Tips & Tweaks

Here is a neat little trick I came across that allows you to immediately display the Properties Window for any individual Icon....

As you’re probably aware, no operating system is truly 100% stable all the time.

Many times we will find ourselves in a situation where we need to troubleshoot our computer.

Beginning with Windows 98, Microsoft added a Quick Launch Toolbar to the Windows Operating System.

If you find yourself placing your computer into Stand-by Mode, which basically means into a suspended power saving state, then this tip can definitely save you time. Notebook users will find this handy especially when they are running on battery power.

Video conferencing lets you keep in face-to-face contact with far-away friends, but getting the equipment to function correctly often means having to overhaul your firewall. Networking guru Ron Pacchiano offers some advice for getting Microsoft's NetMeeting to work over the Internet, and then offers some caveats and some alternatives to the Microsoft client.

Windows XP Service Pack 1 has arrived, bringing over 300 bug fixes and security patches to Microsoft's flagship operating system. Here's what you need to know about the quick and not-so-quick (134MB download) ways to install SP1, its controversial antitrust-suit "Set Program Access and Defaults" option, and how to uninstall the upgrade safely.

Admit it: Not only do you play Solitaire, Minesweeper, and Windows' other time-wasters, you're tempted to cheat at them -- lifting one card in the middle of a three-card draw, or winning every game of FreeCell without even trying. This week, bad boy Gregg Keizer devotes his tips to the games installed with Windows (and installing the ones Windows 98 leaves out). We dare you not to read.

There's more to life than Arial and Times New Roman, and there should be more to your documents than a few default fonts. Gregg's tips 'n' tricks this week help you install, preview, and manage Windows fonts, including a nifty trick for using a font occasionally without waiting for it to be loaded at startup every morning.

Feeling insecure? There's no denying Windows is vulnerable to hackers and snoops -- so is your desktop PC, if anyone shares your home or office with you. This week's tips help you manage Microsoft's security updates, control dial-out access, apply Win XP Pro's deluxe folder- and file-level security even if you're running Win XP Home Edition, and more.