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Quiz : Backup & recovery

Question #31

This is a method of offloading backup procedures from a server so that the time ordinarily devoted to backup functions can be used to carry out other server tasks.

a. serverless backup
b. LAN-free backup
c. mirrored backup
d. timed backup
e. hard backup

Click to see if you are correct.

Question #32

This is a system for archiving data such as business records and reports to one or more optical disks in a compressed but easily retrievable format.

a. EDM (Electronic Document Management)
b. COLD (Computer Output to Laser Disk)
c. imaging system
d. compression
e. microfiche

Click to see if you are correct.

Question #33

This is a magnetic tape and drive system used for computer data storage and archiving. It can hold 40 gigabytes (GB) of data when compression is used, and can transfer data at speeds of up to 3 megabytes per second (Mbps) without compression and 6 Mbps with compression.

a. Mammoth
b. advanced intelligent tape (AIT)
c. linear tape-open (LTO)
d. digital linear tape (DLT)
e. REO speedwagon (REO)

Click to see if you are correct.

Question #34

This is a way of recording information onto magnetic tape. It was used to record TV programs in the 1960s, and has been used in high-end tape-backup products. It's also the same technology used in digital audio tapes.

a. quadruplex machine
b. linear
c. optical
d. helical scan
e. Vera (Vision Electronic Recording Apparatus)

Click to see if you are correct.

Question #35

This data replication technique ensures data integrity because updates to directories and bitmaps are constantly written to a serial log on disk before the original disk log is updated. In the event of a system failure, the data on the disk can be restored to its pre-crash configuration.

a. warehousing
b. scoreboarding
c. journaling
d. mining
e. cloning

Click to see if you are correct.

Question #36

SearchStorage.com expert W. Curtis Preston identifies six main steps to identifying any good disaster recovery plan. Which of the following is not one of them?

a. define unacceptable loss
b. watch your server speed
c. organize everything
d. document what you have
e. test test test

Click to see if you are correct.

Question #37

Backup and recovery expert W. Curtis Preston says there are five golden rules for backup. Which of the following is not one of these rules?

a. Back it up or give it up.
b. If it has not been backed up, it cannot be recovered.
c. If it has not been backed up off-site, it will not survive a fire.
d. If it has not been tested with a recovery, it is not a backup.
e. Tape rules -- it's the only way to go for backup.

Click to see if you are correct.

Question #38

Disk mirroring provides data protection in the case of disk failure because data is constantly updated to both disks, where each relies upon a common controller. However, there is an inherent problem in disk mirroring. What is it?

a. Drive reliability is eliminating the need for mirroring
b. Access to data is threatened if the controller fails
c. Data can't be mirrored remotely
d. Mirroring can't handle planned outages
e. Data sets can't be kept in synch

Click to see if you are correct.

Question #39

This is one method of ensuring data availability in which every write written to the primary side is written "in-order" to the remote side before the application sees an "I/O complete" message.

a. timed backup
b. local backup
c. synchronous replication
d. asynchronous replication
e. duplication

Click to see if you are correct.

Question #40

Which of the following is a disaster recovery don't?

a. Always back up data catalogs and directories
b. Run similarly designed backup and storage environments
c. Synchronize desktop and laptop data to the server
d. Place backup facilities near each other
e. Have monitoring, job execution and security features prepared

In 1968, what computer code did President Lyndon Johnson approve as a national standard?

Data storage technologies quiz

Sit down, grab a pencil and some paper, and list what you think are the top 10 data storage technologies of 2006. Then, take our quick quiz to see how many match up to our top 10 picks. 1. Sometimes called oversubscription, this is a way to quickly get capacity to an application.
Answer

2. This is the pooling of physical storage from multiple network storage devices into what appears to be a single storage device that is managed from a central console.
Answer

3. This technology can be used to protect data in flight across a network and at rest on tape in the data center.
Answer

4. This is an alternative to the Fibre Channel framework of the traditional SAN.
Answer

5. This is an architecture and specification for data flow between processors and I/O devices that promises greater bandwidth and almost unlimited expandability.
Answer

6. This is a storage technology that makes it possible to access a remote data center as though it were local.
Answer

7. This technology makes data retrieval straightforward by storing it in such a way that an object cannot be duplicated or modified once it has been stored; thus, its location is unambiguous.
Answer

8. This is a storage system in which all the data in an enterprise is backed up whenever any change is made.
Answer

9. This is sometimes called data reduction or commonality factoring and is another space-saving technology intended to eliminate redundant files on a storage system.
Answer

10. This technology is the assignment of different categories of data to different types of storage media in order to reduce total storage cost.
Answer

How did you score?
9-10 correct: You're a real hot techie tamale
6-8 correct: You're hot tech talented for sure
3-5 correct: You've got hot tech troubles
0-2 correct: Ho hum, just a tech tadpole

Quiz: Compliance


1. This job title describes a corporate official in charge of overseeing and managing compliance issues within an organization.
What is it?


2. This is legislation enacted in response to the high-profile Enron and WorldCom financial Removed to protect shareholders and the general public from accounting errors and fraudulent practices in the enterprise.
What is it?


3. This is legislation enacted in the United States that places restrictions on unsolicited bulk mail (UBE), such as requiring valid sender contact information and opt-out mechanisms.
What is it?


4. This is a state of accordance with established standards, specifications, or legislation.
What is it?


5. This is a U.S. government organization within the National Security Agency (NSA) that evaluates computing equipment for high security applications to ensure that facilities processing classified or other sensitive material are using trusted computer systems and components.
What is it?


6. This is legislation with two sections: Title I deals with protecting health insurance coverage for people who lose or change jobs; Title II includes an administrative simplification section which deals with the standardization of healthcare-related information systems (IT industry references are usually about HIPPA Title II).
What is it?


7. This is an organization that represents the music recording industry's intellectual property rights.
What is it?


8. This is legislation designed to stimulate competition that specifies: how local telephone carriers can compete; how and under what circumstances local exchange carriers (LEC) can provide long-distance services; and the deregulation of cable TV rates.
What is it?


9. This is a registry of phone numbers in the United States that telemarketers are prohibited from calling in most circumstances.
What is it?


10. This is an international organization made up of companies using or manufacturing DVD-related products.
What is it?

Quiz: Business Intelligence

1. This is an approach to selling goods and services in which a prospect explicitly agrees in advance to receive marketing information.
a. customer managed relationship
b. data mining
c. permission marketing
d. one-to-one marketing
e. batch processing

2. In an Internet context, this is the practice of tailoring Web pages to individual users' characteristics or preferences.
a. Web services
b. customer-facing
c. client/server
d. customer valuation
e. personalization

3. This is the processing of data about customers and their relationship with the enterprise in order to improve the enterprise's future sales and service and lower cost.
a. clickstream analysis
b. database marketing
c. customer relationship management
d. CRM analytics
e. B2C

4. This is a broad category of applications and technologies for gathering, storing, analyzing, and providing access to data to help enterprise users make better business decisions.
a. best practice
b. data mart
c. business information warehouse
d. business intelligence
e. business warehouse

5. This is a systematic approach to the gathering, consolidation, and processing of consumer data (both for customers and potential customers) that is maintained in a company's databases.
a. database marketing
b. marketing encyclopedia
c. application integration
d. service oriented integration
e. business technology management

6. This is an arrangement in which a company outsources some or all of its customer relationship management functions to an application service provider (ASP).
a. spend management
b. supplier relationship management
c. hosted CRM
d. Customer Information Control System
e. online transaction processing

7. This is an XML-based metalanguage developed by the Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) as a means of modeling business processes, much as XML is, itself, a metalanguage with the ability to model enterprise data.
a. BizTalk
b. BPML
c. e-biz
d. ebXML
e. ECB

8. This is a central point in an enterprise from which all customer contacts are managed.
a. contact center
b. help system
c. multichannel marketing
d. call center
e. help desk

9. This is the practice of dividing a customer base into groups of individuals that are similar in specific ways relevant to marketing, such as age, gender, interests, spending habits, and so on.
a. customer service chat
b. customer managed relationship
c. customer life cycle
d. customer segmentation
e. change management

10. In data mining, this is a technique used to predict future behavior and anticipate the consequences of change.
a. predictive technology
b. disaster recovery
c. phase change
d. Digital Silhouettes
e. predictive modeling

Email marketing quiz

Take the quiz:

1. This is a technique used by legitimate marketers to customize email offerings for specific customers.

Read the answer about marketing technique

2. Used by spammers to make recipients think an email message came from someone other than them, this technique might convince a user that a spam email came from someone they'd actually like to hear from.

Read the answer on spam email

3. This is the term for an email message returned to the sender by the recipient's server as undeliverable, often because the email is -- rightly or wrongly -- determined to be spam.

Read the answer on returned emails

4. A type of Web-based marketing, this type of email allows recipients to buy goods and services directly from an email message, without being redirected to the retailer's Web site.

Read the answer on email purchases

5. This self-explanatory term is a more formal way of saying "spam."

Read the answer on spam email

6. This is a term for the number of times that users click on links in a message or on a Web site -- it's much higher for legitimate marketing emails than for spam.

Read the answer on email links

7. This is a program used to detect unwanted messages. A frequent problem is that they may also prevent delivery of some legitimate email marketing messages.

Read the answer on email programs

8. In this type of email campaign, advertisements are sent to targeted groups of customers.

Read the answer on email campaigns

9. Also known as permission-based email, this is one proposed requirement for marketers that could greatly decrease the amount of spam.

Read the answer on permission-based emails

10. Never used by legitimate marketers, this is a type of program that a spammer uses to troll the Internet seeking email addresses.

User Name : manimarank
Date  : 13 nov 08
Status : normal
Postcount : 84
Information : airtel prepaid inside TN
Total No of Post you made so far : Ex 674 posts : 741
Type of the Gift : Mobile Topup
Select Your Service Provider : Airtel Prepaid

Here by i declare that , before sending this request. I have verified my todays post. So Please check the topup status and confirm it.
[blink]Note : You will be given Warning if you are trying to test this Form or Found Fake[/blink]

The Sidewinder X6 is a gaming keyboard worthy of standing up against Logitech's G15 - a long time favorite with enthusiasts.

plus:

Comfortable keys, Large volume and backlight dials, Swappable Numpad (doubles up as macro keys), Plenty of programmable macro keys, Aggressively priced, Killer looks.

minus:

Lack of USB ports.

Asus has added yet another netbook to their current Eee PC line-up for India. Asus announced Eee PC 904HA for the Indian market. We reported about the specifications of Eee PC 904 back in July.



With Eee PC 904HA, Asus promises to offer larger storage with a 160GB SATA HDD with 10GB Eee Storage online and longer battery life of up to 7 hours. This model will be available for Rs. 22,999.

The ASUS 904HA features an Intel Atom N270 processor and an 8.9-inch LED backlight display offering 1024 x 600 resolution. Not surprising, but again, this model of the Eee PC comes with a Windows XP operating system. By bundling a 160GB SATA HDD in this model, Asus plans to offer more storage. However, it would've been great if they could offer more storage in their Eee PC 1000H model for India.



Featuring the Super Hybrid Engine technology of Asus, the 6-cell battery promises 7 hours of battery life. The remaining features are similar to their other Eee PC models - a built-in 1.3 megapixel cam, a Mic, a WLAN (802.11 b/g), and a 1GB DDR2 RAM.

Interested folks can also check out Asus's Eee PC microsite for India.

Asus now has competitors like MSI, Lenovo, Acer, and others in the netbook market in India.

Samsung P3 PMP Breaks Cover

It took more than a year for Samsung to reveal YP-P2 PMP's successor. Now the buzz is that Samsung is ready with the upgraded version of P2 -- the P3.

Samsung P3 is almost identical to P2 but now its entire chassis is made of aluminum. It's also got storage upgrade, which now goes from 4GB to 32GB, widget-like user interface and haptic feedback. Haptic technology is nothing but a vibration when a user touches the screen to give him a feeling of tactile feedback.

Other features remain the same like the 3-inch WQVGA screen (480 x 272 pixels), Bluetooth with A2DP, DNSe 2.0 for audio playback enhancement, mono speaker, FM tuner and a microphone. The expected battery life is 30 hours for audio and around 5 hours for video.

The price or availability is still a mystery as Samsung is expected to make it official in CES next year. For the time being, all we can do is ogle at the pictures of the player.








Supported formats:
Audio: MP3/WMA/OGG/AAC/FLAC
Video: MPEG-4/WMV/H.264
Image: JPEG/BMP/PNG

What was intended to be a harmless software update turned out to be a hassle for many AVG users yesterday. Apparently, the virus scanner released yesterday contained an incorrect virus signature. The signature led to a user alert about a Trojan in the critical Windows system file user32.dll. The Trojan, PSW.Banker4.APSA or Generic9TBN was mistakenly identified as being infecting the system file. The scanner then advised users to delete this file. Doing so caused Windows to crash and go in to a reboot cycle.

Users with the latest and previous versions of AVG were equally affected. However, the issue was noticed only with systems using Windows XP. AVG has since then issued a patch, which corrects this problem. For people who have been affected by this please visit the AVG support forums for help wit the fix. There are separate sections for users with AVG 7.5 and AVG 8.0.

AVG has also issued an announcement apologizing users for the inconvenience caused which says, "Affected users unable to use their PCs should contact their AVG reseller or ask a friend to download the information and fix tool for them. After running the fix tool, users should run the AVG update program to download and install the correct AVG update. AVG sincerely regrets the inconvenience users have experienced. We are working to remedy the problem and ensure that any other potential vulnerabilities are identified and eliminated before they can impact users."

AVG is a popular free antivirus suite and is known for its dedicated user base.

It's official folks. Sony Ericsson's latest and possibly greatest handset, their Windows Mobile 6.1 enabled Xperia X1 is due for launch on November 28th 2008 - that's in a couple of weeks. Of course it's initially launching in the US so it'll be a little while before it gets here.

"The Xperia X1 continues the Sony Ericsson tradition of delivering the highest quality experiences and the most advanced technology available today," said Karen Morris, vice president of marketing, Sony Ericsson North America. "The most exciting scenarios enabled by the Xperia X1 will be created by consumers - enabling them to customize and personalize their device and content to fit their lifestyle and personality."



The Xperia X1's unique panel user interface is at the heart of the device's ability to create and adapt consumers' personal choices. With up to 9 panels, it's easy to find and enjoy the information and entertainment content they want. Sony Ericsson is busy working with third-party developers to create a wealth of new applications and new panels that will soon be available for download.

"Windows Mobile gives people the ability to easily navigate between their business and personal lives," said Todd Peters, vice president of marketing, Mobile Communications Business, Microsoft. "The panel user interface found only in the Xperia X1 is bringing unique experiences to consumers who want more from their converged devices."




As Sony Ericsson's most advanced phone to date, the Xperia X1 brings together a large, 3-inch wide VGA display touchscreen and a full QWERTY keyboard all wrapped into a sleek silver metal-finished arc slider handset. The Xperia X1 supports 3G networks, enabling audio and video streaming, high-speed internet surfing, multimedia messaging and email on the go. In addition to delivering 3G mobile broadband speeds, the Xperia X1 supports Wi-Fi to meet the needs of consumers' always connected lifestyles. In the tradition of Sony Ericsson, the Xperia X1 also offers a 3.2 megapixel camera, video streaming, video playback and video recording, and the ability to enjoy all their digital music.

"The Xperia X1 complements Sony Electronics' family of Windows-based devices and leverages the company's heritage of providing beautifully designed, highly functional, portable electronics," said John Kodera, vice president of product marketing, Sony Electronics. "The Xperia X1 delivers the highest quality entertainment, communication and personalization options for consumers."




The Xperia X1 will be available unlocked through Sony Electronics and its authorized retailers. Pre-orders of the Xperia X1 will be available through the Sony Style Web site at www.sonystyle.com beginning today. This premium device will be sold unlocked for an MSRP of Rs. 39, 119 ($799.99), giving consumers the freedom to choose their own mobile operator and data plan.

It seems like HTC was not content with being the first to introduce a handset with the Android OS (G1) or a full touch screen handset with a WVGA resolution in their HTC Touch HD. They apparently are looking to be a very dominant company when it comes to setting a bar. Their latest is the worlds first handset to incorporate an integration of GSM and WiMAX technology in a single handset called the HTC MAX 4G for the Russian provider of Mobile WiMAX Scartel (brand Yota).



With its 3.8 inch, 800×480 pixel resolution display and 8 Gigs of internal memory running on a Windows Mobile 6.1 OS, the handset will give users a lot more than they bargained for. Other features include TV out capability, VoIP, a 3.5mm earphone socket for the handsfree and of course HTC's TouchFLO 3D UI.



As of now it's going to be out only in Russia considering their WiMAX capabilities so it just might be a while before it gets here. In the meantime there's plenty more we can expect from the company like the HTC HD Touch PRO and more importantly the G1.

Building on the success of the E71, Nokia has announced the latest addition to its Eseries range, the Nokia E63.




"Our research shows that people want a device that deals with both their personal and professional lives, but helps them to separate the two. When someone sits down at lunch, they want to update their social network or browse their personal email account and they don't want work getting in the way of that. It's another great case of technology adapting to the people that use it," says Soren Petersen, Senior Vice President, Nokia. "The Nokia E63 is a new proposition for Eseries - a messaging device where people will be just as involved in their social network as they are in their business network."

The Nokia E63 can switch modes with a single key press, switching from a view of corporate mail, appointments and intranet data, to a personal mode with a picture of friends, personal email and shortcuts to favorite hobby blogs or websites. Petersen adds, "The amazing response we have seen to the Nokia E71, which has very quickly become the best selling model in its category, let us know that we are heading in the right direction. People want a rich experience when using messaging, social networks and the Internet. With the Nokia E63 you can enjoy the web, update your status and work meaningfully with multiple email accounts."

The Nokia E63 also includes Files on Ovi, a service where people can get remote access to their PC files even when their computer is offline. Anyone buying the handset will have access to 1GB of online file storage for free.

The Nokia E63 will be available in ruby red or ultramarine blue with a range of multimedia features.  Record and view images and videos with the digital camera and bright landscape display, listen to music downloaded from the Nokia Music Store, or a number of other sources, via the standard 3,5 mm audio jack or customize the device through the thousands of applications available for download.

The Nokia E63 is expected to begin shipping in the coming weeks for an estimated retail price of EUR 199, before taxes and subsidies.

Quiz: Blade servers

Blade servers. They're one of the biggest topics in the data center right now. They take up less room than racks, which is good because as your server needs increase, your data center size doesn't. The focus turns to consolidation, and that's where blades come in.

So what's the problem? Two things. Heat and power. It's great that blade servers save space, but they're also working just as hard as the rack servers, which means despite the smaller size, they're giving off more heat. Which means that using blade servers can produce more heat than rack servers. The same thing goes for power requirements. Even so, data center managers are still finding that the TCO is more favorable with blades than racks, which is why, in today's data centers, you're more likely to find--you guessed it--blades.

We've created this quiz to test (and refresh) your blade server knowledge.

1. A server ________ is a thin, modular electronic circuit board containing one, two, or more microprocessors and memory, that is intended for a single, dedicated application (such as serving Web pages) and that can be easily inserted into a _______ server, which is a space-saving rack with many similar servers.

2. The place where a blade server is housed is called a _________.

3. Each blade is a server in its own right, often used for a single _____________.

4. People like blades over racks because blades offer more power in less ________.

5. A fully populated blade rack weighs nearly one _________ .

6. Excessive heat can affect the performance, availability and __________ of blade servers.

7. Many data centers suffer from abandoned ________ issues which create an air dam and may keep cooling units and chillers from operating at peak efficiencies--not all data centers need to revamp their power and cooling to accomodate blades.

8. Before buying a full chassis of blades, enterprises ought to make certain they have a sufficient workload to justify the cost. A good rule of thumb is that a half-populated chassis will cost as much to run and operate as an equal number of ______ servers.

9. Lots of cold air leaks out of a multitude of openings in the _______ tiles, doing virtually nothing.

10. Another issue, besides heat in a data center, is the _________--which is why data centers should have a vapor barrier.

Across

2. The organization or structure for a database
5. To make a change to stored data
6. A standard interactive programming language
7. A standard database access technology -- developed by Microsoft
9. Stored procedures that may automatically execute
10. A series of facts or statements
12. A list of keys or keywords
14. This term is used to represent a missing value
16. The process of organizing data to minimize redundancy
17. What a user of a database enters

Down

1. Information that is organized so that it can easily be managed
3. Search400.com's DB2 UDB expert
4. A computer's representation of a fact about an entity
8. To copy files or databases so that they will be preserved
9. Data that is arranged in rows and columns
11. A data file that has no structured relationships between its records
13. The collection of all possible values of an attribute
15. Developer of DB2

Word scramble # 4: Web development

Need a little break from the monotony? Have a little fun while testing your Web development terminology out. Unscramble these 24 Web development-related words. Give it a try!

1. AVJA                                     
2. HTNI CARETIVL LEICS         
3. IAEGNERTTD E2JE                 
4. PEERWSEBH                           
5. ASVLIU EAG                           
6. AJVA RVRESE FSCEA       
7. EWB ECESSRVI           
8. BUEDG BWE ILNSIPAPTOCA 
9. EBCFEAW                 
10. CEDO TNEPSPIS         
11. DTXENDEE ATTAADME     
12. ECPFRRNEOAM
13. LSQ EEATSNTTM
14. UIDILBNG BJDC NTOOENPSMC
15. UTPUTO
16. LQS
17. VSPJACITRA
18. SREU RTANIECEF
19. LETRCCENIO ADAT GANEERCIHNT
20. TREOME ADABTASE SSCCAE
21. EWB UNARITTFUCERRS
22. IUNETMR NIMNNSROTEVE
23. BOCLO
24. THML 

Did you enjoy this puzzle?

Ajax quiz: Do you speak Geek?

1. What combination of technologies gives AJAX its name?
A. ASP and XAML
B. Asynchronous JavaScript and XML
C. Autonomic Computing and DHTML
D. Atlas and XML
Answer

2. Which one of these legendary Greek mythical figures or places is the code name for Microsoft's version of AJAX ?
A. Oracle
B. Atlas
C. Hercules
D. Delphi
Answer

3. Whoops! Stop the presses! The answer to Question #2 has expired already. What has Microsoft renamed its free Web client framework?
A. MSN AJAX
B. Live ASP
C. ASP.NET AJAX
D. .NET Designer
Answer

4. Which Web browser is the least optimized for Microsoft's version of AJAX?
A. Firefox
B. Opera
C. Safari
D. Internet Explorer
Answer

5. Which one of these technologies is NOT used in AJAX?
A. CSS
B. DOM
C. DHTML
D. Flash
Answer

6. Microsoft has released a control toolkit for developers. Is it open source?
Answer

7. AJAX has been used by developers worldwide to create mashups , combinations of databases of publicly available information from Amazon.com, Craigslist, eBay, Google Maps and others. What's the most important element for a developer to create a mashup?
Answer

8. Which one of the following functionalities is not (currently) made possible by AJAX?
A. Drag 'n drop of objects
B. Dropdown menus
C. Symbian browser support
Answer
( Hint: Scroll down to the second-to-last paragraph for the answer. )

9. Which programming language used in Visual Studio shares its name with a musical note?
Answer

quiz:IIS 6 Administration

1. What's a good way to ensure your paging file doesn't become fragmented?

a. Make the paging file size dynamic.
b. Make the paging file size static.
c. Make the paging file large and keep it on a single drive.
d. Install MPDFRG.EXE and set it to run automatically.

2. By default, the number of active connections in the queue waiting for server attention is 25. During heavy load, you can increase this to...

a. 50
b. 64
c. 80
d. 128

3. This is NOT a good trick for improving performance:

a. Minimize FTP user isolation.
b. Use ISAPI extensions instead of ISAPI filters.
c. Set up remote virtual directories.
d. Keep websites and FTP servers on different machines.

4. IIS supports how many concurrent CGI applications by default?

a. 2
b. 4
c. 6
d. 7

5. IIS has a feature for monitoring the health of multiple worker processes servicing an application pool called...

a. HTTP keep-alive
b. IIS monitoring services
c. Application failsafe
d. Rapid-fail protection

6. When looking at the Memory:pages/sec-counter, a number under 20 indicates...

a. Everything is just fine and dandy; have some coffee and relax.
b. You need more RAM.
c. Compare the number to the network card bandwidth to locate possible bottlenecks.
d. Increase the cache allotment.

7. This tool simulates multiple browsers simultaneously connecting to IIS to get content or run apps:

a. Web Application Stress Tool
b. Microsoft Operations Manager
c. Traffic Volume Manager Tool
d. Microsoft Traffic Management Tool

8. HTTP compression only works with web browsers developed after...

a. 1996
b. 1997
c. 1998
d. 1999

9. Application pool settings do NOT apply to this type of applications...

a. ISAPI
b. CGI
c. ASP
d. ASP.NET

10. This is NOT a good way to boost ASP.NET application performance:

a. Trap exceptions instead of using them to direct program flow.
b. Disable session state, unless you actively plan to use it.
c. Use storied procedures instead of ad hoc queries when accessing back-end SQL data.
d. Never leave caching turned on.

Quiz: Educating end users

QUESTION 1
You receive an unsolicited text message on your mobile phone saying "Thank you for joining Tel-a-Joke. Your account will be charged $1 a day for this service. You may cancel your membership at any time by visiting telejoke.com" What do you do?

    * a. Cancel the account. You never signed up.
    * b. Ignore the message. You never signed up.
    * c. Forward the message to your friends. They love jokes.


QUESTION 2
You and your co-worker just came back from the latest trade show. Your co-worker took a dozen photos of ergonomic office chairs using his cell phone's camera. You took photos of workstations the same way. How do you share the photos?

    * a. Swap memory cards.
    * b. Move photos to a flash drive and view them on a computer.
    * c. Trade phones.
    * d. Choice A or B.
    * e. Choice B or C.


QUESTION 3
You're sitting in a plane waiting for take off. Suddenly, you realize that you haven't seen your laptop since you sent it through the security x-ray machine. What do you do?

    * a. Ask the stewardess if you have enough time to go back to look for it.
    * b. Call airport security on your cell phone and ask them to send your laptop on the next plane.
    * c. Panic and start planning how you're going to explain it to your boss.
    * d. All of the above.


QUESTION 4
You've decided to buy a smartphone. Which mobile device platform carries the least risk for viruses or other malware attacks?

    * a. Symbian
    * b. Blackberry
    * c. Microsoft


QUESTION 5
True or false: Some mobile malware can call a device, make the device answer silently without the user's knowledge, and turn the device into a remote bug.

    * a. True
    * b. False


QUESTION 6
True or false: By default, most Bluetooth devices operate in an unprotected "non-secure" mode.

    * a. True
    * b. False


QUESTION 7
True or false: A mobile device can be programmed to scream like a woman if it's stolen.

    * a. True
    * b. False


QUESTION 8
Why are some network administrators so afraid of portable USB storage devices like flash drives that they resort to putting Crazy Glue in company computer USB ports?

    * a. Administrators can't manage USB devices through Group Policy.
    * b. The devices can accidentally spread malicious software through the network.
    * c. The devices can be used to quickly and surreptitiously steal sensitive data.
    * d. All of the above


QUESTION 9
You're at a convention in Las Vegas. Sometime after lunch you realize that you must have forgotten your company smartphone in the taxi you took to the convention hall. In your mind, you can picture it sitting right on top of the folder next to you in the cab. The folder's missing in action too. What do you do?

    * a. Try to remember the name of the cab company and call them.
    * b. Call your network administrator back in Boston.
    * c. Buy another smartphone.


QUESTION 10
How many unclaimed laptops did Heathrow Airport auction off in 2006?

    * a. 30
    * b. 730
    * c. 1,730
    * d. 3,307

Quiz: Back to basics with mySAP SRM

1. True or False: The terms Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) and Enterprise Buyer (EBP) are the same, and can be used interchangeably.

a) True
b) False

2. Which of the following is not a standard scenario available for SRM:

a) Self Service Procurement
b) Plan Driven Procurement
c) Service Procurement
d) Extended Classic Scenario
e) Catalog Content Management
f) Spend Analysis
g) Strategic Sourcing

3. The following technical component(s) is/are mandatory for the Self Service Scenario in SRM 5.0:

a) SAP SRM Server 5.5
b) SAP Catalog Content Management 2.0 (CCM)
c) XI Content for SAP SRM Server 5.5
d) Live Auction Cockpit (LACWPS) 5.0

4. Which of the following reports update the status of the follow-on documents within the shopping cart history?

a) BBP_GET_STATUS_2
b) CLEAN_REQREQ_UP
c) RSWUWFMLEC
d) BBP_BW_SC2

5. What is the function of the RSWUWFMLEC report in EBP?

a) To transfer purchase orders from EBP to the back-end system in a standalone scenario.
b) To allow printing of the shopping cart.
c) To send notifications for work items via e-mail to e-mail recipients.
d) To provide the ability for approval preview in the shopping cart.

6. The following statements are true for the Extended Classic Implementation scenario:

a) The leading document is created in SRM and a copy of the document is transferred to the back-end SAP system.
b) The follow-on documents of confirmation and invoice can only be entered in the SAP back-end system.
c) The purchase order can be changed in SAP R/3.
d) The SAP Portal is not compatible with the Extended Classic Implementation scenario of SRM.

7. Which of the following statements are correct about the organization structure in EBP?

a) SRM users can be created simply by using the SU01 transaction.
b) An organization structure is required. The self service scenario cannot be implemented without the organization structure.
c) The inheritance administration of attributes from PPOMA can be configured in table T77OMATTR.
d) The report BBP_CHECK_CONSISTENCY checks the consistency of the organization plan.

8. What statement(s) is correct regarding Plan Driven Procurement in SRM?

a) It is one of the business scenarios in SRM.
b) It only supports the sourcing or procurement of requirements generated in APO.
c) The requirements created in the back-end system can be transferred to EBP where a shopping cart is created, and can then utilize the workflow start conditions rules to get approval(s).
d) The report BBP_EXTREQ_TRANSFER is utilized in the SAP backend to transfer the relevant requisitions to EBP.

9. Which of the following is true concerning the workflows in SRM?

a) There is only one workflow template provided by SAP for the shopping cart workflow. All others need to be customized based on the project.
b) The approval preview allows the end user to visualize all required approvals in a graphical and tabular format.
c) As an alternative to the workflows supplied in the standard system, you can use the SLAPPROVER workflow to ensure more flexible assignment of users. This is a one-step approval workflow.
d) "Ad-hoc" approval functionality provides the ability to dynamically insert approvers or reviewers within the approval chain for a document.

10. What elementary step(s) is/are associated with workflow customizing in SRM?

a) The workflows to be used have to first be activated in customizing.
b) The organization buffer of the organizational plan has to be refreshed first, using the transaction SWU_OBUF.
c) The IMG activity, "Maintain Standard Settings for SAP Business Workflow" can be configured by any user with access to this transaction.
d) Workflow start conditions need to be configured by business objects (eg. BUS2121 for the shopping cart).

11. What does the transaction "BBPGETVD" do?

a) It transfers the materials from the back-end SAP R/3 system into EBP.
b) It transfers the terms of payment of the vendors from the backend into EBP.
c) It replicates the vendors from the back-end system into the vendor organization (PPOMA_BBP).
d) All vendor master records are transferred from the backend and the business partner numbers are entered for these vendors in EBP.

12.Which statement(s) concerning master data in SRM is/are correct?

a) Material Master Data is transferred from the SAP backend to EBP using middleware.
b) Product Categories correspond to material groups in the SAP backend.
c) Business partner master records correspond to the vendor master records in the SAP backend.
d) The vendors are downloaded into SRM from the SAP backend via the middleware.

13. What statements pertaining to the OCI interface are correct?

a) OCI allows organizations to connect their EBP systems with online catalogs like Office Depot, Dell, and Grainger and transfer their catalog data into the EBP shopping carts.
b) OCI describes the data exchange between the EBP and external catalog applications.
c) The OCI is the Open Content Interface that ensures that the correct content is transferred to EBP from the catalog.
d) If products are contained in the catalog and are already maintained in the product master, EBP does not require any inbound parameters for transfer of the product data, since this data is already known in EBP.
e) The OCI interface contains inbound and outbound parameters.

14. Which of the following are correct as of release SRM 4.0?

a) Customer-specific fields can be created for the shopping cart, purchase order, and contract documents in SRM.
b) The procurement card functionality in EBP can be implemented in the Classic and Extended Classic scenario.
c) ITS can now be utilized integrated with the Web Application Server 6.40. This can decrease the total cost of ownership (TCO).
d) Archiving documents is not supported in SRM.

15. What statements pertaining to the account assignment in SRM are correct?

a) A real-time validation occurs in the SAP back-end system.
b) A G/L account has to be assigned to the product category for the validation of the accounts.
c) A local validation in EBP independent of a back-end system is also possible.
d) The only account assignment categories available in SRM are Cost Center (CC) and Asset (AS).

There is much to consider if you plan to migrate from Visual Basic 6 to Visual Basic .NET -- how long it will take, what needs to be done to your code base and whether an application will work the same once it is in .NET. There are also differences between the languages that must be considered. This quiz addresses some of the questions that will come up as you contemplate a VB 6-to-VB.NET migration.

1. If you know you want to migrate your Visual Basic 6 application to VB.NET, what is the first thing you should do?
A) Open the Visual Basic Upgrade Wizard, get a cup of coffee and watch it run.
B) Assess the VB 6 application; find out what controls it uses, what projects are in there and so on.
C) Cancel all social plans for the next couple months and start rewriting the app in .NET.
D) Schedule meetings with end users to see what features they want to add to the app.

2. Some bits of a Visual Basic 6 application, like most APIs, can be easily migrated to VB.NET; other parts are not so straightforward. Which of the following will NOT have to be re-architected during a VB 6-to-VB.NET migration?
A) DHTML pages
B) ActiveX documents
C) OLE controls
D) ADO to ADO via Interop

3. True or False: The Visual Basic Upgrade Wizard will convert all the code in your VB 6 application to VB.NET code for you.
A) True
B) False

4. Does the Visual Basic Upgrade Wizard support ASP to ASP.NET migrations?
A) Yes, in all cases.
B) Yes, in some cases.
C) No, not at all.

5. Which of the following is the LEAST compelling reason to migrate an application from Visual Basic 6 to Visual Basic .NET?
A) You want to take advantage of ASP.NET features such as its caching abilities.
B) The application relies heavily on third-party controls or dynamic link libraries (DLLs).
C) The application's original developers were new to Visual Basic and/or used some "out of the box" development approaches.
D) Your company's business processes do not change all that often.
E) The application uses COM+ components in a high-traffic Web environment.

Now that we've looked at migrating applications, we're going to consider migrating you the developer. See what you know about some of the differences between VB 6 and VB.NET and how to prepare yourself.

6. This programming language model is used sparingly in VB 6 but is one of the cornerstones of VB.NET. Knowing the ins and outs of it will make an application migration project easier and also prepare you for additional work in VB.NET. What is the model?
A) Modular programming
B) Aspect-oriented programming
C) Object-oriented programming
D) Reflective programming

7. As expected, Visual Basic 2005 comes with lots and lots of improvements over VB 6 and VB 2003. Which of the following is NOT out-of-the-box functionality in Visual Basic 2005?
A) Refactoring
B) Debugger ToolTips
C) Code snippets
D) Snap lines for graphical form-building

8. Data query building can sometimes be a bone of contention for VB 6 developers, since it involves SQL or XQuery. Microsoft is introducing a series of changes to the .NET Framework, such as a unified programming model for querying objects, databases and XML, that should make data queries much easier. What is the name for this set of technologies?
A) Rosario
B) Orcas
C) Yukon
D) LINQ

9. When Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005 were introduced to the world, Microsoft decided to revamp its certification process. Once Windows Vista is released, the titles of Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD), and Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) will no longer apply. Which of the following titles is NOT a category in Microsoft's new three-tiered certification framework?
A) Microsoft Certified Application Developer
B) Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist
C) Microsoft Certified Architect
D) Microsoft Certified IT Professional

10. You and a friend from college, who works at a company across town, get together for dinner. You explain that you are in the middle of a VB 6-to-VB.NET migration and indicate that it is a bit of a challenge. Your friend says, "You should've just migrated to C#. It's cheaper and easier." Is your friend right?
A) Yes
B) No

WHAT IS robot???

A robot is a machine designed to execute one or more tasks repeatedly, with speed and precision. There are as many different types of robots as there are tasks for them to perform.

A robot can be controlled by a human operator, sometimes from a great distance. But most robots are controlled by computer, and fall into either of two categories: autonomous robots and insect robots. An autonomous robot acts as a stand-alone system, complete with its own computer (called the controller). Insect robots work in fleets ranging in number from a few to thousands, with all fleet members under the supervision of a single controller. The term insect arises from the similarity of the system to a colony of insects, where the individuals are simple but the fleet as a whole can be sophisticated.

