Christopher Theunissen

This document describes the applications I use, where they can be found and how to install and use them. Please read through the Glossary of Terms for a definitions of the terms and conventions used in this guide.

If you find any of this useful then please support this site by making a donation.

Glossary of Terms

Instruction	Meaning	Mouse Action	Keyboard Action
Select	Invoke a button or menu item.	Click on the item with the left mouse button.	Button If the button text contains an underlined character, known as an access or shortcut key, then it can be invoked by pressing and holding the Alt key followed by the underlined character. If there isn't an access key, use the Tab key on the keyboard until the focus (usually a dotted or filled blue rectangle) has moved to the button and press the Spacebar. Menu item If the menu item contains an underlined character, known as an acccess or shortcut key, then the item can be invoked by pressing and holding the Alt key followed by the underlined letter. You don't need to bother with Alt for a submenu item, as the menu will already by open, so you can just type the underlined character. Sub-menu items are indicated by a greater than sign. For example, the Open menu within the File menu would be written as "File > Open", which means select the File menu followed by the Open menu item.
Enable	Place a tick or cross in a checkbox or menu item, or fill a radio button.	If there isn't a tick or cross, click on the item to add one.	If there isn't a tick or cross, select the item to add one.
Disable	Remove a tick or cross in a checkbox or menu item. If it is a radio button, this step is usually just a double-check, as the enabling of another radio button in the same group will empty the current radio button.	If there is a tick or cross, click on the item to remove it.	If there is a tick or cross, select the item to remove it.
Commit	Accept the changes in the current dialog by selecting the "OK" or "Close" button.	Click on "OK" or "Close".	Select "OK" or "Close".
Cancel	Undo the changes made to the current dialog by selecting "Cancel" button or pressing the "Esc" key.	Click on "Cancel".	Select "Cancel" or press the "Esc" key.
Navigate	Internet Explorer - type the address (URL) into the Address field and press "Enter or click on "Go. Windows Explorer - type the folder (directory) name into the "Address" field and press "Enter" or click on "Go". Alternatively expand the folders within the Folders view and click on the relevant folder to highlight it. Open or Save dialog - type the folder in the "File name" field and press "Enter" or click on the "Open" or "Save" button. Alternatively, use the "Look in" list and the folder list below it to open up each sub-folder until you get to the one specified.
Set "field" to "value".	"value" needs to be typed in or selected from the control labeled "field". When the control is a text edit box, it must be typed in without the quotes. When it is a list, use the mouse to select it.
Enter	As above for "Set", but may also be more general when it is obvious what the field is.

Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Common keyboard shortcuts for Windows can be found at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnwue/html/appxB.asp.

Software

Operating System

Windows 95/98/98SE/ME

Most of the settings in Windows 2000/XP apply to this.

Windows 2000/XP

Optimisations

NTFS File Browsing

Windows 2000/XP
- The default behaviour of the NTFS file system is to record the time the file was last accessed. If you need to keep track of this information, it probably means you should be using Auditing instead, so you can speed up disk access by disabling it, which eliminates an unnecessary drive seek and directory write each time a file is accessed just for reading. The following instructions for disabling this behaviour require the editing of the registry, so you should make a backup of it first. No responsibility is taken for any loss or damage through following these instructions:
  - Run "Start > Run", enter "regedit", and select "OK".
  - Navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SYSTEM / CurrentControlSet / Control / File System".
  - Insert a new "DWORD Value" with the name "NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate" and value "1".
  - Reboot the computer.
  - You should notice long file listings in Windows Explorer are much faster now.

Settings

Change the Administrator account password, as an empty or easy to guess password can make you susceptible to viruses like the Nimda (Admin spelt backwards) worm:
- Windows 2000
  - Log in as Administrator.
  - Right click on "My Computer" and select "Manage".
  - Navigate to "System > Local Users and Groups > Users".
  - Right click on the "Administrator" and select "Set password".
  - Enter the new password twice and select OK.
- Windows XP Professional
  - Log in as Administrator.
  - Go to "Control Panel".
  - Select "Users and Accounts".
  - Select the "Administrator" user.
  - Select "Change Password".
  - Follow the instructions.
- Windows XP Home
  - The steps are the same as for "Windows XP Professional" above, but to log in as Administrator in Windows XP Home, you have to boot into Safe Mode by pressing F8 just before the operating system starts to boot.
Task Bar toolbars
- I use the Desktop toolbar, as it gives access to all the icons on the Desktop, which means I don't have to clutter the Task Bar with the QuickLaunch bar
- Right click on the Task Bar and disable all Toolbars except "Desktop".
- Double click on the handle of the Desktop toolbar to minimize it to just the word Desktop.
Control Panel > Automatic Updates:
- Enable "Notify me before downloading any updates and notify me again before installing them on my computer"
Control Panel > System
- Network Identification
  - Computer Name
    - Enter a name.
    - Enter a workgroup or domain.
- System Restore.
  - I tend to disable this, as I have a Ghost image of the hard disk, so I could go back if I wanted and this just ends up taking up space. It is important to disable this when you are trying to get rid of a virus, as it can restore the virus each time you reboot.
Windows Explorer Folder Options
- Show Details (Select the "View > Details" menu.)
- Select the "Tools > Folder Options..." menu
  - "View" page
    - Enable "Automatically search for network folders and printers".
    - Enable "Display file size information in folder tips",
    - Disable "Display simple folder view in Explorer's Folder list".
    - Disable "Display the contents of system folders".
    - Enable "Display the full path in the address bar".
    - Enable "Display the full path in the title bar".
      - This makes it easy to distinguish between multiple explorer or folder windows.
    - Enable "Do not cache thumbnails"
    - Enable "Show hidden files and folders"
    - Disable "Hide extensions for known file types".
      - If this is enabled, you can't tell the difference between files that differ by extension only.
    - Enable "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)".
    - Disable "Launch folder windows in a separate process".
    - Enable "Remember each folder's view settings".
    - Enable "Restore previous folder windows at logon".
    - Enable "Show Control Panel in My Computer".
    - Enable "Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color".
    - Enable "Show pop-up description for folder and desktop items"
    - Select "Apply".
    - Select "Apply to All Folders" or "Like Current Folder".
Internet Explorer
- Tools > Internet Options
  - "General" page
    - Select "Use Blank" to prevent Internet Explorer from doing to a web page when it is run, which will speed up its start time and doesn't unnecessarily open a web page each time.
  - "Connections" page
    - Enable "Never dial a connection".
      - This means you have control over when the connection to the internet is made and prevents annoying connect dialogs when you open anything internet related line Internet Explorer or Outlook Express.
  - "Advanced" page
    - Disable "Reuse windows for launching shortcuts".
      - A new window will be opened when you open a shortcut in Outlook Express or the desktop, which is more usable than an already open Internet Explorer window being hijacked.
Device Manager
- Change the DVD-ROM drive letter to R:.
- Change the CD/DVD-Writer drive letter to W:.
- Disable write caching on ZIP and hard disks.
  - Corruption can occur if there is a power failure while there are unsaved writes, so it is safer to disable this.
Synchronise the system time with an internet time service.
- Windows XP has built-in support for this so we will cover it first here.
  - Double click on the Clock in the system tray.
  - "Internet Time" page
    - Enable "Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server".
- Windows 2000
  - Open up a command prompt (Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt)
  - Set your system to use one of the time servers from http://boulder.nist.gov/timefreq/service/time-servers.html. I have chosen time-a.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov (NIST, Boulder, Colorado) in this example:
    - First verify it actually exists by pinging it "ping time-a.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov"
    - Set the system to use it: "net time /setsntp:time-a.timefreq.bldrdoc.gov"
    - Verify it is set correctly by querying it: "net time /querysntp"
  - Set your clock manually to about ten minutes ago using: "time 12:55".
  - Run the w32tm service manually in verbose mode to make sure it works: "w32tm -v"
  - Look at the output generated to make sure the time has been set and how long it will be to the next synch by looking for the text "Time until next synch - ". The default 2699.96s, which is 45 minutes. This might not be enough if you are also using this service as a means to make sure you are alsways connected to the internet. The number of setting can be specified as a parameter of the service later.
  - Set your clock manually to about ten minutes ago using: "time 12:55".
  - Set the Network Time service to start automatically at startup.
    - Run Start | Settings | Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Services.
    - Double click on the "Windows Time" service.
    - Set the "Startup type" to "Automatic".
    - Supply the synchronisation period as a "Start parameter", which can be one of the following:
      - 0 == once a day
      - 65535 == once every 2 days
      - 65534 == once every 3 days
      - 65533 == once every week (7 days)
      - 65532 == once every 45 min until we get 3 good syncs, then once every 8 hrs (3/day)
      - 65531 == once every 45 min until we get 1 good sync, then once every day
      - Otherwise, the number of times a day you want it to synchronise. For an interval of a specified number of seconds, divide the number of seconds into the number of seconds in a day (86400). For example, if you want the service to synchronise every fifteen seconds, the parameter would be set to 86400 / 15 = 5760 as a start parameter of "-period 5760".
    - Make a note of the time and click on Start.
  - Set your clock manually to about ten minutes ago.
  - Restart the computer and verify that the time is now correct.
  - Every now and then, have a look at the system logs to verify the time is being set correctly.
Set display properties by right clicking on the desktop and selecting "Properties".
- "Settings" page
  - Set "Screen Resolution" to "1024x768" if it is supported. Anything higher is only really readable on a 17 inch monitor or bigger
  - Set "Color quality" to highest, which is usually "Highest (32 bit)".
  - Select "Apply".
  - Select "Advanced"
    - "General" page
      - Enable "Apply the new display settings without restarting". There is not need to reboot if we don't have to.
    - "Monitor" page
      - If there is more than one monitor in the list, then select the one relating to the normal monitor, which is usually "Plug and Play Monitor".
      - Enable "Hide modes that this monitor cannot display"
      - Select the highest refresh rate in the "Screen refresh rate" list.
- Screen Saver
  - Select "None" for "Screen Saver".
  - Select "Power".
    - "Power Schemes" page.
      - Set "Turn off monitor" to "After 5 minutes".
      - Set "Turn off hard disks" to "Never".
        
