How to stream Audio and Video over Home Network-Video Lan (VLC)
Saturday, April 11, 2009 Posted by Aman Jain
Imagine your own TV channel at home or in the office.VLC , one of the most popular free media players , can also stream your movies and music to other computers on your wired or wireless network.
The interface is simple and straight forward , with a helpful wizard. Just click on ‘Media|Streaming’ and choose the media files you want to stream.Then run VLC player on the target computer as well , and open the stream over the network using the IP address of the streaming server.
This saves a tremendous amount of hard drive space, as media files are stored centrally and don’t need to be duplicated across computers .Even an old computer with 512 MB RAM is enough for such a server .You can also stream multiple audio/video files simultaneously so that users over the network can choose what they want to play.
Install multiple Operating Systems inside a single Operating system-VMWare(Virtual WorkStation)
Saturday, April 11, 2009 Posted by Aman Jain
To install multiple OS inside your existing OS you require VMware and if you have a fairly fast machine you can even run Operating Systems simultaneously.Softwares such as Virtual Machine (VMWare) can be used to install ,test and use different Operating systems from within your existing one .VMware Workstation is downloadable from www.VMware.com and is also available for MAC and Linux programs.
Just install it and you can go about installing Linux , DOS , Netware, Solaris or various versions of Windows in your current OS.All you need is a computer with at least 1-1.5 GB or more .You can even pause an OS and use it whenever you like; or just delete the virtual OS system if you are tired of it.
You can install an OS in an OS by the following steps:
Step1 : Install VMWare
Download and install the VMWare Software .Installation is regular but do ensure that your system is fast enough with at least 1-1.5 GB RAM and around 20 GB to spare for each OS you install.
Step 2: Configuration
Once installed choose 'File|New| Virtual Machine' or plainly press 'Ctrl + N'.Make sure that you have all the necessary CD/DVD's needed for the Operating System you wish to install.Existing ISO files will also do.
Step 3: The Wizard
Choose the type of wizard that you will be familiar with .Go for a Typical setup is you are not so familiar with VMWare, or else advanced users can go for custom setup
Step 4: Mention you source drive:
Choose the way you are going to install your new OS.You can specify the use of your CD/DVD ROM drive or even specify the path to the ISO file.
Step 5: Customize the installer
If you are installing a Windows operating system, you can specify the serial number and username and password if needed,or you can enter it later when the installation or Windows is in action.
Step 6: Name it
Give a unique name for you Virtual machine and specify the location of the virtual machines file to be stored in .You can leave it to VMWare to name it for you if you wish.
Step 7 : Decide the Storage
Specify the storage space (Hard Drive) size for the virtual machine.This disk space would actually be a single file in your hard drive and the whole OS would be in it.You can choose to split the files into smaller 2 GB files and transfer to another computer .
Step 8 :Confirm and finalize
Finally , customize your hardware such as adding / removing sound , network options , USB devices , etc . click finish and let VMWare now start installing the new operating system.
Step 9: Additional settings
You can tweak the settings even more further to increase the memory or hard disk space, add in peripherals like network , hard drive and USB peripherals etc.
Step 10: Installation
Once done with all the final settings , VMWare will install Windows and you can finally start using the virtual machine after the installation completes .You can install other operating systems similarly.
Step 11 : VMWare viewer
You can use the VMWare viewer utility that is bundled with the VMWare software.This utility enables you to use existing virtual machine(already created .vmx file) without having to install / use VMWare.
Open Windows Explorer with Single Pane
Monday, December 29, 2008 Posted by Aman Jain
When you use [Windows] +[E] to open a Windows Explorer window, it opens in the two-pane layout.To have it open within a single pane by default, do the following :
In the Registry Editor, navigate to
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell\explore\ddexec
Double click on the (Default) and change the string to
[ ViewFolder (“%1” , %I, %S) ] (including the brackets )
To revert to the double pane window, set (Default) to
[ ExploreFolder(“%1” , %I, %S) ]
Modifying "Internet" Key on Internet Keyboards
Monday, December 29, 2008 Posted by Aman Jain
You can change what programs you want to launch with the Internet key:
Open the Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\appKey\ 7
Right click in the right column and create a new string called ShellExecute
Set the value as the application path for example , C:\ProgramFiles\Opera\Opera.exe.If you want to disable the key, delete the value from SHELLExecute and leave it blank.