Robots are sometimes grouped according to the time frame in which they were first widely used. First-generation robots date from the 1970s and consist of stationary, nonprogrammable, electromechanical devices without sensors. Second-generation robots were developed in the 1980s and can contain sensors and programmable controllers. Third-generation robots were developed between approximately 1990 and the present. These machines can be stationary or mobile, autonomous or insect type, with sophisticated programming, speech recognition and/or synthesis, and other advanced features. Fourth-generation robots are in the research-and-development phase, and include features such as artificial intelligence, self-replication, self assembly, and nanoscale size (physical dimensions on the order of nanometers, or units of 10-9 meter).

Some advanced robots are called androids because of their superficial resemblance to human beings. Androids are mobile, usually moving around on wheels or a track drive (robots legs are unstable and difficult to engineer). The android is not necessarily the end point of robot evolution. Some of the most esoteric and powerful robots do not look or behave anything like humans. The ultimate in robotic intelligence and sophistication might take on forms yet to be imagined.

The term robot first appeared in a 1920 play by Czech writer Karel Capek, R.U.R.: Rossum's Universal Robots. In the play, the robots eventually overthrow their human creators. The Czech word "robota" means "forced labor".

Real time is a level of computer responsiveness that a user senses as sufficiently immediate or that enables the computer to keep up with some external process (for example, to present visualizations of the weather as it constantly changes). Real-time is an adjective pertaining to computers or processes that operate in real time. Real time describes a human rather than a machine sense of time.

In the days when mainframe batch computers were predominant, an expression for a mainframe that interacted immediately with users working from connected terminals was online in real time.

A real-time clock (RTC) is a battery-powered clock that is included in a microchip in a computer motherboard. This microchip is usually separate from the microprocessor and other chips and is often referred to simply as "the CMOS" (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor). A small memory on this microchip stores system description or setup values - including current time values stored by the real-time clock. The time values are for the year, month, date, hours, minutes, and seconds. When the computer is turned on, the Basic Input-Output Operating System (BIOS) that is stored in the computer's read-only memory (ROM) microchip reads the current time from the memory in the chip with the real-time clock.

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1. This is a place to store the files for Web pages that are frequently requested (or that have been recently requested) to speed up page delivery and reduce network traffic.
a. buffer
b. capacitor
c. cache
d. incubator

2. This term means dividing the amount of work that a computer has to do between two or more computers so that more work gets done in the same amount of time and, in general, all users get served faster.
a. shared hosting
b. routing
c. load balancing
d. colocation

3. This is a program that serves the files that form Web pages to Web users. Every computer on the Internet that contains a Web site must have one of these.
a. Web server
b. autoresponder
c. application server
d. dynamic DNS service

4. This locates a specific page on the World Wide Web.
a. domain name
b. URL
c. path
d. IP address

5. This is programming that protects the resources of a private network from users from other networks.
a. cybernetics
b. firewall
c. server-side include
d. intranet

6. This is the set of markup symbols or codes inserted in a file intended for display on a World Wide Web browser page.
a. HTML
b. ASP
c. Java
d. GIF89a

7. This is a company that provides individuals and other companies access to the Internet and other related services such as Web site building and virtual hosting.
a. ISP
b. ASP
c. SAP
d. OSP

8. This is an application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the World Wide Web.
a. link checker
b. browser
c. access provider
d. avatar

9. In the Web hosting business, this refers to the rental and exclusive use of a computer that includes a Web server, related software, and connection to the Internet, housed in the Web hosting company's premises.
a. colocation
b. reseller hosting
c. virtual hosting
d. dedicated hosting

10. Using a World Wide Web browser, this is a saved link to a Web page that has been added to a list of saved links.
a. blog
b. bookmark
c. bookmark portal
d. bogie

Steven Spielberg, Will Smith Thinking Of Remaking 'Oldboy''
According to an article in Variety magazine, Steven Spielberg and Will Smith seem rather interested in making an American remake of a 2003 film 'Oldboy' directed by Korean director Park Chanwook.

A cult hit, Oldboy is the centrepiece of Chanwook's revenge trilogy, an intensely violent saga about a man held hostage for 15 long years, who is then mysteriously released and allowed to go on a brutal spree of revenge that involves eating a live octopus, commiting incest, including slicing out his own tongue.  In short, it is nothing like what either Spielberg or Will Smith do e.g. mainstream, family-friendly, sensitive pictures.

All those who are used to the mainstream fare of Spielberg and Smith, must be having a fit of apoplexy, however, sooner or later someone in Hollywood was bound to do a remake of this violent film, and with Speilberg and Smith opting to do it, at least it is not being rehashed by hacks.  The duo are both not only at the top of their respective careers as actor and director, they are also creative and able to sell even the grimmest to mainstream audiences.

With Spielberg and Smith still in early discussions to collaborate on the revenge drama, according to Variety, DreamWorks is in the midst of acquiring rights to remake the 2003 Chan-wook film.  Presumably, Smith will play the lead role in the American remake.  While, Spielberg has hinted around the bush about his next directing effort, he has had Tintin and Abraham Lincoln's biopic on his plate for a while now.

Undoubtedly, a combination of Spielberg and Smith combined can pull this off, though one can only hope no aliens form part of the film, no matter how cute E.T. was and how he tugged at our heartstrings.

"EVERY PARENTS MUST READ"
The computer helper: Kid-friendly searching

Kids love the Internet. Unfortunately, as every parent knows, there's a lot of trouble they can get into while wandering through cyberspace. The challenge is to allow youngsters to learn from and enjoy the Internet while keeping them safe from harmful influences. That's the focus of this week's questions.

Q: My kids have their own accounts on my computer. I would like to set up their Web browsers so that a kid-friendly search engine appears automatically. Can you recommend some?

A: Yes, there are several search engines that are aimed specifically at kids. One of the most innovative new entrants is KidZui (http://www.kidzui.com), which is both a browser and learning environment that was created by parents for kids. You'll need to download the KidZui browser, sign up, and then click a link in an activation e-mail that you'll receive in order to get started. Once signed up, your child can begin using KidZui, and you'll likely be impressed immediately.

The KidZui interface is not only colourful and filled with Internet-based learning and entertainment opportunities, but it also simplifies the Web in virtually every way, from making the search field friendlier in appearance to presenting search results as a series of animated "snapshots" of the Web pages themselves. Sounds are integrated into the interface, too. When you click a search result, for instance, a fun sound introduces the page.

KidZui starts out full screen, and with its immersive and self- contained feeling, your child may never leave its confines, which is good because all content is deemed child safe. Your child can click on categories such as games, science, animals, sports, and "awesome stuff" to stay entertained and educated for hours. Best of all, as the parent who sets up KidZui for your child, you'll receive an e- mail message at the end of each KidZui session in which a report of your child's activities is recorded - including searches conducted and sites viewed.

You could also turn to kid-friendly versions of the most powerful search engines. The first is Ask for Kids (http://www.askkids.com), based on the Ask Jeeves search engine. With a friendly interface adorned by special category buttons for "school," "movies," "games," and "video," Ask Kids presents learning opportunities at every turn for youngsters who conduct searches here. Search for "hamster," for instance," and in addition to a list of search results, kids will see a dictionary definition of a hamster as well as additional relevant search categories, including "hamster care."

Yahoo! Kids (http://kids.yahoo.com) is another good option, although the page seems more static - updated less frequently with current goings-on - than the other sites. Yahoo! Kids is bright and colourful and contains top-of-the-age links to games, music, movies, jokes, sports, and more.

Google is conspicuously absent from the kid-safe search engine mix. Google's SafeSearch site (http://www.safesearchweb.com/index.html) purportedly filters out potentially harmful sites, but a test showed that the filtering results were less than impressive.

Q: How can I know if a Web contains content appropriate for my family before I visit it? We are using Windows.

A: You'll need to employ one or several content filtering options available to you.

There are controls in Internet Explorer that will help to block harmful or malicious sites. You should spend some time adjusting these controls to meet your preferences, since most of them are set to very low thresholds by default.

In Internet Explorer, open the Tool menus, and select Internet Options. From the resulting Internet Options dialog box, select the Content tab, and then click the Enable button in the Content Advisor section.

In the Content Advisor dialog box, you'll see a list of categories of sites that you can control. Categories include "content that creates fear, intimidation, etc.," "content that sets a bad example for young children," and "depiction of drug use." Scroll through the list of options, selecting each that you wish to enforce, and use the slider to determine the level of restriction. Then click the OK button. You'll be asked to supply a password so that no one can change the settings without your permission.

The content restrictions work surprisingly well. When someone tries to visit a restricted site, a dialog box pops up before the page is loaded, indicating to the user that the site contains restricted content and is blocked.

Firefox, the second most popular Web browser, has plenty of controls that help to prevent phishing and protect your privacy, but to get the kind of content protection you seek, you'd have to turn to add-ons.

The most secure type of filtering will come from a dedicated filtering software packages such as Net Nanny (http://www.netnanny.com) or Safe Eyes (http://www.internetsafety.com), both available for PC and Mac. These solutions are more elegant - and effective - for Windows XP users because they work regardless of which Web browser you use - and they can control content seen not only over the Web but within instant messengers and e-mail.

Q: What can I do to keep my child safe on the Web?

A: First, take the steps discussed above - Set up a kid-friendly home page and employ good filtering software. If you're using Windows Vista, you have filtering software built in to the operating system. Look in the Vista Control Panel, set up a user account for your child, and then apply the content filter to that new user account.

In addition, you should talk to your child about what constitutes safe behaviour. Tell your child never to give out an e-mail address or personal information to people they don't know and not to open e- mail messages or attachments from unknown sources, either. Your child should also be told always to consult you if he or she visits a Web site or receives some form of communication over the Internet that makes him or her feel uncomfortable.

As a parent, you can go a long way toward ensuring safety by limiting your child's time online - and monitoring, when possible, the online activities he or she engages in.

"EVERY PARENTS MUST READ"

Animation industry to grow at 27% CAGR: NASSCOM

Indian Animation industry would see growth at the rate of 27% CAGR in the coming years. The animation industry can cross $1163 million mark by 2012. It is forecasted in a report titled 'NASSCOM Animation and Gaming India 2008' by the industry body NASSCOM. It is specially included with a session on 'Super Pitch' to show its commitment for further development of Indian animation industry.

Animation industry includes entertainment, education, custom content development and multimedia/web design. Education sector would record highest growth rate at about 40 per cent per annum. Gaming industry is expected to value at $1,060 million by 2012 at a CAGR of 50 per cent. It currently stands at Rs 996.4 crore.

NASSCOM president, Som Mittal said that India would soon become hub of animation and gaming industry. It has already surpassed its counterparts by delivering projects of international standards. The country maintains highly skilled staff, growing maturity of animation studios, number of co-production ventures, intellectual property, growing consumer demand and cost attractiveness.

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In electronics and communications, the decibel (abbreviated as dB, and also as db and DB) is a logarithmic expression of the ratio between two signal power, voltage, or current levels. In acoustics, the decibel is used as an absolute indicator of sound power per unit area. A decibel is one-tenth of a Bel, a seldom-used unit named for Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone.

Suppose a signal has a power of P1 watts, and a second signal has a power of P2 watts. Then the power amplitude difference in decibels, symbolized SdBP, is:

SdBP = 10 log10 (P2 / P1)

Decibels can be calculated in terms of the effective voltage if the load impedance remains constant. Suppose a signal has an rms (root-mean-square) voltage of V1 across a load, and a second signal has an rms voltage of V2 across another load having the same impedance. Then the voltage amplitude difference in decibels, symbolized SdBV, is:

SdBV = 20 log10 (V2 / V1)

Decibels can also be calculated in terms of the effective current (amperage) if the impedance remains constant. Suppose a signal delivers an rms (root-mean-square) amperage of A1 through a load, and a second signal delivers an rms amperage of A2 through another load having the same impedance. Then the current amplitude difference in decibels, symbolized SdBA, is:

SdBA = 20 log10 (A2 / A1)

When a decibel figure is positive, then the second signal is stronger than the first signal. When a decibel figure is negative, then the second signal is weaker than the first signal. In amplifiers, the gain, also called the amplification factor, is often expressed in decibels. A circuit amplifies only if the decibel figure for the output-to-input power ratio (SdBP) is positive.

In sound, decibels are defined in terms of power per unit surface area on a scale from the threshold of human hearing, 0 dB, upward towards the threshold of pain, about 120-140 dB. As examples: the sound level in the average residential home is about 40 dB, average conversation is about 60 dB, typical home music listening levels are about 85 dB, a loud rock band about 110 dB, and a jet engine close up is 150dB.

Decibel units are commonly used in audio equalizers, both the hardware kind and the software kind, as a convenient reference point while editing. Boosting an equalizer band whose center point is 1000 by 3 dB means that you have raised the volume level of that frequency band by 3 dB as it relates to the other frequencies in the sound. A typical equalizer has a range for boosting or diminishing a sound level of +/-18 dB.

every IT's want to know...

YESZZ,nothing but

Y2K
what is Y2K?

Y2K is an abbreviation for "year 2000." As that year approached, many feared that computer programs storing year values as two-digit figures (such as 99) would cause problems. Many programs written years ago (when storage limitations encouraged such information economies) are still being used. The problem was that when the two-digit space allocated for "99" rolled over to 2000, the next number was "00." Frequently, program logic assumes that the year number gets larger, not smaller - so "00" was anticipated to wreak havoc in a program that hadn't been modified to account for the millennium. This situation was sometimes referred to as "the Y2K problem" or "the millenium bug."

So pervasive was the problem in the world's legacy application payroll, billing, and other programs that a new industry sprang up dedicated to helping companies solve the problem. IBM and other major computer manufacturers, software houses, and consultants offered tools and services to address this problem.

Given the automation of modern life, some feared widespread and severe disruption to critical services as the year 1999 ticked over to the year 2000. However, very few serious problems were reported.

Zero Administration for Windows is Microsoft's initiative to help make its operating system easier to install and manage. The goal is to reduce the ownership costs of PCs, particularly in large corporations with many thousands of desktop computers to support.

Microsoft introduced Zero Administration in November 1996, at a time when Oracle and Sun were touting their own approach of "network computers" as a new way of doing corporate applications with less overhead than traditional PCs. Microsoft responded with its concept of Zero Administration. The idea was to include in all of Microsoft's Windows operating systems features that would simplify the time it took to install and maintain the system on thousands of machines -- and at the same time reduce the costs of keeping PCs in corporate America.

Microsoft provides Zero Administration packs for Windows NT and Windows 98. These packs include features to automatically send out operating-system and application software updates throughout the company from one workstation, and having these updates roll back to the previous version if something goes wrong during the process.

For Windows 2000, Zero Administration's Group Policy feature lets administrators set rights and permissions for network and application access on the group level instead of having to do it for each individual user. If everyone in the legal department needs the same permissions and rights to applications, administrators need set this up only once for all the employees in the department.

ZERO-DAY

A zero-day exploit is one that takes advantage of a security vulnerability on the same day that the vulnerability becomes generally known. Ordinarily, after someone detects that a software program contains a potential exposure to exploitation by a hacker, that person or company can notify the software company and sometimes the world at large so that action can be taken to repair the exposure or defend against its exploitation. Given time, the software company can repair and distribute a fix to users. Even if potential hackers also learn of the vulnerability, it may take them some time to exploit it; meanwhile, the fix can hopefully become available first.

With experience, however, hackers are becoming faster at exploiting a vulnerability and sometimes a hacker may be the first to discover the vulnerability. In these situations, the vulnerability and the exploit may become apparent on the same day. Since the vulnerability isn't known in advance, there is no way to guard against the exploit before it happens. Companies exposed to such exploits can, however, institute procedures for early detection of an exploit.

A study released by Symantec in early 2004 found that although the number of vulnerabilities discovered was about the same in 2003 as in 2002, the time between the vulnerability and exploits based on it had narrowed. According to the infoAnarchy wiki, "14-day" groups and "7-day" groups carry out an exploit within 14 or 7 days of a product's market release. Conducting a zero-day exploit establishes crackers as members of the elite, because they must have covert industry connections to gain the inside information needed to carry out the attack.

what would u say,if a query is raised to u like WHAT IS ZERO?

DONT SAY LIKE NULL ,NOTHING OR -1 TO +1 VALUE,NO VALUE....ETC.ITS CORRECT BUT TO KNOW MORE OR SAY MORE, READ BELOW.


In mathematics, zero, symbolized by the numeric character 0, is both:

1. In a positional number system, a place indicator meaning "no units of this multiple." For example, in the decimal number 1,041, there is one unit in the thousands position, no units in the hundreds position, four units in the tens position, and one unit in the 1-9 position.

2. An independent value midway between +1 and -1.

In writing outside of mathematics, depending on the context, various denotative or connotative meanings for zero include "total failure," "absence," "nil," and "absolutely nothing." ("Nothing" is an even more abstract concept than "zero" and their meanings sometimes intersect.)

Notation for placeholders in positional numbers is found on stone tablets from ancient (3,000 B.C.) Sumeria. Yet, the Greeks had no concept of a number like zero. In terms of modern use, zero is sometimes traced to the Indian mathematician Aryabhata who, about 520 A.D., devised a positional decimal number system that contained a word, "kha," for the idea of a placeholder. By 876, based on an existing tablet inscription with that date, the kha had become the symbol "0". Meanwhile, somewhat after Aryabhata, another Indian, Brahmagupta, developed the concept of the zero as an actual independent number, not just a place-holder, and wrote rules for adding and subtracting zero from other numbers. The Indian writings were passed on to al-Khwarizmi (from whose name we derive the term algorithm ) and thence to Leonardo Fibonacci and others who continued to develop the concept and the number.

Various arithmetic operations that include zero have sometimes been the subject of dispute such as the result of dividing zero by zero. The answer is that it can't be done. Although early mathematicians tried to wrestle some sort of result out of this operation, later ones have decided that this problem just won't bear any fruit. This is viewed as another case where language allows us to ask a question that really doesn't make sense to ask.

Is your prose as good as your code?

1. Which one is correct?
a. The government approved a program that will give iPods to disadvantaged children.
b. The government approved a program which will give iPods to disadvantaged children.

2. Which one is correct?
a. Bacon and eggs are Bill Gates' favorite breakfast.
b. Bacon and eggs is Bill Gates' favorite breakfast.

3. Which one is correct?
The spyware infestation had a startling ________ on network performance.
a. affect
b. effect

4. Which one is correct?
Poor network performance ___________ everyone's work.
a. affected
b. effected

5. Which one is correct?
a. The next topic he addressed was the many instances of identity theft.
b. The next topic he addressed were the many instances of identity theft.

6. Which one is correct?
a. The recent divestiture, combined with rising costs, are expected to affect profits.
b. The recent divestiture, combined with rising costs, is expected to affect profits.

7. Which one is correct?
a. While answering the e-mail, the phone rang and interrupted me.
b. While answering the e-mail, I was interrupted by the phone ringing.

8. Which one is correct?
a. Unlike spam or spyware, spim is not under investigation by the federal government.
b. Unlike spam or spyware, the federal government is not investigating spim.

9. Which sentence is preferable?
a. "I'm not going to stand for it," Carly said.
b. "I'm not going to stand for it," fumed Carly.

10. Which sentence is preferable?
a. This issue was decided by the committee.
b. The committee decided this issue.

It's a mess. Victims everywhere you look. People slumped at their computers, networks unraveling, browsers hijacked, disappearing e-mail. Your job: Analyze the scene, solve the crime.

1. Does that strange blue glow from one computer screen mean anything? But first we have to figure out what to call it.
[Clue: The computer is not a Mac.]

2. Probably just a blue herring. Let's look at one of the bodies and it's not going to be pretty. What will we call the thoughts of the network administrator that have been strewn all over the carpet?
[Clue: You do one of these when you need to pass on everything you know about something.]

3. Aha! This programmer's body is riddled with spaghetti code. Could it be that he was assaulted by a . . . ?
[Clue: They don't make programs more popular than this kind. This kind will really slay you.]

4. And suppose the program got fed up with this programmer and turned the tables on him? Hmmm. That could mean that this programmer was doing some . . . ?
[Clue: If you're trying to fix a program, you may want to try several approaches at once to see if one of them works.]

5. But wait! There! On the carpet as big as anything! Probably about size 12-D, we'd say.
[Clue: Robinson Crusoe found one of these that Friday had left behind. The one he found had toes, though.]

6. Possibly it's time for scientific tools. Let's recreate everything with drawings and move them around using . . . (darn it, we forget what we call this; can you help?)
[Clue: Two words, we remember that. The first word means "science used in law" and the second means "the process of making things look alive." I mean how helpful can we get? We just can't remember it ourself or is it ourselves?]

7. One of the computers in this room is still alive, it looks like. In fact, it looks suspiciously like Suspect #1 because it happens to be a . . . ?
[Clue: These servers are relatively thin and a bit cutting-edge. The answer is not Ockham's razor, by the way.]

8. However, as we all know, it's never going to be Suspect #1. And besides we just noticed a page of the calendar has been torn off the wall and Victim #3 is holding it clutched in her hand. On the page someone has scrawled with photonic ink the words "Black Tuesday." Which someone on our crime scene investigation team just happens to recall is known as . . . ?
[Clue: It's the day in the month that Microsoft comes out with all its "fixes."]

9. Cancel the investigation. Someone just came in and said that they did it. They didn't give us their last name but we know what it is. Their first name was "Jack" and middle initial "T." We doubt that you'll be able to figure out his last name.
[Clue: This program is used to burn music files to a CD.)]

10. Although we did get lucky this time, we nevertheless believe in using all the tools at our command, including that of our crime-fighting brains. Time and again, we learned it's the only way to come up with an . . . ?
[Clue: Hercules Poirot often comes up with this kind of solution. That's why we always dress up on the job.]

Sure -- NOW they vacuum and scrub the floor -- but what happens when they wise up? The following could be required information when the robots take over. How much do you know about our artificially intelligent friends?

1. The word "robot" was coined in 1920. Is the term:
a. an abbreviation of "row" and "boat," for an early version that did just that?
b. derived from a Czech word meaning "forced labor?"
c. named for the creator of the first robot, Robert Botsworth?

2. One of the earliest known working robots was da Vinci's self-propelled car, circa 1478. Was it run by steam pressure or springs?
Answer

3. What's the term for a robot that is designed to resemble a human?

4. Which of the following is NOT one of Issac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics:
a. Robots must not meet in secret.
b. Robots must never harm human beings.
c. Robots must protect themselves without violating the other rules.
Answer

5. If the shape-shifting chembot is developed, it could travel over considerable distances carrying an embedded payload, change shape and size as required, and then reconstitute to its original form. What organization recently put out an RFP for its design?

6. Used with satellites, space probes, and mobile robots, this term describes is the wireless transmission and reception of measured quantities for the purpose of remotely monitoring environmental conditions or equipment parameters. What is it?

7. Which sense does the field of haptics replicate for the user?
a. vision
b. hearing
c. taste
d. touch
c. smell

8. Based on a Greek word meaning "steersman" or "governor," this is the science or study of control or regulation mechanisms in human and machine systems. What is it?

9. DARPA's early cyborg insect experiment using wasps was ill-fated. Why?

10. If self-replicating robots ever take over, the resulting situation is sometimes referred to as a gray goo scenario. In this context, what are self-replicating humans sometimes called?

What are we thankful for? In a word -- you, our readers! We'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you for contributing to Whatis.com and helping us to keep the site growing and useful. Please join us for our traditional Thanksgiving quiz-feast of tasty IT terms.

1. This is a derogatory term for someone who tends to spend a great deal of leisure time in front of the computer, perhaps coming to resemble a beloved tuber of the holiday table. (Hint: It sounds like a very bad idea for a genetically modified food.)
What is it?

2. In a spreadsheet or a database, this is a data structure used to organize information. (Hint: Its Thanksgiving namesake might feature a cornucopia centerpiece.)
What is it?

3. This is a numerical constant that represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter on a flat plane surface. (Hint: Would you prefer pumpkin or pecan?)
What is it?

4. This is an object-oriented programming interface from Sun Microsystems that lets you build components that can be deployed in a network on any major operating system platform. (Hint: Grind 'em up!)
What is it?

5. On a Web site this is a navigation tool that allows a user to see where the current page is in relation to the Web site's hierarchy. (Hint: An overstuffed turkey might leave this on the floor on the way to the stove.)
What is it?

6. This Unix command execution program developed at Bell Labs is a comprehensive combined version of other major UNIX shells. (Hint: It sounds like something discarded after husking maize for the Thanksgiving dinner)
What is it?

7. This is a false, or phantom, signal that appears in a wireless receiver. (Hint: It sounds like a word you might call to try and catch your Thanksgiving turkey.)
What is it?

8. In communications, this is the addition of a small number of binary digits to a transmission unit in order to fill it up to a standard size. (Hint: It sounds like a savory turkey side-dish made with -- computer data.)
What is it?

9. In wireless communications, this is a line that connects the antenna to the receiver. (Hint: You might use this term to describe the queue for the buffet.)
What is it?

10. This is a computer system, especially in the entertainment industry, that combines disparate hardware and software-controlled lighting, sound, and visual effects into a single, synchronized system. (Hint: If you do this, you might not have to loosen your belt buckle after dinner.)
What is it?

DIRECTIONS: Match the SQL Server statement in the right-hand column with its description in the left-hand column.

How to take the quiz:
After reading the question, write down the letter of your answer choice. Check your answers by using the answer key at the end of the quiz.

1._____ This allows you to read ten rows from a table.

2. _____This is used to show the text for a given stored procedure.

3._____ This is used to ensure a null field is returned as zero.

4._____ This is used to show all object names in the current database matching a pattern.

5. _____This is used to show the table definition.

6. _____This is used to show all DTS packages that match a pattern.

7._____ This is used to show all constraints for table names in the current database matching a pattern.

8._____ This is used to run UPDATE STATISTICS against all user-defined tables in the current database.

9._____ This is used to show all stored procedures in the current database that match a pattern.

10._____ This is used to ensure an empty string is returned as null.

a) EXEC UPDATE STATISTICS

b) EXECUTE sp_help TABLE_NAME

c) select * from all_CONS_COLUMNS where table_name like '%PATTERN%'

d) EXECUTE sp_helptext PROCEDURE_NAME

e) select distinct name from msdb.dbo.sysdtspackages where name LIKE '%PATTERN%'

f) select * from TABLE_NAME where rowcount <= 10

g) select * from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.CONSTRAINT_TABLE_USAGE where TABLE_NAME LIKE '%PATTERN%'

h) select ISNULL(FIELD_NAME, 0) from TABLE_NAME

i) select TOP 10 * from TABLE_NAME

j) select distinct name from msdb.dbo.sysobjects where name LIKE '%PATTERN%'

k) EXECUTE sp_helptext TABLE_NAME

l) select * from sysobjects where name LIKE '%PATTERN%'

m) select NULLIF(FIELD_NAME, '') from TABLE_NAME

n) EXEC sp_updatestats

o) select * from sysobjects where xtype = 'P' and name LIKE '%PATTERN%'

p) select * from sysobjects where uid = 1 and name LIKE '%PATTERN%'

Good things come in small packages -- really, really small packages. Somewhat paradoxically, nanotech is getting bigger all the time. How much do you know about the finer details? (We bet you know -- or can guess -- more than you'd think!)

1. Nano is a prefix meaning "extremely small." When quantifiable, it translates to one-billionth. Nano comes from a Greek word meaning:
a. flea
b. dwarf
c. grandmother

2. Admiral Grace Hopper famously used segments of wire to illustrate how far an electrical signal could travel in a nanosecond. How long were the pieces of wire?

3. Paul Saffo of the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, California, believes nanotech-based analog computing will be "the foundational technology of the next decade." We know that digital data has two possible states. In theory, how many states can analog data have?

4. Because of its soccer ball-like shape, the fullerene is named for Buckminster Fuller (It's also sometimes called a "buckytube."). What structure is Fuller most famous for inventing?
a. the geodesic dome
b. the wind tunnel
c. the virtual reality CAVE

5. Optimally, atomic storage would store a bit of data in a single atom. How many atoms might a single grain of sand hold?
a. ten million
b. ten billion
c. ten million billion

6. In nanotechnology, this is a process in which devices whose diameters are of atomic scale, on the order of nanometers, create copies of themselves. What is it?

7. In Michael Crichton's novel Prey , the scenario in Question 6 goes horribly awry. What is the term for that catastrophic, nanorobot-created situation?

8. Molecular manufacturing deals with the design and manufacture of electronic circuits and mechanical devices built at the molecular level of matter. What is molecular manufacturing better known as?

9. A qubit is a particle so small that the addition or removal of a single electron changes its properties in some useful way. What is qubit short for?

10. Spintronics is an emerging field of nanoscale electronics involving the detection and manipulation of the spin of this subatomic particle. What is it?

Last year was a big year for penguins, from their appearance in Oscar-winning documentaries to wholesale adoption of Linux by South America's largest economy. What does 2006 hold in store?

TechTarget's experts went in search of the hottest news and trends at this year's Linuxworld with high hopes of learning where the penguin might be marching next.
(Hint: It wasn't to go fishing off the coast of Antarctica!)

Want to read up on the conference before taking the quiz? Read this article first.

How to take the quiz:
- After reading the question, click on the answer to go to the whatis.com definition or TechTarget news article.
OR
- After reading the question, write down the letter of your answer choice on scrap paper. Check your answers by using the answer key at the end of the quiz.

1. All conferees, whether dressed in (penguin) suits or (penguin) t-shirts, were excited about this server program, which is fast becoming a key corporate medium for facilitating internal team discussions, maintaining system documentation and encouraging community-driven product knowledge bases.
a. collaborative authoring
b. wiki
c. Samba
d. WebDav
e. contextual collaboration

2. This was the hottest hardware on display, described in loving detail by MIT Media Lab co-founder Nicholas Negroponte's keynote speech. What was it?
a. the $50 Linux-based PDA
b. the $300 Linux-based tablet PC
c. the $10 Linux-based disposable cell phone
d. the $100 Linux-based laptop
e. the $500 Linux-based automatic penguin feeder

3. The product from Question #2 runs on a slimmed-down version of Fedora Core. What has this version of Linux been dubbed by the penguin-loving masses?
a. Lithe Linux
b. Skinny Linux
c. Sexy Linux
d. Linux Lite
e. Flat-top Fedora

4. Question #2's answer has a host of features that will allow it to function in the developing world, the audience that Negroponte is targeting for its release. What are they?
a. The ability to form ad hoc networks, creating both LAN in villages and sharing internet access
b. The ability to create its own power, in the absence of a power grid, by use of a human-powered hand crank
c. The ability to survive immersion or brief exposure to flame
d. A & B
e. All of the above

5. Another much discussed topic at Linuxworld was the emergence of two distinct desktop environments in Linux. What are they? GNOME & _____
a. KDE
b. ELF
c. KOBOLD
d. TROLL
e. DEBIAN

6. Given the two competing environments, a new initiative has sprung up to bridge the gap. "The Portland Project" was created by this non-profit that promotes Linux adoption. What is it?
a. OLTP
b. OTOH
c. OMG
d. OBL
e. OSDL

7. As a trend, this sever software concept was unavoidable at this year's Linuxworld, from Dell CTO Kevin Kettler's keynote speech to numerous startups selling their newest versions. What is it?
a. shelling
b. immersion
c. visualization
d. virtualization
e. vitalization

8. Which of these hot technology trends is driving the adoption of Question #7's answer?
a. Network computing
b. Utility computing
c. Blade servers
d. Outsourcing
e. Multi-core processing

9. Knowledge management in the open source world has gotten even hotter. What company's offbeat name is attached to the launch of a wiki-based knowledge store designed to help organizations better organize scattered data pools of IT documentation?
a. Skink
b. Skunk
c. Splunk
d. Slink
e. Stringk

10. Given the amount of money that is now firmly committed to the Linux market, it's no surprise that licensing and copy right issues continue to circulate throughout the community. A "GPL" lists terms and conditions for copying, modifying and distributing free software. What does GPL stand for?
a. Granted Public License
b. Gleeful Private Leave
c. Giant Public Lease
d. Guaranteed Public License
e. General Public License

Mobile device security and compliance regulations can be as hard to pin down as a strong connection for your smartphone. Test your knowledge of risk areas and compliance rules in this quiz.

1. True or False: Every month, more than 13 million mobile phones are left in taxis in large cities throughout the U.S. and Europe.


2. This is the unauthorized download of data from a computer to a small device with storage capacity, such as a flash drive, iPhone, iPod or other MP3 player. What is it?


3. This client/server protocol and software enables communication between remote and central servers for authentication and authorization of dial-in users. What is it?
Answer

4. Which wireless protocol is more secure, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)?


5. You can create an isolated wireless network by adding a different SSID to an access point as a simple way to improve security. What does SSID stand for?


6. Allowing workers to connect to an organization's servers using a wireless network introduces a host of risks. Most security experts recommend the use of a mobile ______, a network configuration in which mobile devices access an intranet securely while moving from one physical location to another. What is it?


7. True or False: If you don't protect the financial data used in commercial transactions on mobile devices, you could be subject to a $10,000 fine.


8. If a mobile device is lost, mobile compliance regulations may require that a company demonstrate that:
A) The device was encrypted
B) The device never accessed a customer records database
C) Both


9. A _______ portal can be used to redirect all requests from unknown clients on a wireless network to a special Web page where users must authenticate themselves with valid credentials before they gain access to the Internet. What is it?


10. True or False: When you work for a privately held company, your mobile device policies must comply with Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) regulations.

2003 marks the 15th anniversary of the AS/400 (now called the iSeries), so we thought we'd take a look back and see how it's changed over the years. How much do you know about the iSeries and its early beginnings? Take our quiz and find out.


1. When the AS/400 was introduced in June 1988, how many processor models were there?

a. 5
b. 6
c. 7
d. 8

2. When IBM introduced the AS/400, it touted its superior performance over the System/36 and the System 38 computers. What kind of performance did the AS/400 offer over the System/36?

a. 5 times the performance
b. 7 times the performance
c. 8 times the performance
d. 10 times the performance

3. Approximately how many applications were available for the AS/400 when the first one shipped in 1988?

a. 1,500
b. 2,000
c. 2,500
d. 3,000

4. What year was IBM's Rochester, Minn., plant completed?

a. 1956
b. 1957
c. 1958
d. 1959

5. The 250,000th AS/400 was sold in 1994 to which company?

a. Coca-Cola Co.
b. Pepsi-Cola Co.
c. Dr Pepper/Seven-Up, Inc.
d. National Beverage Corp.

6. During 1998, IBM says it sold an AS/400 to a customer every

a. 5 minutes of every workday
b. 8 minutes of every workday
c. 10 minutes of every workday
d. 12 minutes of every workday

7. When was the relational database included in OS/400 branded DB2 UDB?

a. December 1997
b. February 1998
c. June 1998
d. February 1999

8. What year was native Lotus Domino for the AS/400 announced?

a. 1997
b. 1998
c. 1999
d. 2000

9. In what year was the AS/400 renamed the eServer iSeries?

a. 1998
b. 1999
c. 2000
d. 2001

10. Today, how many operating system environments can be run simultaneously from a single iSeries server?
a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 5

Bonus question: OS/400 was the first operating system to be certified Year 2000-ready by the ITAA. What year was this and which versions of the operating system?

The iSeries (AS/400) is one of IBM's greatest success stories. It is widely installed in large enterprises at the department level, in small corporations, in government agencies, and in almost every industry segment.

NOTICE:This quiz has a slightly different format. Your goal will be to match the command or function key in the BELOW OPTIONS with its description in the ABOVE.

1._____ This command is used to display all active jobs.

2. _____This command is used to display the file description for a specified file.

3._____ This command is used to display messages in a queue.

4._____ This command allows you to work with a specified user's profile.

5. _____This command is used to start the database utility so you can look at and make changes to the database.

6. _____This command is used to display file field descriptions.

7._____ This command allows you to look at scheduled jobs.

8._____ This command allows you to run a query on a file without parameters.

9._____ This function key takes you to the major commands menu.

10._____ This command is used to display the contents of a database file.

a) DSPDBR LIB/FILE
b) WRKUSRPRF-
c) EDTLIBL
d) DSPMSGD
e) STRPDM
f) ADDBKP
g) WRKJOBSCDE
h) RMVBKP
i) F10
j) STRDBG
k) DSPPFM
l) DSPMSG
m) F4
n) WRKACTJOB
o) STRDFU
p) WRKOBJ
q) DSPFFD
r) WRKSPLF
s) DISPLIB
t) DSPFD
u) WRKOUTQ
v) F9
w) RUNQRY QRYFILE (LIB/FILE)
x) OUTQ(PRINTER)
y) DSPPGMREF
z) PRTRNG

BONUS QUESTION: In what year did IBM introduce the Application System/400?

Quizz: Eureka!
z
IT's all about the light bulb moments. If it weren't for those flashes of brilliance, we'd be freezing in the dark, without the comfort of TV or iPod. (Our computers wouldn't work very well either.) How much do you know about the light bulb moments that brought us to the current state of technology?

