Windows Vista Sidebar Gadget Sites

The next version of Microsoft's flagship operating system, Windows Vista, is not news, but the sidebar gadgets are cool enough to warrant a mention.

Having used OS/2 Warp, Linux & Unix desktops, and various incarnations of Mac OS', I cannot say gadgets are a new idea, but as far as I am concerned they are a welcome addition to the functionality of Windows Vista. I expect a lot more gadget sites and blogs to appear in the next while.

Windows Vista Gallery - only a few gadgets, but sure to grow. Info for developers, too.

Microsoft Gadgets - another official Microsoft gadget site, this one with a lot more than the Vista Gallery.

More on the new Sidebar and Gadgets here.

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Computers, Gadgets, Microsoft, Software, Tools, Windows Vista, t4t

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Microsoft Office Genuine Advantage

Users of Microsoft Office have validation tools similar to that of Microsoft Windows. If you are a Microsoft Office user, you can follow these steps to make sure your copy is genuine.

In my "Tools for Windows Genuine Advantage" article, I showed some tools that are available for validation issues in Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Office users can also validate their software to make sure it is a legitimate copy by running the Office Validation Assistant on the Microsoft Office "How to Tell" site. Not having a legitimate copy of Office XP or 2003 and above means that among other things, eventually the Save commands will no longer work, effectively making Office useless.

For a refresher on what "validation" means, check out my article, "Microsoft Registration, Activation and Validation Explained".

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Computers, Freeware, Internet, Microsoft, Tips, Tools, Windows, t4t

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Mastering your Windows XP Quick Launch Toolbar

Do you get tired of a desktop cluttered with icons? Do you hate digging through your Start, Programs menu to find what you want? Does your most recently used programs list in the Start menu leave a lot to be desired? Are freeware and shareware application launchers a pain to configure? If so, in this article I will show you how to master your Quick Launch toolbar!

Introducing Quick Launch

The Quick Launch toolbar sits on your Windows taskbar, ready to provide you with a handy categorized list of your favourite programs:




Why not just use the Start, Programs menu you may ask? Even if you reorganize the Programs menu, over time it tends to get cluttered when new programs are added and removed. Other, often useless or rarely used icons are put into the Programs menu. Quick Launch always looks the same for each user until edited, and it only includes the icons you need to run the programs.

Features

Quick Launch features:

• an almost unlimited number of categories and links to programs, files or folders
  
• low system resources that allow it to work on any computer running Windows XP
  
• very simple method to add or remove links
  
• built into Windows XP, so there is nothing to buy
  
• each computer user has his or her own personalized Quick Launch toolbar
  

Setting up Quick Launch

The first thing you need to do when you are setting up or editing the Quick Launch toolbar is to unlock the Windows taskbar. To do this, move your mouse pointer to an empty area of the taskbar and right-click, then de-select Lock the Taskbar:




If you do not see the Quick Launch toolbar on your taskbar, it may be hidden. To make it visible, move your mouse pointer to an empty area of the taskbar and right-click. Go to Toolbars, and click Quick Launch so that it has a checkmark next to it:




To position it, you can drag it around by selecting the dotted vertical line, clicking then dragging it into position. Be careful not to drag it off, onto the desktop. If this happens you can always close the one on the desktop, then re-enable it on the taskbar to get it back. Remember, you can only position it when the taskbar is unlocked.

Add & Remove Items

In working with Quick Launch, there are two things you should remember. The first is that you want to add only shortcuts to your Quick Launch bar, not the actual programs themselves. If you move a program's icon from its folder onto the Quick Launch toolbar, the application will likely not work. If this happens you should move it back to where it came from.

The second thing you should remember is that the Quick Launch toolbar is actually a folder on your computer. As such, it becomes much easier to visualize how it works, and how you can use it.

The default Quick Launch toolbar usually includes a few standard icons such as Internet Explorer and Show Desktop. If you let your mouse pointer sit on the icon for a few seconds, the description will appear above it:




The most straightforward way to get a program into Quick Launch is to create a shortcut to it on the desktop, then drag the shortcut onto the Quick Launch toolbar. Removing a shortcut is equally simple, just right-click on the shortcut and choose Delete.

Using Categories

Remembering that Quick Launch is a folder, this allows us to get fancy and create sub-folders which act as categories, so you could have something that looks like this:




If fact, if you prefer, you can work with Quick Launch as a regular folder view. To do this, right-click on an empty area of the Quick Launch toolbar and choose Open Folder:




What you should see is the folder view:




The location shown in the address line tells you that it is located in that particular user's Documents area. Also note the two circled items that show the typical contents, shortcuts and folders. You can simply create new folders for any types of categories you want, then drag shortcuts into those category folders.

