Windows Vista Tricks: Using USB Flash Drives as RAM

Windows Vista has a new performance feature called ReadyBoost. This feature enables the use of a USB storage device instead of the slow paging file on your hard disk when you’re low on physical memory (RAM). The logic is simple - the USB storage device is faster than your hard disk drive, and you can boost significantly your computer performance, if you use Windows Vista operating system.

In order for ReadyBoost to work in Windows Vista, your USB storage device must meet the following requirements:
’ The device must have at least 64MB storage.
’ The device must be USB 2.0 compatible.
’ The device must have a minimum read speed of 3.5 MB/s.
’ The device must have a minimum write speed of 2.5 MB/s.

Follow these steps to enable ReadyBoost:
1. Plug in USB storage device.
2. Go to Computer, right-click on the removable storage device and select Properties.
3. Click on the ReadyBoost tab.
4. Select Use This Device and set the amount of space to use for the system file.
5. Click OK.

Free Photos for your Passport

I you are dedicated user of the multiple free services on the Web, you might noticed that there are more and more companies, entering the marketing niches that for long were not even considered as are that can benefit from online assistance. The reviewed service is one of those, offering you opportunity to cut costs for password photos you need for foreign passports. ePassportPhoto.com is the Internet passport photo booth, and its primary goal to put an end to the passport photo rip-off. There is no reason you should have to spend valuable time and money just to get a simple, compliant set of passport photos.

Especially useful feature, offered by this free service, is the fact that the system currently supports the proper legal government requirement of over 60 countries, from Albania to Zimbabwe (and many in between, such as Australia, France and Germany). For example, if you’re a citizen of China living in Canada or a citizen of Israel living in the US, ePassportPhoto.com will help you create passport photos that comply with the requirements of your home country. Site will arrange the photos from the file you upload and upon preparing the right format, will allow you printing them at convenience of your home, on your own printer.

You might ask what the catch is. You can choose premium service, including human validation, printing and shipping, available at a reasonable price of $5.99.

Website: http://www.epassportphoto.com/

4 Steps to Change Startup and Shutdown Sounds on your Computer

You boot up and shut down your computer quite frequently. And every time you have to listen the same built-in sounds files - again and again. The same annoying audio files, which other millions of people listen on the daily basis. Do you know that you can stop that forever. Here is the solution, now you use any of your favorite voice or music or dialogue as your computer shutdown and start up.

The hack to be implemented in 4 simple steps.

Step 1

Choose the track which you want to play at start-up and shutdown jingles. There are following limitations to the chosen file:

* It should be in .WAV format.
* The size of file should not be too big. Try to choose or make the file of no mote than 1 Mb, otherwise your startup process will take a bit longer.

If the file you want to make your start-up or shutdown is not in .WAV format, you can easily convert it using any audio converter, available on the market.

Step 2

Rename the chosen files as “Windows XP Startup.WAV” and “Windows XP Shutdown.WAV” respectively.

Step 3

Go to the directory “C:\WINDOWS\MEDIA” and locate there files with the same names “Windows XP Startup.WAV” and “Windows XP Shutdown.WAV”. Move these files to some other locations for backup purposes, in case you will need to revert back these sounds some time in the future.

Step 4

Move the new files you prepared to the directory, where the Operating system retrieves the sounds from: “C:\WINDOWS\MEDIA”. On next reboot, you will get your favorite sound clips activated.

5 Steps to Reset Administrator Password

Occasionally, we have to deal with customer computers, when the original administrator account is modified, and nobody can enlighten us on the new administrator user name and password. There are multiple ways to regain control on the computer by resetting the master administrator password, including boot-up disks and Floppies.

There is one of the ways to do the job easy, with no additional software or deep computer knowledge. Password resetting procedure consists of 5 simple steps.

1. First reboot Windows XP in safe mode by re-starting the computer and pressing F8 repeatedly as the computer boots up. If you missed the right moment, you will need to repeat the attempt.

2. Then (in safe mode) click Start and then click Run. In the open box type the words exactly as following (without quotes) - control userpasswords2.

3. You will now get a pop-up window with full access to all the user accounts, including the administrators account. From here, you will be able to reset the lost or forgotten password.

4. Just click the administrators’ user account, and then click Reset Password.

5. At this moment, you will have to add a new password in the New password field, and the Confirm new password as well. Confirm the new chosen password by clicking OK.

All Done!