1. Speaking of light bulbs, if we switched from incandescent to solid state lighting, we could cut associated power demand by 50%. What is solid state lighting based on?
Answer

2. Thomas Edison is generally credited for alternating current and Marconi is almost inevitably called the inventor of radio. Who's the real inventor of both?
Answer

3. The real Law of Attraction, this is the force that pulls you toward your SO -- and everything else on earth. Kudos to Isaac Newton for pinning down the concept. What is it?
Answer

4. This multipurpose electromagnetic energy comes in handy for wireless transmission and is also very popular for a common domestic use. Perry Spencer had the inspiration for the latter purpose when a chocolate bar melted in his pocket. What is it?
Answer

5. You might have heard the buzz around this invention -- if you're under 30, that is. It's a device that emits a high-pitched sound that's inaudible to most mature folk but almost unbearable to teenagers. What is it?
Answer

6. Chester Carlson invented this now very prevalent technology in the 1930s. At the time, Kodak, IBM, General Electric and RCA thought it was useless and all turned Carlson away. What is it?
Answer

7. The zoopraxiscope, invented by Eadweard Muybridge and first shown in 1879, led to the creation of __________, one of the most popular diversions of all time. What is it?
Answer

8. This device, created by Selwyn Wright, is capable of blocking noise, such as snoring, music and chattering co-workers. What is it?
Answer

9. Another sound idea, this could make it possible for you to watch a shoot-em-up TV show while a companion seated next to you enjoyed classical music. It's a technology that makes it possible to focus sound much as a laser focuses light. What is it?
Answer

10. This device, invented by three scientists at the Bell Laboratories in 1947, is the basic element of the integrated circuit. What is it?
Answer

Quizzz: DSL

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a technology for bringing high-bandwidthinformation to homes and small businesses over ordinary copper telephonelines. Test your knowledge and find out if your brain cells are "alwayson".

1. This is the protocol used to "gather" DSL traffic from usersand forward it to a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer, which consolidatestraffic across the backbone network.
a. Forward DNS lookup
b. Transmission Control Protocol
c. asynchronous transfer mode
d. Accelerated Hub Architecture

2. This form of DSL uses most of the channel to transmit downstream to the userand only a small part to receive information from the user.
a. VoIP
b. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
c. ISDN
d. cable modem

3. This trademarked version of DSL that is somewhat slower thanADSL but has the advantage that a "splitter" does not need to be installedat the user's end.
a. unified messaging
b. Consumer DSL
c. G.lite
d. Netcaster

4. This device divides the incoming signal into low frequencies to sendto voice devices, and high frequencies for data to the computer.
a. multicast router
b. interface device
c. sequencer
d. splitter

5. This is a network device, usually at a telephone company centraloffice, that receives signals from multiple customer DSL connections and puts the signals on a high-speed backbone line.
a. MBone
b. repeater
c. hub
d. DSLAM

6. This is the leading method of signal modulation for DSL servicein which the usable frequency range is separated into 256 frequency bands(or channels) of 4.3125KHz each.
a. pulse code modulation
b. discrete multitone
c. frequency-division multiplexing
d. Signaling System 7

7. This is a technology from US Robotics (now 3Com) for the downstream transmission of data over ordinary phone lines at 56 Kbps.
a. Y-modem
b. xDSL
c. Z-modem
d. x2

8. This term is used to describe multiple signals or streams of information sent at the same time in the form of a single, complex signal and then recovered as separate signals at the receiving end.
a. multicast
b. multilink bundle
c. multiplexing
d. multithreading

9. This type of DSL is used for wideband digital transmissionwithin a corporate site and between the telephone company and a customer.It is symmetrical, meaning that an equal amount of bandwidth is availablein both directions.
a. BAL
b. High bit-rate DSL
c. vBNS
d. wideband code-division multiple access

10. This was the original approach for modulation of a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) signal.
a. carrierless amplitude/phase
b. pulse code modulation
c. quadrature amplitude modulation
d. phase-shift keying

Quizzz: Do you speak geek?

How many answers can you guess without peeking? Let us know!

1. M2M is a type of technology that supports wired or wireless communication between computers or computing devices. What does M2M stand for?
a. mobile-to-mobile
b. machine-to-machine

2. What do Lucinda, Poor Richard and Vivaldi have in common? They are all _________s.

3. What's the name of the program your computer's processor uses to get the system started when you turn it on?

4. Named for a seafood delicacy that requires careful handling (it can be deadly if not properly prepared!), this is an encryption algorithm that can be used as a replacement for DES or IDEA. What is it?

5. BMP, TIFF, GIF and JPEG. Are they vector images or raster images?

6. Which wireless transmission refers to energy whose wavelengths are longer than those of visible light, but shorter than those of radio waves?
a. microwave
b. infrared

7. This sounds like a spy from another country; in networking, it's a router serving as a mobility agent for a mobile node. What is it?

8. From the Latin word for full, we get this term for a space to house heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and communications cabling. What is it?

9. A DSS is a computer program that analyzes business data and presents it so that users can make business decisions more easily. What does DDS stand for?
a. dynamic support system
b. decision support system
c. documentation and support system

10. Yikes! This is an open source Java compiler from IBM. What is it?

Quizzz: Data Storage

Computer storage is the holding of data in an electromagnetic form for access by a computer processor. Primary storage is data in random access memory (RAM) and other "built-in" devices. Secondary storage is data on hard disk, tapes, and other external devices.

1. This is a utility that rearranges your discontiguous files and freespace on your computer so that your files are stored in contiguous unitsand free space is consolidated in one contiguous block.
a. degaussing
b. patch
c. defragmenter
d. parser
e. logicalblock addressing

2. This is a company that provides computer storage space and relatedmanagement to other companies.
a. vortal
b. storagearea network
c. storagemedium
d. bastion host
e. storageservice provider

3. This is a format for storing and backing up computer data on tapethat evolved from the Digital Audio Tape (DAT) technology.
a. TapeArchive
b. DigitalData Storage
c. virtualtape system
d. AudioInterchange File Format
e. dataaggregation

4. This is a storage management system especially designed for movinglarge files and large amounts of data around a network.
a. hierarchicalstorage management
b. enterpriseresource management
c. highperformance storage system
d. distributedfile system
e. holographicstorage

5. This is a form of static random access memory whose contents aresaved when a computer is turned off or loses its external power source.
a. SynchBurstSRAM
b. staticIP
c. nonvolatilestorage
d. magnetoresistiverandom access memory
e. directmemory access

6. This is a centralized repository for business information that providescommon data management and protection, as well as data sharing functions,through connections to numerous (and possibly dissimilar) computer systems.
a. callcenter
b. enterprisestorage network
c. GrandCentral Station
d. networkinformation system
e. ADSTARDistributed Storage Management

7. This is programmable read-only memory that can be erased by shiningan intense ultraviolet light through a window in the memory chip so thatthe memory can be re-used.
a. SequentialCouleur avec Memoire
b. virtualmemory
c. gratinglight valve technology
d. extremeultraviolet lithography
e. erasableprogrammable read-only memory

8. This is a way of storing the same data in different placeson multiple hard disks.
a. doubledata rate synchronous dynamic random access memory
b. redundantarray of independent disks
c. network-attachedstorage
d. extendeddata output (EDO) RAM
e. randomaccess method of accounting and control

9. This is a data storage technology that allows information tobe written to a disk a single time and prevents the drive from erasingthe data.
a. writeonce / read many
b. backupdomain control
c. singleinstruction multiple data
d. permanentvirtual circuit
e. compactdisk / read-only-memory, extended architecture

10. This is what might occur when a program or process tries to storemore data in a temporary data storage area than it was intended to hold.
a. programtemporary fix
b. bluescreen of death
c. fatalexception
d. sharedmemory
e. bufferoverflow

Quizzz: Database Basics

1. This is a collection of data items organized as a set of formally-described tables from which data can be accessed or reassembled in many different ways without having to reorganize the database tables.
a. relational database
b. array
c. file allocation table
d. splay tree
e. Venn diagram

2. This is a standard interactive and programming language for getting information from and updating a database.
a. Dynamic Data Exchange
b. Structured Query Language
c. ASCII
d. Erlang programming language
e. WebLogic

3. In creating a database, this is the process of organizing it into tables insuch a way that the results of using the database are always unambiguous.
a. probability
b. normalization
c. data modeling
d. Query by Example
e. virtual organization

4. In 1977, this company set out to prove that the prevailing theory that relationship databases lacked commercial viability, was wrong.
a. Hewlett-Packard
b. Oracle
c. Cognos
d. Solaris
e. Sybase

5. This family of products is IBM's cross-platform relational database management system.
a. DBA
b. B2B
c. PHP
d. RDF
e. DB2

6. This type of database, which can be used to mine data for business trends, doesn't require SQL queries, but instead allows a user to ask questions like "How many Aptivas have been sold in Nebraska so far this year?".
a. line information database
b. High Performance Storage System
c. object-oriented database management system
d. multidimensional database
e. functional specification

7. This is an open standard application programming interface (API) for accessing a database.
a. Universal Data Access
b. Open Database Connectivity
c. Topic Map Query Language
d. Open Data-Link Interface
e. command line interface

8. This term, used to describe a database that occupies magnetic storage in the terabyte range, describes a database that contains billions of table rows.
a. Very Large Database
b. holographic storage
c. Cold Fusion
d. giant
e. Electronic Data Interchange

9. This is a collection of descriptions about data objects that is created for the benefit of programmers and others who might need torefer to them.
a. data dictionary
b. stored procedure
c. Virtual File Allocation Table
d. Virtual Address eXtension
e. catalog

10. This term is used to describe the process of forecasting, or simply discovering patterns in data that can lead to predictions about the future.
a. customer relationship management
b. PERT chart
c. data mining
d. enterprise risk management
e. histogram

Quizzz: Customers and Call Centers

1. In a call center, this is a line of people waiting to be handled, usually in sequential order starting at the beginning or top of the line or sequence.
a. feed line
b. first-order logic
c. grumble line
d. queue

2. This is an information industry term for methodologies, software, and usually Internet capabilities that help an enterprise handle customers in an organized way.
a. ROI
b. SCM
c. SAP
d. CRM

3. This is is a central point in an enterprise from which customer interactions are managed via phone, fax, e-mail and other channels.
a. data center
b. contact center
c. network operations center
d. Information Technology Information Sharing and Analysis Center

4. This is a scoring process used to help a company determine which customers the company should target in order to maximize profit.
a. customer valuation
b. spend management
c. mean opinion score
d. business impact analysis

5. This is a software-enabled technique that allows a call center representative to interact with a customer by taking over the customer's computer to show them something.
a. remote wakeup
b. collaborative browsing
c. Remote Method Invocation
d. show control

6. This is the ability of a machine or program to recognize and carry out voice commands or take dictation from customers, often resulting in call center cost savings.
a. brain-machine interface
b. collaborative robot
c. smart matter
d. speech recognition

7. This is what you call it when an organization's customer service representatives are geographically dispersed.
a. geographic information system
b. Remote Procedure Call
c. virtual call center
d. Direct Inward Dialing

8. This is a form of electronic support, allowing customers to access information and perform routine tasks over the Internet, without requiring any interaction with a representative of an enterprise.
a. Web self-service
b. remote-control software
c. self-scanning checkout
d. self-assembly

9. This is properly addressing the customer's need the first time they call, thereby eliminating the need for the customer to follow up with a second call.
a. e-support
b. first call resolution
c. automatic repeat request
d. Quality of Service

10. This is a term used to describe the progression of steps a customer goes through when considering, purchasing, using, and maintaining loyalty to a product or service.
a. thought recognition
b. total cost of ownership
c. decision support system
d. customer life cycle

Quizzz: Cryptography

"OK, boys and girls! Do you have your secret decoder handy? Here's this week's special message." (Radio message to subscribed members of the Lone Ranger Club, circa 1943.)

1) This is an encryption/decryption key known only to the party or parties that exchange secret messages.
a) e-signature
b) digital certificate
c) private key
d) security token

2) This was commonly used in cryptography during World War II.
a) tunneling
b) personalization
c) van Eck phreaking
d) one-time pad

3) Today, many Internet businesses and users take advantage of cryptography based on this approach.
a) public key infrastructure
b) output feedback
c) Encrypting File System
d) single signon

4) This is the name for the issuer of a PKI certificate.
a) man in the middle
b) certificate authority
c) Resource Access Control Facility
d) script kiddy

5) Developed by Philip R. Zimmermann, this is the most widely used privacy-ensuring program by individuals and is also used by many corporations.
a) DSS
b) OCSP
c) Secure HTTP
d) Pretty Good Privacy

6) This is the encryption algorithm that will begin to supplant the Data Encryption Standard (DES) - and later Triple DES - over the next few years as the new standard encryption algorithm.
a) Rijndael
b) Kerberos
c) Blowfish
d) IPsec

7) This is the inclusion of a secret message in otherwise unencrypted text or images.
a) masquerade
b) steganography
c) spoof
d) eye-in-hand system

8 In password protection, this is a random string of data used to modify a password hash.
a) sheepdip
b) salt
c) bypass
d) dongle

9) This is a mode of operation for a block cipher, with the characteristic that each possible block of plaintext has a defined corresponding ciphertext value and vice versa.
a) footprinting
b) hash function
c) watermark
d) Electronic Code Book

10) This is a trial and error method used to decode encrypted data through exhaustive effort rather than employing intellectual strategies.
a) chaffing and winnowing
b) cryptanalysis
c) serendipity
d) brute force cracking

Quizzz: Authentication Methods

There are quite a few ways to authenticate users who want access to your organization's network resources. Depending on how critical the data is that you're protecting, one method may or may not provide the level of protection you want. Take this quiz to test your knowledge of authentication methods and learn more about them.

1.) This two-level scheme for authenticating network users functions as part of the Web's Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
a. SSL
b. LUHN formula
c. IPsec
d. CRAM
e. secret key

2.) This type of authentication device consists of a reader/scanner and software that encrypts and converts the scanned information into digital form so it can be compared with previous records.
a. biometric
b. brain fingerprinting
c. security ID
d. stateful inspection
e. honeypot

3.) This secure method for authenticating a request for a service in a computer network was developed through the Athena Project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
a. AES
b. Carnivore
c. Automated Fingerprint Identification System
d. Internet Key Exchange
e. Kerberos

4.) This electronic "credit card" establishes a user's credentials when doing business or other transactions on the Web and is issued by a certification authority.
a. private key
b. digital certificate
c. smart card
d. ownership tag
e. PIN

5.) This is an older authentication protocol common to Unix networks that allows a remote access server to forward a user's logon password to an authentication server to determine whether access can be allowed to a given system.
a. DRP
b. CPRM
c. TACACS
d. GPO
e. C2

6.) Microsoft's Passport was an example of this technology. It allows users to register their personal information once to access multiple applications.
a. relative identifier
b. biometric verification
c. single signon
d. Microsoft Point-to-Point Encryption
e. slag code

7.) This security management product for OS/390 gives access to a computer system only to users who have the authorization to use a requested resource.
a. ACF2
b. Resource Access Control Facility
c. Media Access Control layer
d. Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service
e. Electronic Code Book

8.) This small hardware device is a type of security token that provides two-factor authentication.
a. key fob
b. dongle
c. SSL card
d. Clipper
e. keychain drive

9.) A primary goal of this consortium is to promote interoperability among biometric applications.
a. IDEA
b. PKCS
c. Twofish
d. BioAPI
e. Tempest

10.) This is a client/server protocol and software that enables remote access servers to communicate with a central server to authenticate dial-in users and authorize their access to the requested system or service.
a. OFB
b. BO2K
c. ICMP
d. DES
e. RADIUS

The empires of the future are the empires of the mind... Winston Churchill

1) This is a system of programs and data structures that approximates the operation of the human brain.
a) Intelligent Network
b) decision support system
c) neural network
d) genetic programming

2) This is the tendency for people to think of inanimate objects as having human-like characteristics.
a) aliasing
b) personalization
c) self-replication
d) anthropomorphism

3) This is a programming language that was designed for easy manipulation of data strings. It was developed in 1959 by John McCarthy and is still commonly used today in artificial intelligence (AI) programming.
a) LISP
b) assembly language
c) machine code
d) Ruby

4) This is an approach to computing developed by Dr. Lotfi Zadeh based on "degrees of truth" rather than the usual "true or false" (1 or 0) Boolean logic. Dr. Lotfi Zadeh developed this approach while working on the problems computers had understanding natural language.
a) cyberwoozling
b) fuzzy logic
c) Smalltalk
d) arachnotaxis

5) This is a type of computer program that simulates the judgement and behavior of a human or organization that possesses expert knowledge and experience in a particular field.
a) expert system
b) cyborg
c) autonomous system
d) cybrarian

6) This is a program that allows the computer to recognize human movement such as waving, finger pointing, or change in eye direction and identify the motions as specific means of interaction.
a) MIME
b) show control
c) gesture recognition
d) motion plan

7) This is the ability of a computer to use binocular vision to differentiate between objects. The computer uses high-resolution cameras, a large amount of random access memory (RAM), and an artificial intelligence (AI) program to interpret data.
a) DiffServ
b) model-view-controller
c) machine vision
d) eye-in-hand system

8 This is a program that gathers information or performs some other service on a regular schedule without a human being's immediate presence.
a) aggregator
b) agile applet
c) page
d) intelligent agent

9) This is a program that allows the computer to simulate conversation with a human being. "Eliza" and "Parry" are early examples of programs that can at least temporarily fool a real human being into thinking they are talking to another person.
a) Speech Application Program Interface
b) chatterbot
c) speech recognition
d) Amiga

10) This is the potential ability of the human brain to accept an implanted mechanical device, such as a computer, as a natural part of its representation of the body.
a) virtual machine
b) self-assembly
c) serendipity
d) brain-machine interface

K-12, a term used in education and educational technology in the United States, Canada, and possibly other countries, is a short form for the publicly-supported school grades prior to college. These grades are kindergarten (K) and the 1st through the 12th grade (1-12). (If the term were used, "13th grade" would be the first year of college.)

Most communities in the United States and Canada (and wherever else the term is used) are just beginning to provide modern information technology at the K-12 levels.

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Date  : 6 nov 08
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hi acumens,

this poll results may tell wat is our future!...

so kindly everyone contribute ur vote.

thanks in advance.

WHAT IS AN eBOOK?

An eBook is an electronic version of a traditional print book that can be read by using a personal computer or by using an eBook reader. (An eBook reader can be a software application for use on a computer, such as Microsoft's free Reader application, or a book-sized computer that is used solely as a reading device, such as Nuvomedia's Rocket eBook.) Users can purchase an eBook on diskette or CD, but the most popular method of getting an eBook is to purchase a downloadable file of the eBook (or other reading material) from a Web site (such as Barnes and Noble) to be read from the user's computer or reading device. Generally, an eBook can be downloaded in five minutes or less.

Although it is not necessary to use a reader application or device in order to read an Ebook (most books can be read as PDF files), they are popular because they enable options similar to those of a paper book - readers can bookmark pages, make notes, highlight passages, and save selected text. In addition to these familiar possibilities, eBook readers also include built-in dictionaries, and alterable font sizes and styles. Typically, an eBook reader hand-held device weighs from about twenty-two ounces to three or four pounds and can store from four thousand to over half a million pages of text and graphics. A popular feature is its back-lit screen (which makes reading in the dark possible).

Some eBooks can be downloaded for free or at reduced cost, however, prices for many eBooks - especially bestsellers - are similar to those of hardcover books, and are sometimes higher. Most eBooks at Barnes and Noble, for example, are comparable in price to their traditional print versions.

Q: When is Programmer Day?
A: Programmer Day is the 256th day of every year, September 13th or the 12th on leap years.

Q:Why the 256th Day of the year?
A: A byte can have 256 possible values, bytes are very important to programmers. Not because they are required for programs to work, but because the payroll system and Krispy Kreme doughnut cash registers require them.

Q: How is Programmer Day celebrated?
A: Anyway you want! Here are some suggestions:
# Speak in code (or pseudocode) all day - Thanks to Sam Pospischil!
# Decorate a tree with zeros and ones to make a binary tree
# Make Happy Programmer Day cards using ASCII art
# Have a contest for the best binary pun / programming joke

Q: Your logo has 1111 1111 that's 255, not 256, right?
A: While 1111 1111 = 255 as a direct conversion, it's the 256th value so it is correct. January 1st is 0000 0000 so if you celebrate Programmer Day on the 255th day you're guilty of an off by one error.

Macromedia nicknames

    * MM = Macromedia
    * FW = Fireworks
    * FL = Flash
    * FH = Freehand
    * StMX/MX2004 = Studio MX/MX2004

Web Browser (popular) nicknames

    * FF = Firefox
    * IE = Internet Explorer
    * Moz = Mozilla
    * NN = Netscape (Navigator)
    * AOL = America Online (not a browser but considered one)

WEB/TECH acronyms

    * DB = Database
    * HTTP = HyperText Transfer Protocal
    * HTTPS = HyperText Transmission Protocol, Secure
    * SMTP = Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
    * POP or POP3 = Post Office Protocol
    * DTD = Document Type Definition
    * URL (or URI) = Uniform Resource Locator (Universal Resource Identifier) ... web address/links
    * SSL = Secure Sockets Layer
    * WWW = World-Wide Web
    * FTP = File Transfer Protocal
    * DOM = the Document Object Model
    * IP number = Internet address
    * TCP/IP = Transmission Control Protocol over Internet Protocol
    * RTSP = Real Time Streaming Protocol
    * VoIP = Voice over IP
    * MIME = Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions
    * W3C = World Wide Web Consortium
    * (web slang) ul = upload
    * (web slang) dl = download
    * P2P = Peer-to-Peer

Server-Side (Server Models)

    * PHP = PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor
    * ASP & ASP.NET (or .NET) = Active Server Pages
    * CFML or CFM or CF = ColdFusion
    * JSP = Java Server Pages

Server-Side (others)

    * SQL = Structured Query Language
    * CGI = Common Gateway Interface
    * SSI = Server-Side Include

Client-Side

    * XHTML = Extensible HyperText Markup Language
    * HTML = HyperText Markup Language
    * CSS = Cascading Style Sheets
    * XML = Extensible Markup Language
    * JS = JavaScript
    * DOM = the Document Object Model
    * DHTML = Dynamic HTML
    * XSL = Extensible Stylesheet Language
    * XSLT = Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations
    * SGML = Standard Generalized Markup Language (father to XHTML/XML)

The International System of Units (abbreviated SI from systeme internationale , the French version of the name) is a scientific method of expressing the magnitudes or quantities of important natural phenomena. There are seven base units in the system, from which other units are derived. This system was formerly called the meter-kilogram-second (MKS) system.

All SI units can be expressed in terms of standard multiple or fractional quantities, as well as directly. Multiple and fractional SI units are defined by prefix multipliers according to powers of 10 ranging from 10 -24 to 10 24 .

SI base units:
The meter (abbreviation, m) is the SI unit of displacement or length. One meter is the distance traveled by a ray of electromagnetic (EM) energy through a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 (3.33564095 x 10 -9 ) second. The meter was originally defined as one ten-millionth (0.0000001 or 10 -7 ) of the distance, as measured over the earth's surface in a great circle passing through Paris, France, from the geographic north pole to the equator.

The kilogram (abbreviation, kg) is the SI unit of mass. It is defined as the mass of a particular international prototype made of platinum-iridium and kept at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. It was originally defined as the mass of one liter (10 -3 cubic meter) of pure water.

The second (abbreviation, s or sec) is the SI unit of time. One second is the time that elapses during 9.192631770 x 10 9 cycles of the radiation produced by the transition between two levels of Cesium 133. It is also the time required for an EM field to propagate 299,792,458 (2.99792458 x 10 8 ) meters through a vacuum.

The kelvin (abbreviation K), also called the degree Kelvin (abbreviation, o K), is the SI unit of temperature. One Kelvin is 1/273.16 (3.6609 x 10 -3 ) of the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of pure water (H 2 O).

The ampere (abbreviation, A) is the SI unit of electric current. One ampere is the current that would produce a force of 0.0000002 (2 x 10 -7 ) newton between two straight, parallel, perfectly conducting wires having infinite length and zero diameter, separated by one meter in a vacuum. One ampere represents 6.24 x 10 18 unit electric charge carriers, such as electrons, passing a specified fixed point in one second.

The candela (abbreviation, cd) is the SI unit of luminous intensity. It is the electromagnetic radiation, in a specified direction, that has an intensity of 1/683 (1.46 x 10 -3 ) watt per steradian at a frequency of 540 terahertz (5.40 x 10 14 hertz).

The mole (abbreviation, mol) is the SI unit of material quantity. One mole is the number of atoms in 0.012 kilogram of the most common isotope of elemental carbon (C-12). This is approximately 6.022169 x 10 23 , and is also called the Avogadro constant.

SI derived units include the hertz , the newton , the pascal (unit of pressure or stress) , the ohm , the farad , the joule , the coulomb , the tesla , the lumen , the becquerel , the siemen , the volt , and the watt .

The power-of-10 multipliers and the power-of-2 multipliers for a given word prefix are almost, but not quite, the same. For example, the power-of-10 definition of kilo- (k) refers to 1,000, while the power-of-2 definition (K) refers to 1,024. As if this is not confusing enough, when referring to a data speed of one kilobit per second (1 kbps), analysts generally mean 1,000 bits per second (103 bps), but when talking about one kilobyte (1 KB) of data storage, they usually mean 1,024 bytes (210 B). This prevailing confusion could be eliminated (some computer scientists believe) by adopting special prefixes referring to the binary quantities. The proposed scheme is as follows.

kilobinary    kibi-    Ki    210
megabinary    mebi-    Mi    220
gigabinary    gibi-    Gi    230
terabinary    tebi-    Ti    240
petabinary    pebi-    Pi    250
exabinary    exbi-    Ei    260

The prefix multipliers kilo- (k or K), mega- (M), giga- (G), tera- (T), peta- (P), and exa- (E) are ambiguous. In most of the physical sciences, and when describing quantities of objects generally, these multipliers refer to powers of 10. However, when used to define data quantity in terms of bytes, they refer to powers of 2. The following table denotes the most often-used prefixes and their meanings.

Prefix      Symbol(s)     Power of 10     Power of 2
kilo-        k or K **       103                  210
mega-    M                     106            220
giga-    G                     109            230
tera-    T                     1012            240
peta-    P                     1015            250
exa-    E                     1018 *            260
* Not generally used to express data speed
** k = 103 and K = 210

"An emoticon is a short sequence of keyboard letters and symbols, usually emulating a facial expression, that complements a text message."

52 Emoticons

:-)   Smile
;-)   Smile with a wink
:<})   User with mustache, smiling
:-||   Mad
:-(   Sad
:' -(   Crying
:~   Also crying
:-))   Really happy
:-D   Big grin
   A kisz
:-P~   A lick
:-o   Wow! or I'm surprised
:-|   Grim
:-P   Sticking out your tongue
:-   User happens to be Popeye
:-/   Perplexed
=:O   Frightened (hair standing on end)
=8O   Bug-eyed with fright
:-}   Embarassed smile
:-)<>>>>>   Basic Smiley with a necktie
;-^)   Tongue in cheek
%*@:-(   Hung over
:-~~~   Drooling
>   Perplexed look
.)   Keeping an eye out for you
8:-)   Glasses on forehead
8:[   Normal smiling face of a gorilla
0:-)   Angel
]:-|[   Robot
(:V)   Duck
3:-o   Cow
:-]   Vampire
(_8-(|)   Homer Simpson
C|:-=   Charlie Chaplin
=|:-)=   Abe Lincoln
*<:-)   Santa Claus
-:-)   User sports a mohawk and admires Mr. T
(-)   Scuba diver
:-'|   User has a cold
:-{}   User with heavy lipstick
:-)8   User is well dressed
>:-<    Mad
*#:-)   Scotsman wearing his Scottish tam
%-^   User is another Picasso
#-)   User partied all night
<:I   Dunce
:-|   "Have an ordinary day!" Smiley
:}{:   Kisses (stolen from June bug)
oooo(0) (0)oooo   Toes
(-_-)   Secret smile
#.-o   "Oh, nooooooo Mr. Bill!!!"
12x @>--->---   A dozen roses

0     The operation completed successfully.
1    Incorrect function.
2    The system cannot find the file specified.
3    The system cannot find the path specified.
4    The system cannot open the file.
5    Access is denied.
6    The handle is invalid.
7    The storage control blocks were destroyed.
8    Not enough storage is available to process this command.
9    The storage control block address is invalid.
10    The environment is incorrect.
11    An attempt was made to load a program with an incorrect format.
12    The access code is invalid.
13    The data is invalid.
14    Not enough storage is available to complete this operation.
15    The system cannot find the drive specified.
16    The directory cannot be removed.
17    The system cannot move the file to a different disk drive.
18    There are no more files.
19    The media is write protected.
20    The system cannot find the device specified.
21    The device is not ready.
22    The device does not recognize the command.
23    Data error (cyclic redundancy check).
24    The program issued a command but the command length is incorrect.
25    The drive cannot locate a specific area or track on the disk.
26    The specified disk or diskette cannot be accessed.
27    The drive cannot find the sector requested.
28    The printer is out of paper.
29    The system cannot write to the specified device.
30    The system cannot read from the specified device.
31    A device attached to the system is not functioning.
32    The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
33    The process cannot access the file because another process has locked a portion of the file.
36    Too many files opened for sharing.
38    Reached the end of the file.
39    The disk is full.
50    The network request is not supported.
51    The remote computer is not available.
52    A duplicate name exists on the network.
53    The network path was not found.
54    The network is busy.
55    The specified network resource or device is no longer available.
56    The network BIOS command limit has been reached.
57    A network adapter hardware error occurred.
58    The specified server cannot perform the requested operation.
59    An unexpected network error occurred.
60    The remote adapter is not compatible.
61    The printer queue is full.
62    Space to store the file waiting to be printed is not available on the server.
63    Your file waiting to be printed was deleted.
64    The specified network name is no longer available.
65    Network access is denied.
66    The network resource type is not correct.
67    The network name cannot be found.
68    The name limit for the local computer network adapter card was exceeded.
69    The network BIOS session limit was exceeded.
70    The remote server has been paused or is in the process of being started.
71    No more connections can be made to this remote computer at this time because there are already as many connections as the computer can accept.
72    The specified printer or disk device has been paused.
80    The file exists.
82    The directory or file cannot be created.
83    Fail on INT 24.
84    Storage to process this request is not available.
85    The local device name is already in use.
86    The specified network password is not correct.
87    The parameter is incorrect.
88    A write fault occurred on the network.
89    The system cannot start another process at this time.
100    Cannot create another system semaphore.

0     The operation completed successfully.
1    Incorrect function.
2    The system cannot find the file specified.
3    The system cannot find the path specified.
4    The system cannot open the file.
5    Access is denied.
6    The handle is invalid.
7    The storage control blocks were destroyed.
8    Not enough storage is available to process this command.
9    The storage control block address is invalid.
10    The environment is incorrect.
11    An attempt was made to load a program with an incorrect format.
12    The access code is invalid.
13    The data is invalid.
14    Not enough storage is available to complete this operation.
15    The system cannot find the drive specified.
16    The directory cannot be removed.
17    The system cannot move the file to a different disk drive.
18    There are no more files.
19    The media is write protected.
20    The system cannot find the device specified.
21    The device is not ready.
22    The device does not recognize the command.
23    Data error (cyclic redundancy check).
24    The program issued a command but the command length is incorrect.
25    The drive cannot locate a specific area or track on the disk.
26    The specified disk or diskette cannot be accessed.
27    The drive cannot find the sector requested.
28    The printer is out of paper.
29    The system cannot write to the specified device.
30    The system cannot read from the specified device.
31    A device attached to the system is not functioning.
32    The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
33    The process cannot access the file because another process has locked a portion of the file.
36    Too many files opened for sharing.
38    Reached the end of the file.
39    The disk is full.
50    The request is not supported.
51    Windows cannot find the network path. Verify that the network path is correct and the destination computer is not busy or turned off. If Windows still cannot find the network path, contact your network administrator.
52    You were not connected because a duplicate name exists on the network. Go to System in Control Panel to change the computer name and try again.
53    The network path was not found.
54    The network is busy.
55    The specified network resource or device is no longer available.
56    The network BIOS command limit has been reached.
57    A network adapter hardware error occurred.
58    The specified server cannot perform the requested operation.
59    An unexpected network error occurred.
60    The remote adapter is not compatible.
61    The printer queue is full.
62    Space to store the file waiting to be printed is not available on the server.
63    Your file waiting to be printed was deleted.
64    The specified network name is no longer available.
65    Network access is denied.
66    The network resource type is not correct.
67    The network name cannot be found.
68    The name limit for the local computer network adapter card was exceeded.
69    The network BIOS session limit was exceeded.
70    The remote server has been paused or is in the process of being started.
71    No more connections can be made to this remote computer at this time because there are already as many connections as the computer can accept.
72    The specified printer or disk device has been paused.
80    The file exists.
82    The directory or file cannot be created.
83    Fail on INT 24.
84    Storage to process this request is not available.
85    The local device name is already in use.
86    The specified network password is not correct.
87    The parameter is incorrect.
88    A write fault occurred on the network.
89    The system cannot start another process at this time.
100    Cannot create another system semaphore.

Chat Abbreviations

A3   Anyplace, anywhere, anytime
ADN    Any day now
AFAIK    As far as I know
AFK    Away from keyboard
ARE    Acronym-rich environment
ASAP    As soon as possible
A/S/L?    Age/sex/location?

216 Web browser-safe colors

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There are two methods that can be used to hide the Links folder, one using the registry and the other using file attributes. Both methods are detailed below:  Using the Registry: Open your registry and find the key below.

Set the value of "LinksFolderName" to equal a blank string. Open IE and delete the Links folder from the Favorites menu.

The next time you start Internet Explorer the Links folder will not be recreated.

Using File Attributes: Using Explorer find the location of your Favorites folder (e.g. C:\Documents and Settings\Joe Bloggs\Favorites) within that folder will be a sub-folder named Links.

Select the Links folder and right-click (or secondary click) and select Properties, check the Hidden checkbox and click OK.

From now on the Links folder should be hidden from the Favorites list. This works for any other folder or link on the favorites menu as well. Note: The Links folder must be manually deleted from the favorites menu. This tweak stops it being automatically recreated.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar

Value Name: LinksFolderName
Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value)

Go into C:\Windows and create a new shortcut. Paste this in the path: %windir%\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation.  Click next and rename it, click finish.

Then Control Panel/Scheduled Tasks/Add Scheduled Task/Next/Browse. Find the new shortcut, select it, pick daily, next. Type in a password for the Scheduled Task/Confirm, Next, Finish.  Double click the new scheduled task you just made, Schedule Tab/Schedule Task/Select when Idle, enter time allotment, ok.

     Tip:  Resume without a password - If you have a screen saver activating, go to that tab and uncheck "On resume display
              welcome screen".
     Tip:  Disable Screensaver from Becoming Active:  Start/Run/Regedit

HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop. Value Name: ScreenSaveActive, Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value), Value Data: (0 = disabled, 1 =enabled). Change the value of 'ScreenSaveActive' to '0' to disable the screen saver. Restart Windows for the change to take effect. Note: Windows has a default screen saver called login.scr, which runs even if no screen saver has been selected.

Converting a partition from FAT32 to NTFS can be done by an inbuilt utility in the Windows XP operating system — but it is important to realise that it is a one-way process. You cannot convert back, except possibly by use of Partition Magic 7.01, and that is not always successful. Windows XP has no tool for converting from NTFS to FAT32.

There are a couple of things to do in advance if the conversion is to be efficient. If you do not take these preliminary steps, you are liable to end up with only 512 byte clusters, which is not a good idea.

What happens is that FAT32 partitions formatted by most Windows versions except Windows XP itself (and possibly Windows 2000) have an odd multiple of 2 kilobytes in the "system" sectors before the data area, where the File Allocation Tables themselves and clustering start. Therefore, clusters 4 KB in size are not aligned on 4 KB boundaries, as NTFS will want. CONVERT.EXE, finding it cannot use 4K clusters, gives up and makes the clusters only 512 bytes (one half KB) instead. (For a table of the varying default cluster sizes used by FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS for partitions of varying sizes, click here.)

It is, therefore, important to realign the partition before conversion, by moving all the data area up to a 4K boundary. (This will absorb odd sectors at the far end which otherwise would not get used). For this, I suggest BootIT NG, from BootitNG.com. This is a shareware program, priced at US$30 but with a 30-day fully functional trial. You may well find it valuable also for its Disk Imaging and Partition Management capabilities.

Download the BOOTITNG.ZIP file to its own folder, extract the contents of the ZIP file, then run BOOTITNG.EXE, which will make a bootable floppy. Boot this floppy. For purposes of Partition Management, there is no need to install the program to hard disk, so click Cancel Install, thus entering Maintenance. Click Partition Work. Highlight the partition you intend to convert. Click Slide, which has an option check box to Align for NTFS only. Click OK. As it has to move almost every sector on the entire partition, this will take a very long time — schedule it for a meal break, or start it to run overnight. (If it finishes quickly, that probably means that the partition was properly aligned already.)

