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PC Tricks

Hello guys..............

in this forum we can post the tricks we know about the Computer.
So do contribute.

Thanks


mitf06m011_Aslam's picture

For Developers

AoA..

 Well i m going to give a tip to those who want to develop websites. Especially for the designers..Their is a useful tool FireBug in Mozilla Firefox. This is an add-on and is only available online.You can attach this add-one in your Firefox simply going on this https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1843  click on

"Add to Firefox" in this from this browser.You will see an icon on extreme right side of your Firefox status bar.When you click on this you will see html format their..Now you can play here first before changing your design in real.. For further assistance contact me....

maoo_o's picture

Are You Ready for

Are You Ready for SP2?

Are You Ready for SP2?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx

and find out how to get a hold of this important OS update. Download this file and install it, after installing restart your system. If you want to check SP2 installed or not then right click on "My Computer" then properties option for confirmation.

maoo_o's picture

Are You Ready for

Are You Ready for SP2?

Are You Ready for SP2?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx

and find out how to get a hold of this important OS update. Download this file and install it, after installing restart your system. If you want to check SP2 installed or not then right click on "My Computer" then properties option for confirmation.

maoo_o's picture

lock folder without any

lock folder without any software

Folder Lock without any S/W

Open Notepad and copy the below code and save as locker.bat. At first time start it will create folder with Locker automatically for u. Don't forget to change your password in the code its shown the place where to type your password.

after creation of Locker folder again click on the locker.bat.it will ask.press Y then Locker folder will be disappeared.again to get it click on locker.bat. and give ur password u will get the folder again.

maoo_o's picture

Choice of CPU:

Choice of CPU: Because

  1. Choice of CPU: Because ordinary people do not know much about computers, they simply buy one that has an Intel processor. More discerning buyers get PCs with AMD processors. Benchmark tests by prominent computer magazines and websites have shown that AMD Athlon processors score over Intel Pentium processors. Unlike Intel CPUs, AMD processors natively support both 32-bit and 64-bit software. AMD processors consume less power and consequently generate less heat. Hence, they do not require huge noisy fans. AMD is also a much better consumer-friendly company. It has been contributing to the development of open standards, which results in cheaper PC components. Intel, on the contrary, had tried to impose proprietary products like the RD-RAM memory technology, which was developed by its subsidiary Rambus. The biggest argument for AMD processors is the cost. AMD CPUs are always cheaper than Intel's. Remember, it is always the consumer who ultimately pays for the advertising and marketing expenses.
shamali's picture

Choice of CPU: Because

  1. Choice of CPU: Because ordinary people do not know much about computers, they simply buy one that has an Intel processor. More discerning buyers get PCs with AMD processors. Benchmark tests by prominent computer magazines and websites have shown that AMD Athlon processors score over Intel Pentium processors. Unlike Intel CPUs, AMD processors natively support both 32-bit and 64-bit software. AMD processors consume less power and consequently generate less heat. Hence, they do not require huge noisy fans. AMD is also a much better consumer-friendly company. It has been contributing to the development of open standards, which results in cheaper PC components. Intel, on the contrary, had tried to impose proprietary products like the RD-RAM memory technology, which was developed by its subsidiary Rambus. The biggest argument for AMD processors is the cost. AMD CPUs are always cheaper than Intel's. Remember, it is always the consumer who ultimately pays for the advertising and marketing expenses.
shamali's picture

Windows Hot shortcut

Windows Hot shortcut keys
Win Press windows key to open start menu

Win+R Apply to open Run dialog box

Win+M Apply to minimize all opened windows

Win+Shift+M Apply to maximize all opened windows

Win+L Press keys to lock keyboard in windows XP

Win+E Press keys to open My Computer

Win+F Apply to open search options

Win+U Apply keys to open Utility Manager

Win+D To view desktop/minimize all windows

Win+F1 To view the detail windows help page

Win+Pause To view the System Properties dialog box

Win+Tab Move through taskbar programs

Win+F+Ctrl Apply to open search for computers

Alt+Tab Move through opened windows programs

Alt+F4 Press keys to close active windows program

Alt+Enter Apply to open properties of selected item

Alt+ SPACEBAR Open the system menu of active window

Alt+ SPACEBAR +N Press keys to minimize the active program

Alt+ SPACEBAR +R Press keys to restore the active program

Alt+ SPACEBAR+C Press keys to close the active program

Alt+ SPACEBAR+X Press keys to maximize the active program

Alt+ SPACEBAR+M Press keys to move the active program

Ctrl+Alt+Delete Apply to open windows task manager

Ctrl+Shift+Esc Apply to open windows task manager

Ctrl+Esc Press keys to open start menu

Shift Shift key to prevent CD from automatically playing

Shift+Delete To delete items permanently

shamali's picture

Are You Ready for SP2?

