Loaded windows 7 ultimate on my laptop............ oh its so gr8....... much better than the old Vista.. the features are just tooo awesome.. u should get a feel of it to believe the words.. the taskbar of this operating system is the ultimate feature.. it so perfectly planned and designed.. know what.. “If you pin Explorer to the taskbar and start a copy, the explorer icon acts as a progress bar for the copy? So you can go to other apps and at a glance see how far your copy has to go just by looking at the icon”... Though this feature is just a minute one, microsoft team surely must be applauded for even thinking of such small stuff.. the other features of this operating system are well explained and compared in the following two links..
The Complete Review -- http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/12/windows-7-review/
Comparision between Windows XP/ Vista/ Windows 7 -- http://www.maximumpc.com/article/reviews/windows_7_review
Guys.. believe me.. this one is worth it.. it will surely displace XP and of course the rotten Vista..
          
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How to Secure Your PC from Hackers, Virus and other Online Threats
Nine simple steps to build a more secure computing environments that save the precious data on your hard-drive from online threats and gives you a better working experience. [Based on Dell TuneUp software recommendations.]
1. Windows Remote Registry Service Disabled
Windows’ Remote Registry Service allows other users to gain access to your computer’s system registry and modify it. This is useful in situations where you require remote assistance. However, because this feature can create a major security risk, by disabling the Remote Registry Service, you increase your system’s security.
2. Microsoft Messenger Service Disabled
The Microsoft Messenger Service running on your computer can be used to send malicious pop-up messages that contain spam or viruses. By disabling this service, you increase your system’s security and protect it from external attacks designed to exploit this service.
3. Windows Automatic Updates Feature Enabled
The Windows Automatic Updates feature keeps your computer up-to date with the latest software updates and enhancements. The updates are delivered to your computer with minimal interference and require little or no action on your part. By enabling your computer’s Automatic Updates feature, you increase your system’s security and make sure that your computer automatically updates itself.
4. Internet Explorer Pop -Up Blocker Enabled
The Internet Explorer pop up blocker prevents pop up messages from appearing on your computer. These pop -up messages often contain malicious software or unwanted advertisements. By enabling the pop up blocker, you increase your system’s security and improve your Internet browsing experience.
5. Internet Explorer Security Settings Optimized
When your Internet security settings are below the recommended level, your computer is vulnerable to external attacks and security breaches. Changing your the settings to the Medium Level helps protect that your system whenever you use the Internet.
6. Microsoft Office Macros Security Optimized
Macros are user-defined series of instructions for a computer. Microsoft Office macros are scripts that are executed within an Office document (Word, Excel, etc.) to enhance the application’s capabilities. However, because macros may contain viruses or malicious code, by setting your Office macros security to the recommended settings, you make sure that you do not inadvertently infect your computer through a macro.
7. Browser Hijack Prevention Completed
Each URL address that you type into the Web browser is first translated into an IP address. This IP address determines which site is loaded to your browser. To translate the IP address into a URL name, the browser uses a local file called a hosts file. Occasionally, malicious software implants its own hosts file into your computer and directs the browser to this file, which may contain unsafe Web sites. By remapping your browser to the original hosts file, you increase your system’s security, protect it from external attacks, and ensure that you are directed only to the Web sites you intend to visit.
8. Suspicious Auto Run Files Removed
Auto-run files are files that start up automatically as soon as you access the directory where they are installed. Some auto -run files may be used to automatically run malicious code, and can make your system vulnerable to external attacks. By removing all suspicious auto -run files, you increase your system’s security and protect it from external attacks designed to exploit these files.
9. Windows XP Firewall Enabled
A firewall is software or hardware that helps block unauthorized users, viruses, and worms that could reach your computer over the Internet. Therefore, it is important to make sure you have a firewall installed and activated before connecting to the Internet, such as the Windows XP integrated built -in firewall. Activating the Windows XP Firewall with its default settings permits opening connections that originate from your computer, but blocks connections that originate from the outside. This makes it more difficult to attack your computer from the Internet. By enabling the Windows XP Firewall, you increase your system’s security and protect it from many external attacks.
Perform OCR with Google Docs – Turn Images Into Editable Documents
Google Docs can now perform OCR on digital images. You can upload an image containing typewritten or printed text (like a fax document or a scanned newspaper clipping) to your Google Docs account and it will turn that image into editable text.
In the following example, Google Docs successfully extracted all the text from a scanned book page and converted it into an editable document.
The OCR feature in Google Docs is not part of the standard UI yet but you can use this sample form to upload scanned images to your Google Account and the server will automatically try to extract text from these images provided the image resolution is good and that the text inside images is written using Latin character sets.
The OCR feature can also extract text from noisy images as well (like this WSJ clipping) though the recognized text is not very accurate and the document formatting is lost (see conversion results).
If you are a developer, you can add the ocr=true parameter to your upload request and Google Docs will automatically scan that image for text patterns. You can also upload images to Google Docs without the OCR parameter but in that case, the image will be converted into a new Word document sans OCR.
Like Google Docs, Google Search too includes OCR features but the difference is that while Google Docs can extract text from images, the OCR in Google Search works only with scanned PDF files.
Put Live Desktops on Windows/MAC desktop
Internet Explorer has a feature called Web Slices that lets you track changes on certain pages from the favorites bar itself. Such a thing is not available in Firefox but you can use FireClip or Ubiquity and track portions of any web page in the browser – these portions could be from a Google results page, a customized view of your email inbox or even a live score card that you may have pulled from the ESPN site.
Now imagine if we could move out of the web browser and save these snippets of web pages on the desktop itself just like any other widget.
Add Snippets of Live Web Pages to your Desktop
What you see above aren’t static screenshots of websites but snippets of live web pages that will even refresh automatically after a set interval. They are created using Snippage, a free Adobe AIR utility available for both Mac and Windows.
Snippage, in simple English, lets you instantly turn any web page (or just a portion) into a desktop gadget (or widget depending on whether you are using a Windows PC or a Mac).
Snippage works like this – you open any web page using the built-in browser, select a rectangular portion on that page desktop by dragging around the handles and then click the scissor icon to crop that area and place it on the desktop.
If you are adding a stock chart or time-critical search results (say from twitter), you may want to change the refresh interval so that the clips reload automatically and you always have access to the latest information from your desktop.
Watch the video below to get a better idea on how you can create web clips for the desktop with snippage.
Screencast Video: How to turn web pages into desktop widgets
http://www.labnol.org/software/put-web-pages-on-desktop/10041/
http://www.labnol.org/internet/perform-ocr-with-google-docs/10059/
http://www.labnol.org/software/free-antivirus-software-from-microsoft/10070/
http://www.labnol.org/software/tutorials/how-to-secure-your-pc-from-hackers-virus-and-other-online-threats/833/
http://www.labnol.org/internet/perform-ocr-with-google-docs/10059/
http://www.labnol.org/software/free-antivirus-software-from-microsoft/10070/
http://www.labnol.org/software/tutorials/how-to-secure-your-pc-from-hackers-virus-and-other-online-threats/833/
"Don't Panic!" Hides Windows From Onlookers
Windows: Have some windows you might need to stash in a hurry? Don't want your boss to catch you goofing off? Everyone needs a break now and then and Don't Panic! will help you keep your breaks discreet.