Then restart the computer, boot Windows XP, being sure to logon as an Administrator, and defragment the disk. This ensures that there is, as far as possible, a contiguous area for the NTFS Master File Table. It is best if there is a fairly substantial amount of free space while you do it.

Now use the Windows XP convert tool: Go to Start | All Programs | Accessories | Command Prompt (or, from a Run box, type CMD) and, assuming you intend to convert C:, give the command:

VOL C:

Note the name of the disk in the first line, and the Volume Serial Number (for example, 3F4E-2D1B) in the second. Then type:

CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS

It will ask for that name in confirmation. Then it will ask two further questions. Reply Y each time to set up conversion to happen at the next boot, then restart the machine. (If you are converting a partition other than the operating system's partition, you may find that it runs without rebooting.) After returning to Win XP, the hard disk will work for two or three minutes, tidying up. Leave things alone during this time.

Consult the Hints in the Windows Product Activation article (under What About Formatting a Hard Disk?) regarding the resetting of the volume serial number, which will have been changed. The hints given will assure that you do not lose a Windows Product Activation "life."

FAT & NTFS File Systems in Windows XP

1. INTRODUCTION

Files in Windows XP can be organised on the hard disk in two different ways.

    * The old FAT (File Allocation Table) file system was developed originally (when the original IBM PCs came out) for MS-DOS on small machines and floppy disks. There are variants — FAT12 is used on all floppy disks, for example — but hard disk partitions in Windows XP can be assumed to use the FAT32 version, or 32-bit File Allocation Table.

    * Later, a more advanced file system was developed for hard disks in Windows NT, called NTFS (the "NT File System"). This has matured, through several versions, into the latest one that exists alongside FAT in Windows XP.

The file system used goes with an individual partition of the disk. You can mix the two types on the same physical drive. The Windows XP operating system is the same, whichever file system is used for its partition, so it is a mistake (and source of confusion) to speak of "a FAT disk reading an NTFS partition." It is the operating system, not the disk, that does the reading.

Actual files are unaffected by which file system they are on; that is merely a matter of a method of storage. An analogy would be letters stored in an office. They might be in box-files on shelves (FAT) or in suspended folders in file cabinets (NTFS); but the letters themselves would be unaffected by the choice of which way to store them, and could be moved from one storage place to the other. Similarly, files can be moved between folders on an NTFS partition and folders on a FAT partition, or across a network to another machine that might not even be running Windows.

EXAMPLE: Consider the downloading to your computer of a file through a link on a web page. You click on the link, and the file is copied across the Internet and stored on your hard drive. If you download the file from this present site, the file is stored on a computer running Unix, which uses neither FAT nor NTFS. The file itself is not affected when it is copied from a Windows computer to the Unix-based server, or copied from that server to your Windows-based computer.

However, if a machine has two different operating systems on it, dual booted, they may not both be able to read both types of partition. DOS (including an Emergency Startup boot floppy), Windows 95/98, and Windows ME cannot handle NTFS (without third party assistance). Early versions of Windows NT cannot handle FAT32, only FAT16. So, if you have such a mixed environment, any communal files must be held on a partition of a type that both operating systems can understand — meaning, usually, a FAT32 partition. (See the article Planning Your Partitions on this site, under the section "Multiple Operating Systems," for a table of which file system each recent version of Windows can use and understand.)

2. WHICH SYSTEM TO USE?

There are three considerations that affect which file system should be chosen for any partition:

   1. Do you want to use the additional capabilities that only NTFS supports?
      NTFS can provide control of file access by different users, for privacy and security. The Home Edition of Windows XP only supports this to the limited extent of keeping each user's documents private to him or herself. Full file-access control is provided in Windows XP Professional, as is encryption of individual files and folders. If you use encryption it is essential to back up the encryption certificates used — otherwise, if the partition containing your "Documents and Settings" has to be reformatted, the files will be irretrievably lost.

   2. Considerations of Stability and Resilience
      NTFS has stronger means of recovering from troubles than does FAT. All changes to files are "journalized," which allows the system to roll back the state of a file after a crash of the program using it or a crash of the system. Also, the structure of the file system is less likely to suffer damage in a crash, and is therefore more easily reinstated by CheckDisk (CHKDSK.EXE). But in practical terms, the stability of FAT is adequate for many users, and it has the benefit that a FAT partition is accessible for repair after booting from a DOS mode startup floppy, such as one from Windows 98. If an NTFS partition is so damaged that it is not possible to boot Windows, then repair can be very difficult.

   3. Considerations of economy and performance
      In a virtual memory system like Windows XP, the ideal size of disk clusters matches the internal "page size" used by the Intel processors — 4 kilobytes. An NTFS partition of almost any size you are likely to meet will use this, but it is only used in FAT32 up to an 8 GB partition. Above that, the cluster size for FAT increases, and the wastefulness of the "cluster overhang" grows. (For a table of the varying default cluster sizes used by FAT16, FAT32, and Win XP's version of NTFS, for partitions of varying sizes, click here.)

      On the other hand NTFS takes much more space for holding descriptive information on every file in that file's own block in the Master File Table (MFT). This can use quite a large proportion of the disk, though this is offset by a possibility that the data of a very small file may be stored entirely in its MFT block. Because NTFS holds significant amounts of these structures in memory, it places larger demands on memory than does FAT.

      Searching directories in NTFS uses a more efficient stucture for its access to files, so searching a FAT partition is a slower process in big directories. Scanning the FAT for the pieces of a fragmented file is also slower. On the other hand, NTFS carries the overhead of maintaining the "journalized" recovery.

Also, of course, in a dual boot system, there may be the overriding need to use FAT on a partition so that it can also be read from, say, Windows 98.

3. ON BALANCE

Leaving matters of access control and dual use aside, as partition sizes grow, the case for NTFS gets stronger. Microsoft definitely recommends NTFS for partitions larger than 32 GB — to the extent that Windows XP will not format a FAT partition above that size. However, with smaller sizes, FAT is likely to be more efficient — certainly below 4 GB, and probably below 8 GB. I suggest that NTFS should be used for partitions of 16 GB or above, where the FAT 32 cluster size goes up to 16 KB, the intermediate region (that is, partitions between 8 and 16 GB in size) being largely a matter of taste.

4. CAN I CONVERT ONE SYSTEM TO THE OTHER?

Ideally, a disk is initially formatted in the file system which is to be used permanently — NTFS, for example, can then put the Master File Table in its optimal location in the middle of the partition.

However, on an upgrade of an existing system, the file system is left as it is. For example, an upgraded Windows 98 system will be on FAT32. Also, some computer makers ship new computers with all partitions formatted as FAT32. These can be converted to NTFS if that seems more suitable to your needs. If you use the method described here, the result will be nearly as satisfactory as if a fresh format to NTFS had been done.

But this conversion is a one-way process. Windows XP provides a native tool for converting FAT to NTFS, but no tool for converting NTFS to FAT. It may be possible to convert NTFS to FAT using Partition Magic 7.01, but the result is uncertain. It you attempt it, it is essential that you first decrypt all encrypted files, or they will be forever inaccessible. (For this reason, Partition Magic will stop if it finds one.) If it is a new machine, too, be sure that your warranty will not be compromised by doing a file system conversion.

A further aspect that needs caution is that the conversion may result in the NTFS permissions on the partition and its folders being not the simple general access that might be expected. It is certainly important that the conversion be done when logged in as an Administrator.

5. BACKUP & DISK IMAGING

Will a backup or image made from NTFS remain NTFS if I restore to a newly formatted partition?

This depends on the approach of the particular backup program you use. It may make an exact image of the partition, including the file system's structures, in which case the restored partition will be exactly as the original. (Indeed, any format of the drive before restoring the drive image not only is unnecessary, but all that it accomplishes will be overwritten when you restore the image.) Or, the software may work on a file-by-file basis, in which case the files themselves will be restored — to whatever file system has been used in formatting the partition to which you restore them. But, again, note that a file-by-file restore from a backup of NTFS to a FAT partition will result in encrypted files being unreadable, because there is no way to decrypt them on FAT!

SUMMARY
This article describes file and folder compression performance in Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0.
MORE INFORMATION
While NTFS file system compression can save disk space, compressing data can adversely affect performance. NTFS compression has the following performance characteristics. When you copy or move a compressed NTFS file to a different folder, NTFS decompresses the file, copies or moves the file to the new location, and then recompresses the file. This behavior occurs even when the file is copied or moved between folders on the same computer. Compressed files are also expanded before copying over the network, so NTFS compression does not save network bandwidth.

Because NTFS compression is processor-intensive, the performance cost is more noticeable on servers, which are frequently processor-bound. Heavily loaded servers with a lot of write traffic are poor candidates for data compression. However, you may not experience significant performance degradation with read-only, read-mostly, or lightly loaded servers.

If you run a program that uses transaction logging and that constantly writes to a database or log, configure the program to store its files on a volume that is not compressed. If a program modifies data through mapped sections in a compressed file, the program can produce "dirty" pages faster than the mapped writer can write them. Programs such as Microsoft Message Queuing (also known as MSMQ) do not work with NTFS compression because of this issue.

Because user home folders and roaming profiles use lots of read and write operations, Microsoft recommends that you put user home folders and roaming profiles on a volume that does not have NTFS compression on the parent folder or on the volume root. Individual users may still enable compression on their folders, but the overall number of compressed files and folders is smaller. On servers that host compressed volumes, you should use careful performance monitoring to determine whether the CPU has enough capacity to support the compress/decompress operations that are being performed.

For additional information, see the "File and Folder Compression" and "Compression Performance" sections in the Microsoft

SUMMARY
This article provides a description of the process that Convert.exe uses to convert a disk partition from file allocation table (FAT) to the NTFS file system. The article also discusses the space that is required for conversion.

Back to the top
MORE INFORMATION
The conversion of a disk partition from FAT to NTFS requires a certain amount of free disk space for building the NTFS disk structures. FAT and NTFS use very different on-disk structures to represent the allocation of space for files. These structures are often referred to as "metadata" or "file system overhead."

Back to the top
FAT and NTFS Overhead
FAT metadata consists of a boot sector, one or more file allocation tables, a root directory structure of fixed size, and a variable amount of space for each subdirectory. The space for each subdirectory is related to the number of files that are in the subdirectory.

Another kind of overhead is associated with both FAT and NTFS. Both file systems allocate disk space in clusters of a fixed size. The exact size of these allocation units or clusters is determined at format time, and the defaults are dependent on the size of the volume. On volumes of similar size, the default cluster size for NTFS is smaller than the default cluster size for FAT.

Because space for file data can be allocated only in whole cluster amounts, even a 1-byte file uses a whole cluster's worth of disk space on a FAT volume. (Space usage issues for NTFS are similar but slightly more complicated, and those issues are not covered in detail in this article.)

Like FAT, the NTFS file system has a certain amount of fixed-size overhead and a certain amount of per-file overhead. NTFS also has several advanced features, including recoverability, security, and support for very large volumes. Because of these advanced features, the NTFS metadata overhead is somewhat larger than the FAT metadata overhead. On the other hand, because NTFS cluster overhead is smaller than FAT cluster overhead, it is often possible to store at least as much on an NTFS volume as on a FAT volume, even without using NTFS file compression.

Back to the top
The Conversion Process
To guard against corruption that can be caused by failure during conversion, the Convert.exe utility must build the NTFS metadata by using only the space that the FAT file system considers to be free space. That way, if the conversion does not succeed, the FAT representation of the user files is still valid.

A complicating factor for this strategy is that one sector of NTFS data must occupy a specific location on the disk, and a very limited number of other structures must occupy adjacent sectors.

In the conversion process, Convert.exe performs these tasks:
1.   Convert.exe relocates FAT clusters to create space for the fixed-location NTFS structure and other adjacent data, and then saves the new FAT. If the necessary sectors cannot be made available (for example, if the sectors are unreadable), the conversion process stops. The FAT volume is in the same condition as before the attempted conversion.
2.   In the free space in the FAT volume, Convert.exe creates the elementary NTFS data structures, that is, the fixed-size tables and structures that are common to any NTFS volume. The size of these tables depends on the size of the volume but does not depend on the number of files on the volume.
3.   Convert.exe creates the NTFS master file table and directory listings in the free space on the FAT volume. The space required for this step is variable and depends on the total number of files on the FAT volume.
4.   In the NTFS bitmap, Convert.exe marks as "free" those NTFS clusters that are being used by FAT-specific structures. After the conversion is complete, NTFS can reclaim the FAT metadata overhead as free space.
5.   Finally, Convert.exe writes the NTFS boot sector. This final action causes the volume to be recognized as NTFS rather than FAT. (If the conversion fails at any earlier step, the volume is still recognized as a valid FAT volume.)
Because a crash can occur at any time, the conversion process minimizes the chance of disk corruption.

Almost all of the writes are to free FAT space, so failure preserves the FAT intact. The only times when Convert.exe writes to space that is not free--that is, the times at which a failure can cause problems--are:
•   At the end of step 1, when Convert.exe overwrites the FAT.

The algorithm for relocating clusters guarantees that if a failure does take place during this stage, Chkdsk can fix the disk with no loss of data.
•   In step 5, when Convert.exe writes the boot sector.

The system partition is the active, primary partition that starts the computer. If a failure occurs while the system partition is being converted, there is a chance that the computer could be unable to start. It is not likely that such a failure will occur, but if it does occur, you can still use a (floppy) boot disk to start the computer.

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The Computation Process
Before starting the conversion process, Convert.exe performs a computation to figure out how much free space is required, based on the number of preexisting files on the FAT volume and on the size of the volume. For standard hardware (a hard drive that has 512 bytes per sector), the computation is done like this:
1.   Start by taking the size of the volume, in bytes, and dividing by 100. If this value is less than 1,048,576, use 1,048,576. If the value is larger than 4,194,304, use 4,194,304.
2.   Add the size of the volume in bytes, divided by 803.
3.   Add the number of files and directories that are on the volume, multiplied by 1,280.
4.   Add 196,096.
If there is extended attribute information on the FAT volume, Convert.exe also considers the additional space that is required. (Extended attribute information is normally not present. It is a consideration only if the computer had been running OS/2 and extended attributes were in use.)

The computation that is described closely approximates the computation that Convert.exe performs. The exact result on any given system may differ slightly.

The computation yields the amount of free space that Convert.exe requires before attempting a conversion. The computation includes an allowance for the possibility of encountering bad sectors in the free space in the FAT volume.

If a volume has just enough free space to begin the conversion, and if a significant fraction of drive space is discovered to be unusable, the conversion process may fail. However, because the design is for the volume to automatically fall back to being recognized as FAT, failure does not necessarily produce any disk corruption.

Back to the top
Special Considerations
If you use the Convert.exe command, be aware of these considerations:
•   You must specify that the drive is to be converted when the computer restarts. Otherwise, you cannot convert the current drive.
•   If Convert.exe cannot lock the drive (for example, the system volume or the current drive), Convert.exe offers to convert the drive next time the computer restarts.
•   The location of the master file table (MFT) is different on volumes that have been converted from previous versions of NTFS, so volume performance might not be as good on volumes that are converted from Windows NT.
•   Compared with volumes that are initially formatted with NTFS, volumes that are converted from FAT to NTFS lack some performance benefits. On converted volumes, the MFT can become fragmented. In addition, on converted boot volumes, NTFS permissions are not applied after the volume is converted.

SUMMARY
Windows XP supports two disk file systems: the file allocation table (FAT) file system and the NTFS file system. This article explains how to convert a FAT partition into an NTFS partition and discusses the considerations that you must take into account.
MORE INFORMATION
Windows XP includes the Convert.exe utility for converting a FAT partition to an NTFS partition. Convert.exe is simple to use, but there are some limitations that you should consider before using the utility.

You should consider the following limitations before you convert a FAT partition to NTFS:
•   The conversion is a one-way process. After you convert a partition to NTFS, you cannot convert the partition back to FAT. To restore the partition as a FAT partition, the partition would have to be reformatted as FAT, which erases all data from the partition. Data would then be restored from backup.
•   Removing Windows XP to revert to Windows 98 or to Windows Millennium Edition (Me) is not an option after you convert any drive on the computer to NTFS.
•   You cannot convert the system partition of a RISC-based computer to NTFS. The ARC specification requires that the system partition be FAT. It is possible to create a small (1-megabyte) FAT partition for the system partition and then install Windows on an NTFS partition (the boot partition).
•   Convert.exe requires that a certain amount of free space be present on the drive in order to convert the file system.For additional information about the amount of free space that is required for a conversion, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
156560 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/156560/EN-US/) Free Space Required to Convert FAT to NTFS
NOTE: Although there is little chance for corruption or data loss during the conversion from FAT to NTFS, it is a good idea to perform a full backup of the data on the drive that it is to be converted before you run the convert command. Before you proceed, it is also a good idea to verify the integrity of the backup.

To convert a FAT partition to NTFS, follow these steps:
1.   Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2.   At the command prompt, type CONVERT driveletter: /FS:NTFS.
3.   Convert.exe attempts to convert the partition to NTFS.
While Convert is running, you may receive the following error message:
Convert cannot gain exclusive access to the driveletter:, so it cannot convert it now. Would you like to schedule it to be converted the next time the system restarts (Y/N)?
You receive this error message under any of the following three conditions:
•   If you run the CONVERT command while the current directory is on the drive that is to be converted (for example, if you type CONVERT F: /FS:NTFS at the F:\> prompt).

To resolve this, either click Yes in the error message and then restart the computer, or change to a directory on another drive and retype the command.
•   If a program has a file open on the drive that is to be converted.

To resolve this, either click Yes in the error message and let the drive be converted next time the computer is restarted, or close any programs that may be using files on the drive. Remember that this also applies to users who connect to files over the network and to a paging file that resides on the drive.
•   If you attempt to convert the partition from which the operating system is running.

It is not possible to convert the boot partition while the operating system is running. To convert the boot partition, it is always necessary to run the CONVERT command, click Yes in the error message, and then restart the computer. The partition is converted the next time the computer is restarted. As an alternative, you can start the computer in an installation of Windows XP that is on a different partition, and convert the boot partition from that installation of Windows XP.
For additional information about the differences between the FAT and NTFS file systems, along with the advantages and disadvantages of each, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
100108 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/100108/EN-US/) Overview of FAT, HPFS, and NTFS File Systems

SUMMARY
This article describes how to clear the Past Items list in the Customize Notifications window.
MORE INFORMATION
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

To clear the Past Items list, perform the following steps:
1.   Delete the IconStreams and PastIconsStream values from the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TrayNotify
2.   Open Task Manager, click the Processes tab, click Explorer.exe, and then click End Process.
3.   In Task Manager, click File, click New Task, type explorer, and then click OK.

Restore Safely Remove Hardware Icon (Line 5)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Manual Fix:

Restore Safely Remove Hardware icon:
RunDll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll

Start/Run/Regedit:  You may need to create the key if it does not already exist.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Value Name: NoTrayItemsDisplay
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = default, 1 = enable restriction)

Create a new DWORD value, or modify the existing value, called 'NoTrayItemsDisplay' and edit the value according to the settings below. Exit your registry, you may need to restart or log out of Windows for the change to take effect.

Start/Run/Regedit
Delete the IconStreams and PastIconsStream values from the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TrayNotify

Remove Past Items From the Notification Area (Line 53)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Once done, Open Task Manager, click the Processes tab, click Explorer.exe, and then click End Process. In Task Manager, click File, click New Task, type explorer, and then click OK.

This happens for most Auto-Logon users.  Three methods/workarounds: Log off and Log back on, password protect your account or disable SSDP and uPNP Services.

Automated Edit:

Disable SSDP and uPNP Services (Line 156)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Manual Edit:

Right click My Computer/Manage. Expand Services and Applications then Click on Services. A list of services appears in the right column. Scroll down to the the SSDP and uPnP Service. Right click each, choose properties. Change the text next to "Startup type:" to Disabled.

Or, if you are running XP SP1 uninstall UPnP from Add/Remove Windows Components.

Hide or Show Inactive Icons in the Notification Area (Line 53)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Tip:  Volume Control disappears in the Notification Area.  Once present, run this edit.

Save Settings on Exit (Line 54)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

To use the Regedit: Save the REG File to your hard disk. Double click it and answer yes to the import prompt. REG files can be viewed in Notepad by right clicking on the file and selecting Edit.

Change the Default Action for Script Files. Normally scripting files are run when double clicked, once applied this
tweak will cause them to be shown in Notepad instead. This is useful to avoid accidental execution especially with the prevalence of script based viruses.

Open your registry (Start/Run/Regedit) and for each key below change the value of "(Default)" to equal "Edit". This will change the default action so that the script will be loaded in Notepad.exe (or another specified text editor).

JS Files
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\JSFile\Shell]

JSE Files
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\JSEFile\Shell]

VBE Files
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBEFile\Shell]

VBS Files
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell]

WSH Files
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WSHFile\Shell]

WSF Files
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\WSFFile\Shell]

In addition you can change the default editor for each script type be changing the "(Default)" value under the [...\Shell\Edit\Command] sub-key.

Restart Windows for the change to take effect.

Note: Scripts can still be executed normally by right-clicking the file and selecting "Open" from the context menu.

Registry Settings
Value Name: (Default)
Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value)
Value Data: ("Edit" = set Edit as default)

Situation:
This document explains how to use the SYMClean utility. SYMClean is typically used in any of the following situations:

- When the Windows® Add/Remove Programs utility fails to fully remove Norton SystemWorks 2002/2001.
- You encountered problems while installing Norton SystemWorks, and a technician advised you to use SYMClean.
- You see a message while installing Norton SystemWorks that indicates that a previous version was detected, even though you already uninstalled the previous version.

Solution:
SYMClean is designed to remove leftover Norton SystemWorks files and registry entries that may be interfering with the Norton SystemWorks installation.

Important: Do not use this document to remove Norton SystemWorks 2003 or later. SYMClean has not been updated to remove those versions. If Add or Remove Programs failed to completely remove Norton SystemWorks 2003 or later, then read Using the Norton Removal Tool. That document provides a completely automated removal tool for Norton 2003 or later products.


Before you begin:

    * If you have not already tried to uninstall Norton SystemWorks automatically, use the Windows uninstall utility rather than the SYMClean utility to uninstall Norton SystemWorks. SYMClean is a small program that should be used for emergency manual uninstallation only after you have tried to uninstall Norton SystemWorks using the Windows uninstall utility.
    * SYMClean 2003 does not remove Norton SystemWorks 2003/2004 or its component products. It is designed to remove only older versions of Norton SystemWorks and its components. Using SYMClean to remove Norton SystemWorks 2003/2004 results in an incomplete uninstallation, and requires that you perform a manual uninstallation to more fully remove Norton SystemWorks. For more information on what items SYMClean removes, read the document Introduction to SYMClean.

1. Insert your Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive and browse to the Valueadd\MSFT\Net\NetBEUI folder.
2. Copy Nbf.sys to the %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\Drivers directory.
3. Copy Netnbf.inf to the %SYSTEMROOT%\Inf hidden directory.
4. Click Start, click "Control Panel", and then double-click "Network Connections".
5. Right-click the adapter you want to add NetBEUI to, and then click Properties.
6. On the General tab, click Install.
7. Click Protocol, and then click Add.
8. Click to select "NetBEUI Protocol" from the list and then click OK.
9. Restart your computer if you receive a prompt to complete the installation.

     Tip:  Copy NBF.SYS and NETNBF.INI from the Win2K installation to a floppy. Remove all "CopyFile" and
              "DestinationDir" related comments from the inf. Open network connections/properties/install/protocol/have
              disk/..Add NetBeui

NetBEUI (NetBIOS Extended User Interface) is a new, extended version of NetBIOS, the program that lets computers communicate within a local area network. NetBEUI (pronounced net-BOO-ee) formalizes the frame format (or arrangement of information in a data transmission) that was not specified as part of NetBIOS. NetBEUI was developed by IBM for its LAN Manager product and has been adopted by Microsoft for its Windows NT, LAN Manager, and Windows for Workgroups products. Hewlett-Packard and DEC use it in comparable products.

NetBEUI is the best performance choice for communication within a single LAN. Because, like NetBIOS, it does not support the routing of messages to other networks, its interface must be adapted to other protocols such as Internetwork Packet Exchange or TCP/IP. A recommended method is to install both NetBEUI and TCP/IP in each computer and set the server up to use NetBEUI for communication within the LAN and TCP/IP for communication beyond the LAN.

SYMPTOMS
After you use the Windows Disk Management snap-in tool to mark your primary partition as active, the computer may not start, and you may receive the following error message:
NTLDR is missing.

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart.

CAUSE
This behavior occurs if the partition marked as active does not contain the Windows boot files or the boot files for another operating system. On Intel-based computers, the system partition must be a primary partition that has been marked as active for startup purposes. This partition must be located on the disk that the computer gains access to at startup. There can be only one active system partition at a time. If you want to use another operating system, you must first mark its system partition as active before restarting the computer.

RESOLUTION
IMPORTANT Before performing the steps listed below, make sure that you have a good backup of your critical data files.

To resolve this behavior, use one of the following procedures:
•   Try changing the active partition by booting to a floppy disk and then using disk utilities to manually change the active partition:
1.   Boot to a command prompt by using a Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me) boot floppy disk.
2.   At the command prompt, type fdisk, and then press ENTER.
3.   When you are prompted to enable large disk support, click Yes.
4.   Click Set active partition, press the number of the partition that you want to make active, and then press ENTER.
5.   Press ESC.
6.   Remove the boot floppy disk, and then restart the computer.
•   Boot the computer by using a Windows XP boot disk. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
305595 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/305595/) How to create a bootable floppy disk for an NTFS or FAT partition in Windows XP
•   If the partition that has been incorrectly marked as active is formatted in the FAT file system, the FAT32 file system, or the NTFS file system, you may be able to use the Windows Recovery Console to correct the behavior. For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
314058 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058/EN-US/) Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console
NOTE: The system partition refers to the disk volume that contains the files that are needed to start Windows (for example, Ntldr,Boot.ini, and Ntdetect.com). On Intel x86-based computers, the system partition must be a primary partition that is marked active. On Intel x86 computers, this is always drive 0, the drive that the system BIOS searches when the operating system starts.

Using the Recovery Console, copy the Ntldr file from the Windows XP CD-ROM to the root directory of the current active partition. Follow these steps:
1.   Start your computer by using the Windows XP Setup floppy disks or by using the Windows XP CD-ROM.
2.   At the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press F10, or press R to repair.
3.   Press C to start the Recovery Console.
4.   Copy the Ntldr file from the Windows XP CD-ROM to the root of your system partition by using the following commands, pressing ENTER after each command:
a.    Type cd .. to go to the root of drive C.

Note that there is a space between the d and the two periods (..).
b.    Type the letter of the CD-ROM drive.
c.    Type cd i386.
d.    Type Copy ntldr c:.
e.    Type Copy ntdetect.com c:.
f.    Type Bootcfg /add.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
291980 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291980/) A discussion about the Bootcfg command and its uses
g.    Type Exit.
If the partition was not formatted by using Windows, you might also need to run the Recovery Console fixboot command to make the active partition bootable.
After you can boot into Windows, it is recommended that you use the Windows Disk Management snap-in tool to reset the original system partition as the active partition, and then restart the computer.

According to contactmusic.com reports, the celebrated American actor, Will Smith, has been taking advice from "Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle, in an effort to fulfill his promise to star in a Bollywood movie.

Smith is serious about trying his luck in a different genre of pictures, as he made several trips to visit Boyle on set in India. Boyle said: "While we were filming there, Will Smith came over twice. There's a massive coming together of Bollywood and Hollywood. It'll only take one person to bring them together and it will be huge."

Will Smith has also been taking advice from Boyle on the working style of Bollywood. He also sought out Indian actor Anil Kapoor, who confirmed that the actor recently came to visit him at his residence.

There seems to be little doubt about the fact that the "I am Legend" man has now really made up his mind to be part of an entirely diverse style of movie making experience, atypical to the eastern world.

In fact, Smith's growing interest in Bollywood is an indication that the appreciation that the film "Slumdog Millionaire" is receiving from the international crowd is making the option of being part of a cross over film shot completely in India, or with a good percentage of Indian creative contribution, an attractive one for the Hollywood actors.

000   Data file (GEOWorks)
000-20009   Used to number old (backup) versions of files (for example, CONFIG.SYS when changed by an installation program); also used to number related data files for multiple users of a small-scale PC application
001-999   Database index files used by (Superbase)
113   Backup data file (Iomega Backup)
1ST   Documenting wizard list (Microsoft Visual FoxPro)
7z - File Format   7-Zip open source file archive format with high compression ratio
8   Source file (Assembly) (Similar to Microsoft Assembler)
netCDF   Network Common Data Form

In order to mollify antitrust regulators who are threatening to block the alliance, a list of concessions has reportedly been submitted by Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. This list will deflate their proposed Internet advertising partnership.

During the weekend, the U.S. Justice Department received the revisions from the two companies.

On Monday, a very well known journal posted on its Web Site, "Google and Yahoo are now willing to limit the amount of revenue generated from the partnership and shorten the deal's duration. Google's advertising customers would also be given the option to not have their commercials appear on Yahoo's Web site."

Yahoo, under this new plan, would be limited to getting no more than 25% of its search advertising revenue from Google. Further, after two years, their partnership would expire. This is quite opposite to the original contract that was signed in June. It was supposed to get expire after 10 years and there was no restriction on Yahoo on how frequently it could draw upon Google's technology for displaying ads alongside its search results.

Earlier, Yahoo was hopeful that Google's system will let it increase its revenue by $800 million annually. However, now the new contract would cut that amount to half due to the imposed restrictions.

"Putting a 25 percent limit on its revenue from Google's system would mean limit Yahoo's take to about $400 million annually, based on Yahoo's search advertising sales during the past four quarters," added the report posted on the Web Site.

Representatives from Google and Yahoo though declined to comment anything on the Journal's report, did admit of being in talks with the Justice Department in hopes of winning clearance to join forces. 

Los Angeles - BMW is launching a fleet of 500 electric-powered MINI cars for private and business customers in the United States with a prototype to be unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show this month.

The zero-emission MINI E, powered by a 150 kW/205 hp electric engine that gets its energy from a lithium-ion battery pack, would be leased to customers in California, New York and New Jersey inn 2009, the car maker said.

The exterior of the MINI E is hardly distinguishable from the standard MINI with the exception of an "E" symbol on the bodywork. In the dashboard, a battery loading indicator replaces the rev counter. The dials are in dark grey and the numbers are in yellow. The load volume is indicated in percentages.

The MINI E is also painted in dark silver with the roof in pure silver colour.

BMW lists acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds with the top speed electronically regulated at 152 km/h. One loading charge of 2.5 hours gives the car a range of 240 kilometres.

The battery pack, which consists of 5,088 battery cells linked to 48 modules, is positioned in three elements behind the two front seats. Each car comes with a so-called Wallbox that can be installed in the electric socket of a garage, enabling shorter loading time.

Slight modifications have been made to the bodywork for optimal weight distribution. The brakes are combined with a newly developed electric pump while EPS (Electrical Power Assisted Steering) is equivalent to the unit in the standard MINI. As soon as the driver takes their foot off the accelerator, the electric motor functions like a generator, producing energy for the battery.

The MINI E is produced in Oxford, England and at BMW's main factory in Munich, Germany. The basic body components are put together in Oxford with the electric engine, battery unit, transmission and other electric components fitted in Munich. Production is to be concluded by the end of 2008.

By making the 500 cars available to selected customers in urban centres, the car maker hopes to gain important know-how for the mass production of electric vehicles in the near future, the company said in a statement. The fleet is supported by a team of technicians based on both the U. S. east and west coasts. BMW is also looking at extending the project to Europe.

SBI Card would release a financial package for defaulting clients. SBI card is the joint venture company of State Bank of India and GE Money. SBI card intends to help those customers who have been good at repaying in the past, but have failed to repay following the turbulent global financial conditions. The company y would restructure its card-portfolio to check further defaults.

SBI Card CEO, Diwakar Gupta said that the company can enhance the tenure of the loan and revise interest rates to help customers. The company is charging interest between 3.1-3.35 percent and it may be revised to around 2.5 percent. He said that the company is working as per industry standards and there is no problem of delinquencies as its delinquencies are not more than the average delinquencies of other firms.

The company has also decided to launch co-branded credit cards for more efficient SBI Cards & Payments Services. It has tied up with state owned Dena Bank, which have credit card holder base of 10,000. The Executive Director, Bhaskar Sen said that it has decided to avail services of professional organization for credit cards as the company is interested to provide more efficient banking services. It would also expand its base in small towns across the country.

 Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has created history by defeating his Republican rival John McCain to become the first Black President of the United States.

The 47-year-old Democratic senator from Illinois swept to victory over his Republican opponent McCain by building an Electoral College majority of 367 votes to McCain's 168 at the time of filing the story.

Meanwhile, McCain has conceded defeat to Obama, telling supporters "the failure is mine."

McCain told his election-night rally in his hometown of Phoenix that he had congratulated his opponent in a phone call. He thanked his wife Cindy, children, his mother and friends for their support "during the ups and downs of this campaign".

McCain also thanked controversial running mate Sarah Palin, "one of the best campaigners I have ever seen and an impressive new voice in our party."

Obama climbed over the top at 11 p. m. ET with wins in California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. It takes 270 electoral votes to win.

But Obama delivered a crushing defeat earlier in the night by clinching Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, states that were key to McCain's presidential electoral strategy, FOX News reported.

And the Democratic nominee took a commanding lead over his Republican rival with a slew of victories in reliable East Coast and Midwestern territory.

Obama has so far won New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Vermont and the District of Columbia.

He also won all four electoral votes in Maine and scored a victory in his home state of Illinois, as well as in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and the southwestern state of New Mexico.

McCain has won Texas and Georgia, as well as Idaho, South Dakota, South Carolina, Mississippi, Utah, Louisiana, Arkansas, North Dakota, Kansas, Wyoming, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky. He won three of Nebraska''s five electoral votes.

The Democratic nominee has so far amassed 297 electoral votes to McCain's 145,

Pennsylvania, with its 21 electoral votes, was one of the few states that voted Democratic in the 2004 presidential election that McCain was actively pursuing.

But McCain's narrow path to victory was made airtight after he lost Ohio and its 20 electoral votes, and Virginia's 13.

He would have had to score an upset in a major Democratic state to recover, as well as win Florida and a number of other states President Bush won four years ago that Obama is contesting.

Thousands of supporters on Tuesday night filled Chicago's Grant Park, where Obama will hold his election celebration.

Bharti Airtel has announced its launch of Airtel digital TV in collaboration with its technology partner NDS which will secure, enable and enhance its direct-to-home (DTH) service.

Announcing the DTH launch, N. Arjun, executive director of Bharti Telemedia, said in a statement that, with the support of NDS, the telecom major would provide "superior, state-of-the-art services to our DTH service customers".

He said the DTH service was launched with VideoGuard conditional access (CA) and MediaHighway customised multi-lingual electronic program guide (EPG).

The CA and DRM technology of NDS protects over 95.4 million digital devices around the world and secures service revenues of over $40 billion worldwide. Middleware from NDS has been deployed in over 98.7 million devices, the statement added.

The technology solutions of NDS have flexibility to allow Bharti Airtel to introduce future enhancements.

How to get started with Folder Guard:

You don't have to be a computer "geek" to be able to use Folder Guard: we designed it so that it could be used by anyone, even if you don't have much experience with computers yet.

IMPORTANT: First of all, a word of warning: Folder Guard is a powerful tool and should be used responsibly. Using it thoughtlessly, you can inadvertently make your computer inaccessible. For example, it is very easy with Folder Guard to prevent access to the Desktop folder, and make Windows start with a blank screen after you reboot. DO NOT try to protect folders with your important documents until you have tested Folder Guard on some practice folder, that contains no important documents (or at least make sure you have the copies of the documents saved in some other folder before trying to hide them with Folder Guard.) Only after you have tried Folder Guard to protect a test folder and got used to the way it works and operates, you can try to use it for protection of the "real" documents and folders. Also, it's always a good idea to back up your hard disk before trying any new software, including Folder Guard!

So, how to get started with Folder Guard? It's as easy as 1, 2, 3...

1. Download.

Visit our Download Center and download a file with the evaluation version of Folder Guard. Save the file somewhere on your hard disk, in a folder where you usually save the programs you download form the Internet.

2. Install.

If you installed other software packages before, you should have no problem installing Folder Guard, too. You may find detailed installation instructions here.

3. Test drive.

If you are not familiar with Folder Guard, we suggest first to try a very simple task: use Folder Guard to hide just one test folder on your hard disk. Folder Guard now includes the Quick Start Wizard that can guide you through the steps necessary to configure such protection. Or, you can use a detailed step-by-step description of this procedure here, and also in the "Quick Start Guide" section of the Help file included in the evaluation version.

After you have practiced with the test folder and get used to the way Folder Guard works, you may wish to try other things: please refer to Folder Guard Help for the description of its commands and suggestions on its use.

4. Purchase a license or Uninstall.

If you find Folder Guard suitable for your requirements, and you want to continue using it beyond the evaluation period, please visit our Online Store and purchase a license. You will receive a "license key" which you will need to enter into the evaluation version, to make it work in the fully-licensed mode (the instructions are provided along with the license key).

