piracy, Microsoft has taken further steps to ensure that every copy of Windows XP that is installed is installed with a valid, legitimate license. To that end, Microsoft added a new component to the Windows Update service that checks to see if you have a valid product key. The problem is that quite a few (we're talking millions here) product keys that were once valid such as the one printed on the hologram sticker on the bottom of your laptop have become invalidated for one reason or another. In theory, all you need to do is contact Microsoft (or perhaps your PC vendor) and request a new key. Whether you get one, however, is a different matter.

However, you can get your Windows updates without spending hours on the phone with Microsoft technical support. First, note that the Automatic Updates feature doesn't (at the time of this writing) require the same validation as the standard Windows Update web site. To use the Automatic Updates feature, open the System control panel, choose the Automatic Updates tab, and select either "Automatic (recommended)" or "Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them," and click OK.

If you'd rather use the Windows Update web site and manually select which updates to install, open Internet Explorer, go to Tools --> Internet Options, choose the Programs tab, and click the Manage Add-ons button. Highlight "Windows Genuine Advantage" in the list, select the Disable option below, and click OK. Then, go to Tools --> Windows Update to get your update without the validation hassles.

[LoneRanger]

14 July 2008:



Add a New Hard Disk

I'm running out of disk space, and given how cheap new hard drives are, I figured I'd upgrade. But I don't know where to start; do I just crack open my PC's case and plug it in, or is there more to it?

It all depends on whether you want to replace your current hard disk or simply augment it with a second drive. If your PC has an unoccupied drive bay and your old hard disk isn't an antique, it's much easier to install the new drive as a second hard disk. But if you're using a laptop, for instance, and there's only room for one drive, or if your current drive is so old that its capacity is measured in megabytes instead of gigabytes, you'll want to replace the old drive with the new one. The course you choose also determines whether or not you'll need to move all your data to the new drive, a process that can be a bit of an ordeal.

Whether you're replacing or augmenting, you'll need to connect both drives to your PC at the same time. Doing so means fussing with cables and changing tiny jumpers. Consult the documentation that came with your PC and drives for details, or visit the drive manufacturer's web site for instructions.

So that Windows will still boot, connect the new drive such that your old unit is still configured as the primary hard disk. When adding a new IDE/PATA drive, for instance, you can configure it as a "master" or "slave" device: for now, leave the old drive as the master and configure the new drive typically by setting a jumper on the back of the unit as a slave. (The master and slave designations are used to prevent conflicts; a single IDE cable should never have more than one master or slave.)

Note: Make sure the controller to which you connected the new drive is set to "Auto detect" in your system BIOS. Otherwise, your PC won't see the drive, and neither will Windows.

If you're installing an SATA drive, just connect it to a free SATA port. If you're adding a second SCSI drive, leave the old drive set to SCSI ID 0 and set the new drive to ID 1. (Depending on your setup, you may have to temporarily disconnect your CD drive to make room for the new hard disk on the IDE or SCSI chain.)

When you're done and you've closed up your PC, start Windows. Go to --> Start --> Run, and type diskmgmt.msc to open the Disk Management utility. In the lower pane, right-click the box labeled "Unallocated" (which represents your new drive), and select New Partition. (If you don't see an unallocated drive, your new disk may already be partitioned and formatted, which means you can skip this step.)

Note: If you have a laptop or a micro desktop PC, odds are you won't find any free slots or drive bays. In this case, your best bet is to temporarily install your new drive in an external enclosure and connect it to your PC with a USB 2.0 or FireWire cable .

In the New Partition Wizard, select "Primary partition" and then specify the maximum capacity for the partition size. (Chances are the system has already calculated this number for you.) Next, select "Assign the following drive letter" and choose a drive letter that you'll remember from the list, such as J . On the Format Partition page, select "Format this partition with the following settings," choose NTFS for the filesystem, and leave the other settings on the page unchanged.Click Finish when you're done. Depending on the speed and size of the drive, it may take Disk Management a while to format the drive anywhere between a minute and half an hour. When formatting is complete, right-click the new drive in Disk Management and select "Mark Partition as Active."

If all you wanted to do was augment your existing storage, you're essentially done. You can begin saving stuff to your new drive, or even move existing files by dragging and dropping them in Windows Explorer (hold the Shift key to move instead of copy).

If, on the other hand, you want to replace your old drive with this new one, you'll need to copy everything from the old drive to the new one. This can be tricky, for several reasons. For one, there's more to a Windows installation than just the files; the boot loader, is installed on your disk's boot sector and can't be copied. Also, Windows won't let you copy files that are in use, so you can't simply drag and drop all of the folders on drive C : to copy them to your new drive J :.

Fortunately, there are a few workarounds that solve these problems:

Norton Ghost
The easiest solution is to use a disk imaging utility such as Norton Ghost, available at http://www.symantec.com ; check out the "Enterprise" section on the Downloads page for a free trial. Use Ghost to create an "image" of your old hard disk, and then restore the image to the new drive. When you're done, you'll have an exact copy of your original drive, complete with all the necessary boot information. All that's left to do is to remove the old drive and set the new one as the primary drive (i.e., set your IDE drive to "master" or your SCSI drive to ID 0).

Note: Store the image file on the old drive, not the new one. For Ghost to restore it, the target drive must be empty. If you don't have enough space on the old drive for the image, divide the new drive into two partitions with the Disk Management utility. Save the image file on the second partition, and then use Ghost to restore the image onto the first partition .