Are You Ready for SP2?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx

and find out how to get a hold of this important OS update. Download this file and install it, after installing restart your system. If you want to check SP2 installed or not then right click on "My Computer" then properties option for confirmation.

 

shamali's picture

Adding Internet Prefixes and

Adding Internet Prefixes and Suffixes Automatically

Here's a cool tip for accessing a Web page from any Windows address bar. You can enter any string of characters in an address bar and then press Ctrl-Enter; Windows will automatically add both "www" and ".com", and then search for the page on the Internet. For example, if we type

computerfreetips

in an address bar and then press Ctrl-Enter, Windows will take us to the

computerfreetips

 Web site at www.computerfreetips.com. Give it a try.

 

shamali's picture

Adding a Shortcut Key to

Adding a Shortcut Key to Your Internet Connection

A new cool tip to dial internet connection with out using the mouse, simply add a shortcut key that will allow you to do this. Just right-click on your Internet connection and go to  Properties option. Click in the Shortcut Key box and then press a key combination that you would like to use here like  (Ctrl-Alt-I). When you have a combination you like, click OK. Next time no need to use mouse to run your internet connection simply use this shortcut from your keyboard, you can just press your shortcut key combination (Ctrl-Alt-I) to launch your Internet connection.

shamali's picture

a quck document printing To

a quck document printing

To do this, first click Start button, Settings, then  Printers ( first make sure you installed your printer driver). When the Printers window opens, hold down Ctrl and drag the printer icon to your system desktop.

Now you can drag a document icon and drop it in printer icon on your desktop. Here you will get a print quickly and with out open a  file.

 

unsbaloach's picture

locker is not working

locker is not working

how can i change the name of window's start button???? 

Umerdin's picture

Rename 'Recycle Bin' To Whatever You Want ( In Easy Steps )

1. Start, Run, 'Regedit'.

2. Press 'Ctrl'+'F' to open find box and type 'Recycle Bin' to search.

3. Change any value data with 'Recycle Bin' to whatever name you want to give it ( ie, like 'Trash Can' or 'Dump' etc).

4. Press F3 to continue searching for 'Recycle Bin' and change wherever you come across 'Recycle Bin' to new its new name.

5. Repeat step 4 until you have finished with searching and changed all values to its new name.

6. Close regedit and hit F5 on desktop to see the new name on screen.

Note: As a good practice, always backup your registry before changing anything although changing 'Recycle Bin' name is a simple tweak and doesnt affect anything else.

maoo_o's picture

recycle wala trick kam nahi

recycle wala trick kam nahi kerta

maoo_o's picture

Fairag hai

Fairag hai

maoo_o's picture

What?

What?

Jawad's picture

chwal insan yeh topic pehlay

chwal insan yeh topic pehlay say hi bana hua tha...dobara bnanay ki kya zaroorat thi?

y_for_a's picture

How to make your Desktop Icons Transparent

Go to Control Panel > System, > Advanced > Performance area > Settings button Visual Effects tab "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the Desktop"

y_for_a's picture

Remove the Recycle Bin from the Desktop

If you don't use the Recycle Bin to store deleted files , you can get rid of its desktop icon all together.

 

Run Regedit and go to:

 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/explorer/Desktop/NameSpace

 

 

Click on the "Recycle Bin" string in the right hand pane. Hit
Del
, click OK

y_for_a's picture

How to Rename the Recycle Bin

To change the name of the Recycle Bin desktop icon, open Regedit and go to:

 

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/CLSID/{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

 

and change the name "Recycle Bin" to whatever you want (don't type any quotes).

y_for_a's picture

Make your Folders Private

 

•Open My Computer

•Double-click the drive where Windows is installed (usually drive (C:), unless you have more than one drive on your computer).

•If the contents of the drive are hidden, under System Tasks, click Show the contents of this drive.

•Double-click the Documents and Settings folder.

•Double-click your user folder.

•Right-click any folder in your user profile, and then click Properties.

•On the Sharing tab, select the Make this folder private so that only I have access to it check box.

 

 

Note

 

•To open My Computer, click Start, and then click My Computer.