If, however, you discover that Folder Guard does not solve the problem you want to solve, you can remove it from your computer at any time, you can find the instructions on how to uninstall Folder Guard here. Before removing the program, though, you may wish to contact our technical support, and we will try to help you with configuring and using Folder Guard.

How Folder Guard works
   
Overview Editions of Folder Guard

Relax, you don't have to read or understand this section in order to use Folder Guard. We have provided this information only in case you are really curious. You can safely skip this section and go to the next one.

As you probably know, most Windows programs don't work with files and folders directly; they rely on the support provided by the Windows operating system to work with files and folders. (It makes each program able to work with wide range of the storage devices, letting Windows take care of the details). For example, if you use Windows Notepad to open a text document, the Notepad program first prepares a special request for the contents of the disk and sends this request to Windows. Having received the request, Windows searches its internal data structures and the contents of the disks, and returns the results back to Notepad, which in turn shows the files and folders to you in the Open File window. After you have selected the file and pressed OK, Notepad prepares another request for opening the file you have selected, and sends it to Windows, as well. Windows reads the appropriate bytes of data from the disk and returns them back to Notepad, that shows them to you in its window. In reality, the procedure is much more complex: even a simple operation like the one described above may take hundreds of different requests sent back and forth between the program and Windows, before you can see the results on the screen. All such requests and actions are performed by the programs transparently to you, and you don't even have to know what is going on under the Windows hood, unless you really want to.

Folder Guard works by intercepting the system requests that Windows programs and Windows itself exchange between each other. Folder Guard analyses the requests and the data they contain, and uses the attributes of the files and folders that you have set up with Folder Guard to allow or deny such requests. For example, if you designated a file to be read-only, and some program sends a request to read information from this file, Folder Guard allows such request to go through without intervention, and passes the results from Windows back to the program. If, however, a program sends a request to write some data into such file, Folder Guard intercepts it, and returns it back to the program without passing it to Windows. This prevents the file from being overridden (as per the read-only attribute), and makes the program display an error message such as "Access denied" or similar.

That's how Folder Guard works.

How to uninstall Folder Guard
   
How to install Folder Guard Free vs. Continued use

To completely uninstall Folder Guard, it's not enough to simply delete its program files from the installation folder. To completely remove Folder Guard from your computer, follow the instructions below.

IMPORTANT: If your computer is configured for several user accounts, login into the same user account that you were logged in when you installed Folder Guard. If you use Windows XP Fast User Switching, log off from all other accounts before trying to uninstall Folder Guard.

NOTE: If you have enabled the stealth mode of operation of Folder Guard, it has hidden the Uninstall Folder Guard command from the Start menu, as well as from the Add/Remove Programs list of Windows Control Panel. To restore these commands, run Folder Guard and use its Tools - Advanced - Stealth Mode command the turn the stealth mode off, then exit Folder Guard before continuing.
Method 1

Click on the Start button at the bottom of your screen, choose Programs - Folder Guard - Uninstall from the menu, and follow the instructions.
Method 2

Open Windows Control Panel, open the Add/Remove Programs item and use it to uninstall Folder Guard.
Method 3

Run the Setup utility of Folder Guard with the command line switch /U. That is, choose Start - Run, and enter the following command:

If you use a 32-bit version of Windows:

"C:\Program Files\Folder Guard\Setup.exe" /U

If you use a 64-bit version of Windows:

"C:\Program Files\Folder Guard\Setup64.exe" /U

(This command assumes that you have installed Folder Guard into the folder C:\Program Files\Folder Guard; if not, please enter the correct path to Setup.exe (or Setup64.exe) in the command line above. Also note the double quotes around the path, as well as a space character in front of the /U switch, they are important parts of the command and necessary for it to work properly).

You will be prompted to enter your Master Password before the uninstalling could be continued. This is necessary to protect Folder Guard from being removed by unauthorized users. If you forget your password, use the Emergency Recovery Utility to reset it.

You may also be prompted to restart your computer, in order to deactivate Folder Guard and release the files that are currently in use by Windows, before they can be uninstalled.

How to install Folder Guard
   
System requirements How to uninstall Folder Guard

    * Login to Windows as the administrator, or as a power user. If you login as a regular or limited user, you may not be able to install or use this software.

    * To begin the installation, simply run the installation file. If you do not have the installation file, please visit our web site to download the latest version:

      http://www.winability.com/download/

    * Note that if you have a previous version of this software already installed on your computer, the installation utility may prompt you to restart the computer, in order to be able to replace the files currently in use by Windows.

    * The installation program will walk you through the process of setting up Folder Guard. You will be prompted to read and accept the End User License Agreement, and to select the installation options such as the folder where to copy the files.

    * After you press the Finish button, the installation program will copy the files into the specified folder and configure Windows for using Folder Guard.

    * IMPORTANT: Make a backup copy of the installation file of Folder Guard that you have downloaded from our web site, as well as a copy of the message with your license key, on a floppy or other removable disk, because if you ever need to reinstall the software, you will need both, the installation file and your licensing information to install the program in the fully-licensed mode. It's not enough to store the files on your hard disk, because when (not if) it crashes, you will lose the files. (Yes, hard disks do crash, believe us!) We provide for download from our web site the latest versions of the installation files only. When we release an updated version, we remove the older version from the download area, so the installation file with the version that you have purchased may not be available for download in the future. Remember, it's your responsibility to backup your important files! If you do misplace your license key or the installation file that we no longer offer for download, please use this link to order a replacement:

      http://www.winability.com/lost_file_or_key/

How to restrict downloading programs with Opera browser:

If you don't want other users of your computer to download and install unauthorized software from the Internet, you can set up such a restriction with Folder Guard.

The following instructions assume that your web browser is Opera 6, installed into the folder C:\Program Files\Opera. (See also similar instructions for Internet Explorer).

The idea of the protection of the Opera downloads is similar to that of Internet Explorer, however, it requires a few extra steps, because of the fact that if the user of Opera selects the destination folder for the file before the download is completed, the Opera browser may download the file into the destination folder directly, bypassing its cache folder. This requires a few extra steps in configuring Opera, and also protecting its configuration file.

Step 1. Configuring Opera browser

Run Opera, choose File - Preferences from its menu, and select the File types set of settings. In the list of the file types, find an entry for the exe files, select it, and click on Edit to display the File type dialog box:

Select the options as shown above and click OK (but do not close the File types list yet!). Repeat the same procedure for other downloadable file types, such as zip, rar, arc, cab, and others. In the following example we will set up the protection for the exe and zip files only. However, you should add other file extensions to this list, depending on what kind of program packages your users are likely to download). Keep in mind, that there may be several entries for each file extension: for example, the zip extension has two entries. You should configure all such entries in the same as shown above for the exe extension.

Step 2. Creating the filter

Close Opera when finished the previous step, then run Folder Guard, switch to its Filters view, and use the Filters - New command to create a new filter. (For more information about the filters, see Folder Guard Help.) Fill out the Properties window for the new filter as follows:

(Note the quotes around the names of the folders, they are important!) Note also that we have entered the masks of only two most popular file formats for the programs, *.exe and *.zip. There are, however, other formats for distributing programs via the Internet, for example, *.rar, *.arc, *.cab, and so on. If you are concerned that other users may download and use such software packages, you should add the appropriate masks to the Apply to files area. If you do, don't forget to change the configuration of Opera for each such file type as described above!

Step 3. Activating the filter

Rename the new filter to "Opera downloads" (or to any other name you like), and activate it by assigning the no access attribute to it:

Step 4. Protecting the Opera configuration file (optional)

Opera keeps its configuration settings in the file Opera6.ini, located in its installation folder (usually it is C:\Program Files\Opera ). You may wish to protect this file with the "read-only" attribute of Folder Guard, to prevent users from permanently changing its settings. (On the other hand, you may not want to do that, if you want other users to be able to change the preferences of Opera. ) If you do want to protect this file, switch to the Folder View of Folder Guard (by choosing View - Folders from its menu), then use the Edit - Add file command to add the Opera6.ini file to the list of objects that you want to be protected with Folder Guard (See How to hide a file for the details about protecting files with Folder Guard). Finally, assign the read-only attribute to the Opera6.ini file:

Step 5. Enabling the protection

Now save the changes and enable the protection, as usual (For details, see How to hide a folder). The filter you have set up above should prevent Opera from downloading the exe and zip files from the Internet, and thus prevent users from installing unauthorized software on your computer. Note that even if a user changes the preferences of Opera to require it to prompt for a destination folder, the downloads still should not be possible (an attempt to download may cause Opera to simply hang). The best way to avoid such problems would be for the makers of Opera to implement password protection of its preferences. (Please contact Opera technical support about this and other suggestions you may have regarding the Opera browser.)

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How to restrict downloading programs with Internet Explorer:

If you don't want other users of your computer to download and install unauthorized software from the Internet, you can set up such a restriction with Folder Guard.

The following instructions assume that your copy of Windows is installed into the folder C:\Windows, and that your web browser is Internet Explorer. (See also similar instructions for Opera browser).

The idea of the protection is based on the fact that when Internet Explorer is downloading a file, it stores it in its Temporary Internet Files folder, along with the images and other files necessary to display the web pages when browsing. Only after the file has been successfully downloaded into the temporary folder, Internet Explorer moves it to the destination folder for your choice. This gives us an idea of how to prevent the downloads: we need to prevent Internet Explorer from being able to create program files (such as the .exe and *.zip files) in the temporary folder. However, we must still allow Internet Explorer to store files of other types (such as image files), to be able to display the web pages properly when browsing the Internet. This is just the type of a problem that can be easily solved using the "filters" of Folder Guard.

Step 1. Creating the filter

Run Folder Guard, switch to its Filters view, and use the Filters - New command to create a new filter. (For more information about filters, see Folder Guard Help.) Fill out the Properties window for the new filter as follows:

Be sure to enter the correct path to the Temporary Internet Files folder in the Apply to folders box. The paths shown on the picture should work if you have Windows 95, 98, or Me. However, if you have Windows 2000 or Windows XP, replace each occurrence of C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files with C:\Documents and Settings\*\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files. That is, your Apply to folders box should look like:

"C:\Documents and Settings\*\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files";
"C:\Documents and Settings\*\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\*"

(Note the quotes around the names of the folders, they are important!)

Note also that we have entered the masks of only two most popular file formats for the programs, *.exe and *.zip. There are, however, other formats for distributing programs via the Internet, for example, *.rar, *.arc, *.cab, and so on. If you are concerned that other users may download and use such software packages, you should add the appropriate masks to the Apply to files area.

Step 2. Activating the filter

Rename the new filter to "IE downloads" (or to any other name you like), and activate it by assigning the no access attribute to it:

Step 3. Enabling the protection

Now save the changes and enable the protection, as usual (See How to hide a folder for details). The filter you have set up above should prevent Internet Explorer from downloading the exe and zip files from the Internet, and thus prevent users from installing unauthorized software on your computer.

How to disable the CANCEL button on the Windows Me/98/95 login window:

(NOTE: This page applies to the DOS-based versions of Windows only, namely Windows 95,98, and ME. The NT-based editions such as Windows XP and 2000 do not have this problem.)

The problem: You have set up several Windows passwords for the users working with your computer. You hope that from now on a user will have to enter a correct user name and password before s/he will be allowed to start working with Windows. This protection, however, can be easily bypassed: an unauthorized user can just press the Cancel button at the logon prompt and start using the computer as the "default" user.

With the Monitor user logon feature of Folder Guard Classic Edition, you can solve this problem by configuring it to disable the CANCEL button on the login window.

First, run Folder Guard, choose the File - Settings command from the menu, and select the Protection page. Make sure that the Enable protection at Windows startup and Monitor user logon options are checked:

Now click on the Options button next to Monitor user logon to display the Logon monitoring options window:

If you want to just disable the Cancel button on the Windows logon prompt, then check the No Default user option in the Default user area.

Or, if you want to be able to use the Cancel button sometimes yourself, but stop other users from pressing it, you may want to protect the button with a password. To do that, clear the No Default user option in the Default user area, and check the Ask password option instead. Then click on the Password button and enter a password of your choice.

While you are setting up these options, you may also want to check the Validate user name option as well, to prevent users from creating new user accounts by entering new user names into the login box.

Finally, enable the protection, as usual (see the How to hide a folder page for the details), and from now on, the Cancel button on the Windows login box would be either disabled, or it would work only after you have entered the correct password that you have set up above:

How to prevent users from reformatting hard drives:

If you use Window Me/98, you can use the Protect - Permissions command of Folder Guard Classic Edition to remove the permissions to format drives from the selected users:

(This option is not offered on Windows Vista/XP/2000/2003, because these versions of Windows contain built-in means of restricting user access to the reformatting commands.)

How to prevent users from running programs from the removable disks:

If other users of your computer often install unauthorized programs or run games from the removable disks (such as floppy, Zip, CD-ROM drives, etc.), cluttering your hard drive and sometimes even infecting it with the viruses, you would probably want to restrict their ability to run programs from the removable drives. The obvious solution could be to use Folder Guard to assign the "no access" to the removable drive and that would stop it all, but what if you still want the users to be able to use the removable drive to backup their documents, or to open files other than programs? No problem, Folder Guard is flexible enough to allow for such protection.

The tool of choice in a situation like this would be the "filters" of Folder Guard. Filters let you fine-tune the protection Folder Guard based on the names of the files, folders they are located in, and the module names accessing the files. For example, with filters you can allow one program access files in a particular folder, while all other programs would be denied such access, and so on. Folder Guard comes with several pre-configured filters, designed to perform various tasks, which you can see by choosing the View - Filters command from its menu.

To solve the problem of users running the programs from the removable drives, we need to create a new filter, which would apply only to the executable files located on the removable drives, but would not apply to all other files. Then, we would assign the "no access" to such a filter, and that would restrict access to the programs on the removable drives, while allowing access to the rest of the files.

For the sake of example, we will create a filter that would apply only to the files located on the floppy drive A:. If you want to pally it to other removable files that you may have as well, you will need to modify the instructions below accordingly.

Step 1. Create a new filter

Choose the View - Filters command from Folder Guard menu to switch to the window that shows the filters of Folder Guard, and then choose the Filters - New command to create a new filter. Fill out the "Properties for New Filter" dialog box as follows:

We want this filter to apply to the executable files only, and the executable files usually have the extensions .exe, .com, that's why we have entered these extensions in the "Apply to files" mask. Also, since we want the filter to apply only to the files on the floppy drive A:, we have entered the mask "A:*" in the "Apply to folders" area. (If you have a CD-ROM drive D:, and you want to prevent running programs from it, too, then you should enter the "Apply to folders" mask as follows: "A::*"). Finally, the text in the "Comments" area is just a note for yourself about what we are doing, you can enter any other text there, or leave it empty, if you want.

Now press OK and enter some meaningful name for the filter you've just created:

Step 2. Restrict access to the files of the filter

This is done in the same way as with regular folders and files: simply use the Protect - Access menu or the toolbar button to assign the "no access" attribute to the filter we've created (note that you cannot restrict the "visiblity" of the files defined by a filter, only access to such files may be restricted):

Step 2. Enable the protection

Again, this step is no different than enabling the protection when hiding the files and folders: in Folder Guard, choose Tools - Enable Protection from the menu. If you have already closed the Folder Guard window, then choose the Start - Programs - Folder Guard - Toggle Protection.

Now try to run a program from the removable drive you have protected - it should not be possible. If you try to open any other file, you should be able to do that without any restrictions.

How to prevent users from installing unauthorized programs with Folder Guard:

To stop other users of your computer from installing programs without your permission, evaluate the possible ways of getting unauthorized programs to run, and restrict them. The most common ways are:

1. Installing programs from the floppy, CD-ROM, or other removable disks.

    Restrict the ability of the users to run programs from the removable drives.

2. Downloading programs from the Internet.

    Restrict the ability of the users to download programs from the Internet.

3. Receiving programs as the email attachments.

    Configure your email software to stop users from opening the email attachments.

Set up user-specific restrictions

With Folder Guard, you can set up different restrictions for different users of your computer. For instance, you can make a folder visible when you log in to Windows, but remain hidden when some other user logs in. Folder Guard uses the built-in Windows user accounts, that is it distinguishes between different users by the names they enter when they log in to computer.

To control which restrictions should apply to which users, use the User List of Folder Guard. (If it is not visible when you open the main window of Folder Guard, choose the View - User List command from the menu to make it visible.)

The User List originally contains only one item: Default. This user name is used to set up the restrictions that would apply to all users for whom no user-specific restrictions have been set up. To create restrictions that would apply to specific users, first use the User list command on the Protect menu to add the user names to the User List. Then, to set up the restrictions for a user, simply select that user's name in the User List, and assign the desired attributes to the folders: they would be applied to the selected user only.

For example, if you want to hide the folder named A Private Folder located on the C: drive from all users except yourself, first select the Default name in the User List, and apply the hidden and no access attributes to this folder:

(More information on how to hide folders with Folder Guard is available here.) Now use the User list command on the Protect menu to add your login name to the User List. (In this example we assume that your login name is Admin.)

Finally, select your user name (Admin in this example) in the User List and assign the visible and full access attributes to the same folder:

That's it, the user-specific protection of the folder has been set up! To see how the folder will be protected for each user, simply select the user's name in question in the User List, and the images displayed next to the folders will show how each user will be able to see and access each folder.

Of course, if you have other users, you can set up restrictions specific to them, too. For instance, if you want some users to be able to see and open files from your private folder, but not to save any changes to them, you would assign the read-only attribute to the folder for such users. If you don't assign any user-specific attributes to a folder, then when such a user logs in to the computer, the restrictions specified for the Default user would apply.

How to restrict access to Control Panel with Folder Guard:

It is not obvious, but the commands that appear in Windows Control Panel are handled by the special system files of the type "Control Panel extension" (their names have the extension .CPL). For example, the DESK.CPL file is responsible for the Display command of Control Panel, TIMEDATE.CPL - for the Date and Time command, and so on. (Some of the .CPL files are responsible for more than one command of Control Panel).

This information gives us a method of restricting access to the commands of Control Panel with Folder Guard: we simply need to restrict access to the appropriate .CPL file with Folder Guard, that would make Windows unable to use that file, and it would effectively prevent access to the appropriate command of Control Panel.

Here is the list of the common .CPL files and the Control Panel commands each of the files is responsible for:

.CPL file   Control Panel command(s)
ACCESS.CPL   Accessibility Options
APPWIZ.CPL   Add/Remove Programs
DESK.CPL   Display
HDWWIZ.CPL   Add/Remove Hardware
INETCPL.CPL   Internet settings, user accounts on Windows 95,98,Me
INFRARED.CPL   Infrared
INTL.CPL   Regional settings
JOY.CPL   Game Controllers
MAIN.CPL   Fonts, Keyboard, Mouse, PC Card (PCMCIA), Printers
MMSYS.CPL   Sounds
MODEM.CPL   Modems
NCPA.CLP   Network connections
NETCPL.CPL   Network settings
NUSRMGR.CPL   User manager on Windows XP
ODBCCP32.CPL   ODBC Data Source Administrator
PASSWORD.CPL   Passwords
POWERCFG.CPL   Power Management
SYSDM.CPL   System
TELEPHON.CPL   Telephony
THEMES.CPL   Desktop Themes
TIMEDATE.CPL   Date/Time

(You may have other CPL files, or not all of the files listed above, depending on your version of Windows and other software installed on your computer).

How to use this list? Very simple:

    * Find the command of Control Panel in the table that you want to restrict with Folder Guard;

    * Determine the name of the .CPL file that is responsible for that command;

    * Run Folder Guard and use its Edit - Add file command to add the desired .CPL file(s) to the main window of Folder Guard. (See How to hide a file for more information on how to protect files with Folder Guard). The .CPL files are usually located in the Windows system folder, such as C:\Windows\System, C:\Windows\System32, and similar. Note that you may not actually see the .CPL extensions when browsing the system folder, your Windows Explorer may be configured not to display the known file name extensions. If this is the case, look for the files of the type "Control Panel extension".

    * Now assign the no access attribute to the .CPL file you want to protect. For example, if you want to restrict access to the Display Properties command of Control Panel, you need to assign the no access attribute to the desk.cpl file:

    * Finally, enable the protection, as usual, and observe the effect: the command that you have restricted may still be visible in Control Panel, but when you attempt to use it, nothing should happen, the command should not work.

Use Quick Start Wizard of Folder Guard

Folder Guard now includes Quick Start Wizard that can guide you through the steps necessary to protect a folder on your computer. It is not necessary to use Quick Start Wizard; you can achieve the same effect using the commands of Folder Guard directly. However, if you are not familiar with Folder Guard and want to get up to speed with it quickly, Quick Start Wizard is a good starting point.

Quick Start Wizard is initially configured so that it automatically starts whenever you run Folder Guard:

The Welcome page of Quick Start Wizard

If you don't want it to start automatically, simply clear the Run Quick Start Wizard every time I start Folder Guard option on the Welcome page. You can run Quick Start Wizard anytime by choosing the Tools - Quick Start Wizard command from the main menu of Folder Guard.

When you press the Next button, Quick Start Wizard prompts you to select the folder you want to protect:

Select the folder to protect

Note that at this point no protection is actually taking place: the Quick Start Wizard is only gathering information about the folder you want to protect and how exactly you want to protect it. You will be prompted to enable the protection at a later point.

The next page lets you specify the protection method for the folder you've selected:

The folder protection method

If you want to lock the folder with a password, select the first option offered, and also click on the button to set up the unlocking password for the folder. In this case, Quick Start Wizard will apply the empty and no access attributes to the folder for you, to make it restricted.

The second option lets you specify the protections attributes of the folder, such as read-only, or hidden. If you want to hide the folder, or to make it read-only, then select this option and the following pages will let you to select the desired protection attributes for the folder.

At this point Folder Guard is ready to start protecting the folder according to the choices you have made. Or, you can choose to set up the protection for another folder (or even start over from scratch) before enabling the protection:

Enable protection of the folders

Finally, Quick Start Wizard asks you whether you want to configure your computer so that the protection will be enabled automatically for you each time Windows starts up:

Enable protection at Windows startup

Normally you would want to select the first option; however, if you want to enable the protection only temporarily, select the second option instead.

Note that you can run Quick Start Wizard again, after closing it, by choosing the Tools - Quick Start Wizard command from the main menu of Folder Guard.

Note also that Quick Start Wizard lets you perform only the most basic operations. For the more complex tasks, such as protecting files, setting up different protection settings for different users, configuring the filters, etc., use the commands of Folder Guard directly.

Lock files and folders with passwords:

You don't have to assign a separate password for each folder you want to protect with Folder Guard, because you can use the Master password to disable the protection from all folders with a single command. (Use the Start - Programs - Folder Guard - Toggle Protection command to Master password of Folder Guard and disable protection of all folders.)

If, however, you want to be able to unprotect individual files or folders, while keeping the rest of the objects protected, Folder Guard lets you do that, too.

Now, while you are still in Folder Guard, highlight the file or folder that you want to "unlock" independently on the others, and choose Edit - Unlocking Password command from the menu or toolbar:

Choose a password and press OK. Note that a little yellow key sign has appeared next to the folder's icon; this is the indication that this folder has an unlocking password assigned to it.

One more thing to do: choose File - Settings from the menu, select the Misc page, and make sure that the Add lock/unlock commands to the Windows shortcut menu option is checked:

If you use Windows Me, 98, or 95, then you also need to enable the Monitor user logon option, on the Startup page of the Settings dialog box. If the Monitor user logon option was not enabled before, you will need to restart the computer for the new settings to take effect. (This is not necessary if you use Windows XP, 2000, or later versions of Windows.)

Now enable the protection, as usual (see this article for the details) and look at the object you have protected through a Windows Explorer window. The object should be visible (we have not assigned the hidden attribute to it, remember?). However, when you attempt to open it, a prompt for the unlocking password should appear on the screen:

If you have entered a correct unlocking password, the folder should become unprotected and you should be able to work with the files and subfolders it contains without restrictions. If you don't enter the correct unlocking password, the folder will remain protected.

Another way to display the password prompt is to right-click on the protected file or folder with the mouse, to display its shortcut menu, that should contain the Unlock command:

(If there is no Unlock command on the menu, check that you have assigned an unlocking password to this particular object as described above, and also that you have enabled the option to add the Lock/Unlock commands to the shortcut menu. Again, see above for the details.)

If the folder is already unlocked, then the Lock command would be shown on the shortcut menu (instead of Unlock), which you can use to lock the folder back, after you have finished working with the files it contains.

It's actually very easy to hide a folder with Folder Guard: it takes only a few mouse clicks (if you know where to click, of course  ). Basically, you need to run Folder Guard, locate and select the folder you want to hide, and assign the hidden attribute to the folder (Yes, it's really that easy!). After you have enabled the protection, that folder, as well as all files and subfolders contained therein, will be hidden from all users of your computer. Only you will be able to make the folder visible again by entering a valid password.

Note that Folder Guard now offers Quick Start Wizard that makes the procedure of setting up the protection of folders especially easy and fast. You may want to use Quick Start Wizard to hide a folder, or use the instructions below to set up the protection directly. The end result should be the same.

IMPORTANT: First of all, a word of warning: Folder Guard is a powerful tool and should be used responsibly. Using it thoughtlessly, you can inadvertently make your computer inaccessible. For example, it is very easy with Folder Guard to prevent access to the Desktop folder, and make Windows start with a blank screen after you reboot. DO NOT try to protect folders with your important documents until you have tested Folder Guard on some practice folder, that contains no important documents (or at least make sure you have the copies of the documents saved in some other folder before trying to hide them with Folder Guard.) Only after you have tried Folder Guard to protect a test folder and got used to the way it works and operates, you can try to use it for protection of the "real" documents and folders. Also, it's always a good idea to back up your hard disk before trying any new software, including Folder Guard!

Step 1. Getting your system ready

Let's create a test folder that we will hide with Folder Guard. In this demonstration, we will create a folder named Test on the Desktop, however, you can create a different folder in a different place, just make appropriate adjustments while following the instructions.

To create a folder on the desktop, right-click within an empty space of your desktop and choose New - Folder from the shortcut menu:

Rename the newly created folder to Test:

Step 2. Run Folder Guard and select the Test folder

Click on the Start button, and choose Programs - Folder Guard - Folder Guard from the Start menu. The main window of Folder Guard should appear on the screen shortly:

If you know where the test folder is located on your hard disk, you may just click on the little squares with the + signs to find the folder and select it. In our case, the Test folder is a subfolder of the Desktop folder, so we have to find the Desktop folder first. You can use the Edit - Go to special folder command of Folder Guard to quickly find the location of the this and other special Windows folders:

(The actual list of folders displayed in this window may differ on your computer, depending on the version number and edition of Windows that you use). Select Desktop in the list, click OK, and Folder Guard should highlight the Desktop folder for you:

Expand the Desktop folder (by clicking on the little square with the + sign next to it), and you will see the Test folder we've just created.

Step 3. Make the folder hidden

Now let's assign the appropriate attributes to the Test folder, by using the buttons on the toolbar. Make sure the Test folder is still selected, and click on the Hidden button on the toolbar (or choose Protect - Visibility - Hidden from the menu of Folder Guard) to assign the hidden attribute to the folder:

Hide folder by assigning the Hidden attribute to it

This way, you are giving Folder Guard the instructions to hide the folder and its contents from browsing. Notice that the icon next to the name of the folder have changed, reflecting the attribute you have just assigned. Notice also that the name of the folder is now shown in a bold typeface; this indicates that the folder has a non-default attribute assigned to it. (See Folder Guard Help for more information about the attributes). Keep in mind also, that at this point no protection is actually taking place: we are only setting up the protection, but we will actually enable it a bit later (see the next step below).

Step 4. Prevent access to the folder

While we are protecting a folder, it's a good idea to also restrict access to the folder you want to hide, because otherwise someone using your computer could guess the location of the folder and be able to open files from it, even if it's hidden. To completely prevent access to the files located in the folder, assign the no access attribute to it, either by choosing the Protect - Access - No access command from the menu, or by clicking on the appropriate button on the toolbar:

Prevent access to the folder by assigning the No Access attribute to it

Notice that the green checkmark that was displayed next to the folder name has now disappeared, and a little image of a red stop sign has appeared in its place. This is how Folder Guard gives us visual feedback about the results of our actions.

Step 5. Enable the protection and test the results.

Now it's time to enable the protection and test the results: choose Tools - Enable Protection from the menu, or click on the Toggle Protection button on the toolbar:

Look at the place on your desktop where the Test folder previously was: you cannot see it anymore!

Now choose the Tools - Disable Protection command from the menu, or click on the Toggle Protection button on the toolbar, and the folder should become visible again. (Although its location on the Desktop may change). That's how Folder Guard works!

Welcome to Folder Guard

Folder Guard® is a powerful computer security software that you can use to control access to files, folders, and other Windows resources, such as Control Panel, Start Menu, and so on. You can use Folder Guard to lock your personal files and folders with passwords, to stop other users from peeking into your records. You can even completely hide your private folders from virtually all applications, and such folders would remain invisible until you enter a valid password. You can also protect sensitive system files from modification or destruction, disable access to the removable drives, restrict access to Control Panel, and more.

SYMPTOMS
You may be unable to select the Make this folder private option on the Sharing tab in the properties for a folder. The option may be unavailable.

CAUSE
This issue can occur for either of the following reasons:
•   The folder is not in your user profile (Drive_letter:\Documents and Settings\User_name, where Drive_letter is the drive on which Windows XP is installed and User_name is your user name). The Make this folder private option is available only for files in your user profile (the My Documents folder and its subfolders, and the Cookies, Desktop, Start Menu, or Favorites folders).
•   The Windows folder is located on a drive that is formatted with the FAT or FAT32 file systems. The Make this folder private option requires the NTFS file system.

RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue:
1.   If the folder you are trying to make private is not located in your profile (Drive_letter:\Documents and Settings\User_name, where Drive_letter is the drive on which Windows XP is installed and User_name is your user name), move it to your My Documents, My Music, or My Pictures folder and then select the Make this folder private option (if it is available).
2.   If the Make this folder private option is still unavailable in the My Documents folder, you may need to convert the Windows drive to NTFS as follows.

WARNING: Converting the drive to NTFS removes your previous operating system backup. Do not convert to NTFS if you may later need to uninstall Windows XP. Also, do not convert drive C to NTFS if you dual-boot Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me) on the same computer, and do not convert other drives to NTFS if you dual-boot Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me on the same computer and need access to the drive from Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me.
a.    Click Start, and then click Run.
b.    In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.
c.    In the command prompt window, type the following line, and then press ENTER
convert drive_letter: /fs:ntfs
where drive_letter is the drive on which Windows XP is installed. For example, typing convert d: /fs:ntfs converts drive D to NTFS format.

d.    Press Y, and then press ENTER to continue if you agree to remove your previous operating system backup (if appropriate).
e.    Press Y, and then press ENTER to dismount the volume.
f.    Press Y, and then press ENTER to schedule the conversion for the next time the computer restarts.
g.    Restart your computer.
The Windows volume is converted to NTFS when your computer restarts, and the Make this folder private option should be available for folders in your profile.

STATUS
This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION
If you want to make a file in a private folder available to others, move it to the Shared Documents, Shared Pictures, or Shared Music folder.

For additional information about file sharing and permissions, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
304040 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304040/) How to configure file sharing in Windows XP

INTRODUCTION
The Windows Setup program configures Microsoft Windows XP to use the friendly Welcome logon screen and the shutdown buttons if your computer is installed as a home computer. A home computer is a computer that does not specify a network domain.

This article describes how to use the classic logon screen that Windows XP-based computers use when they are joined to a domain. The classic logon screen looks similar to the following example:

Log On to Windows
    User name: _____________
    Password:  _____________
               



MORE INFORMATION
Use the classic logon screen
To temporarily use the classic logon screen, press CTRL+ALT+DEL two times on the Welcome logon screen.

To configure Windows XP to use the classic logon and shutdown screens for every logon session, follow these steps:
1.   Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2.   Double-click User Accounts.
3.   Click Change the way users log on or off.
4.   Clear the Use the Welcome screen check box.
Note If you turn off the Welcome logon screen, you also turn off the Fast User Switching option.

Require users to press CTRL+ALT+DEL before the classic logon screen appears
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows


If you want users to have to press CTRL+ALT+DEL before the classic logon appears like a Windows XP-based computer that is joined to a domain, follow these steps:
1.   Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
2.   Click the Winlogon subkey at the following registry location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
3.   Click Edit, click New, and then click DWORD value.
4.   To change the value name, type DisableCAD, and then press ENTER.
5.   Keep the data value set to 0. The data value set appears as 0x00000000(0).


REFERENCES
For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
314493 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314493/) How to change the Windows Logon screen saver in Windows XP

1. Find that file in a few quick clicks

You don't need to remember folder names to be organized anymore. Save time by instantly tracking down any document, photo, e-mail message, song, video, file, or program on your PC using Instant Search.

Just open the Start menu and begin typing in the Instant Search box—Windows Vista searches file names, application names, the full text of all files, and metadata, and then displays the results right away.
See everything you have open at a glance   
2. See everything you have open at a glance

Have you lost track of what files and programs you've opened? Flip through all your open files and windows with a simple click of your mouse using Windows Flip 3DA—you're just one click away from everything you're working on.

Plus, in Windows Aero,A when you rest your mouse pointer on the taskbar, you can see thumbnail images of the windows you have open without having to expand them—so you can find what you're looking for at a glance.
Keep photos organized—and ready to share   
3. Keep photos organized—and ready to share

Is your collection of digital photos getting out of hand? You don't have to search through folders to track down the ones you want. Now you can tag your photos with a date, keyword, rating, or any label you choose so you can find them quickly and easily in Windows Photo Gallery.

You can also use Photo Gallery to fix and edit photos, and then share them with family and friends through slideshows, e-mail, or prints—so everything you need for photos is in one place.
Create a custom movie without a fine arts degree   
4. Create a custom movie without a fine arts degree

Making a great home movie just got easier. Use Windows Movie Maker to blend videos and photos into a rich movie, complete with your own soundtrack, titles, and credits.

When your masterpiece is ready to share with family and friends, you can easily create a professional-looking DVD in Windows DVD Maker.U
Keep track of your music—and play it anywhere   
5. Keep track of your music—and play it anywhere

The larger your collection of digital music grows, the harder it can be to organize and keep track of it. But now you can easily scroll, flip, browse through, and play your entire music library in Windows Media Player 11. You can even create new playlists of your favorite tracks with a single click.

You can keep your music moving with you by easily synchronizing your portable music device. Or you can share the contents of your entire library with other computers on your home network or with digital media devices such as Xbox 360.
Surf multiple waves of the web at once   
6. Surf multiple waves of the web at once

Do you like to jump from website to website? Satisfy your appetite for multitasking without having to open several browser windows. You can open multiple webpages in one window and easily click between them with the tabbed browsing feature in Windows Internet Explorer 7—plus, you can see thumbnail images of all your open webpages at a glance with Quick Tabs.
Record and watch TV on your time   
7. Record and watch TV on your time

Watch TV on your own schedule—not the TV networks' schedule. If your PC has a TV tuner, you can record, watch, and pause live television on your desktop or mobile PC using Windows Media Center.M

With multiple TV tuners, you can even record one channel while watching another. When and where you watch your shows is now up to you.
Bring your TV and PC together to take home entertainment to a new level   
8. Bring your TV and PC together—and take home entertainment to a new level

Tired of huddling around the PC for entertainment? Connect your PC to one or more televisions in your home using a Windows Media CenterM Extender like Xbox 360, and enjoy all your digital entertainment on the big screen—from photo slideshows, home videos, and digital music to live and recorded TV shows and movies.
Keep the things you need most at your fingertips   
9. Keep the things you need most at your fingertips

No need to open a web browser to check traffic and weather, open a calculator to add up a few numbers and open an application to see your calendar. Now you can put mini-applications called gadgets right on your desktop, where you can see and use them whenever the mood strikes. Just use the Windows Sidebar pane to store and organize your favorite gadgets.
Help your kids stay safer   
10. Help your kids stay safer

Worried about your kids' computer use or about what they may encounter online? Now you can give your kids a safer experience and set PC usage boundaries for them by using the centralized Parental Controls in Windows Vista. You can even restrict games and websites based on your family's values.

Plus, you can better protect your PC and your personal information, as well as your family, with built-in security tools like Windows Defender and anti-spam and phishing filters.

SUMMARY
This article provides descriptions of the registry entries for policies that you can apply to the Start menu in Microsoft Windows XP.

MORE INFORMATION
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows


You can use the Group Policy editor (Gpedit.msc) under the following location to configure Start menu features:
User Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Start Menu and Taskbar
Note: Except when noted, all of these registry settings are under the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
The registry entries are DWORD values. A value of 1 is enabled, and a value of 0 is disabled.

