Sunday 4 September 2011

Block A Website Completely On Your PC


To completely block a website on your computer: 

Go to this location..
"C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc"
There you'll find a file by the name "hosts". Open this file using notepad.

The last line of this file will look like this. 
"127.0.0.1 localhost" 

Now below this line add this.. 
"127.0.0.1 xxxxxxxx" 
(Where xxxxxxxx is the website that you want to block on your computer.) 

Now save the file. If having difficulty in saving the file change the properties of the file. Its default might be set as "Read-Only"

Get The Most Out Of Bing

Using Google to search for everything is so ingrained into our computer-user personas, it’s hard to imagine using anything else. Even so, Bing does offer a lot of features that make it a worthy addition to your Internet browsing toolkit, once you learn more about what the site has to offer. Here are 10 things you should know about using Bing.

1: USE IT AS A DECISION ENGINE

Microsoft may be competing with Google by spending advertising dollars in the search universe, but it seems that the actual product has a slightly different aim. Microsoft is calling Bing a Decision Engine and positioning it as a new kind of tool, as described in this press release:
Bing is specifically designed to build on the benefits of today’s search engines but begins to move beyond this experience with a new approach to user experience and intuitive tools to help customers make better decisions, focusing initially on four key vertical areas: making a purchase decision, planning a trip, researching a health condition or finding a local business.
The next time you’re using the Web to make a decision about buying something, going somewhere, improving your health, or finding directions, give Bing a shot.

2: FIND INTERESTING INFORMATION

Sites such as StumbleUpon and Digg allow you to randomly find interesting Web sites based on various categories. Similarly, the Informational Hotspots embedded in the amazing images on Bing’s Home page allow you to instantly discover interesting facts simply by hovering over the hotspot (Figure A). If you want to learn more about that topic, click on the hotspot’s popup box to initiate a search.

Figure A

Use the Informational Hotspots embedded in the Home page images to discover interesting facts.

3: USE THE PREVIEW FEATURE

One of the biggest downsides of investigating the results of a search operation is clicking a link only to discover that the site doesn’t contain the information you are looking for. To help alleviate unnecessary clicking, Bing has a preview feature that gives you an idea of what the site has to offer. Just move your cursor to the right of a search result and hover over the orange bullet. When you do, a preview window appears that contains the first few sentences from the site’s home page (Figure B). The preview boxes also can contain Deep Links, which are essentially links found on the main page that lead to content buried deeper in the site.

Figure B

The preview window provides a description from the Web site, as well as links that lead to content buried deeper in the site.

4: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EXPLORER PANE

After you initiate a search operation, be sure to investigate the Explorer pane on the left side of the window for ways to refine your search. Depending on how broad your search term is, you’ll find the Quick Tabs section at the top of the Explorer pane, which automatically arranges the search results in the most common categories according to that topic — kind of like a table of contents. If you scroll down the page, you’ll also discover that the displayed results are arranged according to the categories in the Quick Tabs section. Also in the Explorer pane you’ll find a Related Searches section, which provides you with alternative, yet related searches. The Explorer pane also contains your Search History, making it easy to quickly return to a previous search.

5: SEARCH FOR IMAGES IN NEW WAYS

When you search for images, you’ll encounter the Infinite Scroll feature. It basically puts all the image results on one page to reduce the amount of clicking from page to page while looking for the perfect picture. To help you quickly narrow your image search, the Explorer pane provides filters for narrowing your search results by using attributes such as size, layout, color, style, and people (Figure C). (If you are searching for an image with people in it, you can narrow to just faces or head and shoulders.) If you find an image you like, but it’s not quite what you are looking for, hover over the image and select Show Similar Images to refine your search to images that share a similar characteristic.

Figure C

You can narrow your image search results by using attributes such as size, layout, color, and style.

6: GET VIDEOS AND MORE

When you access the main Videos page, you’ll see an interface reminiscent of Windows Media Center. Featured TV shows and music videos take center stage and allow you to easily peruse the collections. Search for videos, and you’ll see the results as thumbnails. When you hover over a thumbnail, a preview of the video will begin playing. The Explorer pane provides filters for narrowing your search results by attributes such as length, screen type, resolution, and source. (Bing can pull the video from multiple sources, including MSN, AOL, MTV, ESPN, YouTube, MySpace, Daily Motion, Metacafe, and Hulu.)

7: SAVE AND SHARE YOUR SEARCHES

If you find a really great set of search results, you know that you can always access them later in your Search History in the Explorer pane. However, you can take your search history to a new level with the Save & Share feature (Figure D). Just click the See All link in the Search History section. You can then select any search and save it to your hard drive or, if you have a Windows Live account, to your SkyDrive folder. You can even share your search results with friends and family via Windows Live, Facebook, or email.