        I think power saving is too much of a wear on the hard disk heads.
        
        Warning: There have been system hangs in the past, especially on Windows 9x, with turning off the hard disks and monitor, so set this option to "Never" if you experience this. It will usually be when you move the mouse or touch the keyboard after the power saving has kicked in.
      - Set "System standby" to "Never", as I have had many problems in the past with the system not resuming properly. This are probably much more stable now with Windows 2000/XP, but I don't really have a use for it anyway. If I want the computer turning off, I will turn it off fully by shutting it down and turning it off using the switch on the power supply which stops it using any electricity.
    - "Advanced" page.
      - Set "When I press the power button on my computer" to "Shut down". Windows starts up so quickly these days, there is no need to set this to standby. This saves the most electricity, as it then allows you to switch it off completely at the power supply.
    - "Hibernate" page
      - Hibernation saves the contents of memory to the hard disk so it can quickly restore the computer to its current state when it starts up again. This is useful when you have multiple web pages open that you want to return to when you start up again. If you decide to use it, make sure you do a restart every few days, as some applications can keep using up more and more memory when they run all the time.
      - Enable "Enable hibernation" if you want to use this feature.
Right click on taskbar and select "Properties"
- Taskbar page
  - Enable "Lock the taskbar".
  - Disable "Auto-hide the taskbar".
  - Enable "Keep the taskbar on top of other windows".
  - Disable "Group similar taskbar buttons", as it is confusing for users when they have come from previous windows versions.
  - Disable "Show Quick Launch". I use the Desktop toolbar instead, which gives access to all the icons on the desktop.
  - Enable "Show the clock".
  - Disable "Hide inactive icons", which is confusing for new users.
- Start Menu page
  - Select "Customize..."
    - Select "Advanced".
      - In the "Start Menu items" section:
        
        Enable "Favorites menu".
        
        Enable "My Network Places".
        
        Enable "Network Connections: Display as Connect to menu".
        
        Enable "Printers and Faxes".

Tours and Demos

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/evaluation/tours

Web-based ISP Independent Email

Go to http://www.hotmail.com to create your email account. Do not allow them to share your details, subscribe to mailing lists or add yourself to their White Pages, otherwise you will receive endless amounts of spam.

Emails remain on their server, but you can move them locally using Outlook Express by adding your email account as follows:

Select the "Tools | Accounts" menu item to display the "Internet Accounts" dialog.
Click on the "Add" button and select the "Mail" item.
Enter your name followed by your full Hotmail email addess. Outlook Express will recognise that it is a Hotmail address and automatically enter the server details.
Allow it to connect to the server to download folder details and you will have a new set of folders visible in the Folders view. You can drag and drop emails between the server and local folders.

Warning: Emails older than 30 days are deleted from the Sent Items, so create an online folder called "Still Waiting for Reply" and move emails from "Sent Items" there. Also move emails locally, as emails will stop arriving when you reach the 2MB limit..

Managing Emails

Inbox

Sent Items

Email Client

Outlook Exress

Settings

Select the "Tools > Options" menu item and set the following items:

Page	Field	Value / State	Explanation
General	When starting, go directly to my 'Inbox' folder	Disabled
	Notify me if there are any new newsgroups	Enabled
	Automatically display folders with unread messages	Enabled	This can help you find unread messages.
	Automatically log on to Windows Messenger	Enabled
	Send and receive messages at startup	Disabled	Sending email should be manual.
	Check for new messages every 30 minutes	Disabled	Downloading messages should be manual
Read	Mark message read after displaying for 5 seconds	Disabled	This is just plain annoying, as you can lose track of what you have read messages should only be marked as read when they are opened, not just viewed in autopreview.
	Automatically expand grouped messages	Disabled
	Automatically download message when vieing in the Preview Pane	Enabled
	Read all messages in plain text	Disabled
	Mark all messages as read when exiting a newsgroup	Disabled
	Show ToolTips in the message list for clipped items	Disabled
	News	Get 300 headers at a time
Receipts	Request a read receipt for all sent messages	Disabled	This option can be annoying, as you end up with many confirmations, rather than just manually setting the confirmation on an individual email basis.
Receipts	Notify me for each read receipt request	Enabled	You will be asked whether you want to send the confirmation email, which is safer, otherwise spammers can send you an email with a receipt request and it will automatically reply thereby telling them the email address is valid.
Send	Save copy of sent messages in the 'Sent Items' folder	Enabled	This is very important, otherwise there won't be any record of emais you send.
	Send messages immediately	Disabled	It is useful to be able to wait until you manually select "Send and Receive", as there may be something you thought of since clicking on Send that you may want to add to an email in the Outbox.
	Automatically put people I reply to in my Address Book	Disabled	This can end up cluttering the address book with unnecessary email addresses.
	Automatically complete e-mail addresses when composing	Enabled	This is really useful.
	Include message in reply	Enabled	This is useful, as you can then delete the original email if it doesn't contain an attachment and still have a history of email conversations.
	Reply to messages using the format in which they were sent	Enabled	This is just plain polite.
	Mail Sending Format	Plain Text	This results in smaller emails and you can still send an email as HTMLL by selecting "Format > Rich Text (HTML)" in the email composition window.
	News Sending Format	Plain Text	It is good newsgroup etiquette to send emails as plain text, as the newsgroup can get large.
Spelling	Always check spelling before sending	Enabled
	Suggest replacements for misspelled words	Enabled
	Always ignore: Words in UPPERCASE"	Disabled
	Always ignore: Words with numbers	Disabled
	Always ignore: The original text in a reply or forward	Enabled
	Always ignore: Internet Addresses	Enabled
Security	Warn me when other applications try to send mail as me	Enabled	A very good idea, especially with viruses that spread themselves by emailing everyone in your address book.
Security	Do not allow attachments to be saved or openend that could potentially be a virus	Disabled	This would have been a good idea if it wasn't for the fact that all attachments are considered potential viruses, which means you end up not being able to access any attachements. A good anti-virus checker with an attachment scanner should be used instead.
Connection	Ask before switching dial-up connections	eEabled
	Hang up after sending and receiving	Disabled	Email is not the only internet application, so it shouldn't control the internet connection.
	Change	Select and enable ""Never dial a connection", as you want control over when it connects.
Maintenance	Store Folder	Select and change it to a folder within My Documents folder "c:\Documents and Settings\<username>\My Documents\email".	The default location of the message store is in Local Settings\Application data, which is odd considering the emails are really documents, so we need to move them to a folder withing My Documents, which means we then only need to back up "My Documents".