Quote
Policy:Disable the new simple Start Menu
Description:Disables the new simple Start menu and forces the classic
Start menu.
Registry Value:"NoSimpleStartMenu"

Policy:Remove pinned programs list from the Start menu
Description:Removes the pinned programs list from the Start menu. Also
removes the Internet and E-mail checkboxes from the Start menu
customization CPL.
Registry Value:"NoStartMenuPinnedList" 

Policy:Remove frequent programs list from the Start Menu
Description:Removes the frequently-used programs list from the Start
menu.
Registry Value:"NoStartMenuMFUprogramsList"

Policy:Remove More Programs list from the Start menu
Description:Removes the More Programs list from the Start menu.
Registry Value:"NoStartMenuMorePrograms"

Policy:Remove common program groups from Start Menu
Description:Removes items in the All Users profile from the More
Programs list on the Start menu.
Registry Value:"NoCommonGroups"

Policy:Gray unavailable Windows Installer programs Start Menu shortcuts
Description:Displays partially installed programs in gray text on the
Start menu.
Registry Value:"GreyMSIAds"

Policy:Disable and remove links to Windows Update
Description:Removes the Windows Update link from the More Programs list
in Start menu, from the Tools menu in IE, and blocks user access to
windowsupdate.Microsoft.com.
Registry Value:"NoWindowsUpdate"

Policy:Remove user folders from the Start Menu
Description:Removes all user-specific folders except My Documents (My
Pictures, My Music, Favorites, and Recent Documents) from the Start menu.
Also removes the corresponding checkboxes from the Start menu
customization CPL.
Registry Value:This is a combination of the following:
"NoStartMenuMyMusic", "NoSMMyPictures","NoFavoritesMenu",
"NoRecentDocsMenu"

Policy:Prohibit user from changing user folder paths
Description:Prevents users from changing the path to the My Pictures,
My Music, Favorites, and Recent Documents folders.
Registry Value:"DisableMyPicturesDirChange", "DisableMyMusicDirChange",
"DisableFavoritesDirChange".

Policy:Remove My Documents folder from the Start Menu
Description:Removes My Documents folder from the Start menu and
corresponding checkbox from the Start menu customization CPL.
Registry Value:"NoSMMyDocs"

Policy:Prohibit user from changing My Documents path
Description:Prevents users from changing the path to the My Documents
folder.
Registry Value:"DisablePersonalDirChange"

Policy:Remove Recent Documents item from Start Menu
Description:Removes the Recent Documents folder from the Start menu. Also
removes the corresponding checkbox from the Start menu customization CPL.
Registry Value:"NoRecentDocsMenu" 

Policy:Maximum number of recent documents
Description:Specifies the number of shortcuts displayed on the Recent
Documents submenu.
This policy exist under the following location in Group Policy:

User Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Windows Components
Registry Value:"MaxRecentDocs" 

Policy:Clear history of recent documents on exit
Description:Deletes all shortcuts shown in the Recent Documents menu when
the user logs off.
Registry Value:"ClearRecentDocsOnExit"

Policy:Remove Favorites item from Start Menu
Description:Prevents users from adding the Favorites item to the Start
menu. Also removes the corresponding checkbox from the Start menu
customization CPL.
Registry Value:"NoFavoritesMenu"

Policy:Remove My Computer from the Start Menu
Description:Removes the My Computer item from the Start Menu and the
corresponding checkbox from the Start menu customization CPL.
Registry Value:"{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}" under
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\NonEnum.

Policy:Remove Network Connections from the Start Menu
Description:Removes the Network Connections item from the Start menu
and the corresponding checkbox from the Start menu customization CPL.
Registry Value:"NoNetworkConnections"

Policy:Remove Network Places from the Start Menu
Description:Removes the Network Places item from the Start menu and the
corresponding checkbox from the Start menu customization CPL.
Registry Value:"NoStartMenuNetworkPlaces"

Policy:Do not add shares of recently used documents to Network Places
Description:Remote shared folders are not added to Network Places whenever
you open a document in the shared folder.
Registry Value:"NoRecentDocsNetHood"

Policy:Remove Help item from Start Menu
Description:Removes the Help item from the Start menu, but does not
disable Help files from running.
Registry Value:"NoSMHelp"

Policy:Remove Search item from Start Menu
Description:Removes the Search item from the Start menu and disables some
Windows Explorer search elements.
Registry Value:"NoFind"

Policy:Remove Run item from Start Menu
Description:Removes the ability to execute programs from the Run option
on the Start menu, Task Manager, or by pressing Winkey + R. Also removes
the corresponding checkbox from the Start menu customization CPL.
Registry Value:"NoRun"

Policy:Add "Run in Separate Memory Space" check box to Run dialog box
Description:Allows 16-bit programs to run in a dedicated Virtual DOS
Machine (VDM) process.
Registry Value:"MemCheckBoxInRunDlg"

Policy:Do not use the search-based method when resolving shell shortcuts
Description:Prevents the system from conducting a comprehensive search of
the target drive to resolve a shortcut.
Registry Value:"NoResolveSearch"

Policy:Do not use the tracking-based method when resolving shell shortcuts
Description:Prevents the system from using NTFS features to resolve a
shortcut.
Registry Value:"NoResolveTrack"

Policy:Force Logoff to the Start Menu
Description:Forces the Logoff button to the Start menu and prevents users
from removing the Logoff option from the Start menu.
Registry Value:"ForceStartMenuLogoff"

Policy:Disable Logoff on the Start Menu
Description:Removes the "Logoff" button from the Start menu and prevents
users from adding the Logoff button to the Start menu.
Registry Value:"StartMenuLogoff"

Policy:Disable and remove the Turn Off Computer button
Description:Removes the "Turn Off Computer" button from the Start Menu and
prevents shutting down Windows using the standard shutdown user interface.
Registry Value:"NoClose"

Policy:Disable and remove the Undock PC command
Description:Removes the "Undock PC" button from the Start Menu and
prevents undocking of the PC (laptop).
Registry Value:"NoStartMenuEjectPC"

Policy:Disable drag-and-drop menus on the Start Menu
Description:Prevents users from modifying the Start menu by dragging and
dropping items. Other methods of customizing the Start menu are still
enabled.
Registry Value:"NoChangeStartMenu"

Policy:Disable changes to Taskbar and Start Menu settings
Description:Removes the Taskbar &amp; Start Menu item from the Control
Panel, and removes the Properties item from the Start menu (and button)
context menu.
Registry Value:"NoSetTaskbar"

Policy:Disable user tracking
Description:Prevents the system from remembering the programs run, paths
followed, and documents used.
Registry Value:"NoInstrumentation"

Policy:Remove user name from Start Menu
Description:Removes the user name from the Start menu.
Registry Value:"NoUserNameInStartMenu"

xp_no_logoff.vbs - Disable/Enable Log Off on Start Menu
© Doug Knox - rev 04/12/2002

This small VB Script utility will remove the Log Off option from XP's Start Menu.

This is done by changing the adding/changing the StartMenuLogoff value in:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

Usage: Download the xp_no_logoff.vbs file, and save this file to your hard drive. Navigate to where you saved the file and double click it. A confirmation dialog will appear when finished.  You will need to log off/back on or restart your computer for the change to take effect.  VB Script files can be viewed in Notepad or any text editor, as to the specific Registry key and value that are updated.

SYMPTOMS
When you are using Remote Desktop and connect to a Windows XP Professional computer, the Log Off and Shutdown commands are missing from the Start menu.

CAUSE
The Classic Start menu does not have these commands.

RESOLUTION
By default, Disconnect is the only command that is listed on the Classic Start menu. By default, the Log Off command is available when you use the standard Start menu. To return the Log Off command to the Classic Start menu:
1.   Right-click the taskbar, and then click Properties.
2.   Click the Start Menu tab.
3.   The option for Classic Start menu should be selected. Click Customize.
4.   Under Advanced Start menu options, click to select the Display Log Off check box, click OK, and then click OK.

STATUS
This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION
The Shutdown command is not available on the Start menu to shut down, restart, or place a remote computer in a sleep state (for example, standby or hibernation) when you are using Remote Desktop. To shut down a remote computer when you are using Remote Desktop, press CTRL+ALT+END, and then click Shutdown. Or, use the shutdown command at a command prompt. For additional information about the shutdown command, type shutdown /? at a command prompt.

SUMMARY
This article describes how to use the Language bar in Windows XP. The Language bar is a floating toolbar that appears on your desktop automatically when you add handwriting recognition, speech recognition, or an Input Method Editor (IME) as a method of inserting text.

You can use the Language bar to switch easily between tasks and perform tasks related to entering text. For example, if you are entering text with a handwriting input device, use the buttons on the Language bar to open the Writing Pad window, from which you can insert handwritten text into your document.

The buttons and options that are displayed on the Language bar depend on the text services you have installed, and on the program that is currently active. For example, Microsoft Word 2002 supports speech recognition, but Notepad does not. If both programs are running, the speech buttons are displayed when Word is active, but disappear when you make Notepad the active program. If you add a second language or keyboard layout, you can display the Language bar from the taskbar.

You can move the Language bar anywhere on your screen, minimize it to the taskbar, or make it nearly transparent. If you do not use it, you can close it. You should remove text services that you do not use becuase they require computer memory and can affect performance.

To Show the Language Bar
To show the Language bar (using Classic view in Control Panel):
1.   Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Regional and Language Options.
2.   On the Languages tab, under Text services and input languages, click Details.
3.   Under Preferences, click Language Bar.
4.   Select the Show the Language bar on the desktop check box.
Notes:
•   The Language bar is displayed automatically if you install a text service such as handwriting, speech, or an Input Method Editor (IME). However, if you close the Language bar, you can use this procedure to redisplay it.
•   If you minimized the Language bar to the taskbar, click the Language icon on the taskbar, and then click Show the Language bar.
•   After the Language bar is displayed, you can right-click it to display a shortcut menu. Use this menu to change settings for the Language bar, such as docking it on the taskbar or adding text labels.

To Hide the Language Bar
To hide the Language bar, right-click the Language bar, and then use any of the following methods:
•   Click Minimize to reduce the Language bar to an icon on the taskbar. This option removes the Language bar from your desktop but keeps it active and available.
•   Click Close the Language bar to turn off the Language bar and remove it from your desktop.
Notes:
•   To perform Language bar functions without having the Language bar on your desktop, right-click the Language bar, and then click Additional icons in taskbar. You can then minimize the Language bar and click the text service icons on the taskbar to perform actions.
•   Closing the Language bar does not remove any text services. If you are not using a service, such as handwriting or speech recognition, you should remove it. Text services require computer memory and might affect performance.
•   You can also minimize the Language bar by clicking Minimize on the Language bar.
•   You cannot close the Language bar if you have installed an Input Method Editor (IME).

To Turn Text Services On or Off
To turn text services on or off (using Classic view in Control Panel):
1.   Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Regional and Language Options.
2.   On the Languages tab, under Text services and input languages, click Details.
3.   Under Preferences, click Language Bar.
4.   To turn text services off, select the Turn off advanced text services check box.
5.   To turn text services on, clear the check box.
6.   Click Yes if you are prompted to confirm your selection.
Notes:
•   Use this procedure to turn off handwriting recognition, speech recognition, and some accessibility features temporarily. These services can affect performance, and if you are not using them with your current program, you can turn them off temporarily.
•   If you are not using a text service at all, you should remove it.
•   Turning off text services does not affect multiple languages or keyboards that you have added under Installed services in the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box.

REFERENCES
For additional information about using speech in Windows XP, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306537/EN-US/) How to Install and configure Speech Recognition in Windows XP
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278927/EN-US/) WD2002: Part 1: Speech and Handwriting Recognition Frequently Asked Questions
For more detailed information about using Microsoft speech recognition, click Help on the Language bar.

For the most up-to-date information about speech recognition developments at Microsoft, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/speech/

Prague - South Korean carmaker Hyundai started production at a new factory in the Czech Republic Monday.

The new company in Nosovice, which lies about 320 kilometres east of Prague, is expected to produce about 200,000 vehicles annually, Radio Prague reported.

About 1.1 billion euros (1.41 billion dollars) has been invested in the factory, which should employ about 3,000. The factory will initially do finishing work on production of the i30, a compact car designed for European markets.

Hyundai, along with its subsidiary Kia, is one of the world's 10 biggest automakers.

Microsoft India has launched Live Search Maps that offers access to detailed listings and street maps for 9 cities, business listings across 29 cities and access to highway networks to 20,000 cities and towns in India.

Live Search Maps for India is on Microsoft's Live Search Service, allowing users to search for geographical information, places of general interest and business listings both on the PC and Mobile at maps.live.co.in and m.live.co.in. This is the first version of its local mapping service for India with the key features developed by the Microsoft India Development Center (MSIDC) based in Hyderabad.

Key features include Street Maps, Location Search, Business Listing Search, Routing or Directions for Navigation and options for users to print, share collections through email, blogs on Windows Live.

The maps include addresses, roads, localities, landmarks and places of general interest like monuments, restaurants, hotels and other places of interest across cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad and Jaipur.

It also includes business listings for Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Agra, Allahabad, Amritsar, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Cochin, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mangalore, Nagpur, Nasik, Patiala, Patna, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara and Vishakapatnam.

Live Search Maps India is powered by the Microsoft Virtual Earth

Statistics indicate that the average Web site is 5 megabytes (MB) or smaller. But how much room you need depends on what kind of site you want. How many kilobytes (KB) will that graphic really use? How big are your database files? What happens if all these files exceed the limit of your Web host? These are all essential questions to ask early on in the Web-building process.

Judging Your Storage Needs

Web sites contain many different kinds of files and all of them need room. Text files tend to be small in comparison to images, but still they take up space. The amount of text in an average print page takes up between 1 KB and 3 KB of storage when it's converted into a Web page. On the other hand, a picture is literally worth a thousand words on the Web button-sized images can be 1 KB to 5 KB in size, and larger images can be 30 KB to 60 KB or more.

Video and audio can be very large, from 500 KB to 10 MB or more. If you intend to use streaming media, be sure you know how large your streaming media files will be. Downloadable files such as MP3s vary in size from 2 MB to 5 MB. Programs and drivers can be that size or greater. Adobe portable document format (PDF) files can vary from under 100 KB to 800 KB or more. Be sure you know how large your database files will be, too, before you shop for a Web host they can be very large.

Exploring Every Plan

Most Web hosts offer a variety of plans, ranging from small amounts of storage space (5 MB to 20 MB) to vast amounts (50 MB to 500 MB+) at a higher cost. Some Web hosts offer "unlimited" storage space, but it is rarely truly unlimited. Read the Web host's agreement closely to see if a limit is mentioned in the text. Also, e-mail the Web host directly and ask for an exact storage space limit. Sometimes, it's surprisingly small.

Exceeding Your Limit

Sometimes even the best-planned site can go over the storage space limit, and Web hosts' policies vary with regard to customers who exceed their limits. Some hosts will charge extra for each MB over the limit, some will contact you to see if you wish to move up to another plan, and others will terminate your service without warning. Check with the host to learn what charges might be applied to your account should you exceed their storage space limits.

Careful estimates for your site and research on your Web host's plans and policies can allow you not only to find satisfaction with a Web host, but also to find the most cost-efficient plan for your needs.

This page provides tables and other information about how many bytes are required (how much computer storage) for various information objects or purposes; it also summarizes some facts that have been gathered about how much information exists in the world and, where appropriate, how much computer storage this requires.

Melbourne, November 3 : Tobey Maguire, who rose to fame with his role as Peter Parker in the Spider-Man films, has been signed on for Spider-Man 4 and 5 too.

The 33-year-old actor is set to work with director Sam Raimi, who too has been roped in for the future instalments, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Though the plot remains unknown, Maguire will be shooting back to back for the two movies much like the 'Lord of the Rings'.

However, it remains yet to be revealed whether Kirsten Dunst will be returning as Maguire's on-screen love interest in the adaptation of the hit comic book.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, playwright David Lindsay-Abaire might just soon write the script after finalising his talks with Columbia Pictures.

Virginia (USA), Nov. 3: With less than 48 hours to go before American voters decide on who their 44th President will be, the Indian American community appears to have already decided that the United States is ready to have its first Afro-American head of state.

In their view, Illinois Senator Barack Obama is on all counts, a transformational candidate, a man who has the potential to lead the country, a candidate who will bring fresh energy to the White House and to the administration in Washington.

"To his advantage, Obama is from all accounts, a transformational candidate who has been able to go beyond race, who is very thoughtful, very contemplative and in that sense, he looks more presidential and ultimately people want a leader who doesn''t necessarily look like them or so on, but someone who can lead and he seems to have that," Jaikishen Desai, a senior economist at the World Bank, told ANI in an interview.

He further went on to say that "In politics, people say something and when they come in power, they do something else, that''s a different thing.

When asked to comment on the issue of outsourcing, Desai said that the Democratic camp seemed to be in favor of greater checks and curbs than the Republican camp.

"Right now, there might be little negativism towards outsourcing. But I think, the downturn of the world economy will have more effect (on outsourcing). There might be small differences between McCain and Obama (on the issue)," he said.

On the longer-term issues like Iran and China's relationship with the United States, he said: "I guess Obama''s effect would be more positive in these."

Referring specifically to the meltdown of the American economy, Desai said: "Ultimately, if the wage difference is more, it would cause a loss."

He was, however, confident about the American economy making a comeback.

"Yes it can come back. But according to me, there can be more things that can create a difference like banks which set up offshore units to take advantage of the tax loopholes. Because, these days the sentiments are against the Wall Street and the financial world, there can be little difference on outsourcing. But the trend has been set and it's difficult to say whether Obama or McCain''s presidential victory would make a difference," Desai said.

Some Indian Americans like Sumathi Subramanium, a healthcare professional, said that the Induian American community is looking for change in the United States, and therefore, it should come as no surprise that they were rooting for Obama as opposed to Republican candidate John McCain.

"I think he (Obama) represents fresh energy, I think, you know, it's Indian Americans who are also looking for change in the country as opposed to people who have sort of seen George Bush over the last eight years and John McCain probably is going to be more of the same for them," said Subramanium.

The comments from the Indian Americans came as both camps (Obama and McCain) are positioning themselves for a long night on Tuesday. Both expect the closing stages of the race to be tight, as there is a potential for fraudulent voter registration.

The latest Investor''s Business Daily-TechnoMetrica poll out Sunday showed the race with just a 2-point spread, with Obama at 46.7 percent, McCain with 44.6 percent and 8.7 percent of the 844 likely voters still undecided.

McCain''s team points to several other polls showing the race tightening as the nation comes into the home stretch this election season.

His campaign manager, Rick Davis, told "FOX News Sunday" not to discount McCain, who was the underdog in the primaries and came roaring back.

"Look, this election is moving very quickly. There is no doubt that John McCain is increasing his margins in almost every state in the country right now. And I think that what we''re in for is a slam-bang finish. I mean, it''s going to be wild. I think that we are able to close this campaign," Davis said.

As for the Obama camp, chief strategist David Axelrod said that the McCain camp is deluding itself into thinking he can stage an historic comeback. He also said that he is worried about potential new voters not going to the polls because they believe Obama has it wrapped up.

Campaign manager David Plouffe said the Obama team expects at least 130 million voters this election, particularly from states where Democratic registration has increased this year.

Both sides are also talking about criticism about the voter registration process and how so many millions more people are on the rolls. Plouffe said that any fraud would be investigated, but obvious fraudulent registrants won''t make it into the booth.

Lenovo has introduced its "e" IdeaPad S10e netbook designed for students.

"Following the popularity of our recently introduced consumer netbooks, we are expanding our IdeaPad netbook line with models customized to the unique needs of students, teachers and education customers," said Scott DiValerio, president, Americas, and senior vice president, Lenovo."With technology choices including solid state drive storage, Windows or Linux operating systems and flexible warranties, we're enabling our customers to use Lenovo netbooks in a variety of settings, from instruction in the classroom to wherever they study, collaborate and learn." 

The Lenovo netbook provides basic functionality for word processing and light multimedia capabilities. A built-in webcam on the 10.1 inch display makes creating and sharing video messaging simple. The laptop also features Quick Start that allows students to quickly check email, browse the Internet, conduct video conferencing, view photos or listen to music without having to fully boot the operating system.

The netbook comes equipped with a 4 GB solid state drive for reliability or a hard disk drive up to 160 GB, Intel Atom processor, several choices of memory sizes and a variety of ports for expansion. Users can connect through Ethernet, WiFi and optional Bluetooth. Outfitted with a standard ExpressCard 34 slot, the netbook can also be enabled for mobile broadband. Choices of operating systems include Microsoft Windows XP Home or SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop from Novell.

Lenovo is offering flexible warranties extending up to three years and shorter warranty periods covering limited parts replacement. 

The IdeaPad S10e netbook will be available starting at the end of November through Lenovo education sales and business partners.

Logitech has introduced the Logitech V550 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for notebooks, featuring the Clip-and-Go dock that lets users clip the Mouse to the laptop - and go.


"Logitech research revealed that the vast majority of people who use a notebook PC are mobile both within and outside the home," said Subrotah Biswas, Country Manager, India & SAARC, Logitech. "To meet the demands associated with increased mobility, the V550 Mouse offers a complete set of features to make it easier to use a mouse with a notebook when moving from the kitchen to the living room or from one's desk to a meeting. Now, you won't have to choose between grabbing your mouse or a cup of coffee."

The V550 Nano features the Plug-and-Forget Nano-receiver that once plugged into the computer stays nearly flush against the side of the computer (protruding just 8 mm), so it doesn't have to be unplugged when users stow their laptop. The V550 offers up to 18 months of battery life and saves additional power by automatically turning off when it's docked or when the Nano-receiver is stored inside the mouse.

The mouse's scroll wheel can spin freely to let users move quickly through long documents and Web pages. By pressing down on the wheel, users can switch to click-to-click scrolling mode and scroll precisely through lists, slides or photos. In addition, the button directly below the scroll wheel allows users to switch between applications.

The V550 Nano is offered in two colors - gray with silver accents and silver with cool-blue accents.

Two Clip-and-Go docks - one silver, one black - and a setup kit come bundled with the purchase of every Logitech mouse.

The V550 Nano is compatible with both PC and Mac computers, and the Clip-and-Go dock is compatible with all notebook styles.

The Logitech V550 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks is available at a suggested retail price of Rs. 3,115, comes with a 3-year replacement warranty and is distributed by Neoteric and Rashi Peripherals.

LG has revealed a new mobile camera phone, but if you're expecting a third 8MP camera phone you'll have to wait. Their latest offering is a 3 megapixel slider with a host of features that range from internal GPS with Yahoo! Maps and Bluetooth

The LG KS500 comes equipped with a QVGA display sporting a 240 x 320 pixel resolution and 262K colors. According to reports the handset will support external memory via microSD cards and come with 100MB of internal memory. An optical touch pad is also part of the handset's features.

There's no pricing or availability date provided yet so stay tuned.

Teenagers commonly experience mood swings and are not always approachable, and this behaviour can make it hard for parents to differentiate such emotional fluctuations from genuine depression.

Experts say it's important for parents to monitor their teenager's moods and seek treatment when warranted.

"Parents should make an appointment with a paediatrician, if their teenager falls into a deep depression or if there is a distinct change in the teenager's behaviour that lasts more than two weeks," said Ulrich Fegeler of Germany's association of paediatricians in Cologne.

A medical examination can rule out other diseases such as under active thyroid and help with the search for a psychiatric counsellor. As in adults, some teenagers who are depressed are also more prone to suicide.

A depressed teenager can experience restlessness, anxiety, difficulty concentrating and a defiant attitude, changing from one to the other. They commonly have problems achieving, withdraw into themselves, suffer a lack of drive, fear the future and have problems with self esteem.

"Irritability, a low tolerance for frustrations and a quick temper also can indicate depression in puberty," said Fegeler.

Statistically, the incidence of psychological diseases increases greatly from age 12. Painful experiences such as a break-up and loss, as well as certain parenting styles and hereditary factors, can trigger depression.

An estimated one in 10 teenagers suffers a depressive phase at least once before reaching adulthood. As in the adult population, females are two to three times more likely than males to be affected

After braving the global financial crisis for months, the creaks are getting wider in the market value of steel empire created by the world`s richest Indian Lakshmi Mittal, with about USD 50 billion knocked off from the net worth of NRI business tycoon himself, reports agency sources.

While the US and European markets started their downslide way back in August-September last year, ArcelorMittal, the world`s largest steelmaker, continued to gain value till about five months ago and its share price scaled a life-time high of USD 104.77 on June 5 at the US bourses.

However, the valuation has now dipped to below the one-fourth of its record high level and the company`s shares, which are listed at NYSE as well as on some European bourses, are currently trading near USD 25 level.

During these five months, the company`s market capitalisation has also plummeted to USD 37.3 billion, from a high of over USD 150 billion. Accordingly, the net worth of Lakshmi Mittal, who along with his family members hold a 43.02% equity, has also dipped to just about USD 16 billion from as high as about USD 66 billion on June 5.

According to the company`s latest shareholding data, the Mittal family owns 623.285 million shares of the company, while the remaining holding is in the form of public holding and treasury shares.

Source: IRIS NEWS DIGEST (03 November 2008)

Although videoconferencing has become a billion-dollar substitute for flying business people to meetings, it leaves distant participants less likely to make sound judgments about speakers being viewed over a screen, according to a study published in a journal of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS®).

"Videoconferencing in the Field: A Heuristic Processing Model" is by Carlos Ferran of Pennsylvania State University Great Valley and Stephanie Watts of Boston University. It appears in vol. 54, number 9 of the INFORMS flagship journal Management Science.

The researchers find that attendees of videoconferences must work harder to interpret information delivered during a conference than they would if they attended face-to-face.

A field study of medical professionals reveals differences in information processing: participants attending a seminar via videoconference are more influenced by the likeability of the speaker than by the quality of the arguments presented, whereas the opposite pattern is true for participants attending in person.

"Important business decisions may suffer if videoconferencing is used to make them without adjusting the process to take its differences into account," says Prof. Ferran.

Professors Ferran and Watts offer guidelines for understanding when videoconferencing is most appropriate and for improving the design of videoconferencing equipment:

    * Videoconferencing may not be appropriate for decision making when some stakeholders are present face-to-face and others attend via video, because these two groups are likely to process information differently.
    * Videoconferencing equipment may be improved by the addition of features that reduce cognitive workload, such as support for turn taking, audio localization, and personal distance location.
    * Videoconference presenters can use heuristic cues to increase the influence of their message.

The research was conducted in a medical setting. (The name of the medical organization was not released by the researchers).

Medical professionals were surveyed as they attended 1 of 19 different live interactive seminars, either face-to-face or via videoconference. The seminars spanned a 12-week period, comprising part of the teaching activities of an urban healthcare consortium. Each interactive one-hour seminar was delivered live by a different physician in a large auditorium, followed by questions and answers. These seminars were simultaneously broadcasted via videoconference to a number of smaller sites. Both face-to-face and remote attendees could ask questions. Attendees were primarily residents, attendings, and local physicians specializing in pediatrics, psychiatry, or orthopedics.

Wealthy Hong Kong may be teetering on the brink of a global recession but a prestige car number plate can still fetch more than 46,000 US dollars, auctioneers said Monday.

The car registration number 1234 fetched 360,000 Hong Kong dollars (46,445 US dollars) at Sunday's government auction where a total of 280 unusual plates raised just short of 345,000 US dollars.

However, of the 280 plates put up for auction, some 30 failed to reach their reserve price in a sign that the economic downturn is beginning to bite in one of the world's richest cities.

Hong Kong shares have been among the worst hit in the recent downturn, with the Hang Seng Index shedding more than 25 per cent of its value in the past six weeks alone.

Microsoft Internet Explorer Is Not Restored as the Default Internet Browser After Uninstalling Netscape Navigator

SYMPTOMS
After you uninstall Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer is not restored as the default Internet browser and is not shown as the Internet link on the Start menu.

CAUSE
This behavior occurs because the Netscape removal program does not restore a default browser.

RESOLUTION
To resolve this behavior, when you open Internet Explorer, and you are prompted to set Internet Explorer as your default browser, click Yes. If you are not prompted to set Internet Explorer as your default browser, follow these steps:
1.   In Control Panel, double-click Network and Internet connections, and then click Internet Options.
2.   On the Programs tab, click to select the Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser check box, and then click OK.
3.   Open Internet Explorer, and then click Yes when you are prompted to make it the default browser.
The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

SYMPTOMS
When you are making a Dial-Up Networking connection, if you try to save your password by clicking to select the Save Password check box, your password may not be saved. This problem may occur even when you successfully connect to the server, and when your password has not changed. This problem may also occur if your user name contains characters that are not allowed in a file name; for example, the user name "user/name" may result in a .pwl file name of User/name.pwl.

CAUSE
This problem can be caused by any of the following situations:
•   Your password list (.pwl) file is damaged.
•   The Rna.pwl file (if it exists) is damaged.
•   Password caching is disabled.
•   Automatic logon is enabled.
•   One or more of the files that are associated with Dial-Up Networking is missing or damaged.
•   User profiles are disabled, but the ProfilesList key is present in the registry.
Note This problem can occur after you install the Windows 95 Password List update that is included with Windows 95 Service Pack 1 (SP1).

For additional information about this update, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/143003/EN-US/) Descriptionof Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1 Updates


Note An additional cause is that the Client for Microsoft Networks is not installed. To resolve this: install client for Microsoft Networks.

RESOLUTION
Windows 2000
Verify that the Network settings of the Dial-up Networking connectoid are correct:
1.   Right-click the Dial-up Networking connectiod, and then click Properties.
2.   Click the Network tab, and then confirm that Client for Microsoft Networks is installed and that it is selected.

Windows 95 and Windows 98
1.   Rename your .pwl file.

Note If you are using a personal certificate, export it before you rename your .pwl file. If you do not, the personal certificate may be unavailable when you send mail. For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
190296 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/190296/EN-US/) OLEXP: Unable to use Personal Certificates in Outlook Express
To rename your .pwl file, type the following line at a command prompt, and then press the ENTER key (where Windows is the name of the Windows folder and user_name is the user name that you use to log on to Windows):
ren c:\Windows\user_name.pwluser_name.xxx
After you rename your .pwl file, restart the computer.

When the Enter Network Password or Welcome To Windows dialog box appears, type the password that you normally use, and then click OK. When you are prompted to confirm the password that you entered, type the password again in the Confirm New Password box, and then click OK.

Note If there are no .pwl files present on the drive (for example, if you press the ESC key when you are prompted for a password when Windows starts) password caching is not enabled. You must first log on to the network to create a .pwl file.
2.   Rename the Rna.pwl file in the Windows folder; to do so, type the following line at a command prompt, and then press the ENTER key (where Windows is the name of the Windows folder):
ren c:\Windows\rna.pwl rna.xxx
After you rename the Rna.pwl file, restart the computer.

Note The Rna.pwl file may not exist on the computer. This file is not required in some configurations.
3.   Verify that password caching is enabled; to do so, you need to use Registry Editor.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
4.   
View the DisablePwdCaching value (a DWORD value) in the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Network
If password caching is disabled, the DisablePwdCaching value has a value data of 1. To enable password caching, change the value data to 0.

Note If the DisablePwdCaching value does not exist, add this DWORD value with a data value of 0 to the preceding registry key. You may need to remove this value altogether and then restart the computer to make caching work.
5.   Disable automatic logon. To do so, delete the AutoLogon value (a binary value) from the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Network\Real Mode Net
6.   Remove Dial-Up Networking, and then reinstall it:
a.    In the Network properties, record each Network component and its configuration information:
1.   Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network.
2.   Click a component on the Configuration tab, click Properties, and then record all of the component's settings. Repeat this process with another component until you record all of the component configuration information.
b.    Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs.
c.    Click the Windows Setup tab.
d.    Click Communications, and then click Details.
e.    Click to clear the Dial-Up Networking check box, click OK, and then restart the computer if you are prompted to do so.
f.    Repeat steps a through c.
g.    Click to select the Dial-Up Networking check box, and then click OK.

Note You may receive version conflict error messages during this process. If this occurs, click No when you are prompted to keep a newer version of each file.
h.    If you are using the Microsoft Network (MSN) version 2.51, reinstall the MSN program.
7.   Even though user profiles are disabled, remove the ProfilesList key from the registry.For additional information about how to remove this key from the registry, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/156826/EN-US/) How to Disable and Delete User Profiles
If you are running Windows 95, you may need to add Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to the Network properties. To do this, follow these steps:
1.   Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network.
2.   Click Add, click Protocol, click Microsoft in the Manufacturers box, click TCP/IP, and then click OK.

MORE INFORMATION
For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/141858/) No Windows or network logon dialog box at startup
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/137361/) Save Password check box is unavailable

SYMPTOMS
Microsoft Internet Explorer may appear to stop responding (hang) when it opens, but the animated globe in the upper-right corner of the browser window may continue to spin, and you may receive a "Detecting proxy settings..." message in the status bar.

CAUSE
This issue may occur if Internet Explorer is trying to locate a proxy server. This behavior can occur for either of the following reasons:
•   The Proxy Auto-Discovery feature is turned on. This feature may make it appear that Internet Explorer is not responding.
•   Your computer is on a network that includes a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server that does not include Web Proxy Auto-Discovery (WPAD) information in its DHCP packets. This may prevent Internet Explorer from locating a proxy server.

RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, turn off the Proxy Auto-Discovery feature. To do so, use the appropriate method.

Connect to Internet Through a Dial-Up Networking Connection
If you connect to the Internet through a dial-up networking connection, follow these steps:
1.   Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Internet.
2.   Click the Connection tab, click the appropriate connection, and then click Settings.
3.   Click to clear the Automatically detect settings check box, click OK, and then click OK.

Connect to Internet Through a Local Area Network
If you connect to the Internet through a Local Area Network (LAN), follow these steps:
1.   Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Internet.
2.   Click the Connection tab, and then click LAN Settings.
3.   Click to clear the Automatically detect settings check box, click OK, and then click OK.
4.   Restart your computer.

WORKAROUND
To work around this issue, quit Internet Explorer, and then restart it.

MORE INFORMATION
The automatic detection of browser settings is based on Web Proxy AutoDiscovery (WPAD). Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Domain Name System (DNS) support the automatic detection of browser settings. With the appropriate settings, DHCP servers that support the DHCPINFORM message and DNS servers can automatically detect and configure a browser's proxy settings. For additional information, see the "Configuring Central Automatic Configuration Servers" section in Chapter 13 ("Setting Up Servers") of the Internet Explorer 5 Resource Kit. To do so, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/ie/reskit/5/part3/ch13sser.mspx?mfr=true

HCL Infosystems, India's premier information enabler and leading ICT System Integrator, has received a multi-year contract from Delhi Police to provide solutions and technologies that would enable the police force to access automated information.

The company quoted that it has modernized the police control room through ICT as part of the contract.

The control room consists of multimedia contact centre, and has the ability to track all PCR vans fitted with GPS devices and to coordinate their movements.

The Dial 100 solution contains Calling Line Identification and Direct Inward Dialing to help in identification and routing of calls. It also provides connectivity to mobile PCR vans through two-way radios/GPRS.

HCL Infosystems has reported an 8.3% drop in its net profit for the first quarter ending September 2008 compared to the corresponding period last fiscal.

The company had posted net profit worth Rs 67.40 crore compared to Rs 73.49 crore in the same quarter previous year.

SUMMARY
This article describes how to reinstall or to repair Internet Explorer in Windows XP. You may have to do this if you have problems with Internet Explorer because of damaged files or missing registration information.

Note In some cases, the steps to reinstall or to repair Internet Explorer 6 will also resolve problems in Microsoft Outlook Express.

Introduction
You may have to reinstall or to repair Internet Explorer in Windows XP if you have problems with Internet Explorer because of damaged files or missing registration information. You may also decide to reinstall or to repair Internet Explorer 6 to resolve problems with Outlook Express in Windows XP.

Methods to follow if you have Internet Explorer 6
Any of the methods in this article may resolve your problem. Feel free to select the one that you are most comfortable with.
Method 1: Install Internet Explorer 7
You may be able to resolve problems with Internet Explorer 6 if you install Internet Explorer 7. Installing Internet Explorer 7 probably will not resolve problems with Outlook Express.

For information about how to install Internet Explorer 7, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/default.mspx
Note After you install Internet Explorer 7, you can repair damaged files or missing registration information in Internet Explorer 7. To do this, follow these steps:
1.   Start Internet Explorer 7.
2.   On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
3.   On the Advanced tab, click Reset.
4.   In the Reset Internet Explorer Settings dialog box, click Reset to confirm.
Method 2: Install Windows XP Service Pack 2
If you do not want to install Internet Explorer 7, or for some reason cannot do so, you may be able to resolve problems with Internet Explorer 6 by installing Windows XP Service Pack 2. Additionally, installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 may help resolve issues with Outlook Express because Windows XP Service Pack 2 includes both Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 2 and Outlook Express Service Pack 2.
To install Windows XP Service Pack 2, follow these steps:
1.   Visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://update.microsoft.com (http://update.microsoft.com)
2.   Click Express Install (Recommended).
3.   If your computer qualifies, Windows XP Service Pack 2 will be one of the updates that is automatically selected. Click Install.
4.   Review the Microsoft Software License Terms. Then, if you agree with it, accept it.
For more information how to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389/) How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack
Method 3: Repair Internet Explorer 6 and Outlook Express 6 by using the System File Checker in Windows XP
If you already have Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed, and you do not want to install Internet Explorer 7, you may be able to resolve problems with Internet Explorer 6 by running the System File Checker. Additionally, running the System File Checker may help resolve issues with Outlook Express 6.

