Simply follow these steps:
1. Go to 'Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools->Scheduled Tasks'
2. Click on the "Add Scheduled Task' icon
3. Click on the 'Next 'button and select a program to schedule
4. Click 'Next' then select the 'Daily' radio button
5. Click 'Next' until you rach the last screen then select the
'Open Advanced Properties For This Task When I click Finish'
checkbox then click on the 'Finish' button
6. Click on the 'Settings' tab near the top of the new dialog box
7. In the Idle Time section, select the "Only start the task if
the computer has been idle for at least' checkbox
8. Select how long you want your computer to be idle before
starting the scheduled task
9. Click 'Apply' then OK
From now on, Windows will run the sceduled task when you computer is idle for the specified time you chose. However, Windows could run the scheduled task numerous times a day, depending on how many times your computer goes into idle mode.
Here is a quick tip to install and run applications on Windows XP without affecting the registry. While this is not strictly comparable to Windows Vista’s inbuilt Sandbox, Registry & File System Virtualization feature, it is a quick method to run programs such as IE on XP in restricted mode, preventing malware or viirus from affecting the registry or drive.
To use RunAs, right click the program’s executable or shortcut and select “Run As”. If the option is not visible, press Shift and then click on the icon. Then select “current user” and check the option “Protect my computer and data from unauthorized program activity” box is ticked.
This option has the following effect :
+ Group membership: If you were logged in as a member of Administrators, Power Users, or certain powerful domain groups, the app runs without the benefit of those group memberships.
+ Registry: The app has read-only access to the registry, including HKEY_CURRENT_USER and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. The app has no access to HKCU\Software\Policies.
+ File system (NTFS): The app cannot access the user’s profile directory at all. That includes “My Documents”, “Temporary Internet Files”, “Cookies”, etc.
+ Privileges: The app has no system-wide privileges other than “Bypass traverse checking”.
This solution, though simple, breaks most applications from running. Therefore, users can think of using a third party software such as Returnil Virtual System 2007 which can clone a copy of your System Partition into the memory and create a file based Virtual Disk Partition where you can save documents, data, files & install programs, software and applications without affecting the host system (similiar to VMWare or Virtual PC)
"The Windows Installer service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running Windows in safe mode, or if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your support personnel for assistance."
The microsoft website knowledge article 324516 gives 2 methods as a way of fixing this problem, but you might be very lucky if any of the 2 fixes the problem, alot of guys end up formating their systems and doing fresh windows installations or try wired ways of fixing it.
OK, the solution is very easy:
* right click your root windows installation drive i.e drive where you installed windows
* click properties at the bottom
* select security tab
* click Add and scroll down to SYSTEM account click add and click OK.
* allow Full control permission and click Apply and then Ok.
Ever hear a strange noise coming from your computer. Maybe it sounds like a plane about to take off. That's the sound of a fan that needs to be cleaned. You may notice that your computer case has holes in the front and side. These holes allow air to pass through the case. Usually air is pulled from the front of the case over the hard drive past the motherboard and out the back of the case. Usually there are two fans that accomplish this. One fan is usually mounted on the back of the case and the other is in the power supply. There is also a fan that is located on top of the CPU's heatsink. The outer rim of the fans will eventually get a build up of dirt around them. This will cause the fan to wobble causing it to make noise or even stop.
The best way to clean your computer is with a can of compressed air. Simply take the cover off of the case and spray the inside with the compressed air. Spray the fans and make sure they spin easily. Check the heatsink and make sure you clean it well. If it is full of dust the system could start shutting down on its own or you will start to get blue screen errors. Make sure you clean the fan in the power supply. Don't worry about spraying air inside the main concern is to make sure that the fan does not stop because of dirt.
If you want you can also clean any add on cards contacts or even your memory contacts. All you need is a pencil eraser. Simply run the eraser across the card or memory sticks contacts. Make sure you clean off any loose piece of eraser left behind.
If you want to clean your keyboard try using a paint brush. You can use a little glass cleaner as well.
Finally a handy trick for cleaning the outside of your case is to use hand cleaner. You can find hand cleaner in most automotive stores.
About the Author
Evan Freedman is an author for The Computer Geek Web Design and for CSSZafco.com, distributor of computers and accessories. Evan has been diagnosing and fixing computer for over 25 years. Please visit the site to view a huge assortment of Computer Technology.