Back up and restore
If you have a tape backup or other device capable of storing the entire contents of your hard disk, use it to do a full system backup. Then, just restore the backup onto the new drive. When you're done, shut down the PC, unplug the old drive, put the new one in its place, and start your PC. If Windows won't start, you'll need to write the master boot record to the new drive.

Start from the beginning
Your final option is to install the new drive as the primary master drive, install a fresh copy of Windows XP on the drive, and then install all your applications. Next, connect your old drive as the "slave," and copy over your data files. Don't forget the stuff in your My Documents folder (usually found at \Documents and
Settings\{username}\My Documents ), plus the contents of your desktop (\Documents and Settings\(username}\Desktop ) and extras such as your email and web browser bookmarks (typically found in \Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data ) and your IE Favorites (\Documents and Settings\{username}\Favorites ). Keep your old drive connected for a few weeks (if practical), until you're sure you've gotten everything.

[LoneRanger]

15 July 2008:

Stop Heavy Hard Disk Usage

At seemingly random times, Windows slows down or even stops responding for a few seconds, during which time I can distinctly hear my hard disk thrashing. What's going on, and how do I stop it?

When Windows uses up all your memory, it starts using a portion of your hard disk as " virtual memory." Since hard disks are much slower than memory (RAM), this causes a noticeable drop in performance. Of course, adding RAM will help significantly; the more RAM you have, the less frequently Windows will resort to using virtual memory.

The thrashing problem is caused by the way that Windows handles disk virtual memory by default. The space Windows sets aside for virtual memory is called the swap file or paging file , which grows and shrinks as needed. As a result, the swap file can become very fragmented, reducing system performance and increasing the thrashing sound you've been hearing significantly.

You can effectively eliminate the problem by first defragging your hard drive (Start --> Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools --> Disk Defragmenter), then setting a fixed swap file size.

Open the System control panel, choose the Advanced tab, and click the Settings button in the Performance section. Choose the Advanced tab here, and click the Change button to show the Virtual Memory window (Figure).

Highlight your drive in the list and select "Custom size" below. At the bottom of the window, take the "Recommended" paging file size and add 512. Type this number (e.g., 1534 or 2048 ) into both the "Initial size (MB)" and "Maximum size (MB)" fields, and then click the Set button. If you typed 2048 , it should now say 2048-2048 under "Paging File Size (MB)" at the top of the window. When you're done, press OK in each of the three dialog boxes to confirm your choices. If Windows suggests that you restart your PC, do so now.

[LoneRanger]

16 July 2008:

Scanner Says It's Not Connected

I know my scanner is working and properly connected, but sometimes when I try to scan something, the scanner software complains that the scanner isn't connected. I tried unplugging the scanner and plugging it back in, but that didn't help. What gives?

You've encountered a bug in Windows XP that affects USB devices. Although many drivers compensate for the problem, some devices particularly older scanners will exhibit the "disconnected" problem as a result. Scanners remain totally dormant, sending no information to your PC until you try to scan something, and Windows misinterprets this inactivity as an opportunity to shut down the USB port to save power.

At the time of this writing, Microsoft hasn't released a patch that effectively fixes this problem. My suggested workaround: the next time you see that error, try scanning again right away. It can take Windows a few seconds to reactivate the USB port, and your scanner software may not have waited long enough for this to happen.

No luck? Restart Windows, and your scanner should be available immediately. But don't dawdle; Windows gives inactive USB devices only a 15-30 minute grace period before cutting power to the port again.

Naturally, you can also try visiting the scanner manufacturer's web site for a driver or software update that may provide a more convenient or reliable workaround.

[LoneRanger]

17 July 2008:

Troubleshoot Multiple Monitors

I connected a larger monitor to an unused monitor port on the back of my PC, but I can't get a picture on it. Am I taking the phrase "plug-and-play" too seriously?

Plug-and-play technology allows Windows to recognize newly attached devices and install drivers for them automatically. Sometimes this is sufficient; other times, you need to help things along. If you plug in a USB microphone, for instance, Windows will change your sound settings immediately so the new microphone works, but monitors do not enjoy the same privileged service. Here's how to get it to work.

If you're using a laptop, there's probably a key on your keyboard (CTRL/LCD ) that switches between the built-in LCD screen and any external monitor that might be attached. Press this key (typically while holding the Fn key) repeatedly until the video shows up where you want it.

Don't have a monitor key? Want more control? Right-click an empty area of the desktop, select Properties, and choose the Settings tab. If Windows has detected both monitors (as well as both video cards, if applicable), they'll show up here as numbered rectangles. If you're not sure which monitor is which, click the Identify button, and an enormous number "1" will appear on the primary monitor.

To use both monitors simultaneously side by side, creating one huge desktop, click the #2 rectangle and place a checkmark by the "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor" box.

If you only want to use the second monitor (and turn off the first one), click the #2 rectangle and then place a checkmark next to the "Use this device as the primary monitor" option. When the numbers switch, click the new #2 rectangle, and remove the checkmark next to the "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor" option.

If you still have problems, click the Advanced button, choose the Monitor tab, and click the Properties button to verify that the correct drivers are installed for each of your monitors. Then do the same (via the Adapter tab) for your video card(s).