To run the System File Checker, follow these steps:
1.   Click Start, click Run type sfc /scannow, and then press ENTER.
2.   Follow the prompts throughout the System File Checker process.
3.   Restart the computer when System File Checker process is complete.
Method 4: Reinstall Internet Explorer 6 by using the Ie.inf file
If you already have Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed, and you do not want to install Internet Explorer 7, you may be able to resolve problems with Internet Explorer 6 by using the Ie.inf file to reinstall Internet Explorer 6. To do this, follow these steps:
1.   Click Start, click Run, type %systemroot%\inf, and then press Enter.
2.   Find the Ie.inf file that is located in Windows\Inf folder.
3.   Right-click the Ie.inf file, and then click Install.
4.   Restart the computer when the file copy process is complete.

Method to follow if you have Internet Explorer 7
If you have Internet Explorer 7, you can repair damaged files or missing registration information in Internet Explorer 7. To do this, follow these steps:
1.   Start Internet Explorer 7.
2.   On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
3.   On the Advanced tab, click Reset.
4.   In the Reset Internet Explorer Settings dialog box, click Reset to confirm.

Method to follow if you have Outlook Express 6
If you already have Outlook Express 6 installed on your computer, we recommend that you use Windows Live Mail instead of Outlook Express 6.

Windows Live Mail is an e-mail program that you install on your computer. Windows Live Mail stores messages on your computer. This means that you can access, read, and compose e-mail messages even when you are not connected to the Internet. Windows Live Mail works with popular Web-based e-mail services such as Hotmail, AOL mail, Google mail, and Yahoo! mail. Windows Live Mail is built to automatically configure many popular e-mail services.

To install Windows Live Mail, visit the following Microsoft Web site.
http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview (http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview)

Troubleshooting for advanced computer users
This section is intended for advanced computer users. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, you might want to ask someone for help or contact support. For information about how to do this, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/ (http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/)

If the methods listed in this article do not resolve the issue, you may be able to resolve the issue by performing an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP. For more information how to complete an in-place upgrade, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341/) How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP

After you perform an in-place upgrade, visit the following Microsoft Web site to install the latest software updates available for Windows XP:
http://update.microsoft.com (http://update.microsoft.com)

REFERENCES
For more information about Windows XP Service Pack 2, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx)
For more information about how to help protect your personal computer, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/default.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/protect/default.mspx)
For more information about how to obtain and to install Windows XP Service Pack 2, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/expert/russel_installsp2.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/expert/russel_installsp2.mspx)
For more information about how to obtain Windows XP Service Pack 2, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389/) How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack
For more information about how to install Windows XP Service Pack 2, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875364/) Detailed installation walkthrough for Windows XP Service Pack 2

Tip:  Clicking on a link opens in a new window and is empty:  Start/Run/CMD. Type this command: REGSVR32
         URLMON.DLL. Ok/Reboot.  Then go to:  IE/Tools/Internet Options/Programs/Reset Web Settings.

Tip:  Re-install Internet Explorer -  Go to Start/Run, and type : "rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132
         %windir%\inf\ie.inf"

Tip:  No Home Page - Right Click Internet Explorer Shortcut/Properties/Shortcut Tab. Place this In the target field:
        "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" –nohome

Tip:  Get MailTo Hyperlinks in IE to Open OE - Windows Explorer/Tools/Folder Options/File Types. Highlight
         URL:MailTo Protocol/Advanced/Edit. Under Application used to perform action it should read:
         "C:\PROGRAM FILES\OUTLOOK EXPRESS\MSIMN.EXE" /mailurl:%1

Tip:  Speed up Internet Explorer - Find your IE icon and right click on it. Select properties and then click on the Shortcut
         tab. In the Target line at the very end, add -nohome to get a speed boost.

Tip:  Speed up Browsing in Internet Explorer - Start/Run/Regedit
         HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RemoteComputer\NameSpace
         In the right pane find: {D6277990-4C6A-11CF-8D87-00AA0060F5BF} Value and delete it.

Tip:  Add Internet Explorer Toolbar Buttons - 1. Go to Start/Run, 2. Type in gpedit.msc, 3. Go to user configuration -
         Windows Settings - IE Maintenance - Browser UI. Then click on browser toolbar customizations.

Tip:  To restore the IE logo:  Start/Run/Regedit- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
         Explorer\Toolbar.  In the Toolbar key, if you see the BrandBitmap and SmBrandBitmap values on the right, delete
         them.

Tip:  To restore Windows Update to Tools in IE6 - Start/Run/Regedit - HKEY_CURRENT_USER\
         Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer. If you see the NoWindowsUpdate value on the right,
         make sure it has a DWORD value of 0 (disabled) or just delete it. Reboot.

London, Nov 1 : If you're a phone freak and love James Bond, then here's the perfect handset for you: Sony Ericsson has launched 'C902 Cyber-Shot'.

The limited edition Titanium silver version of the phone, used by Daniel Craig in the latest 007 thriller 'Quantum of Solace, will be up for grabs in a few weeks.

The phone has a cool five megapixel digital camera and is one of the slimmest in the market, reports The Sun.

And the Bond version comes with a secret memory card loaded with a host of 007 content including a demo game, trailer from the film, behind-the-scenes interviews with the stars and wallpapers and screen savers.

For those techie lots, the handset also has Sony''s cool BestPic feature which takes nine snaps in quick succession so you can choose the best.

The set boasts illuminated touch-sensitive keys for the camera and a Photo flash.

The phone will be out on shelves from this month

London, November 1 : Michael Jackson has confirmed that he's preparing to make a comeback with a tour soon.

The 'King of Pop' revealed his plans in a statement trashing rumours claiming that he will be joining his family on a reunion tour.

The 50-year-old, whose career had taken a beating in 2005 following a child abuse trial against him for which he was later acquitted, further said that he was already getting ready to offer his fans with something new.

"My brothers and sisters have my full love and support, and we've shared many great experiences," the Sun quoted him as saying.

"But at this time I have no plans to record or tour with them.

"I am now in the studio developing new and exciting projects that I look forward to sharing with my fans in concert soon," he added.

You can easily rename various Desktop (System Icons).

Click Start, Run and enter REGEDIT.  Navigate to the following Registry brach:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CLSID

The Desktop Icons are located in the sub keys as follows:

My Network Places: {208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
My Computer: {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
My Documents: {450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}
Recycle Bin:{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
Default IE Icon: {871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}

Double click the Default value in the above keys and enter the text you desire.  Right click on the Desktop and select Refresh to see the changes.

To undo the changes, just right click on the Default value and select Delete.  Refresh the Desktop to see that things are back to normal.

SUMMARY

Systray.exe is a tool for system taskbar notifications. The taskbar provides a location for programs and hardware devices to display icons. For example, if your computer supports advanced power management (APM), a Battery Meter icon may be displayed on the taskbar.

MORE INFORMATION

The following icons provided by Systray.exe may be displayed on the taskbar:
•   Battery Meter
•   PC Card Status
•   Volume Control
•   Quickres
•   Task Scheduler
Other parts of the system may provide additional taskbar icons, for example:
•   Windows Explorer provides the printer status icon
•   Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Outlook provides the mail status icon
•   The Accessibility status indicator program (Accstat.exe) displays keyboard accessibility icons
•   Microsoft Fax adds the Fax Rendering and Fax Status icons

SUMMARY

This article explains how to remove and restore the default desktop icons under My Computer, My Documents, My Network Places, and Internet Explorer.

MORE INFORMATION

1.   Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2.   Double-click Display, click the Desktop tab, and then click Customize Desktop.
3.   Click to select the check boxes for the desktop items that you want to display, or click to clear the check boxes for the desktop items that you want to remove.

Start/Run/Regedit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\Hotfix. Periodically Microsoft releases Hot Fix's to patch bugs in Windows and other products, this key contains information about which Hot fix's have been installed.

Some of the Hotfixes (Mostly security updates) do not have an uninstall feature, these will not appear in the Add and Remove list. If a Hotfix does appear in the Add and Remove list then it can be uninstalled just like any other program. If you uninstall the Hotfix, you will lose the benefits of that patch. This should only be done if you can determine that you are experiencing negative effects from the particular Hotfix.

If you simply do not want them to appear in the Add and Remove list and you are sure that you will not need the uninstall option, you can remove items from that list by using a registry tweak.

Go to Start, Run, type in REGEDIT and press OK. This will open the registry editor. Navigate to the following key.

HKEY CURRENT USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

Expand this branch and look at the list. The Hotfixes are all listed by a "Q" number that corresponds to the entry in the Add and Remove list. Make sure that you back up each Key before deleting it. Select the key and then select File/Export and include the Q number in the name of the file. Right click the entries you want to remove and select Delete.

Any of the products below will completely remove most hijackers, unless it is one which has just started spreading.

Spybot S&D [recommended]
Ad-aware
Aluria Spyware Eliminator
HijackThis

StartPage Guard 1.3
http://www.pjwalczak.com/spguard/index.php

How to Block Comet Cursor in Internet Explorer 5 and 6
http://tech.tln.lib.mi.us/blockcc.htm

Spyware
http://www.simplythebest.net/info/spyware.html

If the Tabs have been removed from Internet Explorer/Tools/Internet Options and/or you receive a restriction warning message, run this edit (or from line 268 here).  It will restore all tabs and lift the restriction.

Check your settings here:  Start/Run/Regedit

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel\HomePage
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Start Page

IE/Tools/Internet Options/General/Home Page/Address.  If the feature is disabled (greyed out), download this script.  Lock Home Page:  reg file  Unlock Home Page:  reg file

Ever downloaded a 'Free' program only to find out it was Spyware?  (Banner Advertiser Supported)  Or even worse, many will hide the Spyware functions and not tell you.  At the time of this release there were 762 known Spyware programs and Spy Chaser lists them and lets you enter a program name to see if it's on this list.

Many of those programs don't uninstall the Spyware even after uninstalling the main program leaving files on your system and entries in the registry you might never get rid of.  For the list:  http://camtech2000.net/Pages/SpyChaser.html

A Redundant Array of Independent Drives, more commonly referred to by its acronym, RAID, is a form of data storage that records your data across numerous different hard disks. The major benefit from having this type of data storage setup is that if one of the drives falters or crashes, the backup drives are readily available insuring that you don't skip a beat and / or lose any of your valuable documents, applications, programs, etc.

RAID systems can be extremely securing sources of data storage due to the fact that they mirror the exact same data across multiple platforms. There are numerous levels of RAID service, the major difference being the number of platforms over which the same data is mirrored. (You will know immediately when you have a problem with one of the drives, and can act on it at that point. I.E, there is really no reason to exceed a certain number of drives over which the data is shared, because the chances are you will correct the problem after it occurs and have the drive up and running again without too much hassle. Basically, there isn't much of a need to install more than 2 or maybe 3 drives over which the data is shared)

RAID service is sometimes referred to by other names including disk mirroring, disk striping, and/or fault tolerance. The following is a short list of the RAID levels and their corresponding features. These levels are as follows:

    * Level 0: Although this level provides data striping it does not provide redundancy. This improves the performance of the drive, but it doesn't deliver any kind of fault tolerance.
    * Level 1: This level provides disk mirroring; a tool with which data is written across two drives so that if 1 fails, the other remains as a backup.
    * Level 3: This level is more or less the same as Level 0, with the one difference that it does provide a certain degree of fault tolerance.
    * Level 5: This level provides users with data striping at the byte level, along with stripe error correction info. The result is superior performance and good fault tolerance.

The most common levels of RAID that are employed are levels 1, 3 & 5. Whereas RAID systems have generally been solely associated with business use in the past due to excess costs, the recent falling prices of hard drives has allowed for a RAID crossover into the personal / home use sector. If you are looking for an extremely secure data storage system that affords quicker retrieval of data and up-to-the-minute data backup, then you should continue your RAID research to learn more.

Man's greatest fear has finally been revealed – and it has nothing to do with marriage – it's the relegation of their football team.

That' the conclusion of a new survey, which found that Brit blokes are more scared of their football team being relegated than marriage.

Forty per cent of the males surveyed said the thought of their team being demoted gave them the most sleepless nights.

While 34 per cent said that the prospect of proposing gave them the creeps, reports the Daily Star.

And bee-hived songstress Amy Winehouse was voted more alarming than parachuting from a plane.

Meeting the girlfriend''s parents made number eight and being rejected by a girl was at number five.

Large insects came last in the poll by men''s magazine NUTS.

Brit men's Top Ten Fears:

1 Football team being relegated

2 Proposing to girlfriend

3 Losing looks/hair/ageing

4 Being made to look stupid in front of mates

5 Being rejected when asking a girl on a date

6 Small children and babies

7 Amy Winehouse

8 Meeting girlfriend's parents

9 Free falling

10 Large insects

Hyderabad-based MIC Electronics has entered into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Italian-based Ceracchi Illuminazione, to get access to European markets and others like Russia, Morroco and Eastern European countries.

Ceracchi Illuminazione is a renowned lightening company in Italy for design, development and marketing of light-emitting-diode (LED) lightening solutions.

Other than this, the company also announced the commissioning of their 100% export oriented unit (EOU) facility at Cherapally in Hyderabad on Oct. 29, 2008. The company stated that with the new facility, the production capacity of LED display modules had doubled.

MIC Electronics is a global leader in the design, development and manufacture of LED video displays, high-end electronic and telecommunication equipment, and development of telecom software since 1988.

Shares of the company gained Rs 3.10, or 8%, to end at Rs 38.60. The total volume of shares traded was 115,597 at the BSE.

Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), the largest insurance organizations in the country is all set to open a representative office in Singapore next month.

According to the source, the upcoming office will initially explore opportunity for selling insurance products to the people of Indian origin.

Additionally, the insurance giant is also planning to expand its footprints into Australia and New Zealand. At present, LIC has international operations in seven countries - UK, Mauritius, Fiji, Nepal, Gulf, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Recently, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) International has begun selling policies to non-Indians in Bahrain, where it posted a growth of 46% in the first nine months of this year compared with the corresponding period last year.

Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) has informed that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SME Rating Agency of India
(Smera) to enable its SME Borrowers to get rated themselves.

Under the arrangement, Smera will provide data about external credit rating by considering the financial position and qualitative factors that have a bearing on the credit worthiness of the SME and Karur Vysya Bank will finance the SME.

According to sources, the MoU plans a co-operation between the two institutions for financing of SME by leveraging the strengths of both the organisations.

The Karur Vysya Bank has 239 branches spread across 11 states and 2 union territories.

   
Spending more and more time on the internet is leading to evolutionary change, as besides changing people's lifestyle, it is also altering the way an individual's brain works, reports the Times of India.

According to Gary Small, a neuroscientist at UCLA in California, evolutionary change due to constant net surfing is set to put the tech-savvy at the top of the new social order. Based on studies, Small claims that internet searching and text messaging has made brains more adept at filtering information and making quick decisions.  He said, "We are changing the environment. The average young person now spends nine hours a day exposing their brain to technology. Evolution is an advancement from moment to moment and what we are seeing is technology affecting our evolution."

However, the influence of technology could have drawbacks, as one might be left with only virtual friends and fall victim to Attention Deficit Disorder. Small said that people with a mixture of technological and social skills would top the social order. He said, "They will know when the best response to email or instant message is to talk, rather than sit and continue to email." Mentioning the sensitivity of the brain towards changes in the environment, he said, "The brain is very specialised in its circuitry, and if you repeat mental tasks over and over it will strengthen certain neural circuits and ignore others."

A study of 24 adult web users revealed that the areas of the brain of the experienced internet users had double the activity during decision-making and complex reasoning as compared to the internet beginners. This multitasking may become cause for concern, as the constant search of new information may create stress and damage neural networks. Small said, "There is also the big problem of neglecting human contact skills and losing the ability to read emotional expressions and body language."

Updated for the RTM release of Windows XP
 
With the inclusion of a new consumer-oriented version of Windows XP, there has been some confusion surrounding the differences between this product, Windows XP Home Edition, and its more upscale sibling, Windows XP Professional Edition. During a visit to Redmond in February where Windows XP Beta 2 and the new Whistler ("Luna") user interface was first unveiled, and in various meetings since then, I've been able to discuss this new Windows version with Microsoft executives and product managers. Beyond the obvious--Microsoft is targeting Home Edition at consumers and Professional at business users and power users--Group Vice President Jim Allchin said that the company was working hard to further differentiate the products. "With XP, the home version is what it is," Allchin said. "But where we're going, we've named them appropriately. In the future, this will make more sense. We will do more value add in Pro in the future."

     
   
"Divide them into managed and unmanaged environments," added John Frederiksen, the General Manager of the PC Experience Solution Group, noting that some smaller businesses would probably install Home Edition regardless of the target marketing. "Some small businesses have administrators, some don't. Home Edition is not a managed OS. It's optimized for that consumer market. A lot of the OEM PCs marketed to consumers are bought by small businesses. In terms of naming, we wanted to continue the Professional name. For the consumer product, we tested the name Windows Me again, the year names, like Windows 2002, and a lot of other stuff. But Home Edition tested the best. The feedback said that Home Edition suggested it was customized for the home, which it was. We feel like the name reflects its purpose."

Windows XP Home Edition Overview
Windows XP Home Edition includes a number of enhancements over Windows 2000 Professional. These include:

    * Improved software (application) and hardware compatibility
    * Simplified security
    * Simplified log-on featuring new "welcome" screen
    * Fast user switching
    * A new user interface featuring context-sensitive, task-oriented Web views
    * Enhanced support for digital media (movies, pictures, music)
    * DirectX 8.1 multimedia libraries for gaming

Professional Edition: Superset of Home Edition
At its most basic level, XP Professional is a business- and power-user oriented superset of Home Edition. Because this orientation, it includes features that wouldn't be appropriate, or would be too complex, for the typical home user. The most obvious difference is security, which is vastly simplified in Home Edition. Each interactive user in XP Home is assumed to be a member of the Owners local group, which is the Windows XP equivalent of the Windows 2000 Administrator account: This means that anyone who logs on to a Home Edition machine has full control. Likewise, the Backup Operators, Power Users, and Replicator groups from Windows 2000/XP Pro are missing from Home Edition, and a new group, called Restricted Users, is added. Hidden administrative shares (C$, etc.) are also unavailable in Home Edition.

"Professional Edition is a strict superset of Home Edition," confirmed Chris Jones, Vice President of the Windows Client Group. "Everything you can do in Home Edition, you can do in Pro. So we do think there are home users who will buy Pro." Jones' distinction is a good one: With Windows XP, the Professional Edition is finally a superset of all the desktop clients that came before (Windows Me and Windows 2000 Professional) as well as of its new sibling. So when discussing the differences between the editions, it's best to simply describe those features in Pro that you can't get in Home Edition.

Pro features that aren't in Home Edition
The following features are not present in Windows XP Home Edition.

    * Power user Remote Desktop - All versions of Windows XP--including Home Edition--support Remote Assistance, which is an assisted support technology that allows a help desk or system administrator to remotely connect to a client desktop for troubleshooting purposes. But Only Pro supports the new Remote Desktop feature, which is a single-session version of Terminal Services with two obvious uses: Mobile professionals who need to remotely access their corporate desktop, and remote administration of clients on a network. You can access a Windows XP Remote Desktop from any OS that supports a Terminal Services client (such as Windows 98 and, interestingly XP Home). XP Home can act as the client in a Remote Desktop session; only Pro can be the server.
    * Multi-processor support - Windows XP Pro supports up to two microprocessors, while Home Edition supports only one.
    * Automated System Recovery (ASR) - In a somewhat controversial move, Microsoft has removed the Backup utility from the default Windows XP Home Edition, though it is available as an optional installation if you can find it on the CD-ROM (hint: it's in the /valueadd folder). The reason for this the integration of Microsoft's new Automated System Recovery (ASR) tool into Backup. In Pro, ASR will help recover a system from a catastrophic error, such as one that renders the system unbootable. ASR-enabled backups are triggerable from XP Setup, allowing you to return your system to its previous state, even if the hard drive dies and has to be replaced. Unlike consumer-oriented features such as System Restore, ASR is not automatic: It must manually be enabled from within the Backup utility in Windows XP Pro. In any event, while there is a Backup utility available for Home Edition, you cannot use ASR, even though mentions of this feature still exist in the UI. Confusing? Yes. But it's better than no Backup at all, which was the original plan.
    * Dynamic Disk Support - Windows XP Professional (like its Windows 2000 equivalent) supports dynamic disks, but Home Edition does not (instead, HE supports only the standard Simple Disk type). Dynamic disks are not usable with any OS other than Windows 2000 or Windows XP Pro, and they cannot be used on portable computers. Likewise, Home Edition does not include the Logical Disk Manager.
    * Fax - Home Edition has no integrated fax functionality out of the box, though it is an option you can install from the XP Home CD.
    * Internet Information Services/Personal Web Server - Home Edition does not include the IIS Web server 5.1 software found in Pro.

    * Security Encrypting File System - Windows XP Professional supports the Encrypting File System (EFS), which allows you encrypt individual files or folders for local security (EFS is not enabled over a network). EFS-protected files and folders allows users to protect sensitive documents from other users.
    * File-level access control - Any user with Administrator privileges can limit access to certain network resources, such as servers, directories, and files, using access control lists. Only Windows XP Professional supports file-level access control, mostly because this feature is typically implemented through Group Policy Objects, which are also not available in Home Edition.
    * "C2" certification - Microsoft will attempt to have Windows XP Professional certified with the "C2" security designation, a largely irrelevant status, but one which will not be afforded to Home Edition.

    * Management Domain membership - Home Edition cannot be used to logon to an Active Directory domain. For obvious reasons, the Domain Wizard is also missing in Home Edition.
    * Group Policy - Since Home Edition cannot be used to logon to an Active Directory domain, Group Policy--whereby applications, network resources, and operating systems are administered for domain users--is not supported either.
    * IntelliMirror - Microsoft lumps a wide range of semi-related change and configuration management technologies under the IntelliMirror umbrella, and none of these features are supported in the consumer oriented Home Edition. IntelliMirror capabilities include user data management; centrally-managed software installation, repair, updating, and removal; user settings management; and Remote Installation Services (RIS), which allows administrators to remotely install the OS on client systems.
    * Roaming profiles - This feature allows users to logon to any computer in an Active Directory network and automatically receive their customized settings. It is not available in Home Edition, which cannot logon to an Active Directory domain.

    * Corporate deployment Multi-language support - Only Windows XP Professional will ship in a Multi-Language version or support multiple languages in a single install.
    * Sysprep support - Windows XP Pro will support the System Preparation (Sysprep) utility, while Home Edition will not.
    * RIS support - See the IntelliMirror heading in the previous section; Home Edition does not support RIS deployments.

    * 64-bit Edition Microsoft is shipping a 64-bit version of Windows XP for Intel Itanium systems that mirrors the Professional Edition feature-set.

      Networking features
    * The following networking features are not included in Home Edition: The user interface for IPSecurity (IPSec)
    * SNMP
    * Simple TCP/IP services
    * SAP Agent
    * Client Service for NetWare
    * Network Monitor
    * Multiple Roaming feature

      User interface features
    * Windows XP Home Edition has some different default settings that affect the user interface. For example, Guest logon is on by default in Home, but off in Pro. The Address bar in Explorer windows is on in Pro by default, but off in Home. During the beta period, Microsoft had intended to use a business-oriented shell theme ("Professional") by default in Pro and the "Luna" consumer theme in Home Edition. But feedback from corporate users suggested that everyone liked the consumer-oriented Luna theme better, and development of the Professional theme was cancelled. Other user interface features that are present in Pro but not Home include: Client-side caching
    * Administrative Tools option on the Start menu (a subset of the Admin tools are still present in Home, however).

SYMPTOMS
During the Windows startup process, the computer may stop responding (hang), and you may receive the following error message:
*** Hardware Malfunction
Call your hardware vendor for support
*** The system has halted ***
One of the following error messages may also be included:
NMI: Parity Check / Memory Parity Error
NMI: Channel Check / IOCHK
NMI: Fail-safe timer
NMI: Bus Timeout
NMI: Software NMI generated
NMI: Eisa IOCHKERR board x

CAUSE
This behavior can occur if a hardware component malfunctions, or if there are damaged or incompatible drivers installed.

RESOLUTION
To try to resolve this behavior, use the following troubleshooting techniques. Because Windows can display only basic error messages when hardware malfunctions occur, troubleshooting can be difficult. Most equipment problems center around the motherboard, the RAM on a motherboard or on an adapter, or the cache memory on a motherboard or on an adapter.

To troubleshoot basic hardware problems, try one or more of the following:

Check the Memory
Remove any extra memory modules that are in the computer, leaving only the least amount that is required for the computer to start and run Windows. Restart the computer to see whether the error messages persist.

If the error does not reappear, the issue is isolated to one or more of the RAM modules that you removed from the computer. Continue to remove and replace the minimum amount of RAM required, using the memory modules that you removed. When the error returns, you have isolated the individual memory module that is responsible for the problem.

This process may require you to restart your computer several times to pinpoint the specific memory module that is not working correctly.
Solution
Replace the defective RAM module.

Microsoft has released a software memory diagnostic tool, Windows Memory Diagnostic. Windows Memory Diagnostic tests the Random Access Memory (RAM) on your computer for errors. To download this tool, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp (http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp)

Check the Adapters
Remove any adapters that are not required to start the computer and run Windows. In many cases, you can start your computer with only the drive subsystem controller and the video adapter.

If the error message does not appear, one of the adapters that you removed is the source of the problem. Reinstall each adapter separately, restarting after each adapter is installed, to see whether the error returns. If the error does not return after you reinsert all of the adapters, it is possible that one of the adapter cards just needed to be reseated. After your computer is running again, monitor the computer to make sure that the error does not return.
Solution
If reseating the adapters does not solve the problem, replace the adapter that is causing the error.

Check the Computer BIOS/Configuration
Verify that you have installed the latest revisions for your computer's BIOS or firmware configuration software. Go into the BIOS and set load Fail-safe defaults or BIOS defaults, disable any antivirus protection in the BIOS, and then set Plug and Play OS to No.

The type of hardware that your computer uses and the design of the motherboard determine what part of your computer's firmware can actually be updated. Various manufacturers provide diagnostic tools for troubleshooting.
Solution
Update the BIOS, the firmware, and/or the EISA configuration.

If none of these procedures isolates or resolves the issue, the problem can be narrowed down to the motherboard, drive subsystem controller, hard drive, or the video adapter. Advanced RAID or other caching controllers can have RAM, processor chips, or both that could also be the problem. If the simplest configuration contains one of these advanced adapters, resolving the problem may require use of additional troubleshooting or diagnostic software, possibly using duplicate hardware.

Check For Updated Drivers
For additional information about updating drivers and managing devices in Windows XP, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
283658 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283658/EN-US/) HOW TO: Manage Devices in Windows XP

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

SYMPTOMS
After you install Microsoft Windows XP, hard disk performance may be slower than you expect.

NOTE: Hard disk performance may be even slower when your computer performs many small hard disk read/write operations.

CAUSE
This behavior may occur in the following situation:
•   You use Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) hard disks in the computer.

-and-
•   The hard disks are formatted as NTFS.

RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows XP. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322389 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389/EN-US/) How to Obtain the Latest Windows XP Service Pack
Hotfix information
A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support (http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support)
Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.
File information
The English version of this fix should have the following file attributes or later:

   Date         Time   Version      Size     File name
   ---------------------------------------------------
   28-Sep-2001  17:51  5.1.2600.14  516,224  Ntfs.sys
            

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Windows XP Service Pack 1.

SUMMARY
In Windows 2000 there are several ways to troubleshoot issues related to the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) that may occur as a result of misdetection, an outdated or non-compliant Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), or an incorrectly or manually installed computer type. This article describes some of the methods you can use to troubleshoot issues related to the HAL.

NOTE: In this article, the term "computer type" and "HAL" have the same meaning, and may be interchanged.

Back to the top
MORE INFORMATION
Determine Your Computer Type
To determine the computer type you are using:
1.   Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
2.   Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager to view what is listed under the Computer branch. The following is the list of supported computer types.

Possible values for the HAL under Standard computers include:
ACPI Multiprocessor PC
ACPI Uniprocessor PC
Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC
MPS Multiprocessor PC
MPS Uniprocessor PC
Standard PC
Possible values for the HAL under Compaq include:
Compaq SystemPro Multiprocessor or 100% Compatible
Possible values for the HAL under SGI include:
Silicon Graphics Visual Workstation

Back to the top
View or Change Installed Computer Type
To view or change the installed computer type:

WARNING: Note that you should not attempt to change from an ACPI HAL to a standard HAL or from a standard HAL to a ACPI HAL under any circumstances. Doing so will result in your computer not starting properly or at all. This occurs because the Plug and Play device tree that would be currently loaded is for ACPI, and it does not get reconstructed or revert to a standard HAL Plug and Play device tree. Because of this (the device tree structures being drastically different), the system is unaware of any hardware changes after the computer restarts to include the location of the boot device. Microsoft does not recommend or support this procedure as it will result in data loss.
1.   Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
2.   Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager to view what is listed under the Computer branch. As an example, "Standard PC", the detected computer type Windows 2000 installed on your computer, or an entry such as "Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) PC" may be listed.
3.   To change the installed computer type, click the Driver tab, and then click Update Drivers.

NOTE: You can only change or update your HAL from Device Manager under Computer Type when changing from a Standard PC HAL to a Standard Multiprocessor PC HAL, because changing from an ACPI HAL to a Standard HAL can result in your not being able to start your computer.
If you are unable to start your computer properly as a result of the wrong computer type (HAL) being installed after Windows 2000 Setup, start the Emergency Repair process:
1.   Start your computer by using the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks, or with the Windows 2000 CD-ROM if your computer supports starting from a CD-ROM.
2.   At the Welcome to Setup screen, press R to repair.
3.   At the Windows 2000 Repair Options screen, press R to repair using the emergency repair process.
4.   Press M to manually select repair options and ensure that "Verify Windows 2000 system files" and "Inspect startup environment" features are selected, or press F to run all repair options.
5.   Once complete, the originally installed HAL and associated files should be restored. Remove the CD-ROM or floppy disk and then restart your computer.

NOTE: The incorrectly installed computer type is still visible in Device Manager.
6.   To ensure the correct computer type is visible in Device Manager, when you restart your computer, press F8, choose Last Known Good Configuration, and then press ENTER.
7.   Click the appropriate hardware profile (if more than one profile exists). On the hardware profile, click Configuration Recovery, press ENTER, and then permit Windows 2000 to start.
The optimum method to change from an ACPI HAL to a Standard HAL is to re-install Windows 2000 as an upgrade:
1.   Start Windows 2000 Setup as an upgrade.
2.   To automatically disable ACPI support and allow Windows 2000 to detect automatically or manually change and install the correct (Standard HAL) computer type that your computer supports, use either of the following methods:

•   To Auto detect the computer type:

Press F7 when Setup generates the following informational message:
Press F6 if you need to install a third party SCSI or RAID driver.
NOTE: You do not receive a visual indicator that auto detection is taking place when you press F7; proceed normally with setup until it is completed.
•   To Manually Select your computer type:

Press F5, and then manually choose the correct Standard computer type by using the following list:
i386 source File   Computer Type
*hal.dll   Compaq SystemPro Multiprocessor or 100% Compatible
*halapic.dll   MPS Uniprocessor PC
*halapic.dll   MPS Multiprocessor PC
*hal.dll   Standard PC
*halborg.dll   SGI mp


NOTE: You do not have to use the reinstallation method to update from a Standard PC HAL to a MPS Multiprocessor PC HAL, you can use the Update Drivers feature in Device Manager for this. However, you must reinstall Windows 2000 when going to an ACPI HAL computer type on a computer that was using the Standard computer type, and then permit Windows 2000 to automatically detect the correct computer type.
If the Emergency Repair process cannot locate your repair information or if the repair information is invalid, recover your Windows 2000 installation by starting the Recovery Console:
1.   Start your computer with the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks, or with the Windows 2000 CD-ROM if your computer supports starting from CD-ROM. At the Welcome to Setup screen, press R to repair, and then press C to start the Recovery Console.

NOTE: For information about using the Recovery Console, please click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
229716 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/229716/EN-US/) Description of the Windows 2000 Recovery Console
2.   After you log on to your computer, from the %SystemRoot%\System32 folder of your original Windows 2000 installation, use the command console to copy and rename the following files as noted in the following lists. First determine which HAL and kernel files your computer requires by using the following list of supported computer types:

NOTE: Those marked with an asterisk character are Standard computer types (non-ACPI).

i386 source file: i386\driver.cab\halmacpi.dll
Computer type: ACPI Multiprocessor PC
Copy to this folder: winnt\System32
Rename to this file name: hal.dll

i386 source file: i386\driver.cab\halaacpi.dll
Computer type: ACPI Uniprocessor PC
Copy to this folder: winnt\System32
Rename to this file name: hal.dll

i386 source file: i386\driver.cab\halacpi.dll
Computer type: Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC
Copy to this folder: winnt\System32
Rename to this file name: hal.dll

i386 source file: *i386\driver.cab\halsp.dll
Computer type: Compaq SystemPro Multiprocessor or 100% Compatible
Copy to this folder: winnt\System32
Rename to this file name: hal.dll

i386 source file: *i386\driver.cab\halapic.dll
Computer type: MPS Uniprocessor PC
Copy to this folder: winnt\System32
Rename to this file name: hal.dll

i386 source file: *i386\driver.cab\halmps.dll
Computer type: MPS Multiprocessor PC
Copy to this folder: winnt\System32
Rename to this file name: hal.dll

i386 source file: *i386\driver.cab\hal.dll
Computer type: Standard PC
Copy to this folder: winnt\System32
Rename to this file name: hal.dll

i386 source file: *i386\driver.cab\halborg.dll
Computer type: SGI mp
Copy to this folder: winnt\System32
Rename to this file name: hal.dll

3.   As indicated in the following table, copy all the appropriate kernel files common for your system (Uniprocessor vs. Multiprocessor) and the appropriate HAL file based on your computer supported computer type from the Windows 2000 CD-ROM (i386\driver.cab) or installed service pack to the corresponding folder listed in the table under your original Windows 2000 installation, and then rename them (if required) to Ntoskrnl.exe and Hal.dll, respectively.

Common Multiprocessor kernel files   Copy to the following directory   Rename to the following filename
i386\driver.cab\ntkrnlmp.exe   winnt\System32   ntoskrnl.exe
i386\driver.cab\ntkrpamp.exe   winnt\System32   ntkrnlpa.exe
i386\driver.cab\kernel32.dll   winnt\System32   kernel32.dll
i386\driver.cab\ntdll.dll   winnt\System32   ntdll.dll
i386\driver.cab\win32k.sys   winnt\System32\drivers   win32k.sys
i386\driver.cab\winsrv.dll   winnt\System32   winsrv.dll
Common Uniprocessor kernel files   Copy to the following directory   Rename to the following filename
i386\driver.cab\ntoskrnl.exe   winnt\System32   ntoskrnl.exe
i386\driver.cab\ntkrnlpa.exe   winnt\System32   ntkrnlpa.exe
i386\driver.cab\kernel32.dll   winnt\System32   kernel32.dll
i386\driver.cab\ntdll.dll   winnt\System32   ntdll.dll
i386\driver.cab\win32k.sys   winnt\System32   win32k.sys
i386\driver.cab\winsrv.dll   winnt\System32   winsrv.dll
4.   Expand the Ntdll.dll file from the original Windows 2000 CD-ROM (i386\driver.cab) or installed service pack to the %SystemRoot%\system32 folder of your original Windows 2000 installation.

For example:
drive:\i386\driver.cab /f:ntdll.dll c:\winnt\system32
where drive is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive containing the Windows 2000 Server CD-ROM.
5.   Expand the Win32k.sys file from the original Windows 2000 CD-ROM (i386\driver.cab) or installed service pack to the %SystemRoot%\system32 folder of your original Windows 2000 installation.
6.   Expand the Kernel32.dll and Winsrv.dll from the Windows 2000 CD-ROM (i386\driver.cab) or installed service pack to the %SystemRoot%\system32 folder of your original Windows 2000 installation. For example, type the following commands expand drive:\i386\driver.cab /F:kernel32.dll %systemroot%\system32\kernel32.dll

expand drive:\i386\driver.cab /F:winsrv.dll %systemroot%\system32\winsrv.dll

where drive is your CD-ROM drive letter.