Figure D

You can save a search to your hard drive or SkyDrive folder, as well as share them via Windows Live, Facebook, or email.

8: GET INSTANT ANSWERS

Often, when you are searching the Internet, you’re looking for a quick answer to a question right at hand, and you don’t have time to scan thru a bunch of search results just to find it. To help you out, Bing provides a feature called Instant Answers. Using your question, a special keyword along with your search term will bring up an Instant Answer. For example, need the find the area code for Orlando? Just typeArea code Orlando FL. Want to know who won a specific Super Bowl? Just type Who Won Super Bowl XXX? Need to convert currency? Just type Convert 100 dollars to pesos. Need more information on the types of Instant Answers available on Bing? Just type Help Instant Answers.

9: CREATE A COLLECTION

When you’re searching for a location in Bing’s Maps and find what you are looking for, you can add the location to a Collection that’s tied into to your Windows Live account. That way, when you need to find the location again, you can just open your collection and quickly access it. Just right-click on the map, select Add A Pushpin, fill in the Pushpin Properties form (Figure E), and click Save. You can then share your collection via email or your Windows Live blog.

Figure E

Creating Collections makes it easier to track down your favorite locations in the future.

10: SET YOUR PREFERENCES

To customize the way that Bing works, pull down the Extras menu in the upper-right and select Preferences. You can then specify the Safe Search level, set your location, choose your language, and choose the number of search results to display on a page.

BONUS: BING & GOOGLE

If you’re a big Google fan and are not sure whether you want to rely solely on Bing, you may want to try the Bing & Google site to get the best of both worlds. Using an interesting approach, Bing & Google passes your search term to both search engines and then uses a frame-like interface to display the results side by side (Figure F).

Figure F

Get a side-by-side comparison on Bing & Google

Increase Vista Performance By Tweaking Startup



As you may know, the system requirements for Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate all list 1GB of RAM as a minimum. However, we all know that Vista runs better with 2GB of RAM or more. If you’re currently running Vista on a system with only 1GB of RAM you know that the system can, at times, be frustratingly slow — especially when you are running extremely memory-intensive applications.
Of course the ultimate solution would be to add another 1GB of RAM to your system, but what if doing so is not feasible at this point in time? Are you stuck with a sluggish system? Fortunately, you can bump up Vista performance by trimming back startup programs that may not be needed. By preventing unnecessary programs from automatically starting, you’ll have more memory to spare for the programs that you do want to run.
In this edition of the Windows Vista Report, I show you several methods that you can use to investigate the programs that automatically start up on your system. I show you how you can eliminate or at least temporarily prevent them from automatically starting up.

USING WMIC

You can investigate startup programs using a specially configured WMIC (Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line) command. WMIC is built into the Windows operating system and allows you to tap into a wide variety of application systems, hardware components, and operating system subsystems.
Using WMIC command, you can easily create a very nice HTML-based report of those programs that automatically start up on your system. You can then print the report to have on hand as you investigate whether you can safely eliminate any of those programs.
To create the report, open a Command Prompt window and type the following command:
wmic startup get /format:hform > startupreport.htm
When you do, the report will be created in a matter of moments. To access the file, just type the following:
startupreport.htm
You’ll then see a report displayed in Internet Explorer similar to the one shown inFigure A.

Figure A

Using a specially configured WMIC command, you can create a nicely formatted report on startup programs.
As you can see, the report is set up in a table and uses color to make it very easy to read.

USING RELIABILITY AND PERFORMANCE MONITOR

You can also investigate startup programs using the Reliability and Performance Monitor. Open the Control Panel, click the System and Maintenance category, and then click the Performance Information and Tools subcategory. Then under the Tasks panel, select the Advanced Tools and click the Generate a System Health Report icon. When you do, you’ll encounter a UAC and will need to respond accordingly.
When the Reliability and Performance Monitor window opens, the utility will begin compiling its report, which will take about 2-3 minutes. Once the report is compiled, expand the Software Configuration section and scroll down to the Startup Programs section, as shown in Figure B.

Figure B

The Reliability and Performance Monitor creates a much more concise report on the Startup Programs.

USING SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

You can investigate and disable startup programs using System Configuration. Open the Control Panel, click the System and Maintenance category, click the Administrative Tools subcategory, and then click the System Configuration icon. When you do, you’ll encounter a UAC and will need to respond accordingly.
When the System Configuration dialog box appears, select the Startup tab, as shown in Figure C. As you can see, the Startup tab provides a straightforward listing of the programs that automatically start up on your system.

