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Five Steps Toward Improving Your Computer's Performance

(assuming you're running Windows XP)
You can do quite a few things to your computer to boost performance. What follows is the most logical progression. Under the heading for each step is a difficulty level: novice, advanced, or expert. If you aren't very comfortable tinkering with computers, I suggest that you skip the "hard" and "expert" steps.

1. Clear Private Data from your browser (Firefox)

(difficulty level: novice)
Launch Firefox (by clicking the Desktop icon, or by clicking Start and choosing it from your list of programs). Click the Tools drop-down menu; move your mouse down and click Clear Private Data; check all the boxes; click the Clear Private Data Now button. Exit the browser.

That's it; the next time you start Firefox, you'll be starting with a clean slate; initially, this may mean that it takes longer for websites to load; reason: you cleared the cache (this is where frequently visited websites are temporarily stored on your computer's hard disk).

2. Delete files in Prefetch folder

(difficulty level: advanced; warning: do not delete the Prefetch folder, just its contents)
Click Start > My Computer. Double-click Local Disk C:. Double-click the Windows folder. Double-click the Prefetch folder. Click the Edit drop-down menu; move your mouse down and click Select All. Press the Delete key on your keyboard. You'll be asked if you want to send these items to the Recycle Bin; click Yes. Exit the folder.

You may be wondering, what is the Prefetch [W] folder used for. Well, it's much like the cache for Temporary Internet Files: it's where Windows stores copies of the programs that are in your Startup list. Why does it store copies? It stores these programs in the same place on hard disk so that they can be quickly fetched when your computer boots up. Then why am I deleting them? Over time, these programs can become corrupt and cause errors, or just inefficiency. By deleting the Prefetch files, you start with a clean slate, whereby fresh versions of these files are stored in Prefetch; initially, this may mean that it takes longer for your computer to reboot (aka restart).

3. Free up space on your hard disk

(difficulty level: novice)
Click Start > Control Panel. Under "Pick a Category," click Performance and Maintenance. (Note: If your computer is in Classic View, you'll have to Switch to Category View.) Click Free up space on your hard disk. Select the drive you want to clean up (more than likely it'll be C:); click OK. Disk Cleanup will run; this may take a few minutes. I suggest that you check the following boxes: Temporary Internet Files, Temporary files, Compress old files, and Recycle Bin; click OK.

4. Rearrange items on your hard disk to make programs run faster

(difficulty level: novice)
Click Start > Control Panel. Under "Pick a Category," click Performance and Maintenance. (Note: If your computer is in Classic View, you'll have to Switch to Category View.) Click Rearrange items on your hard disk to make programs run faster. This will bring up the Disk Defragmenter window. Under the Volume column, click C: (or whatever drive you think needs defragmenting).  Click the Analyze button. Disk defragmenter will analyze your hard disk and tell whether the volume needs to be defragmented; if defragmentation is recommended, click the Defragment button. This process could take well over an hour; so make a pot of coffee, kick back and relax -- or just head on to bed.

5. Unchecking certain Startup programs via msconfig.exe

(difficulty level: expert)
Click Start > Run. Type msconfig and press OK. This opens the System Configuration Utility window. Click the Startup tab. Now widen the Command column until you can read the entire file path. Now, without closing the System Configuration Utility window, launch your Internet browser. Go to Google.com. Type each .exe filename from the Command column into Google search. You will get many results, not all of whom are trustworthy; BleepingComputer.com and What-Is-Exe.com offer really good information about what processes are necessary, useful, harmful, or ones that they're indifferent toward. Important (and here's where the expertise comes in): It is up to you to decide whether a Startup Item should remained checked, or if you should uncheck it. Words to the wise: Make notes as to which ones you have changed, so that you can change them back if necessary. You should find at least 10 processes that can be deactivated (aka unchecked). The next time you restart your computer, you should notice a significance boost in performance. You will likely get a warning on startup, stating that changes have been made to your Startup Configuration. Select the option that, in essence, says you do not wish to be warned about this again. That's it.

The following video tutorial will give you step-by-step instructions on how to perform Step 5. It's at screencast.com and called De-crappify Your Computer.

Searchable words: decrappify

This nice video tutorial shows you how to go into msconfig and turn off unnecessary startup programs.

My favorite sites as of August 4, 2008 for finding helpful Background Process information are AnswersThatWork.com, BleepingComputer.com and What-Is-Exe.com. Do a Google search for a particular Background Process, and when this site comes up as option, click it.