While most "boss-key" applications limit themselves to simply hiding specified applications at a keystroke, Don't Panic! strives to avoid being a one-trick pony by offering a wide variety of options for you to toggle.
You can activate Don't Panic! by either keyboard shortcut or, as seen in the screenshot here, by hitting the Don't Panic! button in the lower right corner of your monitor. You can adjust the transparency of the button or disable all together and stick to the keyboard shortcut.
Don't Panic! can simply hide the windows you have specified, even hiding the application from the Task Manager, or it can close the application either by terminating the process or closing it properly. You can also have Don't Panic! delete all the shortcuts in the recent files folder, dump your Internet Explorer history and temporary files, and purge the Recycle Bin.
One thing to keep in mind when using an application like Don't Panic! is that all of its powers are limited to changing things at the workstation you are sitting at. If your company, for example, enforces internet usage policies by monitoring the traffic coming from your terminal, Don't Panic! won't do anything to stop The Man from putting the brakes on your cubicle party.
Don't Panic! is open source, Windows only.
Get A Read Receipt When Friends Open Your Email Message
If you are using Microsoft Outlook with Exchange Server, you can easily request read receipts and get notified when your email is opened by the recipient(s).
As such a tracking feature in not available in web email like Gmail, Yahoo! Mail or the new Windows Live Hotmail, here’s an extremely effective and free solution that works with every email program.
The service is called SpyPig and it will instantly send you a notification when your email is read by the recipient. The read receipt will also have other details like the IP address of the recipient and the exactly number of times he or she read your email.
Using SpyPig is simple – type your email address (where you wish to receive the notification) and they’ll give you a small tracking graphic that you have to embed in your outgoing Gmail message via a simple drag-n-drop (just like the Gmail Smileys). That’s it.
Now if you are worried about sharing your email address , read our previous email read receipt hack that shows you how to construct your own SpyPig kind of solution using Google Analytics or Statcounter.
The SpyPig trick however works only with Rich Text or HTML email, not plain text.
WinToFlash Turns Your Windows Installation DVD into a USB-Based Installer
Windows: Want to turn your Windows installation DVD into an installation flash drive? WinToFlash can do that and more.
WinToFlash can transfer Windows XP, Vista, and 7 onto a flash drive as well as Server 2003 and 2008. WinToFlash can also transfer Windows Preinstallation Environments to flash drive.
The process is simple and mostly obvious. You tell WinToFlash where the installation files you want to transfer are located and either let the transfer wizard take care of things, or specify settings like what kind of format the flash drive will undergo. In our test using a USB 2.0 generic flash drive it took about 12 minutes to turn a Windows 7 installation DVD into a USB-based installer.
WinToFlash is freeware, Windows only.
How to Transfer Mails from one Email Account to another for Free
There can be several reasons why you may want to switch email service providers.
Reason #1. Your existing email address gets too much spam so you plan to dump the old account and switch to a new email address (a form of email bankruptcy).
Reason #2. You are leaving your existing job for higher studies and need to transfer all personal emails from the Microsoft Exchange server to your new university email account.
Reason #3. Your ISP’s email service isn’t reliable and you therefore plan to move to a free web based email service like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, etc.
Reason #4. You think the new email service from XYZ Inc. offers more features than your existing mail provider and hence want to make the move.
Moving Emails from One Account to Another
This illustration will help you visualize how to transfer email messages across the three most popular web email services. The transfer will happen online and you just need to specify the credentials (user name & password) of your old email account (from where you want to move message out) and your new email address (where you want to move messages in).
Moving to Windows Live Hotmail
Windows Live Hotmail is integrated with TrueSwitch so you can easily transfer emails from Yahoo Mail, AOL, Gmail, Live.com, .Mac, etc. to your shiny new Hotmail address. The same service may also be used for copying old email from an existing Hotmail account to a new Hotmail address.
Moving to Yahoo Mail
Like Windows Live Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail too provides integration with TrueSwitch so you can easy copy mails from Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, Juno, Rocket Mail, etc. into your Yahoo! account. With TrueSwitch, you can also copy mails from one Yahoo! inbox to another without upgrading to Yahoo! Mail Plus.
Moving to Gmail / Google Apps
Gmail (or Google Apps for Email) has a built-in Mail Fetcher feature that lets you download email messages from 5 different email accounts that support POP access. You may therefore use this feature to move your old Hotmail or AOL messages into Gmail as both these service provide free POP3 access.
The migration from Yahoo! Mail to Gmail is slightly tricky but possible. Keep reading.
Trick: Move emails from Yahoo Mail to Gmail or Outlook without POP
The free account of Yahoo Mail doesn’t provide IMAP or POP3 access so you can’t move these emails into Gmail or a desktop client like Microsoft Outlook.
The Yahoo! Mail Plus upgrade will add POP3 access to you account at $20 per year but if you want to save some money, here’s an alternate but simple trick:
1. Create a new account at Windows Live Hotmail and fetch all your Yahoo! mails into this account using the free TrueSwitch Service.
2. Now that your mails are inside Hotmail, you can setup POP3 configuration to fetch those Yahoo messages into Gmail via Hotmail.
Migrating Emails Away from your ISP Account
TrueSwitch mentioned above supports all popular ISPs including Comcast, Verizon, CableVision, AT&T, etc. but if your ISP is not in the list and you don’t have the time to configure your email client for POP3 or IMAP access, check out Yippie Move.
It’s a online email transfer service similar to TrueSwitch but supports an even larger number of email service providers including the .edu addresses of certain colleges and universities in US. With YippieMove, you can choose folders (or labels in Gmail) that you want to copy to the new location without having to move the entire mailbox. The service is quick and easy but costs around $15 per email account.
Copying emails from Microsoft Exchange / Outlook
Every organization has a different policy with respect to corporate email so check with the administration if your Exchange service offers POP3 or IMAP access – if yes, you can easily transfer messages into any of the free web mail accounts directly as listed above. Also see these guides:
- Export Outlook email to your Gmail Account
- Copy Outlook Mail to Google Apps
- Transfer Mail to Hotmail via Outlook Connector
Email Transfer Complete? The Next Step
Now that all your message have moved to your new email address, you can set up a vacation responder in your old email account to auto-inform contacts about your new email address. Also check this guide on how to manage multiple email addresses.
Source: Digital Inspiration Blog
Running a Windows Operating System on Browser
Windows OS – Made of Silverlight
The site is windows4all.com and it feels like you are running an online copy of the Windows operating system in the browser. (Hit F11 to experience in full screen mode)
Windows4all not only replicates the look and feel of a freshly installed Windows Vista desktop environment inside your browser but comes with a variety of applications that are similar to the default applications included with Windows. These include Notepad, Windows File Explorer, Media Player, Calculator, Sidebar gadgets and even games like Solitaire and Spider.
Double click the IE icon on the desktop (or use the Vista start menu button) to fire up Internet Explorer and you’ll be able to browse the internet live inside this impressive Silverlight application.
