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Here’s a list of Vista keyboard shortcuts that are available when you’re working on the Vista desktop, in Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer), in the Vista Sidebar, in dialog boxes, and in Vista Help.

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Windows Vista changed the location where you can modify the folder and file display settings. In Windows Vista you need to use the Folder Options control panel in order to modify how folders, and the files in them, are displayed.

To enable the viewing of hidden and protected system files in Windows Vista please follow these steps:

1. Close all programs so that you are at your desktop.
2. Click on the Start button.
3. Click on the Control Panel menu option.
4. When the control panel opens you can either be in Classic View or Control Panel Home view:

   If you are in the Classic View do the following:

   1. Double-click on the Folder Options icon.
   2. Click on the View tab.
   3. Go to step 5.

   If you are in the Control Panel Home view do the following:

   1. Click on the Appearance and Personalization link.
   2. Click on Show Hidden Files or Folders.

   3. Go to step 5.

5. Under the Hidden files and folders section select the radio button labeled Show hidden files and folders.
6. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide extensions for known file types.
7. Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide protected operating system files. Once this is done, your Folder Options screen should look similar to the following image.

   

8. Press the Apply button and then the OK button.

Now Windows Vista is configured to show all hidden files.

Your computer probably came with a recovery disc, a CD with all the programs and drivers that were installed on your PC’s hard drive when it was new.

First of all, the recovery media most PC manufacturers provide is designed for a singular purpose: to restore your computer to the state it was in when you bought it. This process typically involves wiping your hard drive and then reinstalling Windows and the programs originally included with your system.

Second, the hardware drivers on your recovery CD are almost certainly out of date, either made obsolete by newer and better versions available online, or simply irrelevant to new hardware you’ve subsequently installed.

Why not take a few minutes and make one of your own?

Ideally, a recovery disc should act as a safety net should anything disagreeable happen to your PC’s hard drive or its data. A good recovery disc allows you to reinstall Windows to fix a minor problem or rebuild your PC from scratch to recover from a major one.

Here’s the problem: Once you upgrade your XP installation to Service Pack 3, Windows won’t ever allow you to install an older version (including earlier editions of XP) without either wiping the hard drive clean or installing to a different drive. Even if you do install “fresh,” you’ll still have to then endure a separate SP3 upgrade. The solution is to create a new hybrid installation disc from whatever installer CD you have and a special version of SP3, using a process known as slipstreaming

Step 1: Take Stock

To prepare a recovery CD, you’ll need only three things: a Windows XP install CD (any edition), a valid Windows product key, and about 1.5 gigabytes of free space on your hard drive. Of course, as with many recipes, procuring the ingredients is often the hardest part.

The install CD can be any version, including Service Pack 2, Service Pack 1, or the original release from 2001. If you already have a disc labeled “Windows XP with Service Pack 3″ (as opposed to merely an SP3 update disc), then you don’t need this procedure. Go ahead and read another story.

The CD can be difficult to come by if you bought your PC with Windows preinstalled Some PC manufacturers are service-conscious enough to send a true XP CD to any customer who asks for one, but if you’re not so lucky, you can get a genuine disc on eBay for as little as $10.

The 25-digit key, of course, you should already have handy if you own a legal license to the software. If XP came with your PC, it’s printed on a sticker somewhere on the PC case; if you bought XP, it’s on a sticker on the CD sleeve. (You may also have been compulsive enough to save the hologram-laden Certificate of Authenticity, which should have the key as well.) If you can’t find it, contact your PC’s manufacturer or, barring that, Microsoft for a proper key. You might also try the simply awesome (and awesomely named), open-source Magical Jelly Bean Key Finder, a tiny little utility whose sole purpose is to find the registration keys hidden away in your Registry.

Step 2: Slipstream Service Pack 3

To create a slipstreamed XP SP3 CD, first create a new folder called XP in the root folder of your hard drive. Insert your original XP CD, start Windows Explorer, and then navigate to your CD drive. Highlight everything in the root folder of the CD, and copy all of it to the C:\XP folder you just created.

Next, create a second new folder alongside C:\XP, and name it SP3. Go to download.microsoft.com, type sp3 network install into the search box, and click the link for Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers in the search results. Download the 324MB file, WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe, and save it to the new C:\SP3 folder.

From the Start menu, select Run (or press Windows key-R). Type the following command at the prompt and click OK:

c:\sp3\WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU /integrate:c:\xp

Type the entire command on one line with only a single space between ENU and /integrate—there should be no spaces surrounding the colons.