Increasing Internet Bandwidth in windows XP
Monday, December 29, 2008 Posted by Aman Jain
Windows XP reserves 20 percent of your internet Bandwidth for Quality of Service.This is unnecessary , and can be disabled :
- Open the Group Policy Editor:Start >Run >gpedit.msc > [Enter]
- In the Left hand column in the window, navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network >QoS Packet Scheduler.
- In the right column double click Limit reservable bandwidth and select Enabled.
- Change the bandwidth Limit to 0 and click OK.
Windows Keyboard General Shortcuts
Saturday, November 29, 2008 Posted by Aman Jain
General windows Keyboard shortcuts
[F1]
Display Help.When in Windows Explorer or viewing the desktop , this shows you Windows help.Otherwise , shows you the active program's documentation.
[Ctrl] + [C]
Copy the selected item or text.
[Ctrl] +[X]
Cut the Selected item or terxt
[Ctrl] +[V]
Paste the selected item or text
[Ctrl] +[Z]
Undo the last action
[Ctrl] +[Y]
Redo the last action
[Delete]
Delete the selected item and move it to the recycle bin.
[[Shift] + [Delete]]
Delete the selected item without moving it to tye recycle bin first
Delete the selected item without moving it to tye recycle bin first
[F2]
Rename the selected item
[Ctrl] + [right Arrow]
Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
[Ctrl] +[ Left arrow]
Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
[Ctrl] + [Up Arrow]
Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
[[Ctrl] + [Shift]] + an arrow key
Select a block of text
[[Shift]] with any arrow key
Select more than one item in a window on the Desktop,or select text within a document
[Ctrl] with any arrow key + [Space]
Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop
[Ctrl] +[ A]
Select all itejms in a window
Select all itejms in a window
[F3]
Search for a file or folder
[Alt] + [enter ]
Display properties for the selected item
Display properties for the selected item
[Alt] +[F4]
Exit the active program
Exit the active program
[Alt] +[space]
Open the shortcut menu for the active window
[Ctrl] + [F4]
Close the active document (in programs that allow you to have multiple documents simultaneously
[Alt] + [tab]
Switch between open programs or items
[Ctrl] +[Alt] +[Tab]
Use the arrow keys to switch between open items (Vista only).Hit [enter] to select the program you want to switch to
Use the arrow keys to switch between open items (Vista only).Hit [enter] to select the program you want to switch to
[Ctrl] +Mouse scroll wheel
Change the size of the icons on the desktop-(Vista Only)
Change the size of the icons on the desktop-(Vista Only)
[Windows] +[Tab]
Cycle through the programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3D(Vista only),In XP, cycle through programs using the taskbar buttons and hit [Enter] to select a program.
[Ctrl] + [Windows] + [Tab]
Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3D(Vista only).Hit [Enter to select the program you want to switch to.
[Alt ]+ [Esc]
Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened
[F6]
Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
[F4]
Display the address bar list in Windows Explorer.
[[Shift]] + [F10]
Display the right click menu for the selected item
Display the right click menu for the selected item
[Ctrl]+ [Esc] or [Windows]
Open the start menu
[Alt] + underlined letetr (in the program menu)
Display the corressponding menu-for Example , [Alt][ + [F] in the program opens the File menu
[F10]
Activate the menu bar in the active program
[Right Arrow] (in menu bar )
Open the next menu to the right or open the submenu
[F5]
Refresh the active window
[Alt] + [Up Arrow]
View the folder one level up in the windows explorer
[Esc]
Cancel the current task
[Ctrl] + [[shift]] + [Esc]
Open the Task Manager .Also [Ctrl] +[Alt] +[Delete] in the Windows XP
Hold don [Shift]] when you insert a CD/DVD
Prevent the CD/DVD from automatically playing
Use Notepad editor as Log book
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Posted by Aman Jain
Generally at work you need to enter date and time for every new entry or documentation purposes .This can become very tiresome and error prone .You can use windows editor Notepad as your Log Book.It can automatically enter current date and exact time for your notes .
1. Open the Notepad with start|All Programs |Accessories |Notepad under XP and Vista.
2. Type ".LOG " character string in the first line .The "." and the uppercase characters are necessary.
3.Save this file under any name like "LOGBACK.txt" .Then close Notepad .
