Task Manager

You can use the task manager in Windows to start and end programs, view the processes that are running, and check on the performance of your computer. Without the use of your task manager, you are in the dark about what is going on with your computer. So task manager errors should be remedied immediately.

Task Manager Has Been Disabled By Your Administrator

One common task manager error that you might see says that the utility has been disabled by the administrator. If you are the administrator, and you know that you did not disable the task manager, then there definitely is a problem that needs to be resolved.

Oftentimes, when you see this error message it is because a virus or spyware program is operating on your system. It disables your task manager so that you cannot view or end the process. To correct this problem, go to your "Start" menu and then select "Run." Enter "Regedit.exe" (without the quotes). This will bring up a list of your registry editor. Click the plus sign for "HKEY_CURRENT_USER," then "Software" and, after that, follow the following path "Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies\ System." You'll see "DisableTaskMgr" in the right pane. Delete it to re-enable your task manager.

Can't See the Top Bar

If you open your task manager and notice that for some reason you cannot see your top menu bar, this also might be a spyware attack. The surreptitious program doesn't want you to be able to tab over to processes and see that it is running in the background.

No need to panic---there is a quick and easy fix to this problem of not being able to see the top area of your task manager. Click the area where the bar should be. It should reappear instantly.

Do a Virus Scan

Whenever you start to mysteriously have problems with your task manager, there's a good chance that your computer system has been compromised by spyware or a virus. So the first thing you should do at the sign of task manager errors is to do a virus scan. Use a highly rated virus scanning program, such as McAfee, Norton, Panda Online or AVG. Allow the program to delete and quarantine any suspicious programs on your computer. If you don't already have one, you should always have a secure firewall installed on your system to avoid these problems.

Make a USB Flash Drive Bootable

A boot drive contains a boot sector and system files necessary to boot the computer. These drives are necessary when the system will not boot normally. Traditionally, boot disks were floppy disks but now they are commonly CDs or DVDs and, recently, USB drives. Follow the steps below to make a USB flash drive bootable.

1.Insert a USB flash drive into an open USB slot on your computer. Remove any important files from the drive, because it must be formatted to be made into a boot drive.

2.Download the HP Drive Key Boot Utility from the link shown below....copy this link on your browser.This works with non-HP flash drives as well.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?swItem=MTX-UNITY-I23839

3.Install the software package. Make sure you don't have any other external USB drives plugged into your computer to avoid accidentally formatting the wrong drive.

4.Follow the on-screen instructions to format the USB drive and install the system files needed to make it bootable.

5.Restart your computer and enter the BIOS (usually by pressing F2 or F10 on startup) to select boot options. Look for the USB Drive---sometimes also referred to as USB ZipDrive or USB HDD. Select and boot from this source.

How to Install Ubuntu Linux on Your PC

Ubuntu is the most user friendly Linux distribution. It is easy to install, easy to learn and use. Like other Linux distributions, it is free for all. Here are the steps to install Ubuntu on a PC.

1. Search and download the latest Ubuntu i386. After the download is completed, burn its ISO image on a blank CD at 8x speed. Decide if you want to keep the Ubuntu alone or both the operating systems on your PC. Take a backup of your files on the USB or other storage device. Now insert the Ubuntu CD you have recently burnt. Does the Ubuntu Screen flash on your PC? Now click where it says, "Boot from this CD to try Ubuntu without affecting your system". You will see all the information about Ubuntu Linux flash on the screen; follow the instructions on the successive pages. The last one will be the welcome screen and your PC will ask if it should reboot. Reboot your PC it will give you following options:

•Start or install Ubuntu
•Start Ubuntu in safe graphics mode
•Install with driver update CD
•Check CD for defects
•Memory test

2.Boot the machine from the CD; which installs Ubuntu after 30 seconds if you do not give any other command. After the CD is loaded you will see the Ubuntu splash screen, the desktop and brown wallpaper. On this desktop you will see a small install icon double click on it, then select the language and enter your location. Then click at the forward button. Then try your keyboard layout in English. Then go forward.

3.Then partition the hard disk - use these two options -

a. If you want to keep your Windows system, then select the option that says "Guided - resize the partition and use the freed space".
b. If you want to delete your Windows system, select the option that says "Guided - use entire disk".
Once you have done this, click the Forward button.