•This option is only available for folders included in your user profile. Folders in your user profile include My Documents and its subfolders, Desktop, Start Menu, Cookies, and Favorites. If you do not make these folders private, they are available to everyone who uses your computer.

•When you make a folder private, all of its subfolders are private as well. For example, when you make My Documents private, you also make My Music and My Pictures private. When you share a folder, you also share all of its subfolders unless you make them private.

•You cannot make your folders private if your drive is not formatted as NTFS For information about converting your drive to NTFS click here

 

y_for_a's picture

20 things you didn't know about Windows XP

 

  • It boasts how long it can stay up. Whereas previous versions of Windows were coy about how long they went between boots, XP is positively proud of its stamina. Go to the Command Prompt in the Accessories menu from the All Programs start button option, and then type 'systeminfo'. The computer will produce a lot of useful info, including the uptime. If you want to keep these, type 'systeminfo > info.txt'. This creates a file called info.txt you can look at later with Notepad. (Professional Edition only).
  • You can delete files immediately, without having them move to the Recycle Bin first. Go to the Start menu, select Run... and type 'gpedit.msc'; then select User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Explorer and find the Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin setting. Set it. Poking around in gpedit will reveal a great many interface and system options, but take care -- some may stop your computer behaving as you wish. (Professional Edition only).

     

  • You can lock your XP workstation with two clicks of the mouse. Create a new shortcut on your desktop using a right mouse click, and enter 'rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation' in the location field. Give the shortcut a name you like. That's it -- just double click on it and your computer will be locked. And if that's not easy enough, Windows key + L will do the same.

     

  • XP hides some system software you might want to remove, such as Windows Messenger, but you can tickle it and make it disgorge everything. Using Notepad or Edit, edit the text file /windows/inf/sysoc.inf, search for the word 'hide' and remove it. You can then go to the Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Windows Components and there will be your prey, exposed and vulnerable.

     

  • For those skilled in the art of DOS batch files, XP has a number of interesting new commands. These include 'eventcreate' and 'eventtriggers' for creating and watching system events, 'typeperf' for monitoring performance of various subsystems, and 'schtasks' for handling scheduled tasks. As usual, typing the command name followed by /? will give a list of options -- they're all far too baroque to go into here.

     

  • XP has IP version 6 support -- the next generation of IP. Unfortunately this is more than your ISP has, so you can only experiment with this on your LAN. Type 'ipv6 install' into Run... (it's OK, it won't ruin your existing network setup) and then 'ipv6 /?' at the command line to find out more. If you don't know what IPv6 is, don't worry and don't bother.

     

  • You can at last get rid of tasks on the computer from the command line by using 'taskkill /pid' and the task number, or just 'tskill' and the process number. Find that out by typing 'tasklist', which will also tell you a lot about what's going on in your system.

     

  • XP will treat Zip files like folders, which is nice if you've got a fast machine. On slower machines, you can make XP leave zip files well alone by typing 'regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll' at the command line. If you change your mind later, you can put things back as they were by typing 'regsvr32 zipfldr.dll'.

     

  • XP has ClearType -- Microsoft's anti-aliasing font display technology -- but doesn't have it enabled by default. It's well worth trying, especially if you were there for DOS and all those years of staring at a screen have given you the eyes of an astigmatic bat. To enable ClearType, right click on the desktop, select Properties, Appearance, Effects, select ClearType from the second drop-down menu and enable the selection. Expect best results on laptop displays. If you want to use ClearType on the Welcome login screen as well, set the registry entry HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType to 2.

     

  • You can use Remote Assistance to help a friend who's using network address translation (NAT) on a home network, but not automatically. Get your pal to email you a Remote Assistance invitation and edit the file. Under the RCTICKET attribute will be a NAT IP address, like 192.168.1.10. Replace this with your chum's real IP address -- they can find this out by going to www.whatismyip.com -- and get them to make sure that they've got port 3389 open on their firewall and forwarded to the errant computer.

     

  • You can run a program as a different user without logging out and back in again. Right click the icon, select Run As... and enter the user name and password you want to use. This only applies for that run. The trick is particularly useful if you need to have administrative permissions to install a program, which many require. Note that you can have some fun by running programs multiple times on the same system as different users, but this can have unforeseen effects.

     

  • Windows XP can be very insistent about you checking for auto updates, registering a Passport, using Windows Messenger and so on. After a while, the nagging goes away, but if you feel you might slip the bonds of sanity before that point, run Regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/Advanced and create a DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips with a value of 0.

