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Desktop Improvements
Improve the appearance of your desktop. Open 'System
Properties', select the 'Advanced' tab and click on 'Settings' under
'Performance'. Check the box 'Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop'
and you'll be able to remove the coloured box behind the icon text label.
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Quicker Access to Internet Sites
There's no need to find the mouse pointer and click in the
'Address' bar to start using Internet Explorer. Instead all you need to do is
press 'F6' and the cursor will appear there immediately.
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Another Browser Beater
When browsing, enter just the name part of a web address,
for example ‘football365’. You can then press 'Ctrl', 'Enter' and the rest will
be added!
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Improve Streaming Video
If you find streamed video playback is jerky in Windows
Media Player you can smooth things out by changing a simple setting. Click on
‘Tools', 'Options', select 'Performance' and increase buffer time.
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Are you Multilingual? If not this will speed up your
computer.
Turn off 'Advanced Text Services' in the Control Panel and
free up some valuable memory. Go into 'Regional' and , 'Language Options',
select the 'Languages' tab, click on 'Details' and check 'Turn off advanced text
services'.
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Rename it Fast
Rename a file fast by clicking it once afd pressing 'F2' on
the KEYBOARD. Now enter a new name.
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Speedier Thumbnails.
You can cache the thumbnail images that are displayed in
'My Computer' and Windows Explorer and speed up display time. Click on Tools',
'Folder Options', then 'View', and uncheck 'Do not cache thumbnails'.
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Data Transfer Improvements
Go to Device Manager and right-click on 'Secondary IDE
Channel'. This controls your installed CD/DVD devices. If a DVD drive is
installed then make sure its transfer mode is set to 'DMA' if available'
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Quick Access to Your Profile Settings
Click ‘Start’, ‘Run’, type in a full stop and press ‘Enter’
for a quick way to see the contents of your user profile folder.
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Error Reporting
The error Reporting Service is used to send messages to
Microsoft when you have a problem with XP. You can safely disable this service
as well.
