Archive for April, 2008
Fix Windows Sidebar Does Not Start in Windows Vista
When you start your Windows Vista computer the Sidebar may not load although it’s configured to run at startup. When you run Sidebar.exe manually, a busy cursor is displayed briefly and nothing happens.
13Apr2008 | Ramesh Srinivasan | 2 comments | ContinuedRecover ~1 GB of Disk Space After Installing Windows Vista Service Pack 1
The Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) Files Removal Tool (VSP1CLN.exe) can be used to remove the files that are archived after Windows Vista SP1 is applied. This frees up close to 1 GB of disk space.
12Apr2008 | Ramesh Srinivasan | 0 comments | ContinuedHow to Copy Error Message Text to Clipboard
How many times have you seen users mentioning incorrect error code or message when asking for help in various support forums?
"I receive error 8OOAOO46" - Whereas it’s really 800A0046
"It throws out the error 8040005" - A digit missing. The exact error would have been 80040005
Posting incorrect error code/messages makes things even more difficult when troubleshooting. [...]
How to Print the Windows Update History in Vista
Q: I would like to print my Windows Update History screen, but there is no option for this. I’m running Vista Ultimate.
The View update history option in the Windows Update applet in Windows Vista lists all the updates installed on the computer. However, there is no option provided to print or export the data. This [...]
Shortcut to Switch User Accounts in Windows XP and Vista - tsdiscon.exe
The Tsdiscon tool which is built-in to Windows can be used to quickly switch user accounts in Windows XP and Windows Vista. This utility disconnects the current session (does not logoff the account) when no command-line arguments are supplied. If you are a frequent user of the Switch User feature in Windows, you can create [...]
10Apr2008 | Ramesh Srinivasan | 5 comments | ContinuedMicrosoft Newsgroup Setup Instructions for Windows Mail
The Microsoft News server msnews.microsoft.com hosts hundreds of Newsgroups for several Microsoft products. Subscribing to the Microsoft Newsgroup is completely free and doesn’t require you to sign up.
10Apr2008 | Ramesh Srinivasan | 1 comment | ContinuedShow Hidden Files and Folders Option Missing or Does Not Work
Q: Even though I’ve enabled the Show hidden files and folders option in the Folder Options, the hidden files are not displayed in Explorer. I can see the files when doing a search, or using the DIR /A command from the Command Prompt window.
Also, when you go to open the Folder Options and click the [...]
Unable to Open Display Properties in Windows XP
When you right-click on the Desktop and choose Properties, a busy cursor may appear for a moment but the Display Properties dialog is not opened. Same may be the case when you double-click the Display icon in the Control Panel.
If you’re experiencing the above symptom, read below for the solution.
How to Rebuild the Icon Cache in Windows Vista
My earlier post Incorrect icon shown for a file type in Vista (March 31, 2008) tells you how to refresh the shell icons in Vista. In case the solution posted in that link does not help, you may want to clear the icon cache database. The icon cache can be cleared by deleting the hidden [...]
8Apr2008 | Ramesh Srinivasan | 2 comments | ContinuedClear Recent Documents History in a Single Click in Windows XP and Vista
One of our readers asks "I need a batch file or script to clear the recent documents list from the Windows XP Start Menu".
In Windows XP, it takes exactly half a dozen mouse clicks to clear the Recent Documents history in the new Start menu. This is the option that I’m talking about:
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