Close Outlook Express and open it again to make the change take effect.
Run Outlook Express.
Email Account Setup
- Select "Tools > Accounts".
- Switch to the "Mail" page.
- It is a good idea to save (Export) the account details to files if you are migrating to a new folder, as you can just import them here.
- Make sure the Connection setting is set to "Any Available", which prevents dialogs popping up asking you to connect to the internet, thereby putting you in control of when it connects.
  - Double click on the account name or select "Properties".
  - Switch to the "Connection" page.
  - Disable "Always connect to this account using".
Show all headers in emails:
- Create a new message ("File > New > Mail Message").
- Enable the "View > All Headers" menu item.
Optimise the screen layout:
- Select "b>View > Layout
Show all details when downloading by clicking on the "Details" button when downloading. This setting remains in effect the next time you download.

Instant Messaging

Windows Messenger

Download

If you have Windows 95/98/ME/2000, then you can download MSN Messenger from:
- http://messenger.msn.com/download
If you have Windows XP, then Windows Messenger is already installed and can be run from the "Start > All Programs" menu.

Settings

Select the "Tools & Options" menu item and set the following items

Page	Field	Value / State	Explanation
Personal	Type your name as you want others to see it.
Personal	Show my display picture and allow others to see it	Disabled	You may choose to leave this enabled if you find it useful though.
Messages	Automatically keep a history of my conversations	Enabled	At last, we have a way of saving conversations as of version 6. Transcripts are saved to "My Documents\My Received Files\<username>@hotmail.com\History".
Privacy	Only people on my Allow List can see my status and send me messages	Enabled
	My Block List	Move "All others" here	You should prevent anyone not on your "Allow List" from seeing your online status, otherwise you could be subjected to spam.
	My Allow List	Make sure all your contacts are in this list.
General	Automatically run Messenger when I log on to Windows	Enabled
	Open Messenger main window when Messenger starts	Disabled	This can be annoying, especially when permanently connected to the internet and is in your face.
	Allow automatic sign in when connected to the internet	Enabled
	Display MSN today when Messenger sign in	Disable	I don't find any of the advertising useful.
	Allow Microsoft to collect anonymous information about how I use MSN Messenger	Disabled	Yes, I am still paranoid.

Usage

Add contacts using by selecting the "Contacts > Add a Contact" menu item.
Double click on an online contact to send them an instant message.

Compression

WinZip

Download

http://www.winzip.com

Settings

Select the "Options > Configuration" menu item.
- "View" page
  - Enable "Allow all upper case file names".
  - Enable "Full row select".
- "System" page.
  - Disable "Include WinZip Quick Pick in the taskbar tray".
- "Miscellaneous" page.
  - Enable "Beep after long archive operations".
  - Set "Number of files in recent file list" to "9".
Deselect the "Options > Reuse WinZip Windows" menu item.

Usage

The online help is very good, so read through that, but remember to do the following when adding or updating and archive:
- Set "Compression" to "Maximum (slowest)".
- Enable "Include subfolders".
- Enable "Save full path info", so you can restore the directory structure when you extract the files later.
- Enable "Include system and hidden files".

Anti-Spyware

Spybot - Search & Destroy

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

Anti-Virus

Anti-Virus Information

One of the best anti-virus information databases is McAfee
However, sometimes a simple search on a search engine like Google is the most effective. If the virus came in an email, then search for something like the name of the attachment or a few words in the body of the email, followed by the word "virus". For example, I received an email with the body "This message has an attach", so I searched for "This message has an attach virus".

Online Anti-Virus Scans

Symantec (part of Symantec Security Check)
- Click on the link saying "Symantec Security Check".
- Click on "Virus Detection" in the popup that appears.
- Answer "Yes" to any of the dialogs asking if it is okay to install or run content signed by "Symantec".
Trend Micro
- Click on "Scan Now. It's Free!".
- Select your country from the list and "Go".
- Answer "Yes" to any of the dialogs asking if it is okay to install or run content signed by "Trend Micro".
- Select the drives or folders you want to scan and select "SCAN".
McAfee
- Unfortunately, with this one you have to create an account.

Free Anti-Virus Programs

Grisoft's AVG 7.0 Free Edition

Download

Unlike AVG 6.0, you only have to register with them if you want to use their online forums and even then, you are only asked once the product is installed.
Navigate to http://www.grisoft.com.
Click on the "AVG Free Edition" link.
Click on the "Download the New AVG Free Edition Now" link.
Right click on the "avg70free_nnnxnnn.exe" link and save the file to disk.

Installation

Make sure you have about four blank diskettes for AVG to create a Rescue Disk for you as part of the installation process.
Run the program you downloaded in the "Download" section above.
Select "Next" on the "Welcome!" page.
Read the "Licence Agreement" and if you agree with it (personal, non-commercial use), then select "Accept", otherwise select "Don't Accept" and buy the AVG 7.0 version or look for an alternative anti-virus product.
Select "Next" on the "Acceptance Notice" page.
Select "Standard Installation" on the "Select Installation Type" page and select "Next".
Make sure the "User Name" is correct and make a note of it somewhere along with the "Licence Number" and select "Next".
Select "Finish" on the "Installation Summary"" page.
Select "OK" on the "Installation Complete" page.
Wait for AVG to load and select "Next >>" on the "AVG Free - First Run - CONGRATULATIONS" page.
Select "Check for Updates" on the "AVG Free Update" page:
- Enable the "Do not ask for the update source next time" option.
- Select "Internet" option on the "Update Source" page.
- Select "Update" on the "AVG Free Edition Update Selection" dialog.
- Wait for the update to finish loading and select "OK" on the "Update was successfully finished." page.
- Select "Next >>" on the "AVG Free Update" page.
Select "Create Rescue Disk" on the "Create Rescue Disk" page:
- Select "Next >>" on the "Welcome to the Rescue Disk Wizard" page.
- Make sure all components are selected on the "Rescue Disk Contents" page and select "Next >>".
- Select "Next >>" on the "System Area Backup" page.
- On the "Target Location of the Rescue Disk Files" page, make sure you floppy disk drive is selected and select "Next >>".
- Select "Create >>" on the "Settings Selected" page.
- Follow the instructions that appear on the "Rescue Disk Wizard" to format each of the required disks and correctly label them.
- Select "Finish" on the "Rescue Disk Wizard Summary" page.
- Remember to store the disks in a safe location, as they may be needed if your computer fails to start up or a virus is detected that requires drastic booting from DOS to sort out.
Select "Next >>" on the "Configure E-mail Scanner" on the "Scan E-mail Messages" page, as we will do this later.
Select "Scan Computer" and wait for it to finish.
Select "Next >>" on the "Computer Scan" page.
If you would like to register your version of AVG Free Edition, which entitles you to participate in their discussions forum, which is the only form of technical support in the free version, then select "Register AVG Free".
Select "Next >>".
Select "Continue..." on the "YOUR COMPUTER IS PROTECTED!" page.