It also includes a Notepad and when you save text files using this application, you can open the files again the next time you visit Windows4all on the same computer. You can install additional Silverlight applications into the Windows4all interface; you can pick the installers directly from from the internet or upload the files from your own computer into the Web OS.
If you are a Windows geek who is curious to know how this app was made, go to Codeplex and download the full source code. It would be neat if Microsoft offers some of these features, especially the ability to import Silverlight apps, to Live Mesh in the future!
Source : digital inspiration blogUse Hibernate and Standby to Conserve Batteries
The Hibernate function in Windows XP Professional can make the batteries in your laptop computer last longer.
Windows XP supports the industry standard power management technology known as the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), which enables the operating system to control power to your computer and peripheral devices. The power management features in Windows XP include Hibernate and Standby. Hibernate saves an image of your desktop with all open files and documents, and then it powers down your computer. When you turn on power, your files and documents are open on your desktop exactly as you left them. Standby reduces the power consumption of your computer by cutting power to hardware components you are not using. Standby can cut power to peripheral devices, your monitor, even your hard drive, but maintains power to your computer’s memory so you don’t lose your work.
Power Management Performance
Windows XP wakes from Hibernate faster than any earlier version of Windows. So you can preserve your batteries without taking time to close all your files and shut down, and then restart and open all your files when you’re ready to work again. If you need to leave your computer, you can just leave it. Windows XP can automatically put your computer into Hibernate mode after a specified period of inactivity. Or Windows XP can detect when your batteries are running low, and then automatically put your computer in Hibernate mode to save your work before the battery fails. To put your computer into hibernation, you must have a computer that is set up by the manufacturer to support this option.
To automatically put your computer into hibernation
You must be logged on to your computer with an owner account in order to complete this procedure.
2. Click the Hibernate tab, select the Enable hibernate support check box, and then click Apply.
If the Hibernate tab is unavailable, your computer does not support this feature.
3. Click the APM tab, click Enable Advanced Power Management support, and then click Apply.
The APM tab is unavailable on ACPI–compliant computers. ACPI automatically enables Advanced Power Management, which disables the APM tab.
4. Click the Power Schemes tab, and then select a time period in System hibernates. Your computer hibernates after it has been idle for the specified amount of time.
To manually put your computer into hibernation
You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of either the Administrators or Power Users group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might also prevent you from completing this procedure.
2. Click the Hibernate tab, and then select the Enable hibernate support check box.
If the Hibernate tab is not available, your computer does not support this feature.
3. Click OK to close the Power Options dialog box.
4. Click Start, and then click Shut Down. In the What do you want the computer to do drop-down list, click Hibernate.
If you are using Windows XP Home Edition, or Windows XP Professional with Fast User Switching turned on, the Shut Down menu will present the options to Stand By, Turn Off, or Restart your computer. Hold down the Shift key, and the Stand By button will change to Hibernate.
What are XP Power Toys?
PowerToys are additional programs that developers work on after the product has been released to manufacturing, but before the next project has begun. These toys add fun and functionality to the Windows experience.
We've taken great care to ensure that PowerToys operate as they should. But please note that these programs are not part of Windows and are not supported by Microsoft. For this reason, Microsoft Technical Support is unable to answer questions about PowerToys
The PowerToys are installed into the directory you specify during setup. Typically this is the system32 directory.
To uninstall the PowerToys, Open the control Panel. Launch the Add/Remove Programs control panel applet. Find the PowerToys for Windows XP entry, and choose Modify/Remove. From here you can remove specific toys or all of them.
Faster User Switcher
Note: You cannot use this toy if fast user switching is not enabled.
What it is: With Fast User Switching enabled on Windows XP, this PowerToy allows you to switch users without having to use the logon screen.
Special requirements: This PowerToy requires a Windows key on your keyboard.
How to use: Press the Windows key then the Q key to activate; release and press Q to switch to a different user tile, then release both Q and Windows key to switch to that user.
Shell Player
What it is: This PowerToy plays MP3 files and WMA files from the taskbar.
How to use: Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Audio Player." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the player, you will have to unlock it. This will allow you to access the play list editor and view all the buttons.
Task Switcher
What it is: Replaces the existing Alt + Tab application switching mechanism of Windows XP. It provides a thumbnail preview of windows in the task list and is compliant with the new Windows XP visual style.
How to use: (NOTE: You must log off and then log on again for the changes to take effect). Use just as you do the existing Alt + Tab mechanism by pressing the Alt key and the Tab key to activate. While holding down the Alt key, press the Tab key to cycle through running applications. To move backwards, press Shift + Alt + Tab. Release all keys when the desired application is highlighted.
Open Command Window Here
What it is: This PowerToy adds an "Open Command Window Here" context menu option on file system folders. This gives users a quick way to open a command window (cmd.exe) pointing at a selected folder in the Explorer UI.
How to use: After installation, right click on the folder you would like to have a quick launch command window for.
Tweak UI
What it is: Provides access to system settings that are not exposed in the Windows XP default user interface.
How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, TweakUI for Windows XP.
PowerToy Calc
What it is: Graphing calculator
How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, PowerToy Calc
Bulk Resize for Photos
What it is: Allows you to make a new, resized copy of your selected pictures in the same folder they are currently located in. You can opt to resize one or many pictures (as a batch).
How to use: Right click any image(s) and select Resize Pictures in the context menu.
ISO Image Burner
What it is: Allows you to burn an ISO Image using a CD-ROM burner that is compatible with Windows XP
How to use: Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, ISO Burner
Slide Show Generator
What it is: Generate a slideshow when burning a CD
How to use: Add only images to a CD-ROM using Windows XP Explorer, then Write these files to disk. A new task is presented in the wizard for generating the autorun for the slideshow.
Virtual Desktop Manager
What it is: Manage up to 4 desktops from the Windows Shell Taskbar.
How to use:Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Desktop Manager." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the manager, you will have to unlock it.
Background Wallpaper switcher
What it is: Allows you to switch the background image periodically.
How to use: Access this PowerToy by right clicking the desktop, click properties. It has added a new tab that will allow you to specify the interval as well as the directory to obtain the images from.
Taskbar Magnifier
What it is: Allows you to magnify part of the screen from the taskbar.
How to use:Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, then click "Taskbar Magnifier." If the taskbar is locked and you want to resize the magnifier, you will have to unlock it.
Slide Show Wizard
What it is: This wizard helps you create a slide show of your digital pictures. When you're done, you can put your slide show on the Web so that your family and friends can view it.
How to use: Launch the Wizard from the Start Menu under All ProgramsPowertoys for Windows XPSlide Show Wizard. Follow the steps of the wizard to select and arrange your pictures, choose from a few simple options, and then save a Web-ready HTML slide show to a folder.
For a Safer, faster XP Close Unwanted Services
To disable unneeded startup services for a safer, faster XP, use the "Services" Admin Tool (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services). If you are a single user of a non-networked machine, you can disable the following items, with no ill effect.