When you press the power button on your computer and it just sit there with none of those clicking and beeping sounds along with the monitor still having that blank screen,you know that you're going to have a bad day.
A computer that fails to boot can be one of the most pain staking things that can happen to a pc user.And in most cases, the user don't have a clue as to what procedures they can take to get the PC up and running again.
When you do experience pc bootup failure, always start your troubleshooting by checking the obvious.It the cord plugged into the wall outlet and is the other end securely plugged in the rear of the system unit.
In many cases the cause is a corrupted startup file which prevent the computer from going through the bootup from start to finish.In this case, an easy way to start your PC is to have an emergency boot disk handy.
A Boot Disk contain copies of critical files needed for startup that you should have made earlier.To use the floppy disk, all you need do is to place it in the floppy drive and reboot the computer.
As the computer start the boot process, Windows will use the good files to get itself going.The Windows XP boot disk will enable you to resolve a corrupt Ntbootdd.sys driver, missing or corrupt Ntdr or Ntdetect.com files.
These files are used by Windows XP and are crucial to its startup and configuration.The boot disk have also repair a damaged MBR or Master Boot Record.
The MBR is a small program executed when the PC boots and resides on the first sector of the hard driveIt looks up the partition on the hard drive.You can create a MBR with the FDISK /MBR coomand
A damaged boot sector can also be corrected with the boot disk.Your Windows XP boot disk will be a life saver when you have pc bootup failure and you need that file for your next interview.
A sector is the smallest unit that can be accessed on a disk.When a disk is low level formatted, it will be divided tracks and sectors
When making a boot disk make a mental note of the files being copied.This will give you added knowledge when you will need to help in making their boot disk.To make a boot disk, perform the following.
Place a blank formatted floppy disk in your floppy drive and go to My Computer in Windows XP.Click the hard drive icon and on the toolbar, click Tools, Folder Options, and then click the View Tab.
And scroll down and check "Show hidden files and folders" and just below uncheck "Hide protected operating system files (recommended). Now we're getting a little slower.
Take note of this process and as you become more familiar with this task, you'll be able to make a boot disk for others in no time and help them save on down time.
After unchecking "Hide protected operating system files, click OK.Some grayed out files will now be visible in the drive window.These files are protected system files.
Now you're ready to select the boot, the NTDETECT, and the ntldr files.Now right-click, click Send To, and select Floppy ( A: ).When you have copied all files to the floppy, you now have a Windows XP boot disk.
You should make two or more boot disks and place them in a safe place away from any type of magnetic or static charges.Before putting them away don't forget to label your life saving floppy disks.
Should you be unfortunate enough to have to put one of your boot floppies to use, remember to replace the startup files on the hard drive with the ones on the floppy.
If you overlook this critical step, you'll have the same boot up problem every time.Take your time as you copy the files and be sure not to reverse the copy procedure.
This is why its important to make two or more boot disks. This way should you have an accident with one disk, so what, you paid attention here and made several copies.
You've done it.You're now armed with a repair tool should your XP computer fail to boot.All Windows 98, 2000, and Me users also have the resources to create a book disk.
About the Author
How To Make A Windows XP Bootup Disk by otis cooper
A computer that fails to boot can be one of the most pain staking things that can happen to a pc user.And in most cases, the user don't have a clue as to what procedures they can take to get the PC up and running again.
Many people ask the "Why is my computer getting slower?" question each day. Well, to be honest, they're asking because the computer probably is actually getting slower. As time passes, your hardware will age and as a result, it will slow down. Moreover, if you have filled your hard drive with junk files, then your computer will become really slow.
It is possible that you have a virus that is causing your entire system to become slower because it is screwing up vital files that your computer needs to run properly, but all in all, there are many things that can cause your computer to slow down and there are many things you can do to improve the situation.
Solution 1
One way to address the problem of your computer becoming slower is to clean out your temporary files. Over time, your temporary files can really add up, especially if you surf the net a lot. Windows writes temporary files for everything. If you are using XP, it is easy to clean out your temporary files folder.
Go to the start menu, then choose programs. After that, click on accessories, then choose disk clean up. This will help to remove all your temporary files and plenty of other junk files that may be hiding in your hard drive.
Alternative method: Click computer - right click your hard drive - select disk cleanup
Solution 2
You will want to keep your desktop free from shortcuts and icons. To clean up your desktop, you can delete the icons manually or you can clean it up through windows which is safer.