Expert Tips

Open a Web Site - You can make a shortcut to a web site easily. Just right-click anywhere on your desktop and choose New, Shortcut. Type in the address, such as www.techforthetimid.com, click next, give it a title and choose Finish. Now drag it to your Quick Launch and it will start your web browser with that web site.

Restore the Show Desktop icon - If you ever accidentally delete the Show Desktop icon, you can re-create it easily by the following. Open Notepad and entter the following into it:

[Shell]
Command=2
IconFile=explorer.exe,3
[Taskbar]
Command=ToggleDesktop

Save it to your desktop as Show Desktop.scf then drag it from the desktop onto your Quick Launch toolbar.

Create a New Email - You can make a shortcut to start up your email client and begin a new email easily. Just right-click anywhere on your desktop and choose New, Shortcut. Type in mailto: and click Next, then enter "New Email" and choose Finish. Drag it onto your Quick Launch and test it out. Your email program doesn't even have to be running to use this quick shortcut!

Quick Launch Documents - In addition to programs, you can also put shortcuts to frequently-used documents in your Quick Launch toolbar. When you select the shortcut, it will open the file in the application it was created in.

The Windows XP Quick Launch toolbar is not difficult to use, but I still see people struggling with dozens of icons on their desktops and hunting for programs among sometimes hundreds of Start programs. Mastering the Quick Launch toolbar can save a lot of time and keep you organized!

Tags:
Computers, Home, Microsoft, Software, Tips, Windows, t4t

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Tools for Windows Genuine Advantage

Recently I spent three long hours on the telephone with a Microsoft support person regarding an issue replacing a Windows XP product key (also known as a CD key). I want to share with you some things I learned to make it easier for you in case it happens to you!

Over a year ago I had done a staff purchase of Windows XP from the local university. It was brand new, fully shrink-wrapped. Over time I had been using the computer only occasionally for business accounting. In early April 2006, I decided to switch from Windows Update to Microsoft Update, and as a matter of course, Microsoft tests your computer during this process to see if you are using a genuine copy of Windows XP. Surprisingly, the validation failed and reported that I had a locked Volume License Key (VLK). Microsoft locked my product key (rendering it useless) because someone somewhere had used the product key on another computer.

Of course I had not used it on another computer nor lent it to anyone, I have always been conscious of and compliant with software licensing. So I brought XP and my receipt back to the university, and they gave me a fresh copy. When I arrived home I called Microsoft's technical support and he had me attempt to change the product key by changing a Windows registry value, but it didn't work. Three hours later, the defeated support technicial conceded that the only thing left was to reformat my hard drive!

This did not sit well with me. I did not believe that there was nothing else that could be done. So I called back, spoke to a different support technician, who promptly agreed and solved my problem for me. In the end, I used the Windows Product Key Update Tool from Microsoft to change the key, and it worked.

Product Key Tools

There are a few names that Microsoft uses that refer directly or indirectly to the authenticity of your Microsoft software: Windows Genuine Advantage, WGA, Genuine Microsoft Software, Genuine Software Initiative, GSI, COA and others. The goal is to make sure that the copy of Windows that you are running is legitimate. There are some useful utilities that can help diagnose and fix Windows product key problems which I've listed below.

Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder - When you need to know what your existing product key is, this is the tool that most people use (including Microsoft tech support).

Windows Activation - To start Windows Activation, the easiest way is just to run the application on your own system. The program is called msoobe.exe, which incidentally stands for "Microsoft Out of Box Experience". To use this, go to Start, Run, and type %systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a and click Ok.

Windows Product Key Update Tool - This application is what is used to actually change the product key in the registry without having to run regedit.exe and change it yourself, which could be dangerous if you make a mistake.

Regedit.exe - You should be relatively familiar with regedit and what damage it can do to your system before you start playing with it. I recommend that unless you are a professional, don't touch it! Start, Run, and type regedit and click Ok. You can manually deactivate Windows and cause it to re-activate by changing a key as described in this MS support article.

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Computers, Freeware, Internet, Microsoft, Tips, Tools, Windows, t4t

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Microsoft Registration, Activation & Validation Explained

What is the difference between Microsoft Registration, Activation, and Validation?

Registration

Windows registration is when you send Microsoft your personal contact information (name, email address, phone number, etc). This allows them to contact you with information about upgrades and new versions. Registration is completely voluntary. Expect to receive email and mail from Microsoft.

Activation

Windows activation is a system they use to prevent piracy. Windows XP comes un-activated and works for 30 to 90 days. To have it work beyond the limited time, you must activate it by a process that sends a listing of your computer hardware to Microsoft along with your product key (also known as a CD key). Your product key and your hardware is now tied together. Microsoft sends back a code to activate Windows. If you change a number of parts on your computer you may need to call a toll-free number to have it re-activated.

