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Chapter 8. Basic Utilities

Section 8.1. Hacks #73-79

Hack 73. Store Multiple Clips and Boilerplate Text with a Better Clipboard

Hack 74. Speed Up Your Hard Disk by Improving Defragging

Hack 75. Build a Better Backup Strategy

Hack 76. Extending Your Screen Real Estate with Virtual Desktops

Hack 77. Top Screenshot Tips

Hack 78. Going Beyond Messaging with Windows Messenger

Hack 79. Universal Messaging: Trillian Unites AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, and ICQ

How This Book Is Organized

Conventions Used in This Book

How to Contact Us

Chapter 1. Startup and Shutdown

1.1 Hacks #1-7

Hack 1 Customize Multiboot Startup Options

Hack 2 Change the Picture that Appears on the XP Startup Screen

Hack 3 Speed Up Boot and Shutdown Times

Hack 4 Halt Startup Programs and Services

Hack 5 Create Multiple Startup Profiles with Advanced Startup Manager

Hack 6 Miscellaneous Startup and Shutdown Hacks

Hack 7 Control User Logins by Hacking the Registry

Chapter 2. The User Interface

2.1 Hacks #8-20

Hack 8 Customize the GUI with TweakUI

Hack 9 Control the Control Panel

Hack 10 Hack the Start Menu and Taskbar

Hack 11 Clean Up the Most Frequently Used Programs List

Hack 12 Rename and Change 'Unchangeable' Desktop Icons and System Objects

Hack 13 Remove 'Unremovable' Desktop Icons

Hack 14 Create Your Own XP Themes and Find Thousands Online

Hack 15 Give XP a Makeover with WindowBlinds

Hack 16 Hacking Your Way Through the Interface

Hack 17 Remove 'Uninstallable' XP Utilities

Hack 18 Create Transparent Windows

Hack 19 Make Your Own Cursors and Icons

Hack 20 Windows XP to Windows 2000: Retro is Cool

Chapter 3. Windows Explorer

3.1 Hacks #21-32

Hack 21 Generating Folder and File Listingsfor Printing or Editing

Hack 22 Control Windows Explorer with Command-Line Shortcuts

Hack 23 Empower Windows Explorer with PowerDesk

Hack 24 Better File Rename

Hack 25 Find Files Faster by Mastering the Indexing Service's Query Language

Hack 26 Hiding Folders and Files with the Encrypting File System

Hack 27 Forcing Windows Explorer Into True Usefulness

Hack 28 Customize Folder Icons and Balloon Text

Hack 29 A Power User's Hidden Weapon: Improve the Context Menu

Hack 30 Take Your Work on the Go with Offline Files and the Briefcase

Hack 31 Get More Hard Disk Space by Using NTFS Compression

Hack 32 Put a Command-Line Prompt on Your Desktop

Chapter 4. The Web

4.1 Hacks #33-41

Hack 33 Stop Pop Ups, Spyware, and Web Bugs

Hack 34 Take a Bite Out of Cookies

Hack 35 Read Web Pages Offline

Hack 36 Better Internet Searching from Your Desktop

Hack 37 Hack Internet Explorer with the Group Policy Editor

Hack 38 Speed Up File Downloads

Hack 39 Surf Anonymously Without a Trace

Hack 40 Secrets of Web Site Hosting with Internet Information Services (IIS)

Hack 41 Run Java Applets Without Crashes or Problems

Chapter 5. Networking

5.1 Hacks #42-62

Hack 42 War Driving for WiFi Access

Hack 43 Test Your Security with Shields Up!

Hack 44 Tweak DNS Settings for Faster Internet Access

Hack 45 Fix Windows Media Player's Privacy Problems

Hack 46 Protect Your Computer with the Internet Connection Firewall

Hack 47 Use a Proxy Server to Protect Your PC

Hack 48 ZoneAlarm: The World's Best Free Firewall

Hack 49 Optimize Your Residential Gateway

Hack 50 Punch an Escape Hole Through Your Firewall

Hack 51 Close Down Open Ports and Block Protocols

Hack 52 Troubleshooting Network Connections with ping, tracert, and pathping

Hack 53 Troubleshooting Network Connections with netsh, netstat, and ipconfig

Hack 54 Speed Up Network Browsing

Hack 55 Extend the Range of Your Wireless Network

Hack 56 Install NetBEUI for Better Peer-to-Peer Networking

Hack 57 Check WiFi Network Performance with QCheck to Help Improve Throughput

Hack 58 Control Another PC with Remote Access

Hack 59 Make Servers Always Available by Mapping a Hostname to a Dynamic IP Address

Hack 60 Renewing Your DHCP-Assigned IP Address

Hack 61 Repair a Broken TCP/IP Connection

Hack 62 Set Up a Virtual Private Network

Chapter 6. Email

6.1 Hacks #63-67

Hack 63 Slam That Spam

Hack 64 Open Blocked File Attachments in Outlook and Outlook Express

Hack 65 Back Up and Restore Outlook and Outlook Express Data Files

Hack 66 Fire Outlook and Outlook Express

Hack 67 Retrieve Web-Based Email with Your Email Software

Chapter 7. The Registry

7.1 Hacks #68-72

Hack 68 Don't Fear the Registry

Hack 69 Hacking Away at the Registry

Hack 70 Safely Edit the Registry Using .reg Files

Hack 71 Better Registry Backups

Hack 72 Track and Restore Registry Changes with RegSpy

Chapter 8. Basic Utilities

8.1 Hacks #73-79

Hack 73 Store Multiple Clips and Boilerplate Text with a Better Clipboard

Hack 74 Speed Up Your Hard Disk by Improving Defragging

Hack 75 Build a Better Backup Strategy

Hack 76 Extending Your Screen Real Estate with Virtual Desktops

Hack 77 Top Screenshot Tips

Hack 78 Going Beyond Messaging with Windows Messenger

Hack 79 Universal Messaging: Trillian Unites AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, and ICQ

Chapter 9. Applications

9.1 Hacks #80-85

Hack 80 Remove Unruly Applications and Uninstall Entries

Hack 81 Force XP-Incompatible Applications to Run

Hack 82 Force Older Programs to Use XP Common Controls

Hack 83 Launch Applications with Command-Line Shortcuts

Hack 84 Open and Create Microsoft Documents without Microsoft Office

Hack 85 Stop Hidden Fields in Word from Stealing Your Files and Information

Chapter 10. Graphics and Multimedia

10.1 Hacks #86-90

Hack 86 Image Conversion in a Pinch

Hack 87 Problem-Free CD Burning

Hack 88 Save Streaming Music to Your PC

Hack 89 File Sharing without the Spyware

Hack 90 Tips for Making Videos with Windows Movie Maker

Chapter 11. System Performance

11.1 Hacks #91-94

Hack 91 Track System Performance with the Performance Console

Hack 92 Getting the Most Out of Your RAM

Hack 93 More Power: Registry Hacks to Speed Up XP

Hack 94 Repair and Recovery with the Recovery Console

Chapter 12. Hardware

12.1 Hacks #95-100

Hack 95 Troubleshoot Hardware by Decoding Device Manager Error Messages

Hack 96 Uncover Hidden Hardware with the Device Manager

Hack 97 Check Your PC's Pulse and Tweak It for Better Performance

Hack 98 Remap Your Keyboard

Hack 99 Use ClearType for Better Laptop and LCD Resolution

Hack 100 Networking on the Cheap: Set Up a Direct Cable Connection

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