Background processes startup with your computer and, oftentimes, without you knowing that they even exist. Some are essential to your computer running correctly, but most are expendable and should be stopped. And they can be very annoying by consuming precious RAM resources.

When I want to know what a process is up to, I perform a Yahoo! Search, typing the name in just as it appears in Windows Task Manager, which you gain access to by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete and clicking Task Manager.

Companies like File.net, Liutilities.com, Neuber.com, Spyware Remove.com, Uniblue's Process Library, and many others will tell you more about these processes.

BlackViper's advice.

There are a couple of spyware, etc. removal programs I recommend: Spybot - Search and Destroy, which is free, and Security Task Manager, which appears to be $30.

The following processes are listed A-Z:

• ADService.exe - 2,588K - Iomega ZipDrive Drivers - Search Yahoo
• ADUserMon.exe - 3,248K - Iomega ZipDrive Drivers - Search Yahoo
• alg.exe - Microsoft Firewall - Search Yahoo
• AluSchedulerSvc.exe - Symantec LiveUpdate Service - Search Yahoo
• AUPDATE.exe - Symantec LiveUpdate - Search Yahoo
• BMUpdate.exe or .ini - Visioneer Scanners and spyware - Search Yahoo
• ccApp.exe - Norton AntiVirus - Search Yahoo
• ccSvcHst.exe - Symantec Internet Security Suite - Search Yahoo
• COCIManager.exe - Camera controller from Logitech - Search Yahoo
• coh32.exe - Symantec Application - Search Yahoo
• csrss.exe - Windows Client/Server Runtime Server Subsystem - Search Yahoo
• ctfmon.exe - consumes 3,832K - Microsoft Languages Input - Search Yahoo
• deskup.exe - Adds Iomega Zip Drive Icons to Desktop - Search Yahoo
• drwatson32.exe - Comes up as "DrWatson Postmortem Debugger error" - Reports Software Bugs to Microsoft in XP - Search Yahoo - Not a virus according to The Nerd Network's forum entry - Trojan.Dremn at Symantec - Greatis.com entry
• dvpapi.exe - Authentium AntiVirus - Search Yahoo
• explorer.exe - a critical component of Windows Program Manager, which creates the graphical interface that you see and enjoy - Search Yahoo
• Google Toolbar Notifier - consumes 888K - Search Yahoo
• helpsvc.exe - Microsoft Support article -  Search Yahoo
• hphmon03.exe - consumes 304K - Search Yahoo
• hpztsb04.exe - HP DeskJet printer utility - Search Yahoo
• Imgicon.exe - 3,604K - Iomega Zip Drive - Search Yahoo
• iTunesHelper.exe - iTunes MP3 Streaming Tool - Search Yahoo
• jusched.exe - Java Online Updates - Search Yahoo
• logonhook.exe - McAfee Data Backup - Search Yahoo
• lsass.exe - Microsoft Windows Security Mechanism - Search Yahoo
• lucoms~1.exe - Symantec aka Norton AntiVirus Live Update - Search Yahoo
• LVComSX.exe - Logitech Webcam - Search Yahoo
• mcods.exe - McAfee Virus Scan - Search Yahoo
• mcsacore.exe - McAfee Site Advisor - Search Yahoo
• msmsgs.exe - Windows Messenger Online Chat - Search Yahoo
• OSA9.exe - Microsoft Office Suite assistant - Search Yahoo
• qttask.exe - consumes 2,396K - Apple QuickTime Tray Bar Icon - Search Yahoo
• sdchook.dll - support.com, affiliated with BellSouth FastAccess DSL web troubleshooting - Search Yahoo
• sdckill.exe - this is likely the uninstall program for BellSouth Report Agent, which seems to be botching its own uninstall; see related program above: sdchook.dll - Search Yahoo
• smss.exe - Session Manager Subsystem for Microsoft Windows - Search Yahoo
• spoolsv.exe - Microsoft's Printer Spooler Service - Search Yahoo
• StatusClient.exe - Hewlett-Packard - Search Yahoo
• svchost.exe - Microsoft Service Host Process - Search Yahoo
• wdfmgr.exe - Windows Media Player 10 - Search Yahoo
• wkfud.exe - Microsoft Works Marketing Feature - Search Yahoo
• wkscal.exe - Microsoft Works Calendar Reminder - Search Yahoo
• wmiprvse.exe - 6,668K - Microsoft Enterprise Network Security - Search Yahoo
• wuauclt.exe - Automatic Updates for Windows - Search Yahoo

If you are experiencing annoying problems -- let's say your browser is suddenly crashing or hanging, where it isn't reloading pages properly -- then you might need to do a little COMPUTER MAINTENANCE.