Figure C

You can view and easily disable startup programs on the Startup tab of the System Configuration utility.
You can disable a startup program by clearing the adjacent text box. As you can see, the Startup tab makes it easy to keep track of those programs that you have disabled by recording the date and time they were disabled. When you click OK, you’ll be prompted to restart the system to activate your changes.

USING SOFTWARE EXPLORER

You can also investigate and disable startup programs using Windows Defender's Software Explorer. Click the Start button, type Defender in the Start Search box and press [Enter]. When you see the Windows Defender Home page, click the Tools link on the menu. Once you see the Tools and Settings page you’ll find the Software Explorer link in the second column under the Tools heading. Once you click that link, you’ll see the Software Explorer, as shown in Figure D.

Figure D

Software Explorer combines detailed descriptions of each startup program with the ability to disable those programs you deem unnecessary.
As you can see, the Startup Programs category contains a list of programs and provides a detailed description of the currently selected program. To disable any program, you first click on the Show For All Users button and deal appropriately with the UAC that pops up. Once you do, you’ll see that the Remove and Disable buttons are activated. You can then click the Disable button, which will display a confirmation dialog box. To remove a program from memory and reclaim the RAM, you’ll need to restart your system.
When the system restarts, you’ll receive a pop-up message in the notification area that tells you that Vista is currently blocking some startup programs. This warning will display only momentarily, but serves as a reminder that you have disabled some startup programs each time the system is restarted.
source: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com

Recover Your Lost IM Passwords


I am writing this post for those people who have lost their passwords and want to recover them. You can recover your password with a nifty tool MessenPass It is a password recovery tool that reveals the passwords of the following instant messenger applications:
  • MSN Messenger
  • Windows Messenger (In Windows XP)
  • Windows Live Messenger (In Windows XP And Vista)
  • Yahoo Messenger (Versions 5.x and 6.x)
  • Google Talk
  • ICQ Lite 4.x/5.x/2003
  • AOL Instant Messenger v4.6 or below, AIM 6.x, and AIM Pro.
  • Trillian
  • Trillian Astra
  • Miranda
  • GAIM/Pidgin
  • MySpace IM
  • PaltalkScene
  • Digsby
    

   

MessenPass can only be used to recover the passwords for the current logged-on user on your local computer, and it only works if you chose the remember your password in one of the above programs. You cannot use this utility for grabbing the passwords of other users. So all those GEEKS who were thinking that it is a Cracking tool I am sorry for broking your heart, but Hey! you can use it as don't you?


      You can also use MessenPass
      in Command Line mode without displaying any user interface.

       Hope it would help you out, if you have any problem leave a comment.

 Disclaimer: This information is provided by the author as it is from the         application source. The author will not be liable for any special, incidental,   consequential or indirect damages due to loss of data or any other reason. 

Connect Two Computers Using A Crossover Cble

If you need to connect two computers but you don't have access to a network and can't set up an ad hoc network, you can use an Ethernet crossover cable to create a direct cable connection.
Generally speaking, a crossover cable is constructed by reversing ("crossing over") the order of the wires inside so that it can connect two computers directly. A crossover cable looks almost exactly like a regular Ethernet cable (a "straight-through" cable), so make sure you have a crossover cable before following these steps.
Before buying a crossover cable, check your network adapter. Some newer network adapters automatically "cross over" when they detect that they are connected directly to another network adapter using a regular Ethernet cable.

To connect two computers with a crossover cable

This works best if both computers are running this version of Windows.
  1. Plug each end of the crossover cable into a network port on the back of each computer.
  2. On one of the computers that is running this version of Windows, do the following:
    Open Network and Sharing Center by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, clickingControl Panel, clicking Network and Internet, and then clicking Network and Sharing Center.
  3. In the network map at the top of Network and Sharing Center, double-click theUnidentified network‍ icon. (If you have more than one network, this icon will be labeled Multiple networks.)
  4. If network discovery and file sharing are turned off, in Network, click the Information bar containing the following message: "Network discovery and file sharing are turned off. Network computers and devices are not visible. Click to change...," and then click Turn on network discovery and file sharingAdministrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
  5. In the Network discovery and file sharing dialog box, select one of the following options:
    • No, make the network that I am connected to a private network
    • Yes, turn on network discovery and file sharing for all public networks
    The first option is usually the best choice because it only affects the network that you are connected to.

Notes

  • Networks created with crossover cables are automatically set up as "Public place" networks, which means that network discovery, file sharing, and printer sharing are off by default.
  • For Gigabit Ethernet or token ring networks, you will need a slightly different kind of crossover cable. For more information, contact a cable manufacturer.
Icons for both computers should now be visible in the Network window. Double-click each computer icon to share printers and other resources.