To quickly access this file in future create a desktop link for it or in the launch bar.As soon as you open the link, Notepad automatically inserts an empty line and the line with current date and time at the end of existing text.all you need is to type your notes after or below it ,save the file and close it.
1. Open the Notepad with start|All Programs |Accessories |Notepad under XP and Vista.
2. Type ".LOG " character string in the first line .The "." and the uppercase characters are necessary.
3.Save this file under any name like "LOGBACK.txt" .Then close Notepad .
To quickly access this file in future create a desktop link for it or in the launch bar.As soon as you open the link, Notepad automatically inserts an empty line and the line with current date and time at the end of existing text.all you need is to type your notes after or below it ,save the file and close it.
Screenshot in Windows XP and Vista
Monday, September 29, 2008 Posted by Aman Jain
You can take the complete screenshot of the computer screen that you are working on . It could be used in many ways , like to just send a snapshot of the work you are doing to some one or while asking query you can presentthe actual screen that is being displayed. Taking screen shots could be fun also to set up "Dummy desktops " or "Ghost desktops"How to take Screenshot in windows XP ?
1. Press Printscreen Button on the top right side of your keyboard .
2. Open Microsoft Paint New file - To do this, click Start > All Programs > Accessories > Paint. Click inside the white part of the screen
3.On the Edit Menu Press Paste or just press Ctrl V.
4. Click File > Save As. In the box that pops up, change the "Save As Type" to PNG or JPG. Type in a filename for your image. Choose a place to save, like the Desktop, and click save.
5. Thats it , a screenshot has been taken and you can send it to your friends by attaching it with the email .That acts as a regular jpeg or PNG file .
How to take Screenshot in Windows Vista ?
1. In Microsoft Vista (except in Home Basic), there is a tool called the Snipping Tool to take snapshots .
2. Go to Start Menu , click on run and Type snip in the run window
.3. The Snipping Tool gets open .You could choose from various masks in the 'New' button like free-from snip, rectangular snip, window snip, or full-screen snip.
4. In free-form snip mode, select the area you want to be captured. In rectangular snip mode drag a rectangle to take the snapshot. For window snip mode, select the window you want to capture. In full-screen mode, just selecting it from the drop-down menu makes the capture.
5. The snipped image is then opened within the Snipping Tool, and is also copied to the Windows clipboard for use in other applications
Windows XP registry Hacks Tips
Saturday, October 13, 2007 Posted by Aman Jain
Here are some common and useful registry hacks for XP. All these hacks are done via Regedit.
1.Remove the "shortcut To" text on shortcuts
Browse to HKEY-CUR-RENT-USER>software>Microsoft>Windows>Current Version
Explorer. Click on ‘Explorer’on the right-hand pane you’ll see a list of values . In the list, look for the value “link”.
To modify it, double click it , or right click it and select 'Modify’. In the subsequent windows , delete the previous value and enter the 00”,and save the Registry.
2. Disable balloon tips
Browse to HKEY CURRENT USER>software>Microsoft>Windows >Current Version>Explorer>Advanced’and in the right –hand pane, search for “Enable Balloon Tips”. Double click on it and modify the value to “00,00,00,00”,which is zero in binary and denotes”off”.
3. Remove recent documents from the start Menu
Browse to HKEY-CURRENT-USER>software>Microsoft>windows>CurrentVersion>Policies>Explorer, look for “no Recent Docs Menu”and modify the DWORD to “00,00,00,00”.
Some of the tested Tips that make Windows XP run faster and smoother
Saturday, October 13, 2007 Posted by Aman Jain
Are you a windows XP user tired of a slow computer speed ?If your answer is yes this article is for you To get maximum performance out of your PC you have to configure Windows even if it’s P4 with 256 MB RAM.
Use Updated Drivers
Always use the latest drivers for your hardware.This can improve your computer performance considerably.Download the latest drivers from the hardware manufacturer’s website.
Set the BIOS Correctly
In the BIOS ‘enable’ Internal cache and External cache memory options ,set th memory timings correctly and choose the appropriate IDE data transfer mode .Enable the Quick Boot option in the BIOS setup.Disable : System BIOS Cacheable ,Video BIOS cacheable and Video RAM cacheable ,because all these are legacy DOS application settings .
In the BIOS setup turn off auto detection of IDE drives and set them manually so that PC won’t take much time in detecting them.