Begin by going to the start menu, and then to the control panel. Double click on display, and then click on the desktop tab. Click on the customize desktop button near the bottom. Next, click on the general tab, then choose clean desktop button, and this will get rid of the icons Windows feels you no longer use.
An even better solution would be to use a good registry cleaner, these programs will backup and then proceed to clean your desktop and registry for harmful junk files, the cleaning can have a dramatic effect on system performance.
Read our registry cleaner reviews by following the link at the bottom of this article. Solution 3
Another problem of a sluggish computer is corrupt files within your Windows registry. The registry is a database that contains information for multiple users and contains all the settings for all of your software and hardware.
To clean this up, you can buy some registry cleaning software, always do a bit of research first. Lots of spyware programs mask themselves as registry cleaners, so it pays to find the best program on the market. On the other hand, you can try to clean your registry yourself, but you should only attempt this if you're tech savvy, be sure to make a backup copy first.
As mentioned above a good registry cleaner will quickly scan, detect and clean the registry within minutes, attempting this procedure manually can take hours and hours.
Solution 4
The easiest thing you can do when you begin to ask the "Why is my computer getting slower?" question is to increase the speed of your computer by defragmenting your hard drive. When your computer saves a file, it saves it to first free spot it finds, and when that fills up, it saves the rest of the file somewhere else. This is a fragmented file, and your hard disk is full of them. If your computer has lots of fragmented files, then it takes longer to retrieve your data.
To fix this, go to my computer, and right click on your main drive. Choose properties. When the next window pops up, click on the tools tab up at the top, and then click on defragment now. Even if Windows tells you that you don't need to run this application, it is still a good idea to do so. Keep in mind, though, that it does take some time, so do it before bed or before you go out for a while.
Solution 5
If you go online a lot, then your computer might contain malicious spyware and adware, and that alone can be the answer to the question of "Why is my computer getting slower?" It just seems to be the norm when surfing online these days that spyware and adware products make themselves at home on your machine.
There is software you can purchase to try and combat the onslaught of ads and spam you get while on the Internet. Spyware and adware can be hard to get rid of, and you almost need to purchase some software just to eliminate and prevent the problem. While you're at it, you should also purchase a good anti-virus program to keep your computer free of nasty viruses that can rob your system of precious resources.
Maintenance Summary
1) Clean out Temporary files
2) Cleanup your desktop
3) Clean the Registry
4) Defragment your hard drive
5) Check for Viruses - Spyware and Adware
To keep you computer running quickly after many years can be difficult. However regular maintenance can really help prevent your system from slowing down. If you do feel your computer is running slower, start with the easiest tasks before moving on to something more difficult.
About the Author
Discover the Best Software to make your PC run at maximum performance. We review the top Registry Cleaners that help keep your windows operating system run smoothly and at maximum efficiency.
Visit RepairYourPcNow.Com
Do you work in a corporate environment where you don't appreciate your co-workers or boss having access to your comp and private files when you are not around?
You can provide added level of security to your WINDOWS XP System. This is called securing your Windows XP accounts database. You can store all information related to your accounts in a encrypted form on a floppy disk. What this would do is that if You do not have access to your floppy disk, You can not access the system. I am not sure You realized what I just said ! Even if You know your userid/password, You will not be able to access the system unless and until You have this startup disk.
The process of generating this secure startup floppy disk is simple. Go to START-RUN and type syskey. You will see a window come up. Click on Upgrade command button. You would see another window popping up which will give You the option of storing the encrypted accounts database either locally or on your floppy disk. Choose floppy disk and click OK and let the process complete. You are done.
Next time You reboot the computer and get to the logon prompt, make sure that You have the floppy disk available in A: drive else You can not log on.
What is the Windows registry, and why might you need to use a registry cleaner? The Windows registry is a collection of files which store all the computer's settings for hardware, settings for the operating system, the control panel, application software, user preferences and user profiles, and file associations.
How is Windows XP registry cleaning done, and why does the Windows registry ever need to be cleaned? At the bottom of this article, there is a link to a resource page which gives access to software tools you can use to clean the registry. You should be aware that it can also be done manually, by using the program regedit.exe which comes with Windows XP, or by typing reg.exe on the command line. Manual editing of the Windows registry is not recommended though, because the registry files are essential for the operating system to function. What does Microsoft Support say about it? 'Although you can use Registry Editor to inspect and modify the registry, doing so is not recommended, as making incorrect changes can damage your system.'
