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Software: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 - Tips and Tweaks, Licensing, Fixing Problems, OEM Software, How to Make Restorable Backups, System Images - Page 1

This section of this website is broadly devoted to computer software and deals with the operating system (mostly the various versions of Windows - XP, Vista, Windows 7) and all of the various types of software that the operating system runs - web browsers, large applications, single programs and tools/utilities (both provided by Windows and third-party utilities), freeware and shareware software and the difference between them, etc. The third page is devoted to the various types of backup and various methods of creating restorable backups. Because the range is so large, problems and solutions are provided in a separate section of this website consisting of four pages - Software problems: How to fix problems with Windows, programs, and utilities.

CONTENTS

This page - General useful information on software and Windows

Click here! to go to Page 2 - Devoted to Windows and software

Click here! to go to Page 3 - Devoted to creating restorable backups

A vital point to bear in mind is where you stand regarding your computer's software, of which the operating system is the most important, because nothing can run or work without it.

Software can be broken down into two broad categories - free and paid-for. Windows has to be paid for unless you use a pirated version, which is illegal and isn't worth the problems that it can cause, but all unsupported distributions of the Linux operating system are free to download and install. Many of them, such as Ubuntu can be used from the DVD (without being installed to the computer's hard disk drive) that is created by burning the downloaded ISO file to a recordable DVD disc.

Much of the software that a typical home user requires can be obtained free of charge, including viable alternatives to the Microsoft Office suite of office applications, the latest version of which is Office 2010, such as the excellent LibreOffice, which is a variant of OpenOffice that came about after Oracle purchased Sun, the developer of OpenOffice.

Free software is usually called freeware. Click here! to go to the CNET page of the 20 most popular free downloads for Windows systems. There is plenty of free software of all kinds available on the web. To find it, start with the word free and add its type (image viewers, system/registry cleaners, backup utilities, etc.) to create a search query that you enter in a web search engine.

Shareware is software that can be used for a limited trial period before being paid for. Some shareware continues working if not paid for and may or may not produce nag a message asking to be paid for, other shareware disables features or stops working if it is not paid for. All of the major web browsers (Internet Exlorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Chrome) are free. The following pages provide information on free and paid-for software and information on creating master images and backups.

The following article discusses free software. - http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/...

Operating system - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system

The following article goes through the evolution of the Windows operating system from Windows 1.0 to Windows 7, currently the latest, which, like Windows Vista, comes in several versions. In between the first and current versions are Windows 2.0, Windows 3.0, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Visual tour: 25 years of Windows -

"See how the world's most popular operating system has evolved over the last quarter century." - http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/...

Seven years ago there only used to be 32-bit software, there are now 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems and software. Windows XP Professional has a 64-bit version (not so Windows XP Home), and there are 64-bit versions of all of the versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 (the latest versions of Windows made available for the home user on 22 October 2009). Desktop and laptop computers that date back to 2006 should all have a processor that supports 64-bit software.

All of the many distributions of the free, open-source Linux operating system support 64-bit computing.

Note that almost all applications, programs and utilities that run under Windows XP will run properly in Windows 7, including MS Office 2000, but if software designed for Windows XP doesn't work on its own or by using Windows Compatibility Mode (available in Windows since Windows XP so that it could run Windows 95 and 98 software), you can buy a version of Windows 7 that provides Windows XP Mode (Windows XP itself running from within Windows 7). The Professional and Ultimate versions of Windows 7 provide Windows XP Mode. In Windows Vista, only Windows Compatibility Mode is available for that purpose.

Note also that most programs designed for the 32-bit version of Windows will work on the 64-bit version of Windows. Notable exceptions are many antivirus programs.

The long wait for 64-bit PC software continues -

"Even though 64-bit PCs have been available for seven years, the promise of 64-bit computing has been delayed by a dearth of 64-bit software." -

http://windowssecrets.com/comp/100128/

Microsoft Windows XP

Microsoft stopped selling Windows XP Home and Professional Editions after June 30, 2008, so no computers sold after that date can have those versions of Windows preinstalled. However, Mainstream Support and Extended Support will continue according to Microsoft's lifecycle timetable. It is still available for sale on auction sites such as eBay. I still use it, because it works beautifully on a computer with 1GB of RAM.

Microsoft Support Lifecycle - main page - http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=lifecycle

Microsoft Windows Vista

Microsoft's Windows Vista is the version of Windows that succeeded Windows XP that comes in several different types to suit different users. It has now itself been replaced by Windows 7. Click here! to go to the Windows Vista section of this website.

Windows 7

Windows 7 is the official name for the successors to the versions of Windows Vista.

You can use the Upgrade version to upgrade Windows Vista to a version of Windows 7, but if you intend to upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7, you need to know the information in the following article. It has to be clean installed. An in-place upgrade installation is not possible. Windows Anytime Upgrade can be used to upgrade from one version of Windows 7 to a higher version. E.g., from the Home Premium to the Utlimate version. This can be achieved because the Win7 installation DVD contains all of the versions. You just have to buy the Product Key required to change to a higher version and then you can use your existing installation disc to upgrade to it without destroying data or settings.

Windows Anytime Upgrade: frequently asked questions -

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/...

Click here! to go to the Windows 7 section of this website.

How To Upgrade To Windows 7 From Windows XP -

"An in-place operating system upgrade to Microsoft Windows 7 on a Windows XP system is impossible. Here's how to migrate your data and apps with the fewest hassles." -

http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/operatingsystems/...

