As the size of hardrives increase, more people are using partitions to seperate and store groups of files.
XP uses the C:\Program Files directory as the default base directory into which new programs are installed. However, you can change the default installation drive and/ or directory by using a Registry hack.
Run the Registry Editor (regedit)and go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
Look for the value named ProgramFilesDir. by default,this value will be C:\Program Files. Edit the value to any valid drive or folder and XP will use that new location as the default installation directory for new programs.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Change The Default Location For Installing Application
How to customise your start button
First you need a tool called "Resource Hacker". This free program allows you to change resources in any .exe file such as "Explorer.exe", which includes the [Start] button's Label. You can visit Download.com and search there for "Resource Hacker".
After you download it, follow the guide here:
Step 1:
A - Run "Resource Hacker" and open the file "%windir%\Explorer.exe".
B - You see a Tree of all Resources in this file, expand the "String Table"
C - Find the "start" and replace it with your own text. then press the [Compile Script] button.
D - Save "Explorer.exe" as "MyStart.exe" DONT save it as Explorer.exe, do "save as.." and give it a new name.
E - Quit "Resource Hacker".
Step 2:
A - Click on the [Start] button and choose the "Run..." item from the start menu. (Or use the shortcut key WinKey+R)
B - Type "RegEdit" in the Run "Dialog Box". And then press the [Ok] buton to run the "Registry Editor" program.
C - Go to: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" and find the "Shell" property.
D - Replace value of the "Shell" property to "MyStart.exe".
E - Quit "Registry Editor".
F - Restart your system.
Note about Registry Editor:
if you did not find the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon", you can search the Registry for the "Explorer.exe", to do this use the Edit Menu | Find Next (Ctrl+F).
Chameleon Button by Gonchuki Systems
CHAMELEON BUTTON copyright ©2001-2003 by gonchuki
this custom control will emulate the most common
command buttons that everyone knows.
it took me three months to develop this control
but that was a first step now eight months after
it turned out to be a very professional control.
ALL THE CODE WAS WRITTEN FROM SCRATCH!!!
ever wanted to add cool buttons to your app???
this is the BEST solution!!!
Copyright © 2001-2003 by gonchuki
Commercial use of this control is FORBIDDEN
without registering first.
You can only use parts of this code for other
open source or freeware programs. Reuse of this
code in commercial applications is also FORBIDDEN
You can use this code without asking for your
personal projects or for freeware but remember
to give credits where its due
you MUST NOT build nor distribute OCX controls
based on the Chameleon Button, doing so is
against this terms.
Windows XP Hidden Application
To run any of these apps go to Start > Run and type the executable name (ie charmap).
WINDOWS XP HIDDEN APPS:
=========================================
1) Character Map = charmap.exe (very useful for finding unusual characters)
2) Disk Cleanup = cleanmgr.exe
3) Clipboard Viewer = clipbrd.exe (views contents of Windows clipboard)
4) Dr Watson = drwtsn32.exe (Troubleshooting tool)
5) DirectX diagnosis = dxdiag.exe (Diagnose & test DirectX, video & sound cards)
6) Private character editor = eudcedit.exe (allows creation or modification of characters)
7) IExpress Wizard = iexpress.exe (Create self-extracting / self-installing package)
8) Microsoft Synchronization Manager = mobsync.exe (appears to allow synchronization of files on the network for when working offline. Apparently undocumented).
9) Windows Media Player 5.1 = mplay32.exe (Retro version of Media Player, very basic).
10) ODBC Data Source Administrator = odbcad32.exe (something to do with databases)
11) Object Packager = packager.exe (to do with packaging objects for insertion in files, appears to have comprehensive help files).
12) System Monitor = perfmon.exe (very useful, highly configurable tool, tells you everything you ever wanted to know about any aspect of PC performance, for uber-geeks only )
13) Program Manager = progman.exe (Legacy Windows 3.x desktop shell).
14) Remote Access phone book = rasphone.exe (documentation is virtually non-existant).
15) Registry Editor = regedt32.exe [also regedit.exe] (for hacking the Windows Registry).
16) Network shared folder wizard = shrpubw.exe (creates shared folders on network).
17) File siganture verification tool = sigverif.exe
18) Volume Contro = sndvol32.exe (I've included this for those people that lose it from the System Notification area).
19) System Configuration Editor = sysedit.exe (modify System.ini & Win.ini just like in Win98! ).
20) Syskey = syskey.exe (Secures XP Account database - use with care, it's virtually undocumented but it appears to encrypt all passwords, I'm not sure of the full implications).
21) Microsoft Telnet Client = telnet.exe
22) Driver Verifier Manager = verifier.exe (seems to be a utility for monitoring the actions of drivers, might be useful for people having driver problems. Undocumented).
23) Windows for Workgroups Chat = winchat.exe (appears to be an old NT utility to allow chat sessions over a LAN, help files available).
24) System configuration = msconfig.exe (can use to control starup programs)
25) gpedit.msc used to manage group policies, and permissions
10 reasons why computers crash you must Know
Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."
You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?
1 Hardware conflict
The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.
For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.
If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.
Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.
Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.
Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).
When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.
To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.
2 Bad Ram
Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.
But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.
One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.
Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.
EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.
3 BIOS settings
Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.
Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.
A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.
Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).
4 Hard disk drives
After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to
* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter
This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.
The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).
Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-Hard Disk.
Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.
Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to
* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk
Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.
5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors
Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.
These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings
Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.
If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager
Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.
If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.
The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.
Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics
Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).
Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.
6 Viruses
Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to
* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs
Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.
A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.
An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( www.nai.com). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec ( www.symantec.com).
7 Printers
The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.
Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.
If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.
8 Software
A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.
The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.
Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org
Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.
Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.
Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.
Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.
9 Overheating
Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.
One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from www.computernerd.com or www.coolit.com
CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.
10 Power supply problems
With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.
If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.
It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
All About Computer Programming
By: Dean Barnard
Copyright (c) 2007 Dean Barnard
Computer programming is at the core of any computer operation. Unlike usual electro mechanical devices, a computer requires software to carry out instructions. At the lowest level, machine code is used to control the hardware and operations of a computer. The machine language is a set of zeros and ones and rather tedious to handle. Therefore the instructions are coded in a higher level language called a computer program. The conversion of a higher level language into a machine code is carried out by assembly level languages or assemblers. The transformation is completed without any human interface.
During the initial days when computer programs were still at a nascent stage of development, languages such as COBOL and BASIC were highly popular. As the computing power of computers increased ,the demand for more efficient programs emerged. The third generation programs had better portability and efficiency compared to the earlier generations. The need to handle enormous amount of data gave rise to specialized software called database management software or more specifically relational database management software. Companies like Oracle, IBM and Microsoft have developed their own version of RDBMS. On the processing front ,Mainframes were using COLOL for business applications and FORTRAN ( Formula Translation ) for scientific applications.
The concept of modularity became popular when hundreds of software programmers worked simultaneously on a single large project. Object oriented programs like C++ gathered popularity. The code used in these higher level languages was reusable and the techniques could provide for better efficiency.
Microsoft meanwhile brought out its own operating system which could be used on personal computers. In a matter of years the Windows OS became a unprecedented success. The OS2 operating system used by Apple computers was relegated to a second position. IBM has been providing other system software but none could reach the popularity levels of Windows. The only problem with Windows is the issue of security breaches. Though Microsoft has been striving hard to plug the security holes, it has not been entirely successful.
Modern computer programs strive more and more to behave like human language. Technologists believe that a day would come when one could program a computer by given verbal instructions. Surely that's not going to happen in a hurry. Artificial intelligence, expert systems, fuzzy logic and many more state of the art technologies are changing the face of programming.
Computers unlike any other machine require a software program to operate. It speaks in machine language which is gibberish to the human mind. Higher level languages are used to translate recognizable instructions into machine language. As we progress, the higher level languages would resemble human languages.
At the beginning of the computer era, a single program used to execute different functions. Today, specialized programs are tailor made for different applications. Complex programs require many programmers to work simultaneously on a single project. Modular languages are well suited for such large projects. Object oriented programming has become popular due to their modularity and ease of use.
About the Author
Join me at Perth Computer Repair and I will be in touch soon friend.
(ArticlesBase SC #216469)
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Web Programming Basics
Author: Suparna
Websites play a significant role in managing an online business and a well-made website can provide you with key to success in the virtual world. To build a perfect websites web programmers play a crucial role. Many people are quite unaware of the fact what web programming entails. The term ‘web programming’ encompasses a series of procedures including planning, conceptualization, modeling of electronic media delivery with the help of internet and through Markup language or software language which are suitable for interpretation by the Web browser as wells as the GUI or the Graphic User Interface.
The purview of web programming is actually quite wide. Web site programming services encompasses a wide array of websites like database driven websites with their huge data banks and archives. Special web programming is also needed for e-shops or e-commerce websites with their own shopping carts and online payment procedure. It is the web programmers who create dynamic as well as static flash websites with loads of animation and interactivity.
Thus, the jurisdiction of web programming is quite huge and it stretches from professional websites owned by business conglomerates, e-commerce websites selling products to informative websites like online libraries and encyclopedias. Even interactive online gaming websites are also the handiwork of adroit web programmers. Once the websites are launched the website maintenance and technical glitches faced by the websites are also handled by the web programmers.
Since web programming involves quite an intricate series of procedures that is why web programmers require technological dexterity and high level of know-how in software languages. Web programmers need to be highly skilled and flexibility so that they can employ their technical know-how as per the needs of the website owner. The proficient web programmers are well acquainted with an array of cutting edge web technology and software languages such as, Windows NT, Java, Servlets, MySQL, MSSQL, Oracle and MSAccess, JavaScript, WAP Applets, EJB, Perl. Not only creating the website with these software programming web programs can also enhance the visual appeal of these websites by working on graphics related software tools such as Photoshop, Corel Draw, Animation S/W, Flash Dreamweaver, Frontpage etc.
Efficient web programmers not merely create the web programs for a website but they also make effective control panels so that the website owners can log into that allows the website owners to and administer the content, application and other aspects of the website. That is why it is crucial that the web programmers decide on the application tools for a website after a detailed interaction with the client.
Whatever may be the size of the project, whether it is a huge e-commerce portal or a small personal blog site, it is the duty of the web programmer to settle on the software programs with a proper discussion with the client so as to ensure 100% satisfaction of the client. If it is an old existing website then new programs should be designed by the web programmers in a way that they are seamlessly integrated with the existing programs. Thus, there are various nuances of web programming.
Now days an array of web programming service providers are available in the market who can provide you with top-notch website programming service at a competitive rate. Since in the cut-throat world of online business reducing overhead costs and expenditure matters a lot that’s why many web programmers are providing excellent service to business owners at an affordable price. India has become a virtual hot bed for web programming since Indian web programming service providers can provide superior service in budget rates.
Suparna is the author of webdesignfunda.com. If you would like more information about Web Programming please visit http://www.webdesignfunda.com/
Suparna is the author of webdesignfunda.com. If you would like more information about Web Programming please visit http://www.webdesignfunda.com/
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Web Programming Basics