If you do damage the Registry during manual cleaning, and any backup does not work either, the only other solution is a complete reinstallation of Windows XP. It goes without saying that you want to avoid this. The use of dedicated software for Windows XP registry cleaning is recommended (see below).
What about the reasons for using a Windows XP registry cleaner, and why would this be needed? Well, a damaged registry can make a Windows XP machine unreliable, or even not start up in the first place. As time passes, entries in the registry for old or uninstalled or deleted software will build up, making the system start up slowly, run more slowly, or make the computer unstable - 'freezes' can be one sign of this. As time goes on, the Windows XP registry grows in size, and becomes much bigger than necessary. You may also have many double entries in it, which affects your computer's speed.
Fortunately, you can get many efficient software programs which will make cleaning of the registry an easy task. They all perform a free scan of your system, to see if there are any issues with the registry. These programs are called registry cleaners or registry repairers, and they are very easy to download and install. Using a registry cleaner may make a huge difference in your computer's performance.
Now clean your Registry! It is possible to clean and repair your registry in the next few minutes - our windows registry cleaner page lists all the best software which you can download and use to quickly and painlessly check and clean your registry.
About the Author
Snowy Anderson writes about software and the Internet.
First of all you ask, what is the Windows registry and why is it important? According to Microsoft the registry is "a central hierarchical database used in Microsoft Windows to store information necessary to configure the system for one or more users, applications and hardware devices". All that means is that it stores information for user, software and hardware settings. Hence it is an extremely critical part of the operating system. Think of it as the brain of the operating system, allowing the operating system and the programs the user installed to remember the user's settings and to operate when ran by the user.
So why should you be worried, you are asking? As the computer is used and software is installed, uninstalled and reinstalled and we try software that our friends or family recommend, this database becomes cluttered. It is true that when software is uninstalled and it gives a "uninstallation successful message", most users are satisfied and go about their business. However, sometimes "junk" or "pieces of the installation" are left behind causing the registry or database to become messy and hence slow down your operating system.
Another example is when you use files or documents on your system. After these items have been deleted and emptied from the Recycle Bin, information about these files are still stored in the registry. This also slows down your Windows operating system over time.
So, I hope you can see where I am going with this article. It is preferable, although not necessary, to clean the Windows registry safely and efficiently, so please take the time to visit the link mentioned below.
About the Author
Favorite blog is http://www.netdollarz.net. Containing many work at home,online income,paid survey articles along with off topic articles that interest the author of the blog.
To clean up the errors in your Windows XP PC registry you need a Window XP registry cleaner. Before you download, make sure that the software is compatible with your PC.
If you want your Windows XP PC to run without errors, you need a Window XP registry cleaner. Windows registry is a file that is used for storing critical information about the hardware and software configuration and system settings of the computer. It helps the system run without faults as the system can access the data from a specific location. But to make this process absolutely flawless you need to keep the registry up to date and free from errors.
As the registry is meant to store all the information abut the PC settings it generates a new entry every time you make any changes to the system. That is whenever you install a new program or uninstall an existing program and add or remove any hardware component, the latest information about the settings is logged in the registry file. As you keep using the PC, these entries get piled up in the registry. All these data that are stored in the registry, especially the outdated data are not used by the system. Moreover, they clog up the registry file making the PC sluggish and prone to frequent failures. A Windows registry cleaner can clean up these unimportant data and make the registry file error free. To that you need a Window XP registry cleaner if you have Windows XP installed in your PC.
There are many versions of registry cleaners available for download. You need to select the best registry cleaner for your PC. That is if you are using Windows XP, you need a Window XP registry cleaner. That is because different versions of Windows use different methodologies for keeping the registry. SO only a compatible registry cleaner can effectively clean the registry and ensure optimum performance of the PC.
The Window XP registry cleaner scans the entire Windows XP registry, deletes the outdated and unimportant entries, remove the blank spaces and fragments from the registry file. The registry cleaning tools also detect and remove the embedded keys that are created by the malware programs. As most of the registry cleaners come with scheduling features, you can even schedule the scanning of the registry that will repair the errors automatically without you monitoring them personally. While you clean the registry with the cleaner, it is recommended that you back up the registry. It will let you restore the registry file if you encounter any problem after registry cleaning.
About the Author
Windows Registry Cleaner is an online resource, providing information about Registry Cleaner software to clean windows registry.