If all goes well, the process should take a minute or two and then conclude with a simple “Completed” message box. Otherwise, if you see an error, here’s what it means:

Failed to copy some or all of the files necessary for integrated install: This can happen for any number of reasons, most likely because you mistyped the /integrate command. But do make sure you have plenty of free hard drive space and that all of the files from your older XP CD are present in the C:\XP folder.

…is not recognized as an internal or external command: Either you mistyped the SP3 update filename, or you didn’t save it in the C:\SP3 folder.

…is not a valid Win32 application: This error usually means the file you downloaded is corrupt, or has not finished downloading. Delete the file and try downloading again.

…not the correct version: You’re trying to slipstream the U.S. English version of the SP3 update with a non-English copy of Windows XP, or vice versa. Just return to the Microsoft download page, choose your language from the Change language list, and download the correct file. —next: Steps 3-4 >

Step 3: Automate the Install

Now if you want to be really slick, you can set up what Microsoft calls an answer file to enter your product key automatically so you don’t have to type it manually later on. On your original Win XP CD (Professional Edition only), navigate to the \Support\Tools folder, double-click DEPLOY.CAB, and then double-click Setupmgr.exe to open the Windows Setup Manager Wizard. When prompted, choose Create a new answer file and then Windows Unattended Installation. For the User Interaction Level, choose Provide defaults, and when asked about the Distribution Folder, answer No. Finally, you’ll see a new window, into which you can specify defaults; select Providing the Product Key on the left and then type your product key in the text fields on the right.

When you’re done, save the file Unattend.txt into your C:\XP folder. For additional information, open the Setupmgr.chm file, also found in DEPLOY.CAB.

Step 4: Bootstrap and Burn

You’re not done with your old XP disc yet; you still need to pull the boot loader off the old disc so you can make the new one bootable.

The easiest way to do this is using ImgBurn, available free from www.imgburn.com. Install ImgBurn, start the app, and click Write files/folders to disc on the first screen. Choose the Advanced tab, followed by the Bootable Disc tab, and from the Extract Boot Image list select the drive containing your XP disc. Click the Save icon and save the BootImage.ima file to your C:\SP3 folder.

Now it’s time to burn a new CD. You’ll need CD-burning software capable of creating a bootable CD, such as ImgBurn, Nero Burning ROM (part of Nero 8 Ultra Edition), or Roxio Media Creator, and you’ll need to customize the burning settings carefully.

If you’re using Roxio or Nero, choose Bootable CD or CD-ROM (Boot), respectively, from the list of project types. Or, if you’re using ImgBurn, choose the Advanced tab, followed by the Bootable Disc tab, and turn on the Make Image Bootable option.

Next, use 0×7C0 for the load segment, and 4 for the sector count. Make sure you’re using the Joliet file system, and if prompted to choose a bootable disc emulation type, select no emulation. Specify the BootImage.ima file you just created as the boot image; copy the CD volume label from your original XP CD, and paste it as the disc label for your new project.

Drag the entire contents of the C:\XP folder into your CD project and burn the CD. For good measure, use a Sharpie pen to write your XP key right on you’re CD, and then put the disc in a safe place for that rainy day.

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Steps

1. On the computer containing your favorite desktop theme, right-click the desktop and select properties. On the theme tab, with your theme selected, click the Save As button and save the file to the My Documents folder (or folder of your choice).
2. Launch Windows Explorer and access the My Documents folder.
3. Look for files with the .theme extension, locate your file, and copy it to a floppy disk or USB thumb drive.
4. Go to the other computer on which you would like to have your favorite desktop theme and copy the .theme file to My Documents.
5. Right-click the desktop and select Properties to open the Display Properties dialog box.
6. On the Themes tab, click the Theme drop-down and select Browse.
7. In the Open Theme dialog box, access the My Documents folder, locate your theme file, and double-click it.
8. Click OK to load the new theme and close the Display Properties dialog box.
9. While Windows XP loads the desktop theme, you’ll see a Please Wait message in the middle of the screen. Your current desktop colors will fade to gray while the new settings are applied.

There is one caveat to this approach — if part of your theme involves wallpaper you created or other graphical elements unique to that particular PC, those elements will have to be copied over along with the .theme file.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.

Excel will do that for you ! Position the mouse at the right-hand edge of the column header. You’ll know  the right spot when the cursor changes to a left-right arrow. Now double-click in that exact spot.  The column is just big enough for its widest text.

You can do multiple columns at once, too. Select a contiguous group of columns by clicking one column header and dragging sideways until they’re all selected. Or select a mix-and-match group by clicking one column header and then Ctrl-clicking the rest. Now double-click the divider at the right-hand edge of any of the selected columns and they’ll all automatically adjust to the perfect width. Of course, if your lines are really long, you may want to use the Text Wrap option instead or as well.