WHY EXACTLY AM I DOING THIS? Frequently used files are put in temporary folders, so that your hard drive can readily find them. Occasionally these files get corrupted and need to be deleted, so that fresh versions can be saved in their place.

Cleanup Prefetch Folder

• Goto START, MY COMPUTER, LOCAL DISK C:, WINDOWS, scroll down to PREFETCH and double-click.
• In the Prefetch folder, goto EDIT and SELECT ALL. Right-click on one of the files that is highlighted; from the pop-up menu, select DELETE.

Cleanup TEMP Folder

• Go UP one folder from PREFETCH to the WINDOWS folders, and then down one to the TEMP folder.
• In the TEMP folder, goto EDIT and SELECT ALL. Right-click on one of the files that is highlighted; from the pop-up menu, select DELETE.
• ***Norton AntiVirus sometimes put a hellish number of temporary files into this folder. You can find an article on this topic by clicking this link which will take you to the page at Google Groups. In case this article is ever deleted from their system, I have reprinted it without permission at the bottom of this page.

Cleanup Firefox Private Data

• Launch your Firefox web browser. At the top of the screen, goto TOOLS and come down to CLEAR PRIVATE DATA.
• Check all of the boxes that it will let you check, then click OK

Cleanup Internet Options

• Goto START, CONTROL PANEL, make sure you're in Classic View, and double-click.
• Now DELETE your Browsing History, which (in Internet Explorer 7) will take care of your temporary files, history, cookies, etc.

Empty Recycle Bin

• This icon should be at upper left on your desktop.

Final Step

• Restart your computer, so the changes will take effect.

EXCESSIVE DISK SPACE USE ... found at Google Groups

A lot of disk space is being consumed on my Windows XP partition by
Norton Internet Security 2007 when old virus definition temporary
files were not deleted after a recent automatic live update.

I went looking for the massive file usage and found that NIS left many
hundreds of megabytes of trash in the Windows\Temp
directory under folders named slu****.tmp. These are temporary anti
virus definition file updates for just one date (11/21/07 - 43MB each)
repeated in 27 of the 118 slu folders for a total of 1.161 GB (yes,
that's 1161 MB!).

I have deleted all of those files and have thus reclaimed a lot of
disk space. But there is still another accumulation of tmp folders and
data in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\VirusDefs\.

Many directories exist here:

\20071121.002\
\20071124.003\
\20071125.006\
\BinHub\
\incoming\
\TextHub\
\tmp1a51.tmp\
\tmp1a93.tmp\
\tmp1b02.tmp\
...
and many more of these:
\tmp****.tmp\
etc

Of the 100 or so \tmp****.tmp\ folders, 20 of them each contain 43MB
of the same files that I found in windows\temp folder, all with dates
in the last few days. The same series of files also appears in each of
the dated folders and the \BinHub\ folder.

According to the following Symantec link, all of the tmp folders
should not be there:

http://service1.symantec.com/support/ent-security.nsf/854fa02b4f50136...

or

http://tinyurl.com/2xezv4

However I find that I cannot delete these folders even if I clear the
Read Only flag. How is NIS protecting these folders and how do I clean
out the mess?

Dick Ballard
balla...@att.net

OK, found out how to delete the tmp folders:

On the NIS screen go to "Internet Security and Firewall Options".
Under "Protect my product" uncheck "Turn on protection for my Symantec
product".

Now navigate to the tmp****.tmp folders and delete them.

Don't forget to empty the recycle bin afterwards. Also remember to
turn "Protect my product" back on when you finish.

Dick Ballard
balla...@att.net

These instructions are for an HP 2420d LaserJet printer, but will work for most reinstallations (minus the "scrubber"-utility part, of course). I copied these instructions from HP's site, so don't think that I'm claiming credit for authoring them. These notes are just here for myself (in case I have problems with my printer's drivers and software again) and others who are having similar problems.

The uninstall and reinstall process is a three step process: uninstall the software, run the scrubber utility, reinstall the software. Perform the following in the order provided to uninstall and reinstall the print driver from a computer system running a Microsoft Windows operating system.
 