     

  • You can start up without needing to enter a user name or password. Select Run... from the start menu and type 'control userpasswords2', which will open the user accounts application. On the Users tab, clear the box for Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer, and click on OK. An Automatically Log On dialog box will appear; enter the user name and password for the account you want to use.

     

  • Internet Explorer 6 will automatically delete temporary files, but only if you tell it to. Start the browser, select Tools / Internet Options... and Advanced, go down to the Security area and check the box to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.

     

  • XP comes with a free Network Activity Light, just in case you can't see the LEDs twinkle on your network card. Right click on My Network Places on the desktop, then select Properties. Right click on the description for your LAN or dial-up connection, select Properties, then check the Show icon in notification area when connected box. You'll now see a tiny network icon on the right of your task bar that glimmers nicely during network traffic.

     

  • The Start Menu can be leisurely when it decides to appear, but you can speed things along by changing the registry entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop/MenuShowDelay from the default 400 to something a little snappier. Like 0.

     

  • You can rename loads of files at once in Windows Explorer. Highlight a set of files in a window, then right click on one and rename it. All the other files will be renamed to that name, with individual numbers in brackets to distinguish them. Also, in a folder you can arrange icons in alphabetised groups by View, Arrange Icon By... Show In Groups.

     

  • Windows Media Player will display the cover art for albums as it plays the tracks -- if it found the picture on the Internet when you copied the tracks from the CD. If it didn't, or if you have lots of pre-WMP music files, you can put your own copy of the cover art in the same directory as the tracks. Just call it folder.jpg and Windows Media Player will pick it up and display it.

     

  • Windows key + Break brings up the System Properties dialogue box; Windows key + D brings up the desktop; Windows key + Tab moves through the taskbar buttons.

     

 

y_for_a's picture

20 things you didn't know about Windows XP

 

  • It boasts how long it can stay up. Whereas previous versions of Windows were coy about how long they went between boots, XP is positively proud of its stamina. Go to the Command Prompt in the Accessories menu from the All Programs start button option, and then type 'systeminfo'. The computer will produce a lot of useful info, including the uptime. If you want to keep these, type 'systeminfo > info.txt'. This creates a file called info.txt you can look at later with Notepad. (Professional Edition only).
  • You can delete files immediately, without having them move to the Recycle Bin first. Go to the Start menu, select Run... and type 'gpedit.msc'; then select User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Explorer and find the Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin setting. Set it. Poking around in gpedit will reveal a great many interface and system options, but take care -- some may stop your computer behaving as you wish. (Professional Edition only).

     

  • You can lock your XP workstation with two clicks of the mouse. Create a new shortcut on your desktop using a right mouse click, and enter 'rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation' in the location field. Give the shortcut a name you like. That's it -- just double click on it and your computer will be locked. And if that's not easy enough, Windows key + L will do the same.

     

  • XP hides some system software you might want to remove, such as Windows Messenger, but you can tickle it and make it disgorge everything. Using Notepad or Edit, edit the text file /windows/inf/sysoc.inf, search for the word 'hide' and remove it. You can then go to the Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Windows Components and there will be your prey, exposed and vulnerable.

     

  • For those skilled in the art of DOS batch files, XP has a number of interesting new commands. These include 'eventcreate' and 'eventtriggers' for creating and watching system events, 'typeperf' for monitoring performance of various subsystems, and 'schtasks' for handling scheduled tasks. As usual, typing the command name followed by /? will give a list of options -- they're all far too baroque to go into here.

     

  • XP has IP version 6 support -- the next generation of IP. Unfortunately this is more than your ISP has, so you can only experiment with this on your LAN. Type 'ipv6 install' into Run... (it's OK, it won't ruin your existing network setup) and then 'ipv6 /?' at the command line to find out more. If you don't know what IPv6 is, don't worry and don't bother.

     

  • You can at last get rid of tasks on the computer from the command line by using 'taskkill /pid' and the task number, or just 'tskill' and the process number. Find that out by typing 'tasklist', which will also tell you a lot about what's going on in your system.

     

  • XP will treat Zip files like folders, which is nice if you've got a fast machine. On slower machines, you can make XP leave zip files well alone by typing 'regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll' at the command line. If you change your mind later, you can put things back as they were by typing 'regsvr32 zipfldr.dll'.