7.   Restart your computer.
For related information, please click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
234558 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/234558/EN-US/) How to Add Support for Multiple Processors in Windows 2000
WARNING: Windows 2000 displays the list of compatible computer types that can be installed when you use Device Manager to manually update. Doing anything beyond what is listed as compatible is likely to result in not being able to start your computer correctly or at all. If you do have "Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) PC" listed as your computer type or after updating to the latest ACPI BIOS, then you cannot update to the "ACPI Multiprocessor PC" through Device Manager and may result in not being able to start your computer correctly or at all. In the case of an ACPI HAL, for Windows 2000 to support or recognize both CPUs using an ACPI HAL, you must first update to the latest ACPI BIOS which is fully compliant, then re-install Windows 2000 as an upgrade so it can automatically detect and install ACPI Multiprocessor PC; if it does not, your BIOS in not fully compliant yet.

SUMMARY

You can use Safe mode to start Windows using a minimal set of drivers and services. If a faulty driver or program is causing problems, you may be able to use Safe mode to bypass the problem and start Windows so that you can diagnose the problem. However, Safe mode may not work in all situations.

MORE INFORMATION

Safe mode may not work in these situations:
•   A mass storage driver (SCSI or IDE) is damaged or has been accidentally removed.
•   The Ntoskrnl.exe or Hal.dll file is damaged.
•   A program replaced system files that are critical to the operation of Windows.
To diagnose a problem with Safe mode, follow these steps:
1.   Try all versions of Safe mode to see if Windows will start.
2.   If no version of Safe mode will start, try using the command console to replace or rename a faulty driver or to disable or enable a service.
3.   If the command console does not resolve the issue, you may need to restore the system from a backup.
For more information about the command console or other Windows recovery options, please consult your Windows documentation.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216417/EN-US/ How to Install the Windows Recovery Console

He''s famously known as Kiefer Sutherland, but the actor''s full name actually consists of five middle titles - Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland.

Fox News has compiled a list of 10 celebrities'' names whose middle names are not so well-know.

The list includes - Ali ''Gertrude'' Larter, Jennifer ''Love'' Hewitt, Samuel ''Leroy'' Jackson, Beyonce ''Giselle'' Knowles, Orlando ''Jonathan Blanchard'' Bloom, Russell ''Ira'' Crowe, Mel ''Columcille Gerard'' Gibson, Jennifer ''Joanna'' Aniston ''Anastassakis'', Ashley ''Tyler Ciminella'' Judd.

The top 10 middle names are as follows:

1. Kiefer ''William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus'' Sutherland.

2. Ali ''Gertrude'' Larter.

3. Jennifer ''Love'' Hewitt.

4. Samuel ''Leroy'' Jackson.

5. Beyonce ''Giselle'' Knowles.

6. Orlando ''Jonathan Blanchard'' Bloom.

7. Russell ''Ira'' Crowe.

8. Mel ''Columcille Gerard'' Gibson.

9. Jennifer ''Joanna'' Aniston ''Anastassakis''

10. Ashley ''Tyler Ciminella'' Judd.

Bangalore, Oct 31 : Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro Limited announced that its Business Process Outsourcing division, Wipro BPO, is setting up a Shared Services centre for AmBev, the largest brewery company in Latin America with leading brands like Brahma, Becks, Stella and Antarctica.

The Shared Services Centre will provide services to AmBev across Latin America in the areas of Finance and Accounting, Order Management, Customer Services and HR Services. The partnership is expected to provide significant financial benefits and leverage transformation opportunities across AmBev operations in the region. These services will be provided from Wipro''s facility at Curitiba in Brazil.

Renato Nahas Batista, Zonal Vice President at AmBev said, "The partnership with Wipro will focus on transforming the existing Shared Service Centre and provide services across Latin America for AmBev. We are happy to be a part of Wipro''s expansion plans for Brazil and Latin America".

"Wipro''s capability to transform processes, implement SAP and provide world class service delivery is a strength that is unmatched by competition. Our robust delivery structure combines process, quality and finance and accounting expertise along with SAP consultants. This forms a team that can provide end to end service and take complete ownership", says Ashutosh Vaidya, Head, Wipro BPO.

Wipro''s Consumer Products Industry practice has a team for Food and Beverage industry with over 400 well-qualified associates. This division focuses on helping Food and Beverage companies re-engineer the way they meet end consumer''s needs through Information Technology solutions.

Wipro BPO is a critical partner to its customers in achieving their business goals. Over 20,000 people, operate out of 9 different locations (India and Eastern Europe). Wipro BPO services customers in various industries including Banking and Capital Markets, Insurance, Travel and Hospitality, Hi-Tech Manufacturing, Telecom and Healthcare sectors. Wipro BPO also has deep expertise in delivering process specific solutions in areas like Finance and Accounting, Procurement, HR Services, Loyalty Services and Knowledge Services.

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has expressed "disappointment" over alcohol advertisements at airports across the country and has written to Civil Aviation Minister Parful Patel for their removal.

According to the health ministry, Ramadoss has written to the civil aviation ministry for removal of advertisements of alcoholic drinks on display at airports in Delhi and elsewhere across the country in August but no action was taken.

"However, the minister for health and family welfare has found that the hoardings and advertisements are still on display at the various airports, including the Delhi Airport," a health ministry release said Friday.

Citing various "scientific and technical studies", Ramadoss has written to Patel to issue instructions to the concerned authorities, "as advertisements of alcoholic drinks are already legally banned in electronic and print media."

Returning from hibernation sets the inactivity timer to five minutes on a Windows XP-based computer

SYMPTOMS
After a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer returns (or "wakes up") from hibernation, it may enter hibernation again after five minutes of inactivity, regardless of the settings you have configured in the Power Options tool in Control Panel.
MORE INFORMATION
The computer's BIOS performs a full boot while it returns from hibernation and clears any wakeup signals that might be active. Therefore, Windows cannot determine why the computer woke up. Windows then returns to hibernation after five minutes of inactivity to avoid certain situations. For example, Windows may then return to hibernation to prevent a program from waking up the computer and causing the battery to drain while the computer is not being used.

This problem may also occur in Windows Vista. After you wake a Windows Vista-based computer from hibernation, the computer may enter hibernation again after two minutes of inactivity. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929734/ You may experience problems after you resume a Windows Vista-based computer from sleep or from hibernation

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Standby & Hibernate Issues in Windows XP:

*Can't Enter Standby or Hibernate If a Direct3D-Based Screen Saver Is Running
   
*Problems If Computer Is Set to Standby After 45 or More Minutes

*Standby Mode Is Delayed 30 Seconds By Raspti.sys
   
*Unable to Use Power Management Features

*Power Management Settings Don't Migrate/Upgrade to XP
   
*HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

*OpenGL Screen Saver Prevents Power Management Standby Mode
   
*Cannot Enter Standby with Diamond Multimedia Stealth II G460

*How to Enable the Wake from Standby Option for a USB Mouse
   
*Mouse Resumes Computer from Standby Mode If Option Is Disabled

*No HyperTerminal Connection to Remote Computer
   
*System Standby Disconnects Modem Connections

*No Hibernate Button Is Present After Clicking Turn off Computer
   
*Cannot Shut Down, Restart, Log Off, Stand By, or Hibernate

*UPnP Clients Are Not Detected When the Computer in Standby Mode
   
*Computer with IBM ScrollPoint Mouse Does Not Enter Standby Mode

*HyperTerminal File Transfer Does Not Survive Standby/Hibernation
   
*Scanner Does Not Work After Computer Returns from Standby

*Remote Assistance Stopped by Standby/Hibernate/Fast User Switch
   
*Computer w/ ATI Rage Pro AGP 2X Video Adapter Cannot Standby

*Cannot Wake Acer System from Standby by PS/2 Mouse or Keyboard
   
*ErrMsg: The Device Driver for the ATI 3D RAGE Pro AGP 2X...

*System with ATi Xpert 98 XL Video Card Does Not Go into Standby
   
*Bad Display on Sony VAIO PCG-F520 After Resume via IntelliMouse

*No Warning Appears When Battery Is Low or Critical on Portable
   
*Resuming from Standby After Warm Undock Corrupts Video

*Windows XP Stops Responding at the Welcome Screen
   Laptop Computer Reaches 100 Percent CPU Usage After Removal

SYMPTOMS
When you are using a docked computer, the computer may not be able to shut down, restart, log off, stand by, or hibernate. When you try to use any of these commands, the computer may appear to stop responding (hang).

CAUSE
Some types of docking stations may suspend the undocking process until the docking station is physically detached. If you leave the computer intact after you request undocking by clicking the Eject PC or Undock Computer command, or by pressing the undock switch, the computer may not be able to shut down, restart, log off, stand by, or hibernate because the pending undock process blocks all other operating system processes.

RESOLUTION
If you experience the symptom that is described in this article, physically detach the computer from the docking station after you request undocking by clicking the Eject PC or Undock Computer command, or by pressing the undock switch on the computer.

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION
For Windows 2000, Microsoft recommends that Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) implement their devices such that the docking station suspends the undocking process until the docking station is physically detached if an IEEE 1394 controller exists in the computer and an IEEE 1394 device is installed in the docking station. This prevents Windows from potentially damaging data, which could occur if the device restarts if an OEM has designed a docking station system that cannot be isolated from the computer electrically. For additional technical information, see the "ACPI Docking for Windows Operating Systems" white paper at the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/pnppwr/powermgmt/ACPIdock.mspx

Click on the start button and select turn off computer. Then hold down the shift key and the hibernate button will be shown. Click it and your computer will enter into hibernation.

     Tip:  When you try to put your computer into Hibernate or Suspend mode while the system is writing data to a compact
              disc (CD), the computer may not enter Hibernate or Suspend mode. You may receive the following error message
              (or a similar one):

The device driver for the '%device name%' device is preventing the machine from entering hibernation/suspend. Please close all applications and try again. If the problem persists, you may need to update this driver.

You receive neither an informational message that the system is writing to a CD nor an error message that offers you the choice of stopping the CD write process or waiting until the process is complete.

This behavior occurs because you cannot put a computer into Hibernate or Suspend mode while the system is writing to a CD.  To work around this behavior, wait until the CD write operation is complete before you try to put the computer into Hibernate or Suspend mode.

Because the computer has already started to enter Hibernate or Suspend mode, some devices may already be turned off. For example, a USB mouse or scanner may be offline until you complete the Hibernate or Suspend process.

Help and Support
Update:

This issue can occur if one or more of the PCHealth components in your
computer are damaged.

To resolve this issue:

1. It is important to note if you have recently made alterations to your
computer before this problem occurred, or if the Help and Support Center
ever worked correctly. If you have recently made alterations to your
computer before this problem occurred, try to undo the changes you made or
uninstall the hardware or software that could have caused the issue. After
you do so, test to determine if the issue is resolved, and if it is, skip
the remaining steps. If the issue is not resolved, continue to the next
step.

2. Remove the .cab files from the Packagestore folder, and then rebuild the
original Help and Support Center:

a. Click Start, click Run, type "cmd" (without the quotation marks), and
then click OK to open a command prompt. Type "net stop helpsvc" (without
the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.

b. Type "cd /d windir\pchealth\helpctr" (without the quotation marks),
where windir is the Windows folder, and then press ENTER.

c. Type "rd packagestore /s /q" (without the quotation marks), and then
press ENTER.

d. Type "cd binaries" (without the quotation marks), and then press
ENTER.

e. Type "start /w helpsvc /svchost netsvcs /regserver /install" (without
the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.

f. If any of the following processes are running, stop them:

helpsvc.exe
helphost.exe
helpctr.exe

To stop a process, right-click the taskbar, and then click Task
Manager. Click the Processes tab, click the process you want to stop, and
then click End Process.

g. At the command prompt, type "net start helpsvc" (without the
quotation marks), and then press ENTER.

3. If the Help and Support Center has not been customized by an OEM, skip
to the next step. If the Help and Support Center has been customized by an
OEM, completely refresh the Help and Support Center:

a. Click Start, click Run, type "cmd" (without the quotation marks), and
then click OK to open a command prompt. Type "net stop helpsvc" (without
the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.

b. Type "cd /d windir\pchealth\helpctr" (without the quotation marks),
where windir is the Windows folder, and then press ENTER.

c. Type "rd packagestore /s /q" (without the quotation marks), and then
press ENTER.

d. Type "rd installedskus /s /q" (without the quotation marks), and then
press ENTER.

e. Type "cd binaries" (without the quotation marks), and then press
ENTER.

f. Type "start /w helpsvc /svchost netsvcs /regserver /install" (without
the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.

g. Type "start /w helpsvc /register" (without the quotation marks), and
then press ENTER.

h. If any of the following processes are running, stop them:

helpsvc.exe
helphost.exe
helpctr.exe

To stop a process, right-click the taskbar, and then click Task
Manager. Click the Processes tab, click the process you want to stop, and
then click End Process.

i. At the command prompt, type "net start helpsvc" (without the
quotation marks), and then press ENTER.

NOTE: The preceding procedure should not negatively affect an
OEM-customized Help and Support Center. However, it does remove any other
.cab files from the Packstorage folder, such as the Windows XP support
tools (which adds their table of contents into the Help and Support
Center).

4. If the preceding steps do not resolve the issue, use the Windows XP
CD-ROM to start your computer, and then run a repair (in-place upgrade)
installation.

Title: Harddrive Repair
URL: http://www.my-hard-drive-repair.com
Description: Data recovery, hard drive repair,
recover files, tools, information and guide.

Title: Data Recovery
URL: http://www.my-data-recovery.com
Description: Hard drive recovery tools and tips,
guide for data recovery and repair.

Title: Quick Data Recovery
URL: http://www.quick-data-recovery.com
Description: Info on data recovery and tools for
repairing your hard drive.

Hard disks keep getting bigger and bigger, but somehow we still run out of space. MP3s and other media files are immensely popular–and simply immense. Programs are bigger, and data files are bigger. Windows Explorer isn't much help. It will tell you the size of all selected files in a folder, but nothing about the files in that folder's subfolders.

Enter DiskPie2 a utility to identify the biggest consumers of disk space. Pie charts let you see at a glance which folders and file types are taking up the most space. The charts are highly customizable, and can be printed.

An Explorer view lets you navigate to the folder you want to chart, and as a bonus displays the number of bytes in and below the selected folder. DiskPie2 also can display and print a report of the largest files in the selected folder. Armed with the information that DiskPie provides, you can decide how best to allocate the space on your disk.

TreeSize:  Every hard disk is too small if you just wait long enough. TreeSize tells you where precious space has gone to. TreeSize can be started from the context menu of a folder or drive and shows you the size of this folder, including its subfolders. You can expand this folder in Explorer-like style and you will see the size of every subfolder. Scanning is done in a thread, so you can already see results while TreeSize is working. The space, which is wasted by the file system can be displayed and the results can be printed in a report. TreeSize is Mailware for Windows 9x/NT/2000/XP.

A replacement GINA DLL, used by 3rd party networking and remote access products can prevent Windows XP from allowing the use of the new Welcome Screen.  To resolve this issue, click Start, Run and enter REGEDIT.  Go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\WinLogon.

In the right pane, right click on the entry for GinaDLL and select Delete

Tip:  Specify a Replacement GINA Authentication DLL

Start/Run/Regedit
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon. Value Name: GinaDLL, Data Type: REG_SZ (String Value). Create a new String value, or modify the existing value, called 'GinaDLL' and edit the value:"c:\winnt\system32\mygina.dll". Note: You will need to change this value if Windows is installed in the Windows directory.

Exit your registry, you may need to restart or log out of Windows for the change to take effect.

TweakUI/Internet Explorer/Search/Create
Prefix: Google or just "g"
URL: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&num=100&q=%s

To disable the Search Companion feature and use the Classic Internet Search feature from Internet Explorer 5.0 open Internet Explorer, click the Search button on the toolbar. Click Change Preferences, and then click Change Internet search behavior. Click With Classic Internet Search, and then click OK. Restart Internet Explorer for the changes to take effect.

To change the autosearch URL, open the Search sidebar again and click Customize. Then click AutoSearch settings and select "Google Sites".

To re-enable the Search Companion feature, click Customize on the Search bar. Click Use Search Companion in the Customize Search Settings dialog box, and then click OK. Restart Internet Explorer for the changes to take effect.

'Mamma Mia! The Movie' named UK's top-grossing British film of all time

'Mamma Mia! The Movie' has been declared as the biggest grossing British flick of all time at the UK box-office.

With actors like Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Colin Davis, Rachel McDowall and many more, the flick has knocked down hits like Harry Potter to be on the top spot.

The film has made 66,995,224 pounds in the UK.

'Removed Royale' moves down a place to number three and the top 10 is completed by the other 'Harry Potter' films, 'The Full Monty', 'Bridget Jones'' Diary' and 'Love Actually', reports Guardian. Co. UK

Only the film Titanic has made more in Britain - 69million pounds - a figure that Mamma Mia could still pass given how widely screened it still is.

Its popularity flies in the face of the film''s critical reception.

The Guardian''s Peter Bradshaw complained that no film had ever had a more irrelevant story, adding: "The characters are forever dancing and smiling and bursting into Abba songs like Stepford cyborgs when you flip the secret panel behind their heads and press the Life-Affirming Behaviour button."

Worldwide, the film is already one of the most profitable movies ever and recently crossed the 500million dollars box office mark.

Acer has announced the launch of its 18.5" LCD monitor, X 193HQ, for the Indian market.

The X 193HQ features a slim profile with an adaptable black color scheme and rear-cable management. The control buttons are located below the panel to enable easy cleaning and intuitive use.

Available at Rs. 8,500, X 193HQ complies with Windows Vista operating systems.The wide viewing angle of the monitor maintains color consistency and image clarity.

The Acer Empowering Key allows full access to the Acer eColor Management onscreen interface and enables varied advanced controls for ultimate image quality. Bundled with the unique Adaptive Contrast Management (ACM) tool, this monitor automatically detects image signals and intelligently controls the backlight brightness to make the black 'blacker' in a dark scene, and make the white 'whiter' in a bright environment.

"Acer has always been at the forefront in supporting the latest technologies
that enhance customer experience", said S. Rajendran, Chief Marketing Officer, Acer India. "Setting a new standard for quality and value, Acer X Series monitors are an attractive and functional addition to any home. With the X 193HQ, we have once again pushed the boundaries of digital lifestyle with advanced product features and eye-catching style."

Acer X 193HQ LCD monitor is currently available in the major cities across India.

Apple and AT&T's decision to subsidize the price of the iPhone 3G is paying off with an increase in sales to lower-income folks.

Comscore released data earlier this week indicating that while most iPhone users are in the $100,000-a-year income bracket, those earning between $25,000 a year and $75,000 a year are the fastest-growing segment of new iPhone customers. iPhone adoption among those making $25,000 to $50,000 a year has grown 48 percent since June, according to the report.

"Fastest-growing" is always one of my favorite research terms because it usually implies "smallest." Comscore says 43 percent of iPhone owners make more than $100,000 a year, but thinks those Joe-Hockey-Sixpack-Moms out there are starting to realize they can get away with just an iPhone and pare down the multiple devices they used to use for making calls, listening to music, or playing games.

The fact that they only have to spend $199 to acquire an iPhone these days--monthly fees aside--probably helps. There's no guarantee that iPhone sales maintain their torrid pace as the way this economy is going, but last quarter, at least, people who might be struggling found the money for iPhones.

British telecom firm Vodafone has clinched a strategic partnership with Russia-based Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) OJSC, which includes collaboration on future technological developments.

According to the sources, the non-equity partnership agreement has been signed to offer clientele with high quality communication services.

The pact would also offer Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) access to products, services and devices from Vodafone for its markets of operation in Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Armenia.

The sources further revealed that Vodafone will also open a representative office in Moscow with the aim to work together with MTS on future offerings and customer services. The conglomerate's products will be made available to MTS's 87 million subscribers, including more than 60 million customers in Russia.

The company officials said that MTS will be able to draw on Vodafone's expertise in setting up and developing third generation (3G) networks and mobile broadband products...to increase quality and further improve the efficiency of its operations.

According to the reports, the joint venture with MTS will give Vodafone valuable insight into the opportunities of the important telecommunications markets of Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which are among the fastest growing in the globe.

While commenting on the partnership, Mr. Mikhail Shamolin, MTS CEO and President stated,"Vodafone's commercial insights and technical expertise will translate into significant operational efficiencies for MTS over the long-term as we transition our networks to 3G and beyond."

Inexpensive but is it possible?

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have invented a new use for the cheap transparent adhesive tape other than using it to glue things -- can now be used for taking x-ray images.

Researchers claim that just by peeling the tape in a vacuum tube can generate x-rays. They even showed a proof of concept by taking an x-ray of one of the researcher's fingers.

The scientists believe this simple discovery is a major breakthrough and advancements in the research can benefit developing countries with such low-cost x-ray machines that require little or no electricity.

Rajkot, Oct 24 : Tata motors'' decision to make low cost Nano car in Gujarat has kindled hopes of a lucrative business among the auto-parts making small-scale industrial units in Rajkot.

Rajkot has established itself as a hub for the auto parts ancillary units and, supplies auto parts to automobile manufacturers including Tata, Mitsubishi and Mahindra and Mahindra.

Around 40-50 manufacturers and over 250 sub manufacturers are based here and produce over 300 types of auto parts.

Industry experts feel that the setting up of Nano car plant in Gujarat will give an boost to the manufacturing units in Rajkot.

"When the plant was in Singur, that time also quite a few manufacturers from Rajkot were supplying parts to Nano car, Tata Nano project, as original component. So, this is a benefit to Rajkot industries since, they are coming to Gujarat and all main plant manufacturers would wish that their ancillary should be in the nearest periphery of the main plant," said Hitesh Bagdai, resident, Rajkot Chambers Of Commerce and Industry (RCCI).

According to the manufacturers, the setting up of the Nano plant in the state will also help them in cutting down on their logistics cost as they would save around 1.6 million rupees a month on transportation alone.

Experts say the entry of Tata motors is also bound to encourage other auto giants to come to Gujarat and aid the growth of auto parts manufacturing industry in terms of business and also generate more employment opportunities.

"There are many engineering colleges in the city and people qualifying from there used to go to Maharashtra or other states for work. Now with Nano coming, more employment will be generated and they can get a chance to work here only," said Suresh Patel of Amul Industries which manufactures auto parts for Nano car. (ANI)

hi acumens,

i always have a thought abt scientists.bcoz creation involves only by 2 persons one by the god the other is man-made creations

for eg,.god's creation is nature,me ,u ,v ,all ....
           man's creation is religion,cast,atom,light,

in the god, i don't know any body in particular...somebody is up there[v say know supreme power]

in man, i know 2 persons,one the legend einstein[E=mc^2] & the other is abdul kaalam[Missile Man of India]

but im having a general opinion that they r not human beings at all...no no im trying to say that they r not ordinary folks bcoz they use their brain's power thrice than the normal humen use their brain.its true.simply scientists are born genius.

i shared my thoughts.let v know wat all feel/ thought about scientists.

thanks 4 sharing...

It's been a while since we did a full-fledged review of a home theater system, but that doesn't mean the market is lagging. Yamaha is one of the more popular players in the entry-level home theater segment in India, and its products are generally good and reasonably priced. The device we intend to review today is one of Yamaha's newer models, the YHT195.

Design
This home-theater-in-a-box comprises an HTR-6130 model AV receiver and NS-E270/C270 front and centre speakers, along with a matching SW-P270 subwoofer. The speakers have light silver cabinets, along with lighter grey grilles. The sub, likewise. The satellite speakers weigh a little less than a kilo each, and are neat little rectangular boxes. The center speaker is sleek and flatter in shape, as it rests on its broad base in the, well, center.

The sub is a medium-sized unit when looked at in perspective, with a non-skid pad on its base. The weight is also moderately light, at 8.5 kilos. Included in the package are 22 AWG black speaker wires bundled neatly for connections. The terminals at the back of the speaker and receiver are of the spring clip-on type, making connections easy. The back of the sub has the power switch/LED, volume control, input terminal, and voltage selector (240V for us).

As for the receiver, this unit is silver too (black option available), with a typical façade consisting of a central LED display and a couple of button rows. The left side has a stout round power button, while the right has a huge power knob, which is smooth to use.

Features and Specs
AV receivers these days come with a plethora of options and connectivity. Proprietary features in this one include YPAO, Yamaha's automatic room calibration (mic included). Another is Cinema DSP, which is basically a fancy DSP mode that's rather like Scene. There are options to set the crossover frequencies for the subwoofer, and the unit supports Dolby Digital/Pro Logic 2 and DTS.

Connections include 2 HDMI-ins, 1 HDMI-out, 3 component-ins, a 5.1 analog audio-out, and a host of composite-outs. There are 3 digital audio-ins: one coaxial and 2 optical-ins. A 'zone 2' speaker terminal allows attachment of an extra pair of speakers in another room.

The system has 500W of total RMS power, at 100W per channel, plus 50W for the subwoofer. The speakers are rated at 6 ohms.

Performance
While playing the system we used a PS3 via HDMI through to Sony Bravia X series; and another input was my HTPC soundcard via optical cable, to test pure audio. Setting up the speakers in our acoustically treated room was easy; we did not need the YPAO. Nonetheless, the calibration took less time and performed fine.

First off, the frequency response was quite impressive, though not absolutely refined. We were playing pure stereo music like Jamiroquai and Sarah McLachlan CD. The high mids were a little crisper than usual, though tolerable. Bass was better, with the sub doing its bit, and making its presence felt all right, though again the crossover point had to be tweaked in the AV receiver (or the bass sounds boomy). For our room it was at about 100Hz. The sound was loud enough for an average-sized room, and there was no distortion.

PS3 games came next, with all their surround-sound glory. This time I liked the performance better. This is typical of HTIBs; they are actually meant for surround-sound entertainment, not critical audio. The sub thudded out the SFX quite nicely, even in Blu-ray movies such as Pan's Labyrinth and Ratatouille.

I then switched back to stereo CDs, this time to check the CINEMADSP modes. There were many of them, and let me just say they didn't appeal to me. Except of course Dolby Pro Logic, a tried-and-tested feature that does a good job of creating artificial surround sound.

Conclusion
This system costs Rs 26,000, and is one of the more reasonable products available in its realm. The performance is very good for games and movies, though music lovers and audiophiles might find the sound a little insensitive. It's great for someone looking for a 5.1 sound system for the living room, and the price is right too. Check it out.

Transcend has launched two 2.5-inch portable hard drives – StoreJet 25C and StoreJet 25M – in 500GB capacities.

The hard drives come bundled with StoreJet elite software package, which features Website AutoLogin, Mobile Favorites with NoTrace Internet browsing, Secret-Zip 256-bit AES file encryption, Mobile E-mail, Online Update, and intelligent backup scheduling/ security/ file compression functions. The drives are also equipped with a high-speed USB 2.0 interface that's capable of data transfer rates of 480Mbps.

The drives will ship with a two-year warranty and cost Rs 13,300.

Apple has launched its new MacBook family here in India just a week after it was launched in the US. Also launched was the LED Cinema Display.

The MacBooks start at Rs. 79,700 and go up to Rs. 1.60 lakh.


Check out this link for the MacBook family specs.

The LED Cinema Display features a 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with built-in iSight video camera, mic and speakers in a thin aluminum and glass enclosure. Designed for the new MacBook family, the LED Cinema Display includes an integrated MagSafe charger, three USB 2.0 ports and the new Mini DisplayPort, making it easy for MacBook users to quickly connect and power their notebooks as well as use their favorite peripherals.     


The LED Cinema Display will be available from November through Apple's authorized resellers for Rs. 60,900.

Kingston
Technology has revealed a new addition to their Data Traveler range of USB products. The new Data Mini Slim USB Flash drive is designed to offer users an easy and colorful way to transport and share music, photos and other digital files.


Available in black, blue or pink with gray bottom casings, the new USB drives also have a slightly fashionable look to them and are easily connected to a keychain while storing up to 4GB of content. The new DT Mini Slim has dimensions of 1.529 x 0.645 x 0.253, making it one of the smallest USB drives available.


"Kingston USB drives have always provided great functionality by allowing consumers to carry large quantities of information everywhere they go," said Nitin Malhotra, Kingston Country Manager, India. "The DT Mini Slim lets anyone safely store and share their favorite media content everywhere they go with a little class and color, in an ultra-small form factor."


Kingston's new DataTraveler Mini Slim USB drives are available in 2GB and 4GB capacities. The new DT Mini Slim is backed by a two-year warranty and Kingston's service and support. The 2GB versions are available for Rs. 455, but oddly Kingston has not yet provided the pricing on the 4GB model.

Google has introduced Gmail for mobile version 2.0 for J2ME-supported and BlackBerry phones.

Google has rearchitected the entire client to push all the processing to the background and improve the client-side caching scheme.

This means that there is an overall performance improvement while users can manage multiple accounts. Users can save multiple email drafts in their mobile phone, so that they can pick and choose what they would like to send later. This also includes basic offline support. Users can compose and read recent emails even when there is no signal and Any outgoing messages will be saved in the outbox on the phone and sent automatically when coverage returns.

Gmail for mobile 2.0 is available in over 35 languages now though, not all features are available for all phones.

Go to m.google.com/mail in your mobile browser to download the new Gmail for mobile for your phone.

New York - Left up to Hollywood, Barack Obama would be a clear shoe-in for the White House on November 4.

The Democratic presidential nominee, age 47, has received unparalleled support from the traditionally liberal and glamourous US entertainment industry.

Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jodie Foster, Scarlett Johannson and Halle Berry - those are just a few of the prominent names on the list of Obama's campaign workers.

Republican rival John McCain, 72, has fewer, but equally large names, on his side: Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone and Tom Selleck.

Political activism has a long tradition in Hollywood, interrupted only by the McCarthy era, when writers and actors were blacklisted as communists during 1950s Cold War hysteria.

This year's political passions are particularly strong as Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking) threatened to emigrate if a Republican is elected. Matt Damon quipped in a YouTube interview that imagining Sarah Palin as president was like something out of a "really bad Disney movie."

From the other side of the political coin, Oscar winner and the old conservative reliable Jon Voight (Coming Home) said Obama "falls short in any way" one looks at him.

It's not clear how much influence such prominent advocates have on voters. The polling institute Pew Research Center determined that stars have little influence on the outcome.

Yet not only actors but authors, artists and many scientists are passionate in pushing Obama, their clear favorite, for the presidency.

Just days before, a group of 65 US Nobel Prize recipients issued a dramatic call to support the Democratic ticket.

"The country urgently needs a visionary leader who can ensure the future of our traditional strengths in science and technology," read their manifesto.

The bestselling author Stephen King, Nobel literature laureate Toni Morrison, cult writer Paul Auster and many others hope that a black president would send a signal to the pockets of racism that persist around the country despite four decades of civil rights progress.

"I think that the importance to blacks would be tremendous," author Philip Roth said in a recent interview.

Superstar Angelina Jolie says it's not Obama's race, but his engagement for human rights and world justice that motivate her to support him.

If star power doesn't affect the final voters' decisions, it at least puts coins into campaign coffers. Rock stars Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel raised 7 million dollars for Obama's campaign last week, playing hits like Glory Days and Born to Run to serenade voters in the final election phase.

In addition, Obama has taken in nearly 6 million dollars from entertainment firms, compared to a meagre 1 million dollars for McCain.

TV talk show queen Oprah Winfrey was the first star to climb into the ring with Obama very early this year.

She has since receded to the sidelines, taking a low profile to spare Obama from the verbal beating he has taken from the McCain campaign, which has sought to portray him as a celebrity of little substance and no understanding of common people. Those taunts grew stronger after Berlin drew his largest crowd ever, of 200,000, to the famous Victory Column in July.

Only once did Obama turn down a star who wanted to do battle for him.

When the popular young actress Lindsay Lohan, whose fight against alcohol and drug addiction is well known, offered to hold a series of events for young voters, the Obama campaign gave a polite no.

"That is not exactly the kind of high-profile star who would be a positive for us," the campaign noted

London, Oct 24 : James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 has been voted 'Most Iconic British Car Ever' in a new poll.

The car, which features in five 007 films including 'Removed Royale' in 2006, beat the Jaguar E-Type, which came second, reports the Sun.

Third on the list was 'Mini Cooper' followed by Aston Martin V8 Vantage at number four.

Austin Mini rounded off the top five in the survey for TV channel Dave.

Meanwhile, the Reliant Robin was voted the most embarrassing motor in the survey.

The top ten 'Most Iconic British Car Ever' are

1 Aston Martin DB5

2 Jaguar E-Type

3 Mini Cooper

4 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

5 Austin Mini

6 Rolls Royce Phantom

7 Lotus Elise

8 Lotus Esprit

9 Bentley Blower

10 AC/Shelby Cobra

With the launch of the Xperia X1 getting closer and closer (sometime towards the end of November) it seems like the handset is still undergoing a few cosmetic changes with the UI. Personally it all looks pretty good to me as the additions to the UI, at least from the images going around, are going to give the handset a much wider appeal.

Image Source

The latest is a thumb optimized interface. Like most of the other higher-end WinMob handsets, for example, HTC's Touch FLO and the Omnia's quick access menu, this new system will allow users to completely negate the stylus option of input. Enlarged icons and options will allow users to navigate simply with their fingers.


I'm quite excited especially after the preview and I can't wait to see what the finished product will be like, so stay tuned. When we know you'll know. Considering the current financial situation let's just hope SE can keep the price decently placed.

Trying to keep up with HTC's TouchFLO, ASUS has launched the P552w PDA phone which features Glide – the innovative touch-responsive user interface that ASUS has designed for navigation. The Global launch was in September of this year and the handset is now getting ready to hit Indian shelves.

Running on a Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS, the P552w is equipped with a 624MHz processor, internal GPS with Google integration, and Gester technology that enables users to perform a variety of navigational actions – such as selecting, zooming, scrolling and flipping through shortcust menus much like HTC's TouchFLO. Their versions are called Multi-Home, Anytime Launcher, EziPhoto, and EziMusic. The handset also supports WLAN, Bluetooth and of course features USB connectivity. It comes equipped with a 2MP camera as well.


Through a specialized feature called ASUS SMS Location Link, users can send a link embedded in an SMS of their location that when clicked on will show up on the receiver's handset on Google Maps. ASUS P552w also features a convenient Google Search Bar on the 'Today' screen that makes it easier to perform online queries. The ASUS P552w also houses applications that enable easy access to web content like RSS newsfeeds, YouTube movies and photos on Flickr.

The ASUS P552w PDA phone is available for Rs. 27,900 and should offer other i-Killers like the Touch Diamond some heavy competition. But let's wait and see.

If FUP are not being listed:  Check the number of programs to be listed: Right click the Start button/Properties/Customize/Number of Programs...

The number is also listed here:  Start/Run/Regedit

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. In the right pane,
check the Value Data under Start_MinMFU.

     Tip:  To prevent a program from being displayed in the Most Frequently Used Programs list:

1. Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
2. Add an empty string value named NoStartPage to the following registry key, where <Program name.exe> is the name
   of the executable file that is used to start the program:  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\<Program name.exe>
3. Quit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.

This setting allows you to decide which programs may be shown in the most frequently used programs list on the Windows Start menu.  Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to:  HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications

To stop a specific application appearing on the MFU program list open its sub-key and create a new empty string value called "NoStartPage".  To allow an application to be shown in the list delete the "NoStartPage" value. Restart Windows
for the change to take effect.

How to Format Windows XP -  MVP Michael Stevens

If you want to format for a clean install, simply boot from the XP CD (you will need to set the bios order to boot from the
CD) and when it finishes it's scan for previous Windows installations choose the XP partition you want to format and setup
will delete, format and do a clean install.

If you want the remove XP to reinstall a previous OS, you can use a Windows 98/Me startup disk to format the partition if
it is Fat 32, or use fdisk to delete the non-dos partition if it is NTFS. Note that you can only use fdisk to delete primary
NTFS partitions.

Obtain a Win 98/Me startup disk here. http://www.bootdisk.com.  There is also special XP system startup disk. Scroll
down to the bottom of the page. http://www.drd.dyndns.org/disks.html.

If you cannot boot from the CD and need to delete an extended NTFS partition, you can download the image file to
create a 6 floppy disk start up set that will allow you to run Recovery Console.

There are Home and Pro specific versions.
Home: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=33290
Pro: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=33291

If you want to format a NTFS or Fat32 partition that is not the system partition, you can do this with XP's Disk Manager.

On the Start menu, right-click My Documents, and then click Properties. Click the Sharing tab, and then click to select
the Make this folder private so that only I have access to it check box. Click Apply, and then click OK.

Note: You cannot make your folders private if your drive is not formatted as NTFS.

Home Edition: Set Permissions for Shared Files and Folders. Boot into safe mode and logon to the 'Administrator'
account. Right click the folder in question/Sharing and Security/Make Folder Private.

To view the Security tab for a file or folder in XP, hold down the Ctrl key while right-clicking the file or folder, and select Properties. If you are in a domain instead of a workgroup, this approach is unnecessary.

You Cannot Select the "Make This Folder Private" Option

     Tip:  Hide Files and Folders inside of Windows XP

Windows Explorer/Tools/Folder Options/View/Show Hidden Files and Folders. Right click the folder to be
hidden/Sharing and Security/General Tab/Hidden/Apply Changes to.../

Hide your private files and folders from other users. Restrict access to important system files and be in full control of the
way your files and programs are used by other users of your computer. http://www.winability.com/folderguard