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All things Windows & then some.

How to Add a Printer in Windows 10. Installing a printer in Windows 10 is usually a simple 10-minute process, after which you can start printing right away. Here's how to add a printer in Windows. The most common way to connect a printer to your PC is by USB cable, which makes it a local printer. You can also install a wireless printer or add a printer connected to another computer on your network. We'll cover these scenarios below. Add a Local Printer 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. If Windows doesn't find your connected printer, click on "The printer that I want isn't listed" link. Then let the Windows troubleshooting guide help you find your printer. If that doesn't work, head to your printer manufacturer's website and download the drivers and installation tools for your printer.

Add a Wireless Printer The steps to install a wireless printer may vary by manufacturer. 1. 2. 3. In some cases, you might need to temporarily connect your printer to your computer via USB to install software. Add a Shared Printer Set Up a HomeGroup 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Administrative Tools (What It Is and How to Use It) Administrative Tools is the collective name for several advanced tools in Windows that are used mainly by system administrators. Administrative Tools is available in Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server operating systems. What are Administrative Tools Used For? The programs available in Administrative Tools can be used to schedule a test of your computer's memory, manage advanced aspects of users and groups, format hard drives, configure Windows services, change how the operating system starts, and much, much more.

How to Access Administrative Tools Administrative Tools is a Control Panel applet and so can be accessed via Control Panel. To open Administrative Tools, first, open Control Panel and then tap or click on the Administrative Tools icon. Tip: If you're having trouble finding the Administrative Tools applet, change the Control Panel view to something other than Home or Category, depending on your version of Windows. Administrative Tools.

WINDOWS TIPS & TRICKS

WINDOWS 10. Windows Tips and How-To Guides - Lifewire. Snipping Tool. Snipping tool allows for basic image editing of the snapshot, with different colored pens, an eraser, and a highlighter.[2] See also[edit] References[edit] What Files Can I Delete on My PC? Here's a common list of files to delete: Clean out the Windows\Temp directory. Delete all files and folders in the c:\windows\temp directory. It's best to reboot after cleaning out all the files you are able to delete. (Some files can't be deleted because they are locked while your system is running). Remove old registry hive backups. Get rid of backup copies of your system.dat and user.dat file in your c:\windows folder made by other programs (for example system.nu3 and user.nu3).

Look for large files about the same size as your system.dat/user.dat file. Set the selection (Look in) to search on "My Computer" or all hard drives. This may take a while to run. You may also use this search feature ("for files or folders named") to easily search your entire system for the various safe file types to delete! Delete program temporary files. Move programs to gain space. After deleting, check your system. Cleanup and compact the drive. Hard set cache and swap values. Tips on Cleaning Out Your Hard Drive. Before defragging your machine, it is a good idea to delete old files and programs that you no longer use. The question that usually comes up is " what do you delete? The rule is: if you are unsure, leave it alone. You will need to go into Windows Explorer and find files that are no longer needed. There are instructions below on how to do this. Some files that are not needed that you may find are: 1. .tmp files These are files that are only temporarily needed.

You may find some of them in your c:\temp folder. Step 4. Before defragging your machine, it is a good idea to delete old files and programs that you no longer use. Step 4. Windows Vista Restarts when it is suppose to Shut Down/Sleep. I've read about this problem in several other post but no solutions that have worked for me. My problem is that whenever I close my lid, allow my computer to go to sleep/hibernate, or even go to start->shut down, my computer restarts.

This past weekend I had my computer reformatted, thinking this would solve the problem, but the problem still persists. The only way I can make my computer turn off is to hold down the power button for several seconds. I have minimum computer knowledge, but I have been trying step by step solutions listed on other forums. When running the command powercfg -a, this is what comes up C:\Windows\system32>powercfg -a The following sleep states are available on this system: Standby ( S3 ) Hibernat e Hybrid Sleep The following sleep states are not available on this system: Standby (S1) The system firmware does not support this standby state.