Improving Video Performance
If you are having problems with Video Performance it means your video is redrawing very slowly .To correct this ,right click on the desktop area >Click Properties.Click the settings tab and set the colour quality at a lower resolution –if your system is currently set to ‘true colour’ then set it to ‘high colour’.Install the latest version of directX.If all these settings do not make any improvement then upgrade to a n Video Card that hasenough Video RAM.
Reduce the number of Visual Effects in Windows XP
Win XP has lots of visual effects ,which slow down its speed .To improve performance reduce the number of visual effects .Right Click on My Computer >Properties >Advanced Tab>Settings (Under Performance )>Adjust fo best Performance >OK.
Use a separate Cable for IDE drives
If you have one harddisk and one CD Rom then use separate data cables for each drive –this will improve the data transfer rate .
Enable DMA mode for IDE drives
.Right Click on My Computer >Properties >Hardware >Device Manager .Expand ‘IDE ATA /ATAPI Controller ‘ option from the tree >Right Click Primary IDE Channel >Property> Advanced Settings .Set the transfer mode as ‘DMA if available ‘ from the drop down box for ‘Device 0’ and ‘device 1’ and click OK.If you have a secondary channel ,then repeat the whole process.
Remove unnecessary background Applications
You can remove unnecessary background applications by pressing Alt +Control +Delete.The Taskmanager will appear on the screen To stop any unnecessary applications that is running in the background click the Application and press ‘End Task ‘ button.
Check the Start up
Remove unnecessary applications from the start up folder as windows automatically start the application in the folder when you start the computer .Click Start> Run > MsConfig and press OK.Go to Startup tab and uncheck what you don’t need on the start up menu.
Remove unnecessary Files and Protocols
Remove any unwanted fonts and files that are of no use .It will free up your hard disk space and improve system boot up speed .Also remove unused protocols such as NetBUI or IPX protocol from ‘Local Area connection’ properties.
Clean up the disk regularly
Disk cleanup is a utility that deletes unnecessary files from the hard disk and frees up the space .It cleans up such files as temporary Internet files ,internet cache files,files from the Recycle binand other unnecsary files .Start the disk clean up utlity by clicking Start >All Programs >Accessories >System tools >Disk cleanup.The ‘select drive’ dialogue box will appear on the screen.Pick the appropriate drive and press OK.Adisk cleanup dialogue box will open up.It shows a lot of files that can be deleted and also shows the space that can be freed by deleting those files .Make your selection and press OK button.
Managing a virtual memory
Right click on My Computer >Properties > Advanced > Settings (Under Performance)>Advanced (Under Performance option)>Change (Under Virtual memory)The optimal setting for Paging file is normally 1.5 – 2 times the physical RAM.If you have 64 MB Ram then the size of paging file must be around 100-128MB.Always locate this file on the fastest drive.Also place this file on the non boot drive.Now click Set and then OKto clos the dialogue box..You must restart your computer to register any changes .
Use the check disk utility regularly
This utility checks your hard drive or logical and physical errors and repairs the damaged area, which hence improves the computers performance .Doubl click My computer ,Right click on C drive and and choose Properties >tools> Check now.Now check both the options and click th start buton .Repeat the proess for each partition.
Set Process Priority
You can also set process priorites for applications to run them faster .Run the software you want at high priority and and prss Alt+Ctrl+Del.The Task Manager dialogue box will open up.Click Process Tab and right click your application from the process list .Choose set priority option from menu that appears .Click high priority and yes button.when a warning appears .Your application will run much faster as CPU will give maximum priority to that process.
Use the disk Defragmenter.
Defragmenting disk arranges the file and unused space on your hard disk, so that programs run faster.Go to Control Panel>Performance and Maintenance >’Rearrange items on your hard disk to make programs run faster’ .The disk defragmenter window wil appear .Click on Defragment button to start the process.Once the process complete you will find substantial increase in the computers performance .
Hope this tips will make the moments ahead with your computer better ,quicker and more enjoyable .
Use Updated Drivers
Always use the latest drivers for your hardware.This can improve your computer performance considerably.Download the latest drivers from the hardware manufacturer’s website.