4.Migration Assistant allows you to choose the Windows account that you want to migrate to Ubuntu. If you are loading Ubuntu on a new machine then choose, "There were no users or operating systems suitable for importing from.", and click the Forward button to complete the installation. Put in your personal details enter the name you would like to flash when you log in to your computer. Then go forward. Voila, you have arrived into your new Ubuntu Operating System. The Ubuntu installation will be complete.

5.After the installation is complete - a screen will appear asking you -

a. Continue using the live CD
b. Restart Now

Restarting the PC is recommended.

Partition and format a hard drive in windows XP

If there are no partitions on your hard drive, you will need to create a partition and format it. Alternatively, it's a good idea to repartition your hard drive if you want to merge several smaller partitions into one large one, or if you want to create several smaller partitions so that you can set up a multiboot configuration.

If you want to partition or format your hard drive, we recommend that you use the disk partitioning and formatting tools that are built into Windows XP Setup. These tools allow you to delete existing partitions and to create one or more new partitions.

IMPORTANT: If you follow these steps on a hard disk that is not empty, all of the data stored on that hard disk will be permanently deleted.
To use the disk partitioning and formatting tools in Windows XP Setup:

1.Insert the Windows XP CD into your CD/DVD drive (or insert the first Windows XP Setup boot disk into the floppy disk drive), and then restart the computer.
Note: To start your computer from the Windows XP CD (or from the Setup boot disk), your computer must be configured to start from the CD/DVD drive (or the floppy disk drive). In some cases, you might have to modify your computer's BIOS settings to do this.

2.If you are starting the computer from the Windows XP CD, press a key to boot from CD when you are prompted to do so. If you are starting from the Windows XP Setup boot disks, insert each of the additional disks when prompted, and then press ENTER to continue after inserting each disk.

3.At the Welcome to Setup page, press ENTER to continue.

4.On the License Agreement page, read the agreement, and then follow the instructions for accepting or rejecting the agreement.

5.If an existing Windows XP installation is detected, you will be prompted to repair it. Press ESC (do not repair).

6.All existing partitions and unpartitioned spaces are listed for each physical hard disk. Use the arrow keys to select the partition or unpartitioned space where you want to create a new partition, and then press D to delete an existing partition or press C to create a new partition using unpartitioned space.

If you press D to delete an existing partition, you must then press L (or press ENTER, and then press L if it is the System partition) to confirm that you want to delete the partition. Repeat this process for each of the existing partitions that you want to use for the new partition. When all the partitions are deleted, select the resulting unpartitioned space and press C to create a new partition.

Note: If you want to create a partition where one or more partitions already exist, you must first delete the existing partition or partitions and then create the new partition.

7.Type the size (in megabytes, or MB) that you want to use for the new partition, and then press ENTER, or just press ENTER to create the partition using the maximum size.

8.If you want to create additional partitions, repeat steps 6 and 7.

9.If you want to install Windows XP, use the arrow keys to select the partition you want to install it on, and then press ENTER. If you do not want to format the partition and install Windows XP, press F3 two times to quit Setup, and then do not continue with the following steps. In this case, you must use another program to format the partition.

10.Select the format option that you want to use for the partition, and then press ENTER. The options are:

* Format the partition by using the NTFS file system (Quick)
* Format the partition by using the FAT file system (Quick)
* Format the partition by using the NTFS file system
* Format the partition by using the FAT file system
Leave the current file system intact (no changes)

For most configurations, NTFS is a good choice for security and flexibility. If you plan to install a multiboot configuration and access data on the drive using older operating systems such as Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition, however, select FAT.

When you format a volume, files are removed from the volume and the hard disk is scanned for bad sectors. The majority of the time required to format a volume is devoted to scanning the disk. If you choose the Quick format option, files are removed from the partition, but the disk is not scanned for bad sectors. You should only use this option if your hard disk has been previously formatted and you are sure that your hard disk is not damaged.

Note: During Windows XP Setup, the option to leave the current file system intact is not available if the selected partition is a new partition. For partitions up to 2 gigabytes (GB) in size, Setup uses the FAT (also known as FAT16) file system. For partitions greater than 2 GB but less than 32 GB, Setup uses the FAT32 file system. For partitions greater than 32 GB, Setup uses NTFS.