Clipbook
Computer Browser
Fast User Switching
Human Interface Access Devices
Indexing Service (Slows the hard drive down)
Messenger
Net Logon (unnecessary unless networked on a Domain)
Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing (disabled for extra security)
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)
Remote Procedure Call Locator
Remote Registry (disabled for extra security)
Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)
Server
SSDP Discovery Service (this is for the utterly pointless "Universal P'n'P", & leaves TCP Port 5000 wide open)
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telnet (disabled for extra security)
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Upload Manager
Windows Time
Wireless Zero Configuration (for wireless networks)
Workstation
Clipbook
Computer Browser
Fast User Switching
Human Interface Access Devices
Indexing Service (Slows the hard drive down)
Messenger
Net Logon (unnecessary unless networked on a Domain)
Netmeeting Remote Desktop Sharing (disabled for extra security)
Remote Desktop Help Session Manager (disabled for extra security)
Remote Procedure Call Locator
Remote Registry (disabled for extra security)
Routing & Remote Access (disabled for extra security)
Server
SSDP Discovery Service (this is for the utterly pointless "Universal P'n'P", & leaves TCP Port 5000 wide open)
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
Telnet (disabled for extra security)
Universal Plug and Play Device Host
Upload Manager
Windows Time
Wireless Zero Configuration (for wireless networks)
Workstation
How to Disable Security Center Alerts
If you're running Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) Windows Security Center should tell you the status of your antivirus software, firewall, and automatic updates. Security Center will alert you if your antivirus is out of date or turned off, firewall is turned off, or if Automatic Update is not turned on.
If you have received multiple alerts and would like to turn notifications off, you can disable the antivirus, firewall, or automatic update alerts.
Note You should only disable these alerts if you are an expert user. If you are in the process of updating or installing software you may also want to temporarily disable alerts, but please be sure to turn alerts back on so Windows can keep your status up to date.
To turn off Security Center alerts
1. | Click Start and then click Control Panel. |
2. | Double-click Security Center. |
3. | In the Security Center, under Resources, click Change the way Security Center alerts me. |
4. | In the Alert Settings dialog box, clear the Firewall, Automatic Updates, or Virus Protection check boxes, and then click OK. |
When you use this procedure, the Security Center still displays your status, but does not send you alerts.
Note If your computer is part of a domain (a group of computers on a network), your security settings are typically managed by your network administrator. In this case, the Security Center does not display your security status or send alerts.
Source:Microsoft Site
A Professional Ambigram for Free:Angels and Demons Spl:
An ambigram, also sometimes known as an inversion, is a typographical design that spells out one or more words not only in its form as presented, but also from another view point (rotating 360 degrees). Getting our favourite ambigram was dream of every one ever since Angels and Demons unveiled it but there was a price tag associated with it. Now here is the way you can get your ambigram as a jpg file for free.
Steps to get your ambigram for free :-
Steps to get your ambigram for free :-
- Log on to website http://www.flipscript.com/ambigram-free.aspx
- You will see a banner in the right top corner of the screen saying ” create new ambigram ” go and click it.
- In the pop-up menu give the name for which you want the ambigram. if you are lucky enough the specimen photograph will be displayed right there on the window.
- Now click on the button view on products
- Now click on “gold ambigram necklace” or “silver ambigram necklace” a new page will open
- Click on zoom the picture.
- When the picture is zoomed just right click on it and save it as a jpeg file.
- Now you have your ambigram right there on your system as a jpeg image.
NOTE :- DISABLE YOUR FLASH PLUGIN AS IT WILL NOT WORK IF FLASH IS ENABLED
Getting Your Bluetooth Headset to Work in PC
i am grateful to Wei-Meng Lee and nameless.mm for sharing this information.
If you are the owner of a Bluetooth headset, you will be glad to know that besides using it with your cellular phone, you can also use it together with your PC.
You will need a bluetooth dongle(adapter)--a usb device to provide bluetooth option on your desktop PC. it costs around Rs.250-350 in any computer shop. Ensure that the bluetooth adapter that you buy can provide HEADSET PROFILE. it is generally available in most of the adapters available in indian market.
However, you may have attempted to pair up the headset with your PC only to find out that the built-in Bluetooth stack in Windows XP Service Pack 2 does not support the headset. you will need an external software for the same. generally widcomm or blue soleil software suits our needs. you can get the software from their websites. for more help in getting the software, contact the author of this article at nameless.mm@gmail.com
If you are the owner of a Bluetooth headset, you will be glad to know that besides using it with your cellular phone, you can also use it together with your PC.
You will need a bluetooth dongle(adapter)--a usb device to provide bluetooth option on your desktop PC. it costs around Rs.250-350 in any computer shop. Ensure that the bluetooth adapter that you buy can provide HEADSET PROFILE. it is generally available in most of the adapters available in indian market.
However, you may have attempted to pair up the headset with your PC only to find out that the built-in Bluetooth stack in Windows XP Service Pack 2 does not support the headset. you will need an external software for the same. generally widcomm or blue soleil software suits our needs. you can get the software from their websites. for more help in getting the software, contact the author of this article at nameless.mm@gmail.com
In this article I am going to show you the steps to prepare your PC so that it can work with your Bluetooth headset. I will be using the Billionton USB Bluetooth adapter as well as the Motorola HS820 Bluetooth headset (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. The Billionton USB Bluetooth adapter and the Motorola HS820 Bluetooth headset
What Are Bluetooth Profiles?
To be successful as a consumer technology, Bluetooth needs to be widely supported by vendors. Interoperability--the ability of different devices (from different manufacturers) to work with one another--is the key factor in securing this broad support.
Version 1.1 of the Bluetooth specification (the current version is 2.0, but most devices are still based on Bluetooth 1.1 and 1.2) has 13 profiles. A profile is a description of a particular functionality, and Bluetooth device manufacturers use these profiles as a guide. With this approach, vendors can be sure that their devices will work with current and future Bluetooth products. Let's take a closer look at the 13 profiles defined in Bluetooth 1.1:
Generic Access Profile (GAP)--Defines how two Bluetooth devices discover and establish communications between each other. The GAP is the "mother" of all profiles, as it defines the modes and procedures that all the other profiles use.
Service Discovery Application Profile (SDAP)--Allows Bluetooth devices to query the services available on other Bluetooth devices.
Cordless Telephony Profile (CTP)--Defines how a Bluetooth device can be used as a cordless phone.
Intercom Profile--Defines how two Bluetooth-enabled phones can connect with each other directly without the use of the public telephone network.
Serial Port Profile--Defines how two Bluetooth devices can communicate with each other by using virtual serial ports. Using this profile, Bluetooth communication can be treated as just another serial communication.
Headset Profile--Defines how a headset can communicate with a Bluetooth device.
Dial-Up Networking Profile--Defines how a Bluetooth device can connect to a Bluetooth-enabled modem or mobile phone.
Fax Profile--Defines how a Bluetooth device can connect to a Bluetooth-enabled fax device, such as a fax machine or a fax-enabled mobile phone like the Sony Ericsson T68i.
LAN Access Profile--Defines how a Bluetooth-enabled device can connect to a network using PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol).
Generic Object Exchange Profile (GOEP)--Defines a set of protocols that applications use for exchanging objects.