Settings

Run the "AVG Free Edition - Control Centre" by double clicking on the AVG icon (four coloured square) in the System Tray (near the time).
- Select "E-mail Scanner" and "Properties".
  - Switch to the "Plugins" page.
    - Select "Configure".
    - Disable "Certify Mail" in both the incoming and outgoing section, unless you want AVG to add text to the end of outgoing and incoming email s to say it has been checked by AVG.
    - Select "OK".
  - Select "Properties".
    - Switch to the "Properties" page.
      - Personal E-mail Scanner will display an information window near the System Tray (bottom right of screen) while it is scanning emails. You can disable this if you find it annoying, but it is actually quite useful, as the email sending process might appear as finished in Outlook Express while AVG is still busying sending it, so at least you know when the whole process is finished before you disconnect from the Internet.
    - Switch to the "Logging" page.
      - Select the "Monthly" option for "Create new log file".
      - Select "OK".
    - Select "OK".
  - Select "OK".
- Select "Update Manager" and "Properties".
  - Switch to the "Properties" page:
    - Enable "Update Immediately".
    - Enable "Require confirmation from the user".
    - Enable "Do not ask for the update source".
    - Enable "Display information about the update process".
    - Enable "Require confirmation to close running applications".
    - Select "OK".
- Minimise "AVG Free Edition - Control Centre" using "Program > Minimize", rather than Exit (which actually shuts down AVG).
Run "AVG Free Edition - Test Centre" by right clicking on the AVG icon in the System Tray and selecting "Lauch AVG Test Centre".
- Select the "Tests > Complete Test Settings" menu item:
  - Enable "Scan all files".
  - Select "OK".
- AVG Free Edition doesn't allow you to create new schedules, but you can edit them, which you must do, as the default settings actually do a test before it checks for an update. Select "Scheduler".
  - Double click on the "Test Plan in Basic Mode" schedule:
    - Set this to a time you are likely have the computer switched on like "19:00".
    - If you are paranoid, you can tick the item marked "If missed, start immediately when computer start-up", but I wouldn't bother, as a full test only needs to be done about once a week, as the "AVG Resident Shield" checks files whenever they are accessed.
  - Double click on the "Update plan in Basic mode":
    - Enable "If Internet connection is not available, check when it goes on-line". The introduction of this option in AVG 7.0 was a major improvement, as I used to have to tell people to manually check for an update each time they switch their computer on just in case they weren't on the Internet when the last check was made. Now it does it automatically.
    - If you switch off you computer overnight, then you can make it check for an update the first time you switch on your computer each day by setting it to check when you are least likely to have the computer connected "between 4:00 AM and 5:59 AM".
    - If you have the computer switched on all the time, then do an update when you are most likely to be online - preferably just before the "Test Plan in Basic Mode" is scheduled to occur.

Usage

Updates will automatically download at the times specified in the "Update plan in Basic mode" schedule, but you can do a manual update as follows:
- Right click on the AVG Free Edition icon in the System Tray.
- Select the "Check for Updates" menu item.
- If the "AVG Free Update selection" dialog appears, select "Update" and "OK" when it finishes.
A "Complete Test" is run at the scheduled time every day, but if you think you might have missed it, or there was a major update, you can manually run a complete test as follows:
- Right click on the AVG Free Edition icon in the System Tray.
- Select "Launch AVG Test Center".
- Select the "Tests | Scan Computer - Complete Test" menu item.

Grisoft's AVG 6.0 Free

Download

Go to http://www.grisoft.com
You need to register with them to get a registration key. This is free and will be sent to your email address.

Click on the "Free Download Page" link.
Click on the "Download AVG Free Edition" link.
Click on the "Download AVG Free Edition" button.
Fill in your information and click on "Continue".

Carry on until it starts to download the software and save it to disk.
Wait for the email to arrive that contains your Registration Key.

Installation

Install the program.
Enter the Registration Key information from the email and continue the installation.

Settings

Double click on the AVG icon (four coloured square) in the System Tray (near the clock) and set the following:

Page	Field	Value / State	Explanation
Resident Shield	Check Boot Viruses	Enabled
	Check Executable Viruses	Enabled
	Check Macro Viruses	Enabled
	Confirmation	Enabled
	Ask what to do next	Enabled
	Use heuristics	Disabled	Disabled is the default anyway, as heuristics slows the system down and can falsely identify viruses.
	Event write to Log file	Disabled	Disabled is the default anyway, as it can also slow things down.
E-mail Scanner	Check Incoming Messages	Enabled
	Certify Incoming Messages	Disabled	This adds an annoying bit of text to the end of the message to say it has been virus checked, so don't use it unless you think it adds kudos.
	Check Outgoing Messages	Enabled
	Certify Outgoing Messages	Disabled	This adds an annoying bit of text to the end of the message to say it has been virus checked, so don't use it unless you think it adds kudos.
	Use Outlook Express 5 Plugin	Enabled	Warning: This can corrupt the Outlook Express toolbars if "Small Icons" are used on with Windows XP, Outlook Express 6.00.2600.00 and AVG 6.0.595. It can be resolved by using "Large Icons" for the toolbar size in Outlook Express.
Update Manager	Allow Scheduled Update	Enabled
	Update will start at	A time you are most likely online, like "20:00".
	Update if database is older than	1 day
	If not successful, then repeat in	1 day
	User confirms Dial-Up connection	Enabled
	Download from server	free.grisoft.gz	There used to be two options in the past, but now there only seems to only be one.
	Apply	Select this to apply the settings
	Update Now	Select this, just in case the update was not downloaded the last time.
Scheduler	Enable scheduled tests	Enabled

Usage

Updates will automatically download at the times specified in the settings, but you can do a manual update by:
- Double click on the icon in the system tray
- Change to the "Update Manager" page.
- Click on "Update Now!".
You can do an AntiVirus scan by:
- Right click on the icon in the system tray and select "Run AVG Anti-Virus".
- Select the Tests | Complete Test menu item.

MP3 Recording

MusicMatch Jukebox

Download

http://www.musicmatch.com

Installation

Disable "Register electronically".
Disable "Send me music-related news and special offers".
Select "Next".Select "No" when asked to send personalised recommendations.
Select "Next".
Select "Express (Recommended)".
Select "Next" or "Finish".

Settings

Select the "Options > Settings" menu item.
- "General" page:
  - Do not associate this player with any file associations other than Shoutcast, as we only want to use it to create mp3s. Disable all options in the group "Use MusicMatch Jukebox as the default player for" except Shoutcast. In version 8.1, this means:
    - Disable "Windows Media Files".
    - Disable "M3U Files".
    - Disable "MP3 Files".
    - Enable "Shoutcast".
    - Disable "Music CDs".
    - Disable "WAV Files".
  - Enable "Never reclaim media files", prevents MusicMatch Jukebox from checking whether another application has associated itself with files MusicMatch Jukebox knows of. Remember, we only want to use it to create mp3s.
  - When double-clicking local music files:
    - Disable "Add to Music Library".
    - Enable "Add to Playlist Window".
  - When downloading music files from the web:
    - Disable "Add to Music Library".
    - Enable "Add to Playlist Window".
  - Permission to communicte with MusicMatch server:
    - Enable "Periodically check for updated versions of MusicMatch".
    - Disable "Upload user preferences information based on listening profile".
      - Shudder
- "Player" page:
  - Disable "Enable MusicMatch QuickPlay in the System Tray", as it yet another way of using up memory and system resources.
- "Online Music" page:
  - I don't use MusicMatch's onilne music, so set this to "Inactive". I describe a good Internet Radio application elsewhere in this guide.
- "Recorder" page:
  - Set "Recording format" to "MP3".
  - Enable "CD quality (128 kbps)".
  - Select the "Recording Source".
    - If you have more than one CD/DVD ROM drive in your computer, then set the "Recording source" to the one that gives the best quality or the one that is only a reader rather than writer, as drives have a limited life span - a writer is more expensive than a writer. However, if you recently bought a new drive, then use that, as the older drive will have less life left, so should only be used when necessary.
  - Select "Tracks Directory".
    - If you have a large music collection, you may want to change the location of My Music to outside My Documents so as to keep the amount of files you backup on a regular basis small. The music collection won't change much, so just periodically burn new music to mp3 data CDs as a backup. In any case, the "Directory For New" should be in a "new" sub-folder so you can tell what is new and has to be burnt to CD before you can move it in amongst the other music.
    - The track name should be in the format "Artist\Album\Artist - Track Number - TrackName":
      - Enable the following in the "Make Sub-Path using:" group:
        
        "Artist".
        