Note: If you deleted and created a new System partition but you are installing Windows XP on another partition, you will be prompted to select a file system for both the System and Boot partitions at this point.

11.After Setup formats the partition, follow the on-screen instructions to continue Setup. After Setup is complete, you can use the Disk Management tools in Windows XP to create or format additional partitions.

_If u have successfully partitioned your drive, congratulations...cheers!!!_

ISO FILE

An ISO file, often called an ISO image, is in fact an "image" of an entire CD or DVD. The entire contents of a disc can be perfectly represented in a single ISO file.

You can think of an ISO file like a box that holds all the parts to something that needs built - like a child's toy you might buy that requires assembly. The box that the toy pieces come in does you no good as an actual toy but the contents inside of it, once taken out and put together, become what you're actually wanting to use.

An ISO file is the same way. The file itself is no good unless it can be opened, assembled, and used. The most common way to make use of an ISO file is to burn the ISO file to a CD or DVD. It's a different process than burning an MP3 file or a document to a disc because your CD/DVD burning software must "assemble" the contents of the ISO file onto the disc.

ISO image files are often used to distribute large programs over the Internet due to the fact that all of the program's files can be neatly contained as a single file - the ISO file.ISO images end in the file extension ISO.


How to Create a Bootable Disk From ISO

The ISO image format allows you to store virtual backups of your CDs and DVDs on your computer's hard drive. The contents of your CDs or DVDs are stored in the ISO format, along with its boot information, allowing you to create physical copies as you need them. And unlike standard burning software, an ISO utility like PowerISO--which is capable of reading the ISO format and its boot information--can create a bootable, physical copy of your virtual image file.


1.Navigate your web browser to the official homepage of PowerISO and download a copy of the utility. After the download has completed, close all other programs and install it. After the software is installed, PowerISO will need to reboot your computer before it is ready to run.

http://www.poweriso.com/download.htm
http://www.freeisoburner.com/

2.Launch the program. Click "Open" located in the top left corner of PowerISO. Use the File Explorer window that pops up to locate the ISO file on your computer. Select the file. Click "Open" in the bottom left corner of the Explorer window.

3.Insert a blank CD or DVD into your computer's CD/DVD-ROM drive. Click "Burn" located near the top right corner of PowerISO. The Burn Image File menu will appear.

4.Navigate to the heading labeled "Burning Parameters" and place a check in the box labeled "Verify Written Data." Click "Burn" at the bottom of the window to burn a physical copy of the ISO image file.

How to disable AutoRun for USB flash drives

If you're concerned about security, you may want to disable AutoRun for USB flash drives. Using USB flash drives from unknown sources could contain malware that automatically installs itself when connected to your computer! Prevent this security risk and disable AutoRun for USB flash drives now...

Step 1:
First, start by backing up your system, registry, and other important files. This can be easily accomplished by creating a new "Restore Point" using the "System Restore" tool. It's always important to make backups *before* making any changes to your computer system.

Step 2:
After you complete the first step, open Notepad or your favorite text editor.

Step 3:
Copy and paste exactly the following into your text editor:

REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\IniFileMapping\Autorun.inf]
@="@SYS:DoesNotExist"

Step 4:
Next, choose "File > Save As" and save your new file as "StopUSBAuto.reg" (include double quotes in file name). Make sure to save this file in a location where it can be easily found, such as the "Desktop" or "My Documents" folder.

Step 5:
Find the file that you just created and double-click on it.

Step 6:
Windows will ask if you want to add/import the new information from "StopUSBAuto.reg" into the Registry. Click "Yes" to continue.

Step 7:
That's it! AutoRun for USB flash drives should now be disabled.

How do I set the default operating system (when multiple systems are installed)?

If you have more than one operating system installed, you can select the operating system that you want to use as the default:

1.In Windows XP, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.

2.On the Advanced tab, under Startup and Recovery, click Settings.

3.Under System startup, in the Default operating system list, click the operating system that you want to start when you turn on or restart your computer.

4.Select the Time to display list of operating systems check box, and then select the number of seconds for which you want the list displayed before the default operating system starts.

Warning: The boot options file (Boot.ini) controls the number and order of operating systems on your computer. To manually edit this file, clickEdit on the Startup and Recovery tab. Use caution when modifying the boot options file. Doing so incorrectly might make your computer unusable.