Uninstall the software

Use the uninstaller to select and remove any or all of the HP printing-system components from a Microsoft Windows system.

1. Click Start, Programs or All Programs, HP LaserJet 2410/2420/2430, Uninstaller from the Microsoft Windows desktop.
2. Click Next.
3. Select the HP printing-system components to be uninstalled.
4. Click OK.
5. Follow the instructions on the computer screen to complete the uninstallation.
   
    

Run the scrubber utility

The software CD-ROM includes a scrubber utility that removes the remains of any failed plug-and-play installations and deletes any files installed when the HP LaserJet software was originally installed on the computer.

NOTE: Before executing the scrubber.exe file, verify that the HP LaserJet Uninstaller has been run. If the Uninstaller is not available use Add/Remove Programs through Microsoft Windows.

Complete the following to run the scrubber utility:

1. Remove the communication cable from the printer, if it has not already been removed.
2. Place the CD that came in the box with the product in the computer CD-ROM drive. If the CD autoruns and the HP LaserJet 2400 series CD browser screen appears, click Exit. Click Exit again to exit setup.
3. Select Start, Run from the Microsoft Windows desktop, type X:\Temp\tcescrbr\Scrubber.exe (where X is the letter of the CD-ROM drive) in the Open text box, and then click OK. The hourglass will flash on the computer screen for a moment, and then return to the standard pointer when the scrubber process is complete.
4. Remove the HP LaserJet 2400 series CD from the CD-ROM drive.
5. Delete all listings for the HP LaserJet 2400 series product from the server properties.
   a.  Open the Printers window.
   
   Microsoft Windows 98/ME/2000: Select Start, Settings, Printers from the Microsoft Windows desktop.
   
   Microsoft Windows XP: Select Start, Printers and Faxes from the Microsoft Windows desktop.
   
   b.  Right-click any open space within the window.
   c.  Select Server Properties from the drop-down menu.
   d.  Click the Drivers tab.
   e.  Delete any listing for the HP LaserJet 2400 series product.
    
6. Reboot the computer without connecting the printer's cable.
    

Reinstall the software

A software-first installation is the recommended software installation method for this printer. This means that the software would be installed prior to connecting the product to the computer. Complete the following to install the software for a direct USB or parallel connection on a Microsoft Windows system.
 

1. Close any programs that are running in the Microsoft Windows background to avoid software conflicts during installation.
   
   a.  Select Start, Run from the Microsoft Windows desktop, type msconfig in the Open text box, and click OK. The System Configuration Utility should appear on the computer screen.
   b.  Click the General tab.
   c.  Choose Selective startup.
   d.  Remove the check from Load startup group items.
   e.  Click Apply, OK, and then click Yes to restart the computer.
    
2. Insert the HP LaserJet 2400 series software CD in the CD-ROM drive of the computer. If the CD-ROM does not start automatically, click Start, Run from the Microsoft Windows desktop. Click Browse and navigate to and double-click SETUP.EXE in the root directory of the CD-ROM.
3. Click Install Printer.
4. Select the appropriate language, and click OK to initiate the installation.
5. Read the software license agreement and click Next to continue.
6. Verify that Connected directly to this computer is selected on the printer connection screen and then click Next to continue.
   
   NOTE: At this point, the communication cable (USB or parallel) will not be connected between the product and the computer. The installer has the ability to detect hardware connections and to help guide the installation. A series of query dialog boxes appear that will guide the installation process.
    
7. Select the appropriate communication cable type and click Next.
8. Highlight the correct product model (the model number is displayed on the front door of the printer), and click Next.
9. Verify that Typical Installation is selected on the Installation Type screen and then click Next.
   
   NOTE: A typical installation installs all of the basic components in the default locations.
   A custom installation permits the selection of specific components to be installed. A Features screen appears that includes a list of features. A drop-down menu for each feature gives the option to install the feature, or keep it from installing. Clicking Next proceeds to the Ready to Install dialog box. The custom installation does not provide an option to change the default installation directory.
    
10. Specify a name for the printer. Check if this is to be the default printer, and click Next.
11. Click Install to begin the installation.
12. Connect the USB or Parallel cable between the product and the computer when the Looking for New Hardware screen appears. A New Hardware found screen will appear for each software component. This process will take several minutes to complete. A second Installing LaserJet screen will appear showing the installation status:
13. Click Next then the HP LaserJet setup screen appears to begin the second phase of the installation.
    