This is all of the information I can think of to include that may be helpful. Access a hidden administrator account in Windows Vista. For security reasons, administrator accounts in a Windows Vista operating system are hidden by default. It is however possible to access hidden administrator accounts. The hidden administrator account needs to be accessed in order for the user to be able change settings. Once these changes are made, it is advisable to disable the administrator account for safety reasons. There are three ways to access the hidden administrator account. This article explains why an administrator account in Microsoft Vista is disabled, and provides ways of activating it. This article provides three ways of activating the account, as well as ways of deactivating or disabling the account once all the necessary changes have been made.

Access a hidden administrator account in Windows Vista If you are used to the built-in administrator account in the previous versions of Windows, you may be surprised to find it missing in your Control Panel under the User Accounts section in Windows Vista. 1. 1. 1. See also. 20 essential PC shortcuts. I've always liked that Windows gives me multiple ways to perform popular tasks. Say you want to print something. You could go to the File menu and select the Print command, or you can press the Ctrl button and the letter P. Ctrl+P is just one example of a keyboard shortcut.

Shortcuts combine two or more keys to do something special that neither key does alone. I prefer to use shortcuts whenever possible. It’s kind of amazing how much time you can save by cutting out mouse clicks. Get to know the basics There are certain shortcuts I use all day, every day. Copy a selected item: Ctrl+CCut a selected item: Ctrl+XPaste a selected item: Ctrl+VUndo an action: Ctrl+ZRedo that thing I just undid: Ctrl+YSelect everything: Ctrl+APrint: Ctrl+P Manage open windows Chances are, you use your PC to do a lot of things at once.

Minimize the window Windows logo key +Down ArrowMinimizing a window is a surefire way to see what's underneath it. Get even funkier with window management Manage tasks. Forty Ways To Free Up Disk Space. By Bill Shadish Published in TechRepublic's Windows Support Professional (TechRepublic.com) You've probably heard the Paul Simon song "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover," which describes a number of tricks for breaking free from an undesired relationship. This article places a spin on the concepts used in that song. No, I can't guarantee that simply by reading this article you'll meet that special person. A simple lack of disk space is the most common disk-space problem. Figure A: Having no available disk space is a sad situation. On This Page What junk to go after Manually deleting unwanted programs Manually deleting unwanted files Manual file compression Controlling application parameters Disk compression Cleanup Defragmentation Conclusion What junk to go after You have several means of gaining back disk space on a Windows system.

I'll detail each of these topics more thoroughly as we go along. Manually deleting unwanted programs Manually deleting unwanted files Cleanup. How to clear an unknown BIOS or CMOS password. Note: The steps below are for a desktop computer and do not include steps on how to clear a laptop CMOS password.

If you encounter a password prompt at boot or the BIOS or CMOS setup is locked as shown below and you do not know the password you will need to clear the BIOS password using the suggestions listed below. Clear using jumper (recommended) Caution: When inside the computer be sure you're aware of the potential damage that can be caused by ESD. On the computer motherboard locate the BIOS clear or password jumper or dip switch and change its position.

This jumper is often labeled CLEAR, CLEAR CMOS, JCMOS1, CLR, CLRPWD, PASSWD, PASSWORD, PSWD or PWD. Once this jumper has been changed, turn on the computer and the password should be cleared. The location of the jumpers or dip switches are dependent on the manufacturer of the computer and motherboard. Generic passwords Try using generic CMOS passwords. Use a BIOS password utility Remove CMOS battery Jump the CMOS solder beads. Delete hiberfil.sys by disabling Windows Hibernate function. In a previous TR Dojo Challenge question, I asked TechRepublic members, "What does hiberfil.sys do and how can you remove it? " Several members were quick to respond with the correct answer. The quickest earned some TechRepublic swag. Do you use Windows Hibernate feature? Hiberfil.sys and Windows Hibernate function To understand why hiberfil.sys exists, we must look at the Windows Hibernate function.