Object Push Profile--Used together with the GOEP to send and receive objects, primarily for exchanging electronic business cards.
File Transfer Profile--Used together with the GOEP to transfer files between two Bluetooth devices.
Synchronization Profile--Used together with GOEP to synchronize calendar and address information between two Bluetooth devices, such as a laptop and cell phone.
For other profiles in the newer Bluetooth specifications, refer to the Wikipedia Bluetooth entry.
What Is a Bluetooth Stack?
A Bluetooth stack is an application installed on your computer that interacts with your Bluetooth devices. Two Bluetooth stacks are widely in use today:
- The Microsoft Bluetooth stack, which comes with Windows XP Service Pack 2
- The Widcomm Bluetooth stack
The problem with the Bluetooth stack built into Windows XP SP 2 is that it has limited support for profiles. In particular, it does not support the Headset profile required to connect with Bluetooth headsets, and hence your Bluetooth headsets will not be able to work with your Windows XP PC.
To overcome the limitations in the Windows Bluetooth stack, you can install the Widcomm Bluetooth stack drivers from the manufacturer of your Bluetooth device. You can download the latest drivers and support software from the adapter vendor's web site. Because each vendor customizes the Widcomm software slightly, you should not use drivers from a vendor other than the one that manufactured your Bluetooth adapters.
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Updating the Bluetooth Stack on Your Windows XP Computer
Overriding the default Bluetooth stack in Windows XP SP2 requires some work on your part. The Widcomm Bluetooth driver is not WHQL-certified, and Windows XP uses the Microsoft Bluetooth stack by default (which is WHQL-certified). When you try to install the Widcomm driver, you will get an error message preventing you from proceeding with the installation.
To override the Microsoft Bluetooth stack, perform the following steps:
Go to Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System. In the Hardware tab, click on Device Manager (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. Invoking the Device Manager
Under the Bluetooth Radios item in the Device Manager dialog, you should see the Generic Bluetooth Radio and Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator items (see Figure 3). Right-click on the Generic Bluetooth Radio item and select Update Driver.
Figure 3. Updating the default Bluetooth driver
You will be prompted to connect to Windows Update to search for software. Select "No, not this time" and click on Next (see Figure 4).
Figure 4. Searching for software drivers
In the next dialog, select "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)." Click on Next (see Figure 5).
Figure 5. Installing the driver
In the next dialog, select "Don't search. I will choose the driver to install" and click on Next (see Figure 6).
Figure 6. Manually choosing the driver to install
In the next dialog, click on Have Disk (see Figure 7).
Figure 7. Manually choosing the driver to install
Click on the Browse button (see Figure 8) to locate the folder containing the Bluetooth software from your manufacturer. In my case, my Bluetooth adapter is from Billionton.
Figure 8. Specifying the location of the drivers
You will notice that the model of the Bluetooth device (in my case it is "CSR USB Bluetooth Device") is now displayed in the Model list box (see Figure 9). Click on Next.
Figure 9. Installing the new drivers
The installation of the new drivers should now be started. When it is done, you should see the new Bluetooth device in the Device Manager window (see Figure 10).
Figure 10. The newly installed Bluetooth device
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Installing the Bluetooth Software
Once you have successfully updated the Bluetooth stack, you need to install the Bluetooth software (see Figure 11). The Bluetooth software can be downloaded from your vendor's web site (or found in the installation CD that comes with the Bluetooth adapter/device).
Figure 11. Installing the Bluetooth software
Strangely, after installing the Bluetooth software, my Bluetooth stack reverted to the old Microsoft Bluetooth stack. To get back the updated Widcomm driver, repeat the steps described in the section "Updating the Bluetooth Stack on your Windows XP computer," which should bring back the newly installed Widcomm driver.
Once the Bluetooth software is installed, you should be able to find the My Bluetooth Places icon on your desktop (see Figure 12).
Figure 12. The My Bluetooth Places icon on the desktop
A wizard will also appear to bring you through a series of steps to configure Bluetooth support on your PC.
Turn on Discoverable mode for your Bluetooth headset and click on the Search Again button to search for the Bluetooth headset (if it has not already been found). When it is found, click on the headset (in my case it is HS820) and click on Next (see Figure 13).
Figure 13. Configuring the Bluetooth headset
You will be asked for a PIN code in order to pair your computer with the headset. Normally the PIN is 0000, but this is dependent on your device; check your documentation. Enter the PIN and click on Initiate Pairing (see Figure 14).
Figure 14. Pairing the Bluetooth headset with your PC
The profiles (services) that the Bluetooth headset supports will now be shown (see Figure 15). Check the Headset service and click on Next.
Figure 15. Profiles supported by the Bluetooth headset
You should now see the icon for the headset in My Bluetooth Places (see Figure 16). Double-click on the icon to connect the headset to your computer. The icon will be changed when the headset is connected.
Figure 16. The headset icon in My Bluetooth Places
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What Profiles Are Supported?
To view the profiles your device supports, you can right-click on the Bluetooth icon located in the system tray (see Figure 17) and select Advanced Configuration.
Figure 17. Viewing configuration information of your Bluetooth device
The Local Services tab will show the profiles your device supports (see Figure 18).
Figure 18. Viewing the profiles your device supports
Configuring Windows to Use the Bluetooth Headset as an Audio Device
Now that the Bluetooth headset is connected to your computer, you need to configure Windows to use it as your audio output and voice input device.
Go to Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices, and in the Audio tab select the Bluetooth Audio item for both the Sound playback and Sound Recording section (see Figure 19).
Figure 19. Configuring Bluetooth Audio for audio
In the Voice tab, select the Bluetooth Audio item for both the Voice playback and Voice recording sections (see Figure 20).
Figure 20. Configuring Bluetooth Audio for voice
Clicking on the "Test hardware" button does not seem to recognize the existence of the microphone on the headset; however, the computer does redirect the sound output to the headset.
To verify that the headset is indeed working, use MSN Messenger. (I used version 7.0.) Click on Tools -> Audio/Video Tuning Wizard, and set both the Microsoft and Speakers to use the Bluetooth Audio (see Figure 21). Click on Next, and you will be able to test the speaker.
Figure 21. Using MSN Messenger to test the headset
You will also be able to speak into the microphone. If you can see the color of the indicator changes (see Figure 22), your headset is working properly.
Figure 22. Testing the microphone
Congratulations! You have now set up the Bluetooth headset and can use it to chat with your friends in MSN Messenger, or make voice calls using Skype.
Download a Gmail Conversation
Wouldn't be nice if you could save a Gmail conversation so you can read it offline? Using an email client to access Gmail using POP3 or IMAP is an option, although it's not trivial to recreate the thread and to download everything, including the attachments.
To download a Gmail conversation, you could use the print feature. In order to prevent Gmail from actually printing your messages, disable JavaScript after opening the conversation or disconnect your printer. Then click on "print all" in Gmail's right sidebar...
... and save the generated page as a complete web page. This will create a HTML file and a folder with images, but it won't save the attachments. You can now re-enable JavaScript in your browser to be able to use Gmail's AJAX interface.