        "Album".
      - In the "Name Track File using:" group:
        
        Enable the following and move them into the correct order:
        
        "Artist"
        
        "Track Number"
        
        "Track Name"
        
        Set "Separator to" " - ", which is a is a space, a dash and a space. This allows you to copy tracks from various artists into a single directory if necessary and still have unique filenames.
        
        Select "OK"
- "Music Library" page:
  - Add a new column of "Track Number #" so you can sort the tracks properly.
  - Enable "Use ID3V2 tag info".
- "CD Lookup/Connectivity" page:
  - Enable "Enable CD Lookup service".
    - This is a real time saver, as the Album, Artist and various track information are downloaded form the internet when you insert a CD for recording saving you from having to input it all manually.
  - Disable "Enable Deferred CD Lookup service".
  - Enable "Prompt to submit CD information when not found".
    - Go on do your bit if the CD isn't found on the internet by submitting the CD information for others to use - they did it for you.
- "Display" page:
  - The settings here are up to you, but as I don't use MusicMatch Jukebox for playback, I dont' bother with them.

Usage

Close all other CD recording programs.
Connect to the internet so track information can be detected.
Run MusicMatch Jukebox.
Insert the CD to record.
If the Recorder view isn't already visible, then select the "View > Recorder" menu item. A tick should appear next to the menu item if it is visible.
"Stop" the CD if it starts to play.
Enter the track information:
- You can download the CD track information by connecting to the internet and clicking on Refresh.
- You can also manually enter the Artist, Album and track information in the Recorder view.
- Make sure the artist, album and track names use title capitalisation:
  - Capitalise all words except:
    - prepositions
      - e.g. through, above, below
    - articles
      - e.g. a, an, the
  - Capitalise the first and last words regardless of what they are.
Click on "Record".
When it finishes, you can right click on the files in the "My Library" view to enter more information about the files such as "date" and "copyright "information.

MP3 Playback

Windows Media Player

Download

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download

Settings

Select the "Tools > Options" menu and set the following options:

Page	Field	Value / State	Explanation
Player	Check for updates	Once a week
	Download codecs automatically	Enabled
	Start Player in Media Guide	Disable	You may choose to enable this, but I don't find any of the content useful - normally I just want to play mp3s or videos.
	Display on top when in skin mode	Enabled	Normally the skin mode is a reduced size window, so you would want it on top.
	Display anchor window when in skin mode	Disabled	This window provides a way of returning to full mode, which you can do by right clicking on the skin mode version anyway, so this option only takes up unnecessary space.
	Allow screen saver during playback	Disabled
	Add music files to Media Library when played	Enabled
	Include files from removable media and network shares	Disabled
	Prompt me to back up my licences	Enabled
	Connect to the internet (overrides other comands)	Disabled	We want to maintain control over the connection process, so don't use this option.
Copy Music			If you have a large music collection, you may want to change the location of "My Music" to outside "My Documents" so as to keep the amount of files you backup on a regular basis small. The music collection won't change much, so just periodically burn new music to mp3 data CDs as a backup. Having said all this, I use MusicMatch Jukebox to create mp3s, as I don't use WMA files.
	File Name	Select and make the file of the format "Artist - nn - Track Name" with the separator a "- (Dash)".	This allows you to copy tracks from various artists into a single directory if necessary and still have unique filenames.
	Copy protect music	Disabled
	Copy CD when inserted	Disabled	As mentioned above, I don't use Windows Media Player to copy CDs to mp3.
	Eject CD when copying is completed	Enabled	This is a good visual and auditory cue that the process has finished.
Devices		Select each of the devices in turn and select Properties to make sure they are set for Digital Playback and Copy.
Performance	Detect connection speed (recommeded)	Enabled
	Use default buffering (recommended)	Enabled
	Video Acceleration	Full
Media Library	Automatically add purchased music to my library	Enabled
	Delete item from your computer when deleted from Media Library	Disabled
	Update my music files (WMA and MP3 files) by retrieving missing media information from the Internet	Disabled	The information can't be guaranteed to be correct, nor in the correct language, so this option isn't much use. You should really use an application that will download the information for you when you record the mp3.
Privacy	Retrieve media information for CDs and DVDs from the Internet	Enabled
	Update my music files (WMA and MP3 files) by retrieving missing media information from the Internet	Disabled	Weren't we just asked this on the Media Library page?
	Acquire licences automatically for protected content	Enabled
	Send unique Player ID to content providers	Disabled	Shudder, need I say more.
	I want to help make Microsoft software and services even better by sending Player usage data to Microsoft	Disabled
	Save file and URL history in the player	Disabled

Usage

TODO

WinAmp

Download

http://www.winamp.com

Settings

Right click on the main window title bar and enable "Playlist Editor".

Usage

In the Playlist Editor, click on the "Add" button to add files or whole directories to the play list.
Play an item in the playlist by double clicking on it.
The normal music player buttons in the main view can be used to jump between songs.
A useful thing is the Sort button, which allows you to "Sort by path filename". As the mp3 filenames have the track number in them, it will sort the list into the order in which they appear on the CD.

Firewalls

ZoneAlarm

Download

http://www.zonealarm.com

Settings

Visit http://www.dslwebserver.com/main/sbs-zonealarm-configure.html for information on how to configure this firewall.
Visit http://www.zonealarmpro.bravehost.com/prexamp.htm for recommended program control settings.
On the "Firewall > Main" tab:
- Set "Internet Zone Security" to "High".
- Set "Trusted Zone Security" to "Medium".
- Click on the "Advanced" button and make sure only the following items are ticked:
  - Allow Outgoing DNS/DHCP in Trusted Zone on High Setting
  - Allow Outgoing DNS/DHCP in Internet Zone on High Setting
  - Lock host file (prevents spoofing of website by malicious modification of the hosts file in C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\etc)
On the "Firewall > Zones" tab:
- Set your modem, or the network ethernet card directly connected to the modem, to the "Internet" zone.
- If you connect via a router with built-in firewall, then set the network adapter to the "Trusted" zone, the router's firewall will prevent attacks from the internet and you will also be able to share files with computers in your local network.
- Add the IP address(es) of your DNS server(s) in the "Trusted" zone, as some programs will do a DNS lookup even if they don't access the internet. There are usually two IP addresses and you can determine what they are by opening a Command Prompt ("Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt") and typing the command "ipconfig /all" (in Windows 2000/XP) or "winipcfg" (in Windows 9x/ME).
- Add the loopback address "127.0.0.1" (also known as "localhost", which is how programs refer to the computer they are running on) in the "Trusted" zone, as some services like VNC use it to check they are running correctly and won't work otherwise.

On the "Program Control" tab, I use the following settings, which work for me:

Program	Access		Server
Program	Trusted	Internet	Trusted	Internet
Generic Host for Win32 Services	Allow	Allow	Allow (DNS lookup, which is why we set the DNS servers as Trusted.)	Block
Services and Controller App	Allow	Allow	Allow (DNS lookup, which is why we set the DNS servers as Trusted.)	Block
Spooler SubSystem App	Allow	Allow	Allow, if you want to share your printer, otherwise Deny.	Block

Usage

Some general guidelines are:
- Only give Internet "Access" to programs that you would expect to use the internet:
  - email clients (e.g. Outlook Express)
  - anti-virus update (e.g. Norton Live Update)
  - firewall update (e.g. ZoneAlarm)
  - web browsers (e.g. Internet Explorer)
  - applications that check for service packs (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, etc).
  - multimedia players (e.g. Quicktime, RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, WinAmp).
  - online document viewers (e.g. Acrobat Reader).
- Only give "Act as Server" access to programs that need to wait around for connections like:
  - mRouter - waits for a connection with a Nokia mobile phone.
  - Microsoft Messenger - waits for another user to initiate an instant message session.
  - web servers (e.g. Internet Information Server, Apache).
If you click the wrong button by mistake, you can manually change the setting by double clicking on in the ZA icon in the System Tray (bottom right of the screen near the date), clicking on the "Program Control" tab on the left and clicking on the "Programs" page at the top right. A list of programs will appear where you can click in the individual blocks beneath "Access" and "Server" against each of the programs listed and select from one of the following:
- Allow
- Block
- Ask - set it to this if you previously blocked the item so a popup window will appear with more information to help you make a better decision.