Hiberfil.sys, as the name suggests, is the file to which Windows saves the snap shot data. Disabling Windows Hibernation As I noted earlier, you can manually delete hiberfil.sys, but it will just come back. Windows XP On Windows XP systems, you can easily disable Hibernate through the GUI using the following steps: Open the Control Panel and access Power Options.Select the Hibernate tab in the Power Options Properties dialog box.Clear the Enable Hibernation check box (see Figure B) and click OK.

If you would prefer to disable Hibernate through he command line, you can use the steps outlined below. How to Disable Java in Three Common Browsers. The ongoing security problems with Java mean that many people will want to disable the Java plug-in for their web browsers. Here is how to do it for the most common browsers. Google Chrome In the Chrome address bar enter: Find the entry for the Java plug-in and click “Disable” Firefox Open the Firefox menu Click “Add-ons” On the left side of the Add-ons manager that opens, select “ Plugins” Click “Disable” by the entry for Java Firefox may have already done the disabling automatically Internet Explorer Disabling Java in the various versions of Internet Explorer (IE) is more complicated than it seems at first.

Get your own favorite tip published! This tips section is maintained by Vic Laurie. Click here for more items like this. How to Use and Edit Boot.ini in Windows XP. Boot.ini is an important system file with crucial boot functions. Here we discuss what it does and how to edit it. Function and Purpose of Boot.ini Boot.ini is one of the very first files that come into play when a Windows XP system is started up. It is a plain text file that is kept in the system root, so it is usually C:\boot.ini. Because it is an essential system file, the attributes are set to hidden, system, read-only to protect it. Boot.ini contains the location of the Windows XP operating system on the computer. Note that if you are dual-booting with Windows Vista or 7, the boot process is different from that described here and boot.ini is not present. Boot Menus If more than one option is available in boot.ini, a menu will be displayed at boot up listing the choices.

Structure and Contents of Boot.ini Files Some examples of boot.ini files are given in the table below. The entry is used by Ntldr to find where the Windows operating system is located. How to Edit Boot.ini Files. Vista Repair and Recovery CD Download. How to Use Windows Boot, Repair, Rescue and Startup CDs and USB Flash Drives. Be prepared for startup and other computer problems. Learn how to prepare an emergency boot medium on CD/DVD disks or USB keys with system repair and anti-virus features. Learn about the differing kinds of boot systems. Most people probably do not pay a lot of attention to the process called “booting” that goes on when they first turn on their computer.

However, there may come a time when it is necessary to get involved in the boot process in order to remedy some problem and to make use of something called a boot disk (or as Microsoft has sometimes called it, a “startup” disk). Or, If you are set up for it, it may be a USB key. You may go through life without ever having to use one, but like a spare tire for a car, an external boot medium is something everyone should have. The Boot Process Once upon a time the computer would first look in the A: drive and if nothing was there it would then look on the C: drive. Windows full installation disks used for system repair Boot or Rescue Disks.

Windows Vista For Dummies by azfhkm. Working with the Windows Registry (Windows 8, 7, Vista, XP) [Updated] | Windows 7 Customization. In this guide, you will learn what the Windows Registry is, how to access and configure it, and how to backup and restore it. This guide covers the following: What is the Windows Registry? The Windows registry stores Windows settings, individual program settings, and other important configuration information about your PC.

The registry acts like a large shared database for applications to store configuration data and to interact with other applications. Access the Windows Registry Editor In Windows 8, 7, and Vista, press the Start button, type regedit, and press Enter In Windows XP, click Start > Run (Windows Key + R), type regedit and press Enter When the registry loads you will be presented with a screen that looks like the screenshot below. KeysSubkeysValues To find out more about the root registry keys, check out this guide: What Do HKCR, HKCU, HKLM, HKU, and HKCC Mean? Back up the Windows Registry You may back up the entire registry, or a single key you are working on: Back up a Single Key. WINDOWS.

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WINDOWS PROCESSES/SERVIICES. MAXIMUMpcguides. Best Windows Software. HTG Explains: What The Windows Event Viewer Is and How You Can Use It. Fixing "Event Viewer cannot open the event log" When Viewing System Logs. CleanUp MsConfig Application List [How To] | Windows 7.

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