If you want to save all the attachments from a conversation as an archive, you could save them one by one. Alternatively, go back to the conversation and click on "forward all". You'll create a new message that concatenates all the messages and the attachments from that conversation. Send the message to yourself and click on "Download all attachments" when you receive the message. To save space, delete the individual message you've sent to yourself after downloading the attachments (make sure you don't delete the entire conversation).
To download a Gmail conversation, you could use the print feature. In order to prevent Gmail from actually printing your messages, disable JavaScript after opening the conversation or disconnect your printer. Then click on "print all" in Gmail's right sidebar...
... and save the generated page as a complete web page. This will create a HTML file and a folder with images, but it won't save the attachments. You can now re-enable JavaScript in your browser to be able to use Gmail's AJAX interface.
If you want to save all the attachments from a conversation as an archive, you could save them one by one. Alternatively, go back to the conversation and click on "forward all". You'll create a new message that concatenates all the messages and the attachments from that conversation. Send the message to yourself and click on "Download all attachments" when you receive the message. To save space, delete the individual message you've sent to yourself after downloading the attachments (make sure you don't delete the entire conversation).
A Feed for Unread Gmail Messages
Gmail has a very cool feature not available in other webmail applications: feeds for unread messages. For example, the feed http://mail.google.com/mail/feed/atom/ shows the most recent unread items from your inbox. Gmail also offers feeds for your labels: http://mail.google.com/mail/feed/atom/labelname/, but it would be nice to have a comprehensive listing of all the unread messages, not just the ones that have a certain label. As you probably know, "unread" is one of the many built-in labels in Gmail, so you can use it to obtain this feed: http://mail.google.com/mail/feed/atom/unread/. In the URLs above, you can replace "http" with "https" for more security.
Gmail's feeds require authentication, so they don't work in many feed readers, like Google Reader or iGoogle. There are some feed readers that support password-protected feeds:
Browsers
* assuming you're logged in to your Gmail account, you can add any of the feeds to Firefox's Live Bookmarks (this is more like a workaround than true support for authenticated feeds)
* you can subscribe to the feeds in Opera if you don't like the built-in mail client
Desktop feed readers
* some desktop feed readers listed by Google that support Atom 0.3, SSL/HTTPS, and HTTP authentication
Online feed readers
* Netvibes is a notable example of online feed reader that supports authenticated feeds
Gmail recommends to make sure that the feed's content is private. "Keep in mind when you subscribe to your Gmail feed that some aggregators allow you to share, syndicate, or otherwise re-publish the feeds you subscribe to. This means that even though your Gmail feed is private, its contents could be made public through one of these methods. So you'll want to double-check the privacy settings in your aggregator to make sure you aren't sharing any information you don't want to."
Source:http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2008/03/feed-for-unread-gmail-messages.html
Gmail's feeds require authentication, so they don't work in many feed readers, like Google Reader or iGoogle. There are some feed readers that support password-protected feeds:
Browsers
* assuming you're logged in to your Gmail account, you can add any of the feeds to Firefox's Live Bookmarks (this is more like a workaround than true support for authenticated feeds)
* you can subscribe to the feeds in Opera if you don't like the built-in mail client
Desktop feed readers
* some desktop feed readers listed by Google that support Atom 0.3, SSL/HTTPS, and HTTP authentication
Online feed readers
* Netvibes is a notable example of online feed reader that supports authenticated feeds
Gmail recommends to make sure that the feed's content is private. "Keep in mind when you subscribe to your Gmail feed that some aggregators allow you to share, syndicate, or otherwise re-publish the feeds you subscribe to. This means that even though your Gmail feed is private, its contents could be made public through one of these methods. So you'll want to double-check the privacy settings in your aggregator to make sure you aren't sharing any information you don't want to."
Source:http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2008/03/feed-for-unread-gmail-messages.html
g2Peer Allows you to Share Files on PC through Gmail
Most of the time when we want to share some files with your friends, we either sent as attachments in email or use file sharing services like Dropbox or share files sites. These sites need the files to be uploaded to their server in order to be shared. g2Peer is a new utility which allows you to share files on PC through Gmail without having to upload any file online or to your Gmail account. Gmail address is served as unique “IP address” of PC in g2Peer network.
Once installed, you need to login with your Gmail account and use either POP3 or IMAP. Once you have configured your account, you can share files by adding the folders and users with whom you want to share files. You can do this by selecting Share under the tools menu.
In the share settings, add the Gmail account with whom you want to share files and also the folder in your PC which needs to be shared.
Once you have configured, the person who wants to download the files from your PC, needs to install this application and need to enter the your email address and select Go, all the files in the shared folder are displayed and you can select the files and right click to download them. Please note the files are only displayed, if your email address is listed in the PC where you want to download.
You can also use command line parameters to download the files using email. To get shared files from Computer 2 it is not necessary to install g2Peer on Computer 1. Just use commands like ?_list or ?_download sent from your Gmail account to Computer.2 Gmail address. Computer.2 should have g2Peer installed and your Computer 1 Gmail address listed in Share Folders list. Detailed information on how to use g2Peer is available here.
Create An Unattended Installer For All Your Favorite Software Using Windows Post Install (WPI)
Similar to slipstreaming Service Packs for auto installing Windows Updates, you can now create an unattended installer for all your software that you would normally install after formatting or on buying a new system.
With Windows Post Install (WPI) you can now create an unattended installer with all your favorite applications and just start the executable for installing all the application.You can also add it to your OS Installation disc so that it starts immediately after installing your OS.
With your typical setup of WPI you have your OS and all of the apps, tweaks and such on one disk. After windows installs, WPI kicks in and you are given a selection of everything you have configured WPI with, then you can select the ones you want or simply let the timer run out and your default apps will install.
Features :
- Unattended installation of software
- Slipstreamed to run after installation of Windows OS
- Force Install applications
- No limit on the number of applications that can be installed via WPI.
- Categorize softwares for easy installation.
For Help on how to add an application can be referred here.
Download Windows Post Install
What is Microsoft Surface?
Microsoft Surface is another glorified and hyped touch screen computer.
The touch screen computers enable users to do away with keyboard and mouse. They can navigate the menu by touching various options to reach a logical end of viewing data or printing. And there ends the comparison. Microsoft Surface can do many more things, which you think are not possible!
One can touch a color in the one-screen palette and draw an image on the screen. Touch blue and draw the sky, Touch green and draw grass. Microsoft Surface can understand all this. It also recognizes various objects. The system can be designed to set up a plate on the surface and the system throws up a menu! And many more possibilities await us as we progress.
The technology itself is not new. It is called Multi-touch. University of Toronto had some pioneering work on multi-touch tablets and Bell Labs on multi-touch screens, way back in early 1980s. Steven Bathiche of Microsoft Hardware and Andy Wilson of Microsoft Research conceptualized leveraging multi-touch and thought about Microsoft Surface as product in 2001.
The work went on briskly and a presentation about Microsoft Surface was given to Bill Gates in 2003. The first prototype was nicknamed T1 and the development team designed specific applications like photo browser, puzzles, games etc.