     

  • XP has ClearType -- Microsoft's anti-aliasing font display technology -- but doesn't have it enabled by default. It's well worth trying, especially if you were there for DOS and all those years of staring at a screen have given you the eyes of an astigmatic bat. To enable ClearType, right click on the desktop, select Properties, Appearance, Effects, select ClearType from the second drop-down menu and enable the selection. Expect best results on laptop displays. If you want to use ClearType on the Welcome login screen as well, set the registry entry HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType to 2.

     

  • You can use Remote Assistance to help a friend who's using network address translation (NAT) on a home network, but not automatically. Get your pal to email you a Remote Assistance invitation and edit the file. Under the RCTICKET attribute will be a NAT IP address, like 192.168.1.10. Replace this with your chum's real IP address -- they can find this out by going to www.whatismyip.com -- and get them to make sure that they've got port 3389 open on their firewall and forwarded to the errant computer.

     

  • You can run a program as a different user without logging out and back in again. Right click the icon, select Run As... and enter the user name and password you want to use. This only applies for that run. The trick is particularly useful if you need to have administrative permissions to install a program, which many require. Note that you can have some fun by running programs multiple times on the same system as different users, but this can have unforeseen effects.

     

  • Windows XP can be very insistent about you checking for auto updates, registering a Passport, using Windows Messenger and so on. After a while, the nagging goes away, but if you feel you might slip the bonds of sanity before that point, run Regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/Advanced and create a DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips with a value of 0.

     

  • You can start up without needing to enter a user name or password. Select Run... from the start menu and type 'control userpasswords2', which will open the user accounts application. On the Users tab, clear the box for Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer, and click on OK. An Automatically Log On dialog box will appear; enter the user name and password for the account you want to use.

     

  • Internet Explorer 6 will automatically delete temporary files, but only if you tell it to. Start the browser, select Tools / Internet Options... and Advanced, go down to the Security area and check the box to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.

     

  • XP comes with a free Network Activity Light, just in case you can't see the LEDs twinkle on your network card. Right click on My Network Places on the desktop, then select Properties. Right click on the description for your LAN or dial-up connection, select Properties, then check the Show icon in notification area when connected box. You'll now see a tiny network icon on the right of your task bar that glimmers nicely during network traffic.

     

  • The Start Menu can be leisurely when it decides to appear, but you can speed things along by changing the registry entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop/MenuShowDelay from the default 400 to something a little snappier. Like 0.

     

  • You can rename loads of files at once in Windows Explorer. Highlight a set of files in a window, then right click on one and rename it. All the other files will be renamed to that name, with individual numbers in brackets to distinguish them. Also, in a folder you can arrange icons in alphabetised groups by View, Arrange Icon By... Show In Groups.

     

  • Windows Media Player will display the cover art for albums as it plays the tracks -- if it found the picture on the Internet when you copied the tracks from the CD. If it didn't, or if you have lots of pre-WMP music files, you can put your own copy of the cover art in the same directory as the tracks. Just call it folder.jpg and Windows Media Player will pick it up and display it.

     

  • Windows key + Break brings up the System Properties dialogue box; Windows key + D brings up the desktop; Windows key + Tab moves through the taskbar buttons.

     

 

y_for_a's picture

Music and Audio with XP

 

Great Digital Media with Windows XP includes everything you need to know to play digital music stored on your PC, on audio CDs, Internet radio stations, and through Web-based streaming audio. But it doesn't end there: With Windows XP, you can almost endlessly configure Microsoft Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP), manage digital music directly from the Windows shell and through MPXP, copy music from audio CDs to your PC, and create your own audio "mix" CDs and data CD backups. And best of all, these capabilities are all built into Windows XP... for free!

Here are some tips for working with digital music and audio in Windows XP.

Copy CD Audio in MP3 format with an MP3 Encoding Add-on Pack

Microsoft Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP) can record CD audio in Windows Media Audio (WMA) 8 format natively, but if you want to use the more common MP3 format, you will need one of several MP3 Encoding Add-on Packs, which will be available for download by the time Windows XP is widely released on October 25. The add-on packs will cost less than $10, and will be available from Cyberlink, InterVideo, and Ravisent.

Use transcoding to save space on portable audio devices.