Contact Management

Microsoft Outlook

Word Processing

Microsoft Word

Settings

Select the "Tools > Customize" menu.
- Options page
  - Disable "Menus show recently used commands first", as it is confusing if menus start moving around.
  - Enable "Show shortcut keys in ScreenTips".
Select "Tools > Options" menu.
- "General" page
  - Set "Recently used file list" to "9" entries.
Select the "Tools > Autocorrect" menu.
- "AutoCorrect" page
  - Disable "Capitalize first letter of sentences", as this can cause all sorts of problems with text changins as you just move around a document.
  - Disable "Correct accidental usage of cAPS LOCK key"
- "AutoFormat as you type" page
  - Disable "'Straight quotes' with 'smart quotes'", which is especially annoying when converting to a text file afterwards.

Usage

TODO insert links to courses.

Spreadsheet

Microsoft Excel

Settings

Select the "Tools > Options > General" menu item.
- "General" page.
  - Set the "Recently used files list" to "9" entries.

Usage

TODO insert links to courses

RealPlayer

Download

http://www.realplayer.com
Click on the "Free Player" link.
Click on the "Free Download" link.
Select "No" when you are asked if you want to install and run the realplayer installer, as you want to be able to download the whole thing first then run it locally.
Right click on "RESTART DOWNLOAD" and select "Save Target As...".
Navigate to a folder where you normally save the downloads and select "Save".
Wait for the download to finish and proceed to the installation.

Installation

RealPlayer 8
- Unfortunately, RealJukebox and RealDownload are installed with the default installation, so they have to be uninstalled after the installation.
- First unnamed page.
  - Disable "Add a desktop shortcut for RealJukebox".
  - Disable "Add a desktop shortcut for Real.com Guide".
  - Disable "Add RealJukebox icon to Windows Quick Launch Toolbar".
  - Disable "Add a link to Real.com to my browser".
  - Disable "Add an icon to the top of Windows Start menu".
  - Disable "Add Real.com bar to Microsoft internet Explorer 5.0"
  - Disable "Add a desktop shortcut for AOL".
    - Sigh. Why do they insist on forcing themselves on people.
  - Select "Next".
- Second unnamed page.
  - Set "Browser default home page" to "Keep my current home page".
  - Select "Continue".
- Third unnamed page.
  - Disable "Enable RealDownload as your default internet download manager".
  - Disable "Enable RealNetworks to send relevant information"
  - Disable "Create RealDownload shortcut on desktop".
  - Disable "Enable RealDownload to run in Windows system tray".
  - Select "Next".
- "Personalize your RealPlayer" page.
  - Enter your "Email address".
  - Select your "Country".
  - Select "Send Electronic Registration".
  - Disable "E-mail me about product news, updates, and offers".
  - Select "Next".
  - "Connection speed" page
    - Select the connection speed that matches your setup.
    - Select "Next".
  - Unnamed page.
    - Disable "Make RealPlayer the default media player for supported media types", Windows Media Player supports them all anyway.
    - Enable "Always play RealNetworks' media clips with RealPlayer".
    - Select "Next".
- "Channel Line-up" page
  - Disable all of the channels, as they are unnecessary.
  - Select "Next".
- "Real.com News and Entertainment Flashes" page
  - Disable all the items in the list. They have been very clever here and made the list long enough so the items they have enabled are not visible unless you scroll to the end.
  - Select "Next".
- "Real.com Product Flashes" page.
  - Disable all items in the list.
  - Select "Next".
- "Internet Settings" page.
  - Disable all the items in the list, as they are unnecessary (paranoide, yes).
  - Select "Next".
- Select "Finish"
RealPlayer 10
- Licence Agreement page:
  - Select "Accept".
- Shortcuts page:
  - Disable "Add an icon to Windows(R) Quick Launch Toolbar".
  - Disable "Add a link to Free Games & Music to the Desktop.".
  - Select "Next".
- Default Media Player page:
  - Select "Advanced" and place a tick next to all the media that you want RealPlayer to support. If Windows Media Player, or another application that you want to use instead, is currently assigned to it, then remote the tick, unless you want to use RealPlayer instead.
  - Select "Finish".
- Google Toolbar page.
  - I don't bother with things like this, as it slows down the web browser and uniquely identifiable information can be sent to Google, which according to their terms of use, can be made available to third parties for legal or security reasons.
  - Select "Do not include the Google Toolbar".
  - Select "Continue".
- Product Registration page:
  - This step is optional, so you can either:
    - Register with them:
      - Enter your details.
      - Disable "Contact me about news, upgrades and offers." as there shouldn't be anything you need from them.
      - Deselect all "Desktop Messages" options.
      - Select "Create".
    - Just use RealPlayer:
      - Select "Cancel".
Settings
- Select "Tools > Preferences":
  - "General" page.
    - Disable "Play a clip when RealPlayer starts up".
    - Select the "Settings" buttun in StartCenter.
      - Disable "Enable StartCenter".
        
        This is yet another unnecessary option, as we don't want to upgrade due to quality problem of RealOne player.
  - "Connection" page
    - Connect ot the internet and select "Test Configuration".
    - Select "Perform Test".
    - If the speed it detects is correct for your network connection, then select "Update" otherwise "Cancel" and select the most appropriate from the list.
    - Select "Next".
  - "CD > CD Burner" page:
    - Set the "Play CD Method" to "Digital".
  - "Connection > Internet / Privacy" page:
    - Disable "Send connection-quality data to RealServers. (To aid content providers.)", as they should not need that information.
    - Disable "Send configuration info when connecting to Technical Support.".
    - Disable "Enable RealPlayer Cookies.".
    - Set your Country/Region correctly.
  - "Automatic Services" page:
    - I don't use the Message Center, as I don't subscribe to any of the RealPlayer notifications, so this option can be disabled.
    - Disable "Check for new messages".
    - Select "OK".
    - Select "Yes" on the warning page that appears.
  - "Automatic Services > AutoUpdate" page:
    - Disable "Automatically download and install important updates", as they can be quite intrusive and if everything is working, why change it. If there is a problem, you can always check for an update manually through the "Tools > Check for Update" menu item.
- The whole interface can be simplified by selecting the "View > Compact" menu item.
- Disable the RealPlayer StartCentre functionality, as it is unnecessary and takes up internet bandwidth:
  - Right click on the StartCenter icon in the system tray (near the clock) and select "Disable StartCenter".
- Uninstall RealJukebox, as Windows Media Player is good enough:
  - Select "Start > Programs > Real > RealJukebox > RealJukebox Uninstaller".
- Uninstall "RealDownload":
  - Select "Start > Programs > Real > RealDownload > Uninstall RealDownload".
Usage
- There isn't an awful lot you have to know about this, as the player will automatically run when you open a RealMedia file by clicking on a hyperlink to one or opening it in Windows Explorer.

Quicktime

Apple Quicktime

Download

http://www.quicktime.com

Settings

Select the "Edit > Preferences > Player Preferences" menu item.
- Enable "Automatically play movies when opened", otherwise each time you run the application, it will require an extra step of pressing play.
Select the "Edit > Preferences > Quicktime Preferences" menu item.
- "Browser Plug-in" page.
  - Disable "QuickTime system tray icon", as it is unnecessary.
- "Streaming Transport" page
  - If you are behind a firewall, you may have to use HTTP, but connect to the internet and click on "Auto Configure".

Usage

There isn't an awful lot you have to know about this, as the player will automatically run when you open a Quicktime movie by clicking on a hyperlink to one or opening it in Windows Explorer.

Searching

Copernic Agent Basic

Download

http://www.copernic.com

Settings

Use as many search engines as possible:
- Click on the "engines enabled" hyperlink next to Category in the Quick Search bar
- Enable all the Search Engines.
- Increase the "Maximum results per search engine" to "30".
- Click on the "Apply for all categories" hyperlink.