Copy and Paste text snippets online for later retrieval
Tool to condense info from all websites on a topic
Some information is easy to find. If you want to learn the rules of golf, you can search Google for [golf rules] and we'll return a list of relevant web sites right at the top. But not all your information needs are that simple. Some questions can be more complex, requiring you to visit ten, perhaps twenty websites to research and collect what you need.
For instance, I'm a big fan of roller coasters. In the past I've used Google to search for information about roller coasters, such as which ones are the tallest, fastest, and have the most loops. Finding this information used to take multiple searches — I'd find roller coaster sizes on one website, heights on another, and speeds on a third. By manually comparing the sites, I could get the information I was looking for, but it took some time. With Google Squared, a new feature just released in Google Labs, I can find my roller coaster facts almost instantly.
Google Squared is an experimental search tool that collects facts from the web and presents them in an organized collection, similar to a spreadsheet. If you search for [roller coasters], Google Squared builds a square with rows for each of several specific roller coasters and columns for corresponding facts, such as image, height and maximum speed.
For instance, I'm a big fan of roller coasters. In the past I've used Google to search for information about roller coasters, such as which ones are the tallest, fastest, and have the most loops. Finding this information used to take multiple searches — I'd find roller coaster sizes on one website, heights on another, and speeds on a third. By manually comparing the sites, I could get the information I was looking for, but it took some time. With Google Squared, a new feature just released in Google Labs, I can find my roller coaster facts almost instantly.
Google Squared is an experimental search tool that collects facts from the web and presents them in an organized collection, similar to a spreadsheet. If you search for [roller coasters], Google Squared builds a square with rows for each of several specific roller coasters and columns for corresponding facts, such as image, height and maximum speed.
While gathering facts from across the Internet is relatively easy (albeit tedious) for humans to do, it's far more difficult for computers to do automatically. Google Squared is a first step towards solving that challenge. It essentially searches the web to find the types of facts you might be interested in, extracts them and presents them in a meaningful way.
This technology is by no means perfect. That's why we designed Google Squared to be conversational, enabling you to respond to the initial result and get a better answer. If there's another row or column you'd like to see, you can add it and Google Squared will automatically attempt to fetch and fill in the relevant facts for you. As you remove rows and columns you don't like, Google Squared will get a fresh idea of what you're interested in and suggest new rows and columns to add. See it in action in the video below:
If you click on any fact, you'll see the sources Google Squared gathered it from as well as a list of other possible values that you can investigate. So even if your square isn't perfect at the beginning, it's easy to work with Google Squared to get a better answer in no time. Once you've got a square you're happy with, you can save it and come back to it later.
To give Google Squared a whirl, try searching for [planets] or [romantic movies]. You can try out Google Squared now in Google Labs.
This was Posted by Alex Komoroske, Associate Product Manager for Google Squared in the Google Official Blog
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/square-your-search-results-with-google.html
This technology is by no means perfect. That's why we designed Google Squared to be conversational, enabling you to respond to the initial result and get a better answer. If there's another row or column you'd like to see, you can add it and Google Squared will automatically attempt to fetch and fill in the relevant facts for you. As you remove rows and columns you don't like, Google Squared will get a fresh idea of what you're interested in and suggest new rows and columns to add. See it in action in the video below:
If you click on any fact, you'll see the sources Google Squared gathered it from as well as a list of other possible values that you can investigate. So even if your square isn't perfect at the beginning, it's easy to work with Google Squared to get a better answer in no time. Once you've got a square you're happy with, you can save it and come back to it later.
To give Google Squared a whirl, try searching for [planets] or [romantic movies]. You can try out Google Squared now in Google Labs.
This was Posted by Alex Komoroske, Associate Product Manager for Google Squared in the Google Official Blog
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/square-your-search-results-with-google.html
Synchronizing/Loading songs in an APPLE IPOD?
I've very frequently received requests on how to load songs onto an apple ipod and so, providing a simple tutorial here for the same. please note, apple ipods are not simple MP3 players which can play songs that are copied directly onto the IPOD drive. they have to synchronised using some software. the following tutorial uses the recommended synchronising software -- Itunes by Apple.
Initially u need to download the itunes software from http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ . you'll be asked for ur mail ID on this site. provide it and a download link for the software will be mailed to you. after downloading and installing the software, proceed as follows:
1. Double-click on the "iTunes" icon to open the program and then transfer all of your music files into iTunes. To add music from CDs, simply load a CD into your computer's drive, wait for iTunes to see the playlist and then click "Import." To add music from another program, go to the "File" menu and select "Add to Library." You will then be able to click on any music files you would like to transfer.
2. Plug your iPod into a USB port on your computer and wait for iTunes to automatically recognize the device. You will be asked to name and register your iPod, after which you can click "Finish" and begin to load music.
3. Click on "Library," found in the left hand column to reveal all of the music you have transfered to iTunes. To load songs onto your iPod, highlight one or more songs and then drag them to your iPod. Your iPod will be found in the same column where you found the library, under the name you chose earlier. As soon as you drop the files into your iPod, they will quickly copy.
4. Eject your iPod once you have loaded all of the music you'd like by clicking on the arrow next to your iPod's name. When the name disappears, you can remove the USB cable and begin enjoying your portable music.
P.S:Make sure you do not unplug your iPod while the transfer is happening,it will not complete and may result in damage of the ipod.
Initially u need to download the itunes software from http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ . you'll be asked for ur mail ID on this site. provide it and a download link for the software will be mailed to you. after downloading and installing the software, proceed as follows:
1. Double-click on the "iTunes" icon to open the program and then transfer all of your music files into iTunes. To add music from CDs, simply load a CD into your computer's drive, wait for iTunes to see the playlist and then click "Import." To add music from another program, go to the "File" menu and select "Add to Library." You will then be able to click on any music files you would like to transfer.
2. Plug your iPod into a USB port on your computer and wait for iTunes to automatically recognize the device. You will be asked to name and register your iPod, after which you can click "Finish" and begin to load music.
3. Click on "Library," found in the left hand column to reveal all of the music you have transfered to iTunes. To load songs onto your iPod, highlight one or more songs and then drag them to your iPod. Your iPod will be found in the same column where you found the library, under the name you chose earlier. As soon as you drop the files into your iPod, they will quickly copy.
4. Eject your iPod once you have loaded all of the music you'd like by clicking on the arrow next to your iPod's name. When the name disappears, you can remove the USB cable and begin enjoying your portable music.
P.S:Make sure you do not unplug your iPod while the transfer is happening,it will not complete and may result in damage of the ipod.