 

When copying music from an audio CD to your hard drive, you will probably want to use a decent encoding rate (128 Kbps WMA or 160 Kbps MP3 format) to ensure that the resulting files are as close to CD-quality as possible. But such files are pretty large, and if you're going to be copying them to a portable audio device--such as an Iomega HipZip or a Pocket PC--you won't be able to bring very many songs with you on the road. To overcome this problem, Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP) supports a feature called transcoding, which will let you downsize files on the file as you copy them to a portable device. So you might transcode 128 Kbps WMA files down to 64 Kbps, for example, to fit twice as many songs in the same amount of space, with only a small loss in sound quality. To configure this feature, open MPXP and navigate to Tools, Options, Devices. Then, choose the appropriate device and click Properties. This dialog will allow you to set a custom quality level for music copied to that device.

Use audio CD artwork in your digital media folders.

One of the coolest new features in Windows XP is its album thumbnail generator, which automatically places the appropriate album cover art on the folder to which you are copying music (WMA 8 format by default). But what about those people that have already copied their CDs to the hard drive using MP3 format? You can download album cover art from sites such as cdnow.com or amguide.com, and then use the new Windows XP folder customize feature to display the proper image for each folder. But this takes time--you have to manually edit the folder properties for every single folder--and you will lose customizations if you have to reinstall the OS. There's an excellent fix, however. When you download the album cover art from the Web, just save the images as folder.jpg each time and place them in the appropriate folder. Then, Windows XP will automatically use that image as the thumbnail for that folder and, best of all, will use that image in Windows Media Player for Windows XP (MPXP) if you choose to display album cover art instead of a visualization. And the folder customization is automatic, so it survives an OS reinstallation as well. Your music folders never looked so good! Also, you can save a smaller-sized image albumartsmall.jpg if you'd like: This file is used to store the album art thumbnails you see in folder icons.

 

 

y_for_a's picture

How to Write a Windows XP Driver

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Install the current Windows DDK. Read the system requirements and installation instructions in the stand-alone Getting Started HTML file supplied with the DDK.

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Read Getting Started with Windows Drivers. This document guides you through the planning and decision-making process involved in making a Windows device driver from design through distribution. You should also look through the DDK documentation for device-type-specific information.

     

  • The DDK documentation set has the following device-type-specific nodes:

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->
    Battery Devices

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Display and Print Devices

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->IEEE 1284.4 Devices

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Interactive Input Devices

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Modem Devices

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Multifunction Devices

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Network Devices and Protocols

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->
    Parallel
    Ports
    and Devices

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->
    Serial
    Ports
    and Devices

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Smart Card Devices

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Still Image Devices

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Storage Devices

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Streaming Devices (Video and Audio)

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Devices Requiring VDDs

     

  •  

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->IDE bus are described in System Support for Buses. Driver development for most device types also requires a strong understanding of Windows operating system fundamentals, which are described in Kernel-Mode Driver Architecture.

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Look through the driver source code provided with the DDK for a sample that represents your device type. Use the sample code where possible, modifying it for your device's specifics.

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->The sample code can enhance your understanding of Windows XP driver implementation requirements and speed your development time.

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Compile and build your driver. This should be done using the Build utility and not some other compiler, because the Build utility has certain features that are necessary for driver development.

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Obtain a checked build of Windows XP, so that you can test and debug your driver using free and checked system builds.

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->The checked build of Windows XP provides extensive kernel-mode debugging capabilities not available in the free build.

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Create an INF file so that you can install and test your driver.

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Test and debug your driver. You should use Driver Verifier, a program that puts your driver through a variety of tests, stresses, and deliberate failures in order to test its response and reliability in many extreme situations. You should also use a debugger. Microsoft provides several powerful debuggers that can monitor and debug kernel-mode and user-mode drivers.

    Using Driver Verifier in conjunction with these debuggers, on both the checked and free versions of the operating system, can be a powerful way to test your driver.

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Provide an installation package so that customers can install devices that use your driver.

     

  • <!--[if !supportLists]-->·<!--[endif]-->Submit your driver and installation package to Microsoft so that it can be digitally signed.
  • y_for_a's picture

    Controlling Running Instances

    It is common for applications to control their startup so that only a single instance may be running on a machine at any given time. There are many valid reasons for doing this: licensing restrictions, required dedicated access to specific hardware resources, and perhaps even enforcing data integrity. However, with multiple users on the same machine, it might be desirable to allow multiple users-each with their own instance-to work with (for example) a personal finance program as long as their data remains isolated. At this point, the commonly used mechanisms for controlling running instances may exhibit some unwanted side effects when operating under Windows XP's fast user switching or remote desktop.