    NOTE: During the installation process, the status bar will refresh several times.
     
14. When the installation process is nearly complete, a Finish screen appears that indicates whether the installation was successful. Verify that there is a check mark next to Print Driver Test Page and then click Finish.
15. Click OK on the test page screen.
16. Click Yes if prompted to restart the computer.
17. Remove the HP LaserJet CD from the CD-ROM drive.
18. Return the system to original startup configuration by repeating step 1 above to re-enable the startup items. Reinsert the check mark next to Load startup group items, choose Apply, click OK, and then click Yes to restart the computer.

• Microsoft Support
  http://support.microsoft.com/
• Uniblue AKA liutilities.com AKA WinTasksPro
  One of the best ways of discovering what a "background process" is really up to. To view your computer's current running processes: hold down CTRL-ALT-DEL, next click Task Manager, then Processes, and finally SORT descending on the CPU column by clicking the word CPU; you may have to click it twice. Most PROCESSES will show up with zeros (0) beside them; the higher the number, the more it is taxing your CPU's processing power (and your hard drive). This technique will allow you to keep tabs on what your computer is up to, albeit in a simple way, during those times when you know in your gut that it should be doing little or nothing. The program listed above does a more thorough job of keeping track of unknown processes.
  http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/

Error Messages

S32EVNT1.DLL - virtual device driver failed - Symantec entry - Microsoft Entry - search Yahoo

Repair Kit

Rosewill RTK-045 45 Piece Premium Computer Tool Kit

• $20 + $7 shipping at newegg.com; comes with an anti-static wrist strap

Import Address Book From Outlook Express

How do I import address book information from other programs into Message Center?
To import contact information from other programs into the AT&T Message Center address book, you must create an export file with address book information from the other program, then import that file into Message Center. The steps for doing this are shown below:

From Outlook Express to Message Center

1. Open Outlook Express
2. Choose File > Export > Address Book
3. In the Address Book Export Tool window, select Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Export
4. Enter a name for the exported Outlook Express file, click Next
5. In the CSV Export window, select the address book fields (e.g., first name, last name, home address) you wish to export to Message Center, click Finish.
6. Close Outlook Express
7. Open Message Center
8. Choose E-mail > Address Book > Import/Export
9. In the Import window, select Microsoft Outlook Express format, select the file name and then click Import.

***Source: This info was copied from this AT&T Help page.

Trouble with Thunderbird

• Thunderbird by Mozilla
  free program
  
  If you're having problems, these articles at MozillaZine might help: cannot send mail and multiple SMTP servers — but I doubt it. The solution to my problem was so simple that, after I'd figured it out, I felt retarded.  Our ISP is BellSouth, and we used Outlook Express to send and receive all of our mail ... and our e-mail "processor" is mail.bellsouth.net. Later, I purchased my own web space, which came with hundreds of free e-mail accounts — so I decided to get Thunderbird to manage the new e-mail accounts that I planned on having. And that's when the trouble started. I couldn't send any mail out of Thunderbird, but I could receive it just fine — and my damned old account in Outlook Express still worked just fine. Long story short, you send your Thunderbird mail out by using your ISP's mail server (mine is mail.bellsouth.net), which was what my damned old account had been using successfully for years and years — but do NOT use your webhost's outgoing server (mine is mail.rigidroman.com). That said, you still have to setup your INCOMING to whatever server is supplying your mail (pop3.rigidroman.com). The following link gave me my EUREKA! moment: Blocking Port 25.
  
  links exposed:
  http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/
  http://kb.mozillazine.org/index.php?title=Cannot_send_mail
  http://kb.mozillazine.org/Multiple_SMTP_servers_%28Thunderbird%29
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_service_provider
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_host
  http://www.commercestreet.com/Blocking_Port_25.htm

Lists of HTTP Status Codes can be found at:

• W3C - W3.org - Status Codes
• Wikipedia - Status Codes

I'm getting 500 - Internal Server Error at some of my favorite websites, namely: Blender.org and ElephantsDream.org. Others with similar woes. (Turned out that their server was actually down.):

• Getting 500 error at my favorite site at Code Style

IP Blocking

My favorite sites may be blocking my IP address. Is my IP getting blocked? [Y! search results] Turns out that the answer was "yes." You get an HTTP Status Code of 500 - Internal Server Error, which masks the real problem -- that you're getting blocked. Thanks to the Plagiarism Today article below, I was able to get around this by the Google Translate feature. Just type the IP you want to visit into the Translate a Webpage box. [March 24, 2008]