Performing a new installation of Windows XP

If your computer does not have an operating system currently installed or you have decided to install Windows from scratch, you can perform what is known as a new installation (also known as a clean installation, or a full installation). This process is more complicated and takes longer than an upgrade (about 20 steps as opposed to 9 for an upgrade).

Note: Before installing Windows XP, you should disable you virus protection (antivirus) software, and you might want to run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to test your computer's random access memory (RAM). To use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, follow the instructions on the Windows Memory Diagnostic Web site. Be sure to enable your virus protection software after installing Windows XP.

CAUTION: You can choose to delete everything that currently exists on the hard drive during a new installation, so be sure to back up any data you want to keep before you begin (make sure that the backup data is not stored on the drive you are going to delete).

Here's how to perform a new installation of Windows XP:

1.Insert the Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM drive.

2.Restart the computer.

3.When the message to Press any key to boot from CD… is displayed, quickly press any key (for example, the SPACEBAR). Setup begins.

Note: Pay close attention here, because it's very easy to miss this message. If your current operating system starts, you'll know that you missed the opportunity to boot from CD. Restart your computer and try again.

4.After Setup starts, several messages will flash across the bottom of the screen. These messages are only important under special circumstances, such as installing a particular hardware access layer (HAL), or loading a small computer system interface (SCSI) driver.

5.Next, a screen appears that offers the following three options: Set up Windows XP, Repair a Windows XP installation, or Quit Setup. Press ENTER to select the first option.

6.The End User License Agreement appears next. Read the license agreement and follow the instructions to accept or reject the agreement. If your Windows CD is an upgrade CD, after accepting the agreement, you will be prompted to insert the CD of your previous operating system to verify that the previous version qualifies for upgrade to Windows XP.

Important! If you use a recovery CD from an original equipment manufacturer (also called an OEM), it is possible that the CD will not be accepted. If you delete the partition information or format the drive and the OEM recovery CD is not accepted as valid media, you must use the OEM recovery CD to restore your previous version of Windows.

7.If a screen appears showing an existing installation of Windows XP, press ESC to continue installing a fresh copy of Windows XP.

8.At the next screen, you have the option of repartitioning your drive. It's a good idea to repartition if you want to merge several smaller partitions into one large one, or if you want to create several smaller partitions so that you can set up a multiboot configuration. If you want to repartition, follow the instructions to delete existing partitions, if needed, and then select unpartitioned space and press ENTER to proceed.

9.Select the formatting method you would like to use, and then press ENTER. NTFS offers both enhanced formatting capabilities and security technologies. If you need to access drives or DOS files (such as from a DOS-based boot disk) using Windows Millennium Edition or earlier versions of Windows, you might need to select FAT32 instead. Select either format method (quick or slow).

10.Setup will format the drive, copy initial Setup files, and restart the computer.

Note: After the computer restarts, you will again receive the message Press any key to boot from CD but you should ignore it so that you do not interrupt the current installation process.

11.After another restart, the next part of Setup will begin.

12.On the Regional and Language Options page, follow the instructions to add language support or change language settings, if desired.

13.On the Personalize Your Software page, type your name and the name of your company or organization (if applicable).

14.On the Your Product Key page, type the 25-character product key that came with your copy of Windows XP.

15.On the Computer Name and Administrator Password page, make up a computer name (if your network administrator gave you a name to use, type that). Then make up a password for the Administrator account on your computer. Type it once, and then confirm it by typing it again.

Important: Be sure to remember the Administrator password. You'll need this password when you want to make changes to your system in the future.

16.On the Date and Time Settings page, make any changes that are necessary.

17.On the Networking Settings page, if it appears, select Typical settings (unless you plan to manually configure your networking components).

18.On the Workgroup or Computer Domain page, click Next. If you want to add your computer to a domain, select the second option and fill in the domain name. (If you do this, you will be prompted for a user name and password.)

Note: Connecting to a domain is only possible in Windows XP Professional, not in Windows XP Home Edition.

19.Next, while Setup copies files to your computer and completes a few other tasks, you'll see a series of screens that tell you about new features in Windows XP.

20.Finally, your computer will restart. Again, ignore the message to press any key. After Setup completes, eject the CD from the CD-ROM drive.

Do not forget to enable your virus protection software after Setup is finished or install one. It is necessary to protect your computer from unwanted programs and viruses.