Select the "Tools > Options" menu item and set the following items in the "Integration" section:

Page	Field	Value / State	Explanation
Default Browser	Always open in new window	Enabled	This is important, otherwise any time you double click on a result to go to its web site, it uses the same browser windows, which is a quick way to lose track of what sites you think are important.
Default Browser	Use saved pages when opening results	Enabled	This allows you to work offline.
Internet Explorer	It is useful to have this integrated with Internet Explorer so all your searches are saved in Copernic.
	Add shortcut to browser toolbar and Tools menu	Enabled
	Add search feature to browser right-click-menu	Enabled
	Replace the browser Search Bar	Enabled
	Add the Copernic Agent Toolbar	Enabled
	Use the Copernic Agent Results bar	Enabled
Microsoft Office	I don't bother with integrating Copernic into office applications, untick all items in this section.
	Add Copernic Shortcut to Quick Launch toolbar	Enabled
	Add Copernic Shortcut to Windows desktop	Enabled
	Add search extensions to start menu	Enabled

Usage

Create a new search and away you go.

Image Viewing and Slide Shows

IrfanView

Download

http://www.irfanview.com
Make sure you also download the plugins.

Installation

Install the program.
Install the plugins by opening the ZIP file and extracting to the folder you installed Irfanview to.

Settings

Run Irfanview.
Select the "Options > Properties" menu item.
- "Video/Sound" page.
  - Enable "Use QuickTime-PlugIn for MOV files".
  - Enable "Use QuickTime PlugIn for QTIF, Mac PICT and FLI/FLC files".

Usage

It is self explanatory really, but the help files are good.

Here is a quick-start guide for viewing media in directories:

Run Irfanview and invoke "Irfanview Thumbnails" by pressing "T" or selecting the "File > Thumbnails" menu item.
Maximise the "IrfanView Thumbnails" and click on the directory you want to view. If the directory tree isn't visible, then select the "View > Directory tree" menu item.
Select the "Options > Set thumbnail options" to set the size of the thumbnails, etc....
Double-click on a thumbnail to open it.

Use the following keys to operate the window:

Key	Action
Enter	Toggle between displaying the image full screen or in a window.
Spacebar	Display the next media in the current folder.
Backspace	Display the previous media in the current folder.
I	Display information about the current item. The "EXIF info" button gives you more information about the photograph such as actual date taken.
Alt+Tab	Switch back to the IrfanView Thumbnails
Esc	Close the current media or the IrfanView main window.

You can perform operations on multiple photographs using "File > Batch Conversion/Rename".
Perform a lossless transformation by right clicking the image and selecting "JPG Lossless transformations".

Adobe PDF File Reader

Adobe Acrobat

Download

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/

Installation.

Just run the installation program.

Usage

You shouldn't need to do anything else, as it will be run automatically when you try to view a PDF file.

Information Manager

Vault

Download

http://www.personalmicrocosms.com

Installation

Extract the files to "c:\vault".
Create a shortcut to "c:\vault\vault.exe" on the desktop.

Settings

Select the "Options > Settings" menu item and set the following items:

Page	Field	Value / State	Explanation
Startup File	Load most recently opened file on start-up	Enable
Saving	Automatically save document every	Disabled	This is a dangerous option to enable, as there is no undo functionality, so you lose the ability to undo a change if it saved since you made the change.
Saving	Before saving a file, save the old file as <FILENAME>.BAK	Enabled	This is a very useful option to restore the last version when a dodgy network connection renders the original file empty or you make a change that you want to undo after you saved.
Appearance	Remember outline arrangement	Enabled
	Remember window size and position	Enabled
	Splitter bar orientation	Vertical
	Draw book and page graphics on outline	Enabled
	Draw nesting lines on outline	Enabled
	Display Toolbar	Enabled
	Display Status Bar	Enabled
Passwords	Only require a password to be entered the first time a given Vault document is accessed after Vault is launched	Enabled
Misc	Number outline items in printouts, e-mails and exports.	Enabled
Misc	Display up to	16 previously opened items in the File menu MRU list

Usage

Double click on the shortcut and start adding some folders and information.
Go on, register this, you know it is really useful

Multi-purpose Editor

JEdit

Download from http://www.jedit.com.
If necessary, install the Java2 Runtime.

Internet Radio

Radio@Netscape Plus (previously known as Spinner)

Download

http://radio.netscape.com.

Installation

Run the "nsradioplus.exe" and follow the instructions.

Settings

Click on "Preferences" and make sure the following are set:

Page	Field	Value / State	Explanation
General	Auto-start	Disabled	Enable this if you want the player to start when Windows starts up.
	Auto-play	Enabled	Enabled will cause the player to start playing the first station in your favourites as soon as the player is launched.
	Always on top	Disabled	The player takes up too much space to always be on top of everything else. The minimised view is always on top anyway.
	Screen tips on.	Enabled	Displays descriptions of fields when the mouse is held over them.
Proxy	Use HTTP Proxy	Disabled	Enable this if you use a proxy.
	Use Real Player Proxy	Disabled
	Use TCP to connect to server.	Enabled	This is the best quality method of connecting, so use it if possible. You might have to use HTTP if your proxy doesn't allow this method.
	Attempt to use UDP	Enabled	This can be lower quality than TCP, as it doesn't bother about lost packets.
	Attempt to use TCP	Enabled	This method is better quality, as any lost packets will be re-requested.
Connection	Connection speed	Set this to a value that matches your connection. You might be able to get away with setting it to one value higher, but set it back if the sound breaks up.
Connection	Buffer at least	15 seconds	Increase this value if the sound breaks up.
Performance	Playback performance	Best quality (recommended)	This is the default and I have had no cause to change it.
Performance	Disable 16-bit sound (use 8-bit only)	Disabled	Only tick this option if you have problems with playback on older sound cards.

Usage

Run the player.
Try a few stations by clicking on the station name in the "Stations" list.
Add the stations you like to the "My Stations" list:
- Click on "Edit" next to "My Stations".
- Select the stations you want to add in the "All Stations" list and select "Add" to move it to the "My Stations" list.
- Change the order of the "My Stations" list using the "Up" and "Down" buttons.
- Move the station you like most to the top of the "My Stations" list.
- Select "OK".
Select "View My Stations" to see who is currently playing on all of the stations in your "My Stations" list.
Select "Back to Station Menu" to return to the full list of stations.
Enjoy!

Mind Mapping

FreeMind

Download

http://freemind.sourceforge.net

Installation

Open the ZIP file and extract to "c:\Program Files\FreeMind".
Create a shortcut on the desktop:
- Run Windows Explorer.
- Browse to "c:\Program Files\FreeMind".
- Right click on "Freemind.exe" and select "Send to > Desktop (create shortcut)".
Rename the Desktop shortcut to "FreeMind".

Settings

Select "Edit > Preferences > Antialias edges".
Select "Edit > Preferences > HTML Export - No folding".

Usage

The mouse can be used in the following way:

Action	Explanation
Click to the left of the node.	Collapse or expand the node or execute the hyperlink if it has one.
Click, drag and drop on a node when the selection is above the node.	Move the node to above the node being dropped on as a sibling.
Click, drag and drop on a node when the selection is the the right of the node.	Move the node to be the last child of the node being dropped on.

Keyboard shortcuts are shown next to menu items, so browse the main menus, especially the Edit menu.

The keyboard is used as follows in version 0.7.0 onwards:

Key	Explanation
Ctrl+N	Create a new mindmap.
Enter	Add a node below the currently selected node.
Esc	Go to the top of the tree (the parent of all other nodes).
F2	Edit the currently selected node.
Space	Collapse or expand the currently selected node.
Ctrl+K	Create or edit a hyperlink on the currently selected node.
Ctrl+UpArrow	Move the currently selected node in above the node currently above it.
Ctrl+DownArrow	Move the currently selected node below the node currently below it.

