Internet Explorer

If Internet Explorer stops displaying the right-click menu

There is an IE restriction that can disable the right-click. Some software or site may have changed the setting.

To check, run REGEDIT and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions. If you see a value called 'NoBrowserContextMenu, either delete it or set its value to zero. Restart the browser and the problem should have disappeared.
The context menu can also be extended by Programs, if they add entries to the Registry. Maybe a problem with one of those entries has disabled the whole menu. To test this use REGEDIT again and browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\Internet Explorer. If you see a MenuExt folder, delete all the options it contains, then restart IE to see if thats helped

If that doesn't work open Internet Explorer, select Tools - Internet Options and then click the Delete Files button to clear out your history files.

Windows XP

How do I get the "Administrator" name on Welcome Screen?

• Press "ctrl-alt-del" twice and you should be able to login as administrator!

NOTE:- all accounts have to be logged out first

Internet Explorer

Change Web Page Font Size on the Fly

• Press and hold Ctrl. Scroll down (or towards yourself) to enlarge the font size. Scroll up (or away from yourself) to reduce the font size.
• You might find it useful to reduce font size when printing a Web page, so that you can fit more content on the page.

Windows XP

Temporarily Assign Yourself Administrative Permissions

• Hold down the Shift key as you right-click on the program's setup file.
• Click Run as.
• Type in a username and password that have Administrative permissions.
• This will also work on applications in the Start menu.
  

May not work with all Windows Versions

Use your Window logo Key

• Windows: Display the Start menu
  
• Windows + D: Minimize or restore all windows
  
• Windows + E: Display Windows Explorer
  
• Windows + F: Display Search for files
  
• Windows + Ctrl + F: Display Search for computer
  
• Windows + F1: Display Help and Support Center
  
• Windows + R: Display Run dialog box
  
• Windows + break: Display System Properties dialog box
  
• Windows + shift + M: Undo minimize all windows
  
• Windows + L: Lock the workstation
  
• Windows + U: Open Utility Manager
  
• Windows + Q: Quick switching of users (Powertoys only)
  Windows + Q: Hold Windows Key, then tap Q to scroll thru the different users on your PC
  

Windows XP

Changing the CD drive letter

• Right click on 'My Computer' and select 'manage' from the pop-up menu.
  
• When the 'Computer Managemet Console' opens, look under storage and click 'Disk Management.
  
• Right click on the drive to be changed and then click 'Change drive letter and Path', click on the 'Change' button on the dialog that appears. Pick a drive letter of your choice from the new dialog.
  
• Hit the OK button a couple of times to close the dialog.

Windows 98

Each startup is restoring the registry

When starting up Windows 98, the process runs a routine to check the stability of the Registry, any problems are fixed by the system restoring back to the previous registry version.

• If this occurs, check for processes involved by running 'msconfig' (Start -> Run) and then untick any items recently loaded and reboot.
• If the problem persists try booting and pressing F8 to get the startup menu, select 5 and at the c:/ prompt enter 'scanreg /fix'. This will invoke the registry checker and fix the problem.

If you find, when viewing folders, that the icons used against files have become corrupted, or that the icons in the system tray are corrupt then dont panic! The funny icons mean that your 'ShellIconCache' file is damaged.

The repair is simple, enter 'tweakui' in the search bar of your browser, visit any one of the sites displayed and download 'tweakui'. Install tweakui and run, under the repair tab is a 'repair icons' option. Run this and your problems will disappear (hopefully).

Windows XP

Display Product Key

Outlook & Outlook Express

Security

Windows XP

Who's accessing your PC - possible hackers

When you get that nagging suspicion that someones accessing your computer then try this.

Open the Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> expand the shared Folders section of the System Tools tree and click on Sessions. You should then be able to see whose logged on. If someone is there that you do not recognise, right click on it then choose the Disconnect option. Closes down your net connection and check your shared folders, ensure that you have not shared root folders or those containing 'exe' items.

Windows XP

Start up your PC quicker

Ensure that hibernation is switched on by following the following route. Open Control Panel -> Power Options -> Hibernate tab, and check the Enable hibernation box.

There are two ways to hibernate windows. One--> Open Task Manager and then click shutdown tab and click hibernate. Second Hidden Method is to Simply click Turn Off From Start Menu and Press Shift when the small box appears. Notice Standby changes to HIBERNATE.

Excel - Viewing Formula

When you want to see the formula behind the cells in Excel that have been entered in all the cells of your spreadsheet, there is an easy solution.

Hold down the 'Ctrl' key together with the ` button (situated to the left of the '1' key.

XP - Vista Networking

Network Map in Windows Vista does not display computers that are running Windows XP

To resolve this problem, install the update that is described in this section. The update installs the LLTD Responder component on Windows XP-based computers. The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

Download the Windows XP package now.

IE6 / IE7 browser
gives 403 error "Access denied by access control list"