    The most common method for discovering whether another instance is running is to use the FindWindow or FindWindowEx APIs to search for a window that, if your application is running, you know to be open. Somewhat unexpectedly, both of these APIs work in a single user session only. So using this method won't prevent another instance of your application from being started by another user.

    A more robust method for controlling multiple instances is to use one of the NT kernel objects: events, semaphores, mutexes, waitable timers, file-mapping objects, and job objects can all be used with Global\ or Local\ prefixes on Windows 2000 and Windows XP. By default, each user (terminal service) session will have its own namespace for kernel objects. By creating a Global\ object-for instance, a mutex or semaphore-when your application is started (and closing it upon exit), your application can detect running instances across multiple user (terminal service) sessions. Of course, you can't just switch to the previous instance: It may be in another session! What typically happens in that case is the user clicks on an icon and then nothing appears to happen (since the app thinks it's located another running instance). At a minimum, you should warn the user that there's another instance running.

    What about sound? Well, the terminal services in Windows XP have been designed to configure sound to both the interactive and disconnected sessions. While it may be difficult to imagine at first, there may be valid scenarios where it would desirable to output multiple audio streams. For instance, what if you used a sound card in one user session to output audio to the home stereo system and at the same time the active user wanted to hold an interactive meeting with sound? In this case, you certainly would not want to blend the two streams. And neither would you want to suspend the audio stream in the disconnected session. Getting this right can be particularly important when working with shared media devices like DVD players.

    One general guideline is to do "as little as possible, as much as necessary" when you are the disconnected session. To do this, it can be helpful to know when a session switch occurs. While most applications won't need to be notified, if your application accesses a shared resource-such as a serial port or other hardware device-you may want to know when the machine switches between user sessions. To be notified when a session switch occurs, you must register to receive the WM_WTSSESSION_CHANGE message by calling the WTSRegisterConsoleNotification API. Using this function, you can choose to be notified for a single session or for all sessions, and when either local or remote sessions connect or disconnect. When you no longer require notification, you should unregister using the WTSUnRegisterConsoleNotification API.

    y_for_a's picture

    Playing DVDs in Windows XP

     

    Microsoft raves about how Media Player plays DVDs. But that's a lie. Windows XP can't play DVDs right out of the box. See, even though you've bought a Windows XP computer, a DVD drive, and a DVD, you need something else: special software called a decoder. This bit of software, called a codec because it converts one format to another, enables your computer to translate numbers on a disc into videos of galloping horses on the screen.

     

    Unfortunately, Windows XP doesn't come with a DVD codec, so you must pick up one somewhere else. Where? Well, most computers with DVD drives come with DVD-playing software — a little box with its own little controls. That software installs its own DVD codec in Windows, and Media Player simply borrows that. But if you don't have DVD-playing software, there's nothing to borrow, and Media Player ignores your DVDs.

     



    If you choose Windows Media Player instead of your third-party DVD player to watch DVDs, the controls are pretty much the same as they are for playing CDs.

     



    You probably need to update your DVD software so that it will work under Windows XP. Otherwise, your DVD software won't work under Media Player, either. Head for the Web site of your DVD player's manufacturer and look for a Windows XP patch or upgrade. If you're lucky, the manufacturer won't charge you for the upgrade. Some companies, however, make you buy a new version.

     



    DVD stands for Digital Video Disc & Digital Versatile Disc.

     



    Bending to pressure, Microsoft made a last-minute deal with three companies to provide software for Windows Media Player to create MP3s and play DVDs. The catch? The complete package costs between $20 and $30, with separate components (the DVD decoder on its own, for instance) costing less.

     



    The three companies, CyberLink, InterVideo, and RAVISENT, each offers a DVD Decoder Pack for Windows XP. After October 25, 2001, Windows XP users may order and download the add-on packs from each company's Web site through links inside Windows Media Player.

     

    If you've upgraded to Windows XP from an earlier version of Windows, and your old DVD software no longer works, using the links to get the add-ons might be your best option.

     

     

    y_for_a's picture

    FDISK Tutorial

     

    Primary partitions are the only one that are bootable. They're always the C: drive when active. Normally you can only have one (more with some special tricks etc.) Extended partitions are needed when you want more than one partition. You can only have ONE Extended partition. Logical Drives come into the Extended partition. They are handy since you know that you can only have one Primary and one Extended so you can get more than only two partitions. They would be your D:, E:, etc. drives.

     

    First you need to reboot your system with the Boot Disk inserted.