The keyboard is used as follows in versions prior to 0.7.0:

Key	Explanation
Ctrl+N	Add a sub-brach to the currently selected node.
Esc	Go to the top of the tree (the parent of all other nodes).
Enter	Edit the currently selected node.
Ctrl+Enter	Collapse or expand the currently selected node.
Alt+Enter	Create or edit a hyperlink on the currently selected node.
Ctrl+UpArrow	Move the currently selected node in above the node currently above it.
Ctrl+DownArrow	Move the currently selected node below the node currently below it.

MindManager

Download

http://www.mindjet.com

Settings

The settings aren't available until you create a mindmap, so select the "File > New" menu item

Select the "Format > Mind Map" menu item and set the following items:

Page	Field	Value / State	Explanation
Layout	Thin Branch Lines	Enabled
Layout	Contract Map	Enabled	The map is far more readable this way, otherwise all siblings end up the same length with wasted space.
Print Format	No Border	Enabled

Usage

The online help is very good, so read through that.
Basically, use "Ins" to create a new branch and just start typing to edit an existing branch. Move branches around by dragging and dropping them with the mouse.

DVD Playback

VideoLAN

Download

http://www.videolan.org/vlc

Settings

TODO

Usage

Usage

PowerDVD

Settings

Right click on the image and select "Configuration".

Set the following options:

Page	Field	Value / State	Explanation
General	Drive	Select the fastest DVD drive in your system..
	DVD Auto-Resume Setting	Prompt user before playback resumes.	This will give the user the option of starting the DVD from the beginning or from the last place they stopped when the DVD is next inserted.
	Play automatically upon inserting disc	Enabled
	Show warning messages	Enabled
	Show icon in system tray when minimized	Disabled
	Run PowerDVD automatically at Windows Starts	Disabled	There is no need to use up memory unnecessarily.
	Show tooltips	Enabled
Video	Hardware Acceleration	Enabled
	Screen Control	Run full screen
	Screen is always on top	Enabled	This is important if you have any other windows that might be set to be on top like AOL's Companion.
	Screen Control: Keep aspect ratio	Enabled	This setting can result in a small image on screen, so you might want to disable it when the DVD starts playback by right clicking on the image and disabling "Keep Aspect Ratio".
	Advanced	Select this button and enter the following settings: Set "Video Mode" to "Auto-select" Set "4:3 Pan&Scan Movies" to "Don't change resolution" All resolutions (800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864) are 4:3, so you shouldn't have to change here unless you are running 1280x1024, which is 5:4. Set "16:9 Widescreen Movies" to "Don't change resolution". No monitor resolution matches 16:9, so there is no point in changing. The only possible reason is if you get a faster display in a different resolution from the one you normally work in.
Audio	Sound Setting	If you only have two speakers, then Enable "Dolby Surround Compatible Downmix or Stereo", as the A3D/DirectSound3D doesn't seem to give enough dynamic range.
Audio	Advanced	Select this button and set the following: Miscellaneous Enable "Noisy Environment: experience boosted sound. Strongly recommended for notebook/laptop users." This even seems necessary when played through a Technics Hi-Fi with loudness set to on in an environment with a quiet computer power supply and CPU fan going. Any of the other settings seems too quiet.

DVD Writing

B'Recorder Gold 5 v5.32

http://www.bhacorp.com
Creates music, photo, video, data and backup CDs and DVDs.
It can also record to mp3 from:
- CD
- line-in

B's CLiP v5.32

Settings

Right click on icon in system tray and select "Properties".
Enable "Safe Mode (Compare after writing onto RW disc)".

Usage

Create a UDF CD-RW/DVD-RW by right clicking on the B's Clip icon and selecting format.
Drag and drop as normal.

neoDVD v5.0

http://www.mediostream.com/neodvd

DVD-RAM driver

Download Manager

FlashGet

Download

TODO

Settings

Select "Tools > Options" menu
Unselect "View > Drop Zone" menu.

Usage

TODO

Video Conferencing

NetMeeting

You want to do all these things on a local or private network.
Either party dooesn't have Windows XP.
You don't have access to the internet.
You don't want to have to set up a HoTMaiL account.
You want to connect to someone locally or on the internet by IP address.

Installation

Windows 2000
- Netmeeting 3 is included with Windows 2000 in the "Start > Programs > Accessories > Communications > NetMeeting" menu item.
- The latest version of netmeeting can be downloaded from .http://microsoft.com/windows/netmeeting.
Windows XP
- Unfortunately, in Windows XP, the Netmeeting icon disappears after you install MSN/Windows Messenger. The only way to run it is to right click on an online contact in Messenger and select "Start a Video Conference". To make matters worse, the video conference can only go ahead if both parties are on Windows XP, so we really need a way of using NetMeeting outside of MSN Messenger.
- Run the application by browsing to "c:\Program Files\NetMeeting" and double click on "conf.exe". The first time this is run, the configuration will give you the option of creating shortcuts to NetMeeting on the Desktop and Quick Launch Bar. This process is described in settings section below.

Settings

When you run the application for the first time, the Audio Tuning Wizard will run asking for various information. You can also run this wizard by selecting the "Tools > Audio Tuning Wizard..." menu item.
- For privacy reasons on the first page, I only enter:
  - "First name"
  - "Last name"
  - "E-mail address"
- Select "Next".
- Disable "Log on to a directory server when NetMeeting starts", as this is a historical option that no longer works.
- Select "Next".
- Select the speed of your network connection from the list.
- Select "Next".
- Enable "Put a shortcut to NetMeeting on my desktop.". This is especially important on Windows XP due to the removal of the NetMeeting shortcut on the Start menu by some installation programs.
- Enable "Put a shortcut to NetMeeting on my Quick Launch bar.".
- Select "Next".
- Select "Next".
- If you have a modem, you may have more than one option for recording and playback, so make sure you set the Recording and Playback options to those of your sound card. For example:
  - Set "Recording" to "VIA Audio (WAVE)".
  - Set "Playback" to "VIA Audio (WAVE)".
- Select "Next".
- Follow the instructions to test and adjust the audio volume.
- Select "Next".
- Follow the instructions to check the Record Volume.
- Select "Next".
- Select "Next" or "Finish".

Select the "Tools > Options" menu item and set the following items:

Page	Field	Value / State	Explanation
General	First name Last name E-mail address	As before, for security reasons, only enter these items.
	Do not list my name in the directory"	Enabled	This isn't necessarily a problem, as we aren't logging on to a directory.
	Log on to a directory server when NetMeeting starts	Disabled	This is a historical option that no longer works, as the Microsoft Internet Directory has been decommissioned since Windows Messenger was released.
	Run NetMeeting icon on the taskbar	Disabled	It is only necessary to enable this if you want to automatically respond to NetMeeting requests from others, but it takes up valuable memory and resources. I just disable it and run NetMeeting manually.
	Show NetMeeting icon on the taskbar	Enabled	This is a quick way of accessing further options like Desktop sharing and is only shown when NetMeeting is running.
	Bandwidth Settings	Select this button and set your internet connection speed.
	Advanced Calling		There is no need to set anything here unless you use gateways.
Security		I don't bother setting anything here.
Audio	Enable full-duplex audio so I can speak while receiving audio	Enabled	Disabled would set this back a few decades to the days of walkie-talkies.
	Enable auto-gain control	Enabled	Microphone volume is automatically adjusted to compensate for your voice and background noise, thereby making it sound like you are speaking at a constant volume.
	Automatically adjust microphone volume while in a call	Enabled	This is like auto-gain control, but works on all sound cards.
	Adjust silence detection automatically (recommended)	Enabled	Speeds up the connection by not transmitting silence.
Video	Automatically send video at the start of each call	Disabled	It is more private if we control when to send video.
	Automatically receive video at the start of each call	Enabled
	Send image size	If the connection is too slow, consider reducing the image size.
	Video quality	If the connection is too slow, consider setting the Video quality. Generally something in the middle is best.
	The video capture device I want to use is	If present, select the video capture device you want to use from the list.

Usage

You have to run NetMeeting to receive any requests from others, so you can either select to start NetMeeting when Windows starts or rely on another method to organise a time when you nee do run it.
You can type a machine name, URL or IP address in the list to start a connection.
TODO

top