Articles on this subject:

• Adwords Quietly Rolls Out IP Blocking As New Feature at a Whisper.net [March 24, 2008]
• Getting Around an IP Block at PlagiarismToday [March 24, 2008]
• Got Blocked at WhatIsMyIPAddress [March 24, 2008]
• IP Blocking at Google Answers [March 24, 2008]
• IP Blocking at Wikipedia [March 24, 2008]

Tools for Getting Around Blocks

• Anonymouse [March 24, 2008]
• Tor; used on Firefox with the TorButton Addon [March 24, 2008]

Monitor Problems

Screen flickers a bit, and then true-white colors take on a bluish tint. Now the picture is solid, with no flicker, but is either a blue-ish or green-ish tint. Through research, I have found:

• This usually results from a loose connection in the cable that connects to the back of the monitor and, from there, on to the back of the tower (aka computer). There could also be a tiny break in that cable, so wiggling the cable along its length and where it connects to monitor and computer will usually reveal this to be the case. Personal experience: I discovered that our monitor had a faulty cable by doing what I described above; I replaced the cable and -- presto! -- no problemo for a couple of years.
• However, it seems there can be other causes of the blue tinting ... which is the problem I have now. So far, I have looked into Degaussing [W] as a possible solution. And, oh yeah, I have searched forums for solutions to this problem ... the smartest replies always recommended what I ended doing to solve my problem the first time.
• Some specs on our monitor: Gateway VX920 19"; it's flat-panel display, but old solid-state technology; I found out that it's actually made by Mitsubishi and part of the Diamondtron family (very much like Sony's Trinitron); it's been a highly reliable monitor, up to this point, with a beautiful picture. Guess my monitor is going bad; hey, it suddenly fixed itself again; wonder how long my good fortune will last?
• A few links: Leopard's Green Tin - The Apple Blog - Samsung LCD Has Green Tint - Clamp Pulse Position to Back - My Monitor Is Green
• Yahoo Search: driver update vx920; resulting links: gateway support drivers, VX920 19-inch Flat-CRT Monitor with 18-inch Viewable Area [Part #7003471]
• monitor repair at repairfaq.org - look for section entitled 11.30 PICTURE FADES IN AND OUT

Acer AL2216W LCD Monitor

• Customer Reviews of Acer AL22 monitor at newegg.com - scroll down to mikey 1/25/2008; mikey complains that acer eDisplay wouldn't hold his settings, so he used DisplayMate instead, and that contrast had to be set to 35.
• Could not run the ADM software (with drivers); my computer kept freezing (locking up) on the program dthtml.exe, where the mouse's cursor wouldn't move, the hard drive would stop running running a program, and CTRL-ALT-DEL would have no effect from the keyboard. I had to remove the entire ADM package -- because, even when I stopped the program in Task Manager, the Acer Display Management program would freeze the computer every time I tried to run it from the Desktop icon.
• Acer.com for United States - Service and Support - Support Solutions for AL2216W - How to Install Monitor Drivers
• A few Display Settings that I like: (1) For general use (like web browsing) 1,280 x 768 (a ratio of 1.67 to 1) is a good setting; the icons and text are of a good, easy-to-read size; (2) For the correct aspect ratio in Adobe InDesign, I go with 1,440 x 900 (1.6 to 1); this affords me a very nice view of a spread (two pages, side by side) document. (Note: to go with the highest 32-bit color setting of 1,600 x 900 would render an unacceptable distorted aspect ratio of 1.78 to 1, whereby objects that are actually squares appear to be rectangles. To go with a higher resolution than this will cause the color palette to become 16-bit, which is unacceptable.) This widescreen Acer monitor was designed for a maximum resolution of 1,680 x 1050 (1.6 to 1). You gain access to these settings by right-clicking on your Desktop wallpaper image; next, select Properties; then, click the Settings tab; now you can adjust your Screen Resolution.

Searchable Word Combinations: blue tint, green tint

Windows Administration

[W - category]

In late August 2008, Bill Gates began to press upon us Service Pack 3. This is likely the last major rewrite of the Windows XP [W] operating system. After backing up our system to large degree, I relented and allowed the update to complete. Fear drove me to giving in to the upgrade — I pictured another gaping hole in the security of XP. - Sully 9/13/2008