Scheduling Automatic Downloads for BSNL
the best service provider in INDIA provides for unlimited download hours very conveniently between 2AM and 8AM so that he is not overloaded as every indian generally sleeps at that time. but here is our tutorial to beat this. this tutorial helps in configuring your computer for an unmanned operation to download anything you want between the happy hours without having to intervene at any point of time. all you need is a compatible motherboard, a download manager with scheduler option(loading at startup) or any torrent application(also loading at startup) and a BSNL connection. that's all:)
Please note that this tutorial is explained for a WINDOWS based operating system. i've no idea on the other operating system. anyone who can help out our friends with similar tutorial for other operating system are free to do so or mail me the same.
first..u need to check if ur motherboard has an option of wake up by alarm .. u can check out in the bios setup.. when u get the flash screen of ur mother board initially when the system boots, u will have the option of entering the setup(generally using F2 or Del key or F1).. there in power menu, u will be able to find this option if u hv gotta comparitively new system...here u can set ur system to boot up all by itself at a specified time, say by 2AM... u just have to keep the power supply to ur cpu in ON state but need not switch on the pc...
if u dont have this option, tthe other option is to use scheduler to wake it up..we'll come on to this a little later..
second step: u need to create batch file to dial ur connection(in case u r using a dialer to connect.if its direct connection, ignore this step.but believe me, using a direct connection to internet with limited plan is very risky in case u get affected by a spyware or something. for info on how to use a dialer to dial the connection, contact 18004241600).. open notepad and type the following in new file:
rasdial "1" 2 3
-1- type the name of ur connection(generally ppl prefer having it as bsnl or dataone.it's basically whatever u gave)..
-2- its the userid u have on ur dialer..something like rah858_hyd or something...just type it as u have given in the dialer..
-3- the password for ur connection.don't worrry its safe though u type in plain letters..no 1 can misuse it on bsnl domain..
ultimately the line wil look something like this if your connection name is BSNL, user id is rah858_hyd and password is stno33
rasdial BSNL rah858_hyd stno33
save this file as "connect.bat" .. ensure the extension is .bat .. filename can b anything..and remember where u saved this file..
one more batch file u can create with following code and save as "shutdown.bat" :
shutdown -s -t 60 -c "Shutting down to save bandwidth"
this command will shut down ur computer with a 60 secs count down... u can increase or decrease the time as u wish.. (ref.http://www.computerhope.com/shutdown.htm )
third step:u need to schedule to run these batch files. use scheduled taks in ur computer. click add scheduled task... give the job a name.. select the "connect.bat" file u just created.. schedule to run it around 2.10 am everyday(as a safety precaution so that u dont login early and get charged)... then open its advanced properties... give the password of ur user in case u have multiple user accounts on ur system or check the box saying "run only if logged on".. then in the second tab above, u will have the option of repeating the task... just ensure to repeat the task every half an hour or something..this is because at times i found my net disconnected due to some server problem and was never reconnected.. note that repeating this task even when its connected does not affect the connection...
similarly schedule another task to run the "shutdown.bat" file at around 7.45 AM(this time is also for safety precaution only).. in case u don't want the system to shutdown, u can just use the following command to disconnect and wait for further action manually:
rasdial /disconnect
voila... here is ur system that boots up all by itself and connects to internet and disconnects and shuts down without u intervening..
the next step is very simple.. schedule ur downloads using a download manager or if ur using torrents, use torrent client to download between the specific time... and u r done...
if u couldn't find the option of wake up on alarm, then in the scheduled tasks of ur "connect.bat" job, u will have the option of wake up to run the task or something like that...thats the last check box on the advanced properties first tab page....just click that... now every night before u r off to sleep, u need to ensure ur system is either hibernated or in stand by mode and not shut down.. if the system is shut down, then this task of waking up to run the scheduled task wont work....
if you've got any specific problems on the scheduling, feel free to mail me at manish.murthy+blog@gmail.com
p.s: u will find a lot of stuff available on torrents--movies,softwares,serials.. u name it and u get it.. its the best for getting stuff from internet at excellent speeds.. to know more about torrents, check out my previous post.. it is for all newcomers into the torrent world.. but mind u.. if u gonna use torrent unscheduled during daytime, it s going to eat up all ur bandwitdth in a day or two.. be very careful on this...
Please note that this tutorial is explained for a WINDOWS based operating system. i've no idea on the other operating system. anyone who can help out our friends with similar tutorial for other operating system are free to do so or mail me the same.
first..u need to check if ur motherboard has an option of wake up by alarm .. u can check out in the bios setup.. when u get the flash screen of ur mother board initially when the system boots, u will have the option of entering the setup(generally using F2 or Del key or F1).. there in power menu, u will be able to find this option if u hv gotta comparitively new system...here u can set ur system to boot up all by itself at a specified time, say by 2AM... u just have to keep the power supply to ur cpu in ON state but need not switch on the pc...
if u dont have this option, tthe other option is to use scheduler to wake it up..we'll come on to this a little later..
second step: u need to create batch file to dial ur connection(in case u r using a dialer to connect.if its direct connection, ignore this step.but believe me, using a direct connection to internet with limited plan is very risky in case u get affected by a spyware or something. for info on how to use a dialer to dial the connection, contact 18004241600).. open notepad and type the following in new file:
rasdial "
ultimately the line wil look something like this if your connection name is BSNL, user id is rah858_hyd and password is stno33
rasdial BSNL rah858_hyd stno33
save this file as "connect.bat" .. ensure the extension is .bat .. filename can b anything..and remember where u saved this file..
one more batch file u can create with following code and save as "shutdown.bat" :
shutdown -s -t 60 -c "Shutting down to save bandwidth"
this command will shut down ur computer with a 60 secs count down... u can increase or decrease the time as u wish.. (ref.http://www.computerhope.
third step:u need to schedule to run these batch files. use scheduled taks in ur computer. click add scheduled task... give the job a name.. select the "connect.bat" file u just created.. schedule to run it around 2.10 am everyday(as a safety precaution so that u dont login early and get charged)... then open its advanced properties... give the password of ur user in case u have multiple user accounts on ur system or check the box saying "run only if logged on".. then in the second tab above, u will have the option of repeating the task... just ensure to repeat the task every half an hour or something..this is because at times i found my net disconnected due to some server problem and was never reconnected.. note that repeating this task even when its connected does not affect the connection...
similarly schedule another task to run the "shutdown.bat" file at around 7.45 AM(this time is also for safety precaution only).. in case u don't want the system to shutdown, u can just use the following command to disconnect and wait for further action manually:
rasdial /disconnect
voila... here is ur system that boots up all by itself and connects to internet and disconnects and shuts down without u intervening..
the next step is very simple.. schedule ur downloads using a download manager or if ur using torrents, use torrent client to download between the specific time... and u r done...
if u couldn't find the option of wake up on alarm, then in the scheduled tasks of ur "connect.bat" job, u will have the option of wake up to run the task or something like that...thats the last check box on the advanced properties first tab page....just click that... now every night before u r off to sleep, u need to ensure ur system is either hibernated or in stand by mode and not shut down.. if the system is shut down, then this task of waking up to run the scheduled task wont work....
if you've got any specific problems on the scheduling, feel free to mail me at manish.murthy+blog@gmail.com
p.s: u will find a lot of stuff available on torrents--movies,softwares,serials.. u name it and u get it.. its the best for getting stuff from internet at excellent speeds.. to know more about torrents, check out my previous post.. it is for all newcomers into the torrent world.. but mind u.. if u gonna use torrent unscheduled during daytime, it s going to eat up all ur bandwitdth in a day or two.. be very careful on this...
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