Note

If one of the computers is running Windows XP, it can take some time for that computer to appear in the Network window. You might need to move both computers to the same workgroup. You can do that by changing the workgroup on either computer. To change a workgroup, see Join or create a workgroup. You might also need to turn on file and printer sharing on the computer running Windows XP.

REPARTITION YOUR HARD DRIVE WITHOUT FORMATING IT FOR WINDOWS XP


Friends, this post is specifically for people who are using Windows XP and want to repartition their Hard Drives without formatting them. All the Windows 7 & Windows Vista users can do it in a simpler way using Disc Management tool. For more info. you can visit the link: Repartition your Hard Drive w/o formatting it.
For all XP users, here's the procedure:
When you buy a new computer, the hard drive partitions are usually already set up for you. If you put in a new hard drive, you need to decide on the partitioning at set up time. The problem with both of these situations is that things change. You may decide you don't want everything in one big partition for a variety of reasons, but Windows gives you no options for changing your partitions other than reformatting and losing all of your data. There are excellent programs, like Partition Magic, that will let you resize and create partitions without losing data. But Partition Magic costs around $60 and it isn't a program you are going to use everyday.
There is a way to change your partitions without reformatting and without buying any additional software.
It uses a Linux live CD to boot your computer and prepare for a Linux installation. Don’t worry; you are not actually going to install Linux. Every Linux CD includes a program to resize your Windows partition to make room for Linux because Windows usually takes up the whole hard drive. Once we create the space for Linux, we can actually format it as a Windows partition, either NTFS or FAT32.
First, you need to download the Linux live CD. I recommend Simply MEPIS 3.3, available here: http://iso.linuxquestions.org/distro.php?distro=11 . These directions will assume you are using Simply MEPIS. Download the ISO and burn it to a CD as an ISO image. Check your CD burning software for info on burning an ISO. Once you have your CD, you are ready to begin.
Before you start- it is recommended to do a disk clean up, get rid of unnecessary files and defragment your hard drive to create as much continuous free space as possible. If your drive is very fragmented, you may want to defragment twice.
WARNING- backup all important files. Although unlikely, it is possible to lose data. Even the programs like Partition Magic give you this warning.
Set your computer BIOS to boot from the CD drive as the first option. Most computers get into the BIOS by hitting the DELETE key during start up. The start up screen will usually tell you what to hit to enter set up. Look for something that deals with boot options; it is often under advanced bios options. Boot from the Simply MEPIS CD, choose the 2.6 option unless you have a CPU under 1Ghz. It will take a couple of minutes, but you will eventually have a sign in screen. Sign on as root with the password as root. It will boot to a red MEPIS Linux screen (actually running from the CD).


Click the K gear wheel (lower left). Move the mouse to System, File system, QTParted

Click on QTParted, that will open the program you are going to use.

Click on the drive you want to change. If you have only one drive, it will probably be /dev/hda. That will open a window with info about your hard drive. (My screen shot shows several partitions because I have Linux installed)

RIGHT click on the partition you want to resize and choose “RESIZE”. The free space will be created after the existing partition. Fill in the amount of free space you want. Remember to leave enough space on the existing partition for anything you may save in the future plus about 20% extra for free space. Then click OK.

No changes are being made to your hard drive yet, so you can change your mind. To make the change- click on FILE, the COMMIT.

The changes will be made to your hard drive. Click on your hard drive again in the left column. The free space should now show in the display in the right column. Right click on the free space, choose FORMAT, then either NTFS or FAT32. Click on FILE, COMMIT. The partition will be formatted as a Windows partition.

Shut down by clicking on the K gear wheel, logout, and restart.
Before it reboots, you will need to remove the MEPIS CD, it should now reboot to Windows, your computer will probably give you a message about new hardware being found and require you to reboot one more time. The new partition should now show up and be fully usable.

Check Whether Your System Is Capable Of Runing Windows Vista 64-bit

Windows Vista comes in 32-bit and 64-bit editions depending on which CPU type you have. The 64-bit version will only work on 64-bit processors, however the 32-bit version can run on all types.

Some users will have a processor capable of running the 64-bit version of Vista but have the 32-bit version installed by default. This won't cause any problems, but it does mean you may miss out on some advantages (such as being able to utilise large amounts of memory). If you are in this situation, you can check to see if your computer can handle the 64-bit version of Windows Vista using the following steps.

First, open the Control Panel by clicking on the Start Menu > Control Panel.
Then click System and Maintenance.
Then selectPerformance Information and Tools.
This will display your computers performance index rating, allowing you to View and Print details.

In the System information section, you will notice a "64-Bit Capable" box. If this says Yes (like below), then you can run the 64-bit edition of Vista.
Browser Name:
Browser Version:
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