Set the BIOS Correctly
In the BIOS ‘enable’ Internal cache and External cache memory options ,set th memory timings correctly and choose the appropriate IDE data transfer mode .Enable the Quick Boot option in the BIOS setup.Disable : System BIOS Cacheable ,Video BIOS cacheable and Video RAM cacheable ,because all these are legacy DOS application settings .
In the BIOS setup turn off auto detection of IDE drives and set them manually so that PC won’t take much time in detecting them.
Improving Video Performance
If you are having problems with Video Performance it means your video is redrawing very slowly .To correct this ,right click on the desktop area >Click Properties.Click the settings tab and set the colour quality at a lower resolution –if your system is currently set to ‘true colour’ then set it to ‘high colour’.Install the latest version of directX.If all these settings do not make any improvement then upgrade to a n Video Card that hasenough Video RAM.
Reduce the number of Visual Effects in Windows XP
Win XP has lots of visual effects ,which slow down its speed .To improve performance reduce the number of visual effects .Right Click on My Computer >Properties >Advanced Tab>Settings (Under Performance )>Adjust fo best Performance >OK.
Use a separate Cable for IDE drives
If you have one harddisk and one CD Rom then use separate data cables for each drive –this will improve the data transfer rate .
Enable DMA mode for IDE drives
.Right Click on My Computer >Properties >Hardware >Device Manager .Expand ‘IDE ATA /ATAPI Controller ‘ option from the tree >Right Click Primary IDE Channel >Property> Advanced Settings .Set the transfer mode as ‘DMA if available ‘ from the drop down box for ‘Device 0’ and ‘device 1’ and click OK.If you have a secondary channel ,then repeat the whole process.
Remove unnecessary background Applications
You can remove unnecessary background applications by pressing Alt +Control +Delete.The Taskmanager will appear on the screen To stop any unnecessary applications that is running in the background click the Application and press ‘End Task ‘ button.
Check the Start up
Remove unnecessary applications from the start up folder as windows automatically start the application in the folder when you start the computer .Click Start> Run > MsConfig and press OK.Go to Startup tab and uncheck what you don’t need on the start up menu.
Remove unnecessary Files and Protocols
Remove any unwanted fonts and files that are of no use .It will free up your hard disk space and improve system boot up speed .Also remove unused protocols such as NetBUI or IPX protocol from ‘Local Area connection’ properties.
Clean up the disk regularly
Disk cleanup is a utility that deletes unnecessary files from the hard disk and frees up the space .It cleans up such files as temporary Internet files ,internet cache files,files from the Recycle binand other unnecsary files .Start the disk clean up utlity by clicking Start >All Programs >Accessories >System tools >Disk cleanup.The ‘select drive’ dialogue box will appear on the screen.Pick the appropriate drive and press OK.Adisk cleanup dialogue box will open up.It shows a lot of files that can be deleted and also shows the space that can be freed by deleting those files .Make your selection and press OK button.
Managing a virtual memory
Right click on My Computer >Properties > Advanced > Settings (Under Performance)>Advanced (Under Performance option)>Change (Under Virtual memory)The optimal setting for Paging file is normally 1.5 – 2 times the physical RAM.If you have 64 MB Ram then the size of paging file must be around 100-128MB.Always locate this file on the fastest drive.Also place this file on the non boot drive.Now click Set and then OKto clos the dialogue box..You must restart your computer to register any changes .
Use the check disk utility regularly
This utility checks your hard drive or logical and physical errors and repairs the damaged area, which hence improves the computers performance .Doubl click My computer ,Right click on C drive and and choose Properties >tools> Check now.Now check both the options and click th start buton .Repeat the proess for each partition.
Set Process Priority
You can also set process priorites for applications to run them faster .Run the software you want at high priority and and prss Alt+Ctrl+Del.The Task Manager dialogue box will open up.Click Process Tab and right click your application from the process list .Choose set priority option from menu that appears .Click high priority and yes button.when a warning appears .Your application will run much faster as CPU will give maximum priority to that process.
Use the disk Defragmenter.
Defragmenting disk arranges the file and unused space on your hard disk, so that programs run faster.Go to Control Panel>Performance and Maintenance >’Rearrange items on your hard disk to make programs run faster’ .The disk defragmenter window wil appear .Click on Defragment button to start the process.Once the process complete you will find substantial increase in the computers performance .
Hope this tips will make the moments ahead with your computer better ,quicker and more enjoyable .