Validation

Validation happens when you attempt to download Windows updates and tools from the Microsoft web site. Before downloading, the validation process compares your activation code with your hardware profile. If it matches, you can download, if they don’t match, you either have a pirated copy of Windows XP or you will have to re-activate your legitimate copy of Windows XP again.

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Computers, Microsoft, Software, Tips, Technology, Windows, t4t

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File Sharing Review - Part I

Thus begins my multi-part review of various file sharing applications and services. These reviews will interest you if you have a want to share files between a laptop and a desktop, if you want to share files between computers on your home or small office, or between groups of people over the Internet for whatever reason. Most are free but there are some commercial ones included as well.

I have an atypical home office network, and as time has gone by I have explored many different types of file sharing applications, and still use some. Perhaps I should consider eliminating them in favour of the one perfect product that fills all of my needs, but as of yet there is no one perfect solution, at least for me. Each of the products fill a niche. They are also known by the terms file synchronization, replication or mirroring, but they work in different ways and have different advantages.

Good Old FTP

File Transfer Protocol, or simply FTP, is one of the oldest and simplest ways to share files. It requires a server application and any number of client applications to access it. Most commercial FTP clients such as SmartFTP are relatively easy to set up and use. FTP settings, such as source and destination folders, can be saved so that each subsequent session is fairly easy to perform over and over. They also allow limited scripting, so file transfers can be automatically performed on files based on such properties as file size, date, or time.

Windows File & Printer Sharing

Microsoft Windows versions have historically included something called "File and Printer Sharing" which allows you to share a folder with other workstations on your network. This has always had a problem with security and performance issues on the network. I generally stay away from this solution, except in limited circumstances.

2BrightSparks SyncBackSE

My first file-sharing task was to quickly and easily synchronize and backup files from my main workstation and laptop to my Windows Server. I was looking for a free solution, so neither FTP nor Windows File Sharing were up to the task. I discovered a freeware version of 2BrightSparks' SyncBackSE, and began using it almost immediately.

SyncBack Freeware can use either FTP or a Windows network share to make the connection, but I found it to be much easier to configure and maintain using FTP. It can do a straight copying of files, or it can even synchronize the files to make sure the newest copy of the file is saved at the destination. I have been using the freeware version to back up a folder full of files to my server as a quick backup for over a year with no problems. The most important feature for me in this case is that it is incredibly fast, it backs up tens and hundreds of megabytes of data in seconds. It is great for when you need to synchronize often-used folders full of files. You can set each one of these up in a "profile". Click here to see a screenshot of the types of profiles you can have it do. Highly recommended.

Microsoft FolderShare

In November of 2005, Microsoft acquired FolderShare from ByteTaxi. The service is going to be included in Windows Live, but it is not yet listed on the Windows Live Ideas web site where they hilight their newest beta products.

I came across FolderShare because I was looking for a product that would do more than just copy the newest version of a file to another computer. I have a handful of files that I use and update on a daily basis, and I wanted the newest version available on my laptop as well as any workstation in the office without any intervention. I also wanted a copy of the latest files available on my laptop even if I was not connected to my home network. This was a demanding requirement to be sure, but SyncBack Freeware required a connection so it was not a solution. I found that FolderShare seemed to fit the bill.

FolderShare works by invitation. You invite other members or your own computers to share a folder securely. (For those with some technical knowledge: All peer-to-peer communication between these computers are authenticated via RSA and encrypted via AES over SSL.)

Once you install the FolderShare client on each of your computers, you will see a small "F" icon on your taskbar. When you open it, you can see a list of your "Libraries" which are actually regular Windows folders, and which computers are sharing them. In this first screenshot, you can see two workstations and a laptop connected, and set to automatically sync the contents of the folder. There are other options available, such as being able to access the files using a web browser over the web.

If one of the computers disconnects from the network or Internet (screenshot 2), that computer will still have access to the latest version of the files. In other words, as long as Toshiba or WK3 do not edit the files, WK1 will have a local up-to-date copy of any files. If I edit those files on WK1, then reconnect to the network, FolderShare will automatically update the files back onto the other computers, all without any intervention on my part.

It is this ability to re-synchronize files that sets FolderShare apart from the previous solutions. There were a few times however, when FolderShare did not seem to be able to connect, and I had to manually shut down the application and restart it myself. A reconnect button would have been useful.

In the upcoming File Sharing Review - Part II, I will be looking at some other file sharing and file syncing products.

Tags:
Computers, Freeware, Microsoft, Reviews, Software, Tips, Technology, t4t

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