     

    1.At the A: prompt start "FDISK."

     

    2.If asked to use Large Disc support say Yes.

     

    3.The first screen looks like this:

     

    Create Dos Partition or Logical Drive

    Set Active Partition

    Delete Partitions or Logical DOS Drives

    Display Partition Information

    Change current fixed drive. (In case you have two or more Hard Drivess)

    So, to prepare you hopefully did a backup from your data. You did, didn't you ?!

     

    4.Next we need to remove the existing partitions. So go to 3.

     

    5.Next screen like this:

     

    Delete Primary DOS

    Delete Extended DOS

    Delete Logical Drives

    Delete Non-DOS

    Delete always in the following order

     

    Logical (All) > Extended > Primary (Last)

     

    6.Go back to first screen after all partitions have been removed.

     

    7.Now we need to setup our new partitions. Go to 1.

     

    This screen looks like this:

     

    Create Primary DOS

    Create Extended DOS

    Create Logical DOS Drives

    Here we create in the following order

     

    Primary > Extended > Logical Drives.

     

    8.First create the Primary. If asked to use all space say No and enter the amount you wish for the C: drive. It should be set automatically to be the (only) Active partition. If not it may ask you or you have to select "2. Set active partition" from the main menu.

     

    9.Next create the Extended Partition. Use all space left.

     

    It probably advances automatically to the next step, creating the Logical DOS Drives.

     

    10.Enter the amount you wish for the D: partition and than the rest for the third partition.

     

    Think first about the size for the partitions.

     

    OK now we're finished with FDISK so just exit it. Next you need to reboot with the disc still inserted and Format all partitions (the C: partition might need to be formatted with "format c: /s", check the Win95 tip). Another reboot and you can go ahead and install Windows.

     

    When your system supports booting from CD just insert the Windows CD and reboot. The setup will start.

     

    If not, follow these steps:

     

    Win98: insert Boot Disk and CD, reboot, choose "2. boot with CDROM support" and once you're at the prompt change to your CD-drive letter (depends on your partition setup) and enter "setup".

    Win95: You must format the C: partition with "Format C: /s"!. Next install your CDROM driver, reboot, insert the Win95 CD, change to the CD-driveletter, enter "setup".

    I hope I made no mistakes.

     

     

    y_for_a's picture

    Ping

     

    In a previous tip, it was revealed how to continuously ping a host until stopped. Here are all of the ping options:

     

    example .. In DOS .. c:>ping 192.168.0.1 -t

     

    -t Ping the specifed host until interrupted

     

    -a Resolve addresses to hostnames

     

    -n count Number of echo requests to send

     

    -l size Send buffer size

     

    -f Set Don't Fragment flag in packet

     

    -i TTL Time To Live

     

    -v TOS Type Of Service

     

    -r count Record route for count hops

     

    -s count Timestamp for count hops

     

    -j host-list Loose source route along host-list

     

    -k host-list Strict source route along host-list

     

    -w timeout Timeout in milliseconds to wait for each reply

     

    Experiment to see how helpful these can be!

     

     

    y_for_a's picture

    Unlocking WinXP's setupp.ini

     

    WinXP's setupp.ini controls how the CD acts. IE is it an OEM version or retail? First, find your setupp.ini file in the i386 directory on your WinXP CD. Open it up, it'll look something like this:

     

    ExtraData=707A667567736F696F697911AE7E05

    Pid=55034000

     

    The Pid value is what we're interested in. What's there now looks like a standard default. There are special numbers that determine if it's a retail, oem, or volume license edition. First, we break down that number into two parts. The first five digits determines how the CD will behave, ie is it a retail cd that lets you clean install or upgrade, or an oem cd that only lets you perform a clean install? The last three digits determines what CD key it will accept. You are able to mix and match these values. For example you could make a WinXP cd that acted like a retail cd, yet accepted OEM keys.

     

    Now, for the actual values. Remember the first and last values are interchangable, but usually you'd keep them as a pair:

     

    Retail = 51882335

    Volume License = 51883 270

    OEM = 82503 OEM

     

    So if you wanted a retail CD that took retail keys, the last line of your setupp.ini file would read:

     

    Pid=51882335

     

    And if you wanted a retail CD that took OEM keys, you'd use:

     

    Pid=51882OEM

     

    Note that this does NOT get rid of WinXP's activation. Changing the Pid to a Volume License will not bypass activation. You must have a volume license (corporate) key to do so.

     

     

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