Office suites/free desktop publishing software

Most PC users use an office suite. Therefore, they would like to have one preinstalled on a new PC. However, not many new PC s come with the most popular office suite, MS Office, preinstalled unless it is chosen as an optional extra that is paid for. It is done that way in order to keep the cost of PCs as low as possible as the best way of selling them.

If you need an office suite and don't want to pay for it, you can use the excellent OpenOffice suite from http://www.openoffice.org/ that has a wordprocessor, spreadsheet, database and presentational application, or LibreOffice, from http://www.libreoffice.org/, which provides the same office applications.

Ubuntu Linux has decided to replace OpenOffice with LibreOffice as its included office suite. A decision that probably has something to do with the Oracle takeover of Sun Microsystems, which owns OpenOffice. LibreOffice is based on the same source-code as OpenOffice, which is open-source, as the Linux operating system itself is, which means that any developer can develop it.

"LibreOffice is the free power-packed Open Source personal productivity suite for Windows, Macintosh and Linux, that gives you six feature-rich applications for all your document production and data processing needs: Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Math and Base." - http://www.libreoffice.org/

If you are a home user, Microsoft Office 2010, which contains Word (wordprocessor), Excel (spreadsheet), Powerpoint (presentational program) and OneNote (an application for organising notes and important information), is currently available from amazon.co.uk. Any home user or student can buy a copy and it comes with three licences, enabling it to be installed on three PCs. It requires product activation, so any PC you install it on should be online. If you are not online, you will have to phone Microsoft for an activation code. If the software is not activated, after 30 days it can only be used to go online for activation.

Microsoft Office 2010 review -

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/software/278656/microsoft-office-2010

Microsoft Office 2010 - http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/

Microsoft cuts prices for Office suite -

"Office 2010 will launch in June [2010] and be cheaper than Office 2007." -

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/microsoft/7256007/...

Microsoft Office 2010 prices: the good, the bad and the costly -

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/enterprise/355621/...

Here are two free desktop publishing applications:

Scribus Open Source Desktop Publishing - http://www.scribus.net/

Serif PagePlus -

http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/PagePlus/default.asp

To locate reviews of office suites or desktop publishing software, you can enter those words as search queries in a search engine.

Photo and video editing software

Adobe Photoshop Elements is probably the best general-purpose image editor currently available (March 2011). It doesn't provide the most features, but it does provide almost everything that most non-professional photographers require and is very much cheaper than Photoshop.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 review - Review Date: 8 Oct 2010 - Price when reviewed - £72.00 - Supplier: http://www.amazon.co.uk/ -

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/software/1280365/adobe-photoshop-elements-9

If you are interested in learning how to edit digital photos, the following article is a good place to start.

The art of digital photo editing -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/4954954.stm

Photo-editing masterclass -

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/general/220350/photo-editing-masterclass

To locate websites that provide free photo-editing software, enter free + photo + editing + software (as is) as the search query in a search engine.

Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10.0 review - Review Date: 11 Jun 2010 - Supplier: http://www.amazon.co.uk/ -

Priced at only £45.00 in March 2011, this is probably the best video-editing software for most home users. Certainly it's better than Premier Elements 9, which costs twice as much.

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/software/278989/...

Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 review - Review Date: 26 Apr 2010 - Price when reviewed: £752 - Price in March 2011 - £48.00 - Supplier: http://www.cancomuk.com/ -

"Premiere Pro is the most sophisticated video-editing software available for Windows PCs, but until now it had a big problem: preview performance. Editing HD video in Premiere Pro CS4 was slow and unwieldy, as the software struggled to play anything more than a single stream with minimal effects, even on a high-spec PC. Things are very different in Premiere Pro CS5." - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/software/277957/...

Parental control software

Parental control software allows parents to regulate how long their children spend on the web, blocks websites known to be harmful or unsuitable for children and allows parents to find out what their children have been viewing.

In September 2010, Expert Reviews gave the free Microsoft Family Safety parental-control software a four-star Budget Buy award. -

http://explore.live.com/windows-live-family-safety

In September 2010, Expert Reviews gave Net Nanny 6.5 from Contentwatch a five-star Best Buy award. A one-year licence costs £26/$40. - http://www.netnanny.com/.

Personal finance and accounting software

How to get Quicken personal accounts software in the UK

October 21, 2011. - Intuit, the developer of the excellent Quicken personal accounting software, quit the UK market several years ago. Microsoft has also discontinued the UK version of Money, so, now that the old UK versions won't work in Windows 7, that leaves the UK lacking in the best personal accounting software.

Fortunately, there is a solution - you can visit amazon.com, the US amazon site, and purchase the latest US version of Quicken Deluxe, which is easy to configure so that it uses the British pound as its currency. The Americanisms, such as using 'check' instead of 'cheque', aren't a problem.

This is the click path to follow in the program itself to achieve that - Edit => Preferences => Quicken Program => Calendar and Currencies. Tick the box described as Multicurrency Support, then click on Tools in the menu bar, select Currency List, select UK Pound Sterling in the list and click Home and OK. This makes the program use the pound as its currency.

When you register the program, remember to disable the registration prompt, because a US address is required. To do that, hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys, click on the Tools menu and select One Step Update. When setting up new accounts in the program, check the Advanced Setup at the top of the first box and select the 'manual entry' to avoid problems. The US version of Quicken won't be able to restore a backup of your previous Quicken data, so you'll have to set it up anew.

Quicken 2011 and other versions no longer launch

November 20, 2011. - Many Quicken users are reporting that it is no longer launching. Apparently there are plenty of users offering help on the web that is useless. Here is some advice that helps many users.

Right-click the Quicken icon and click Properties. Run as Administrator must be enabled on the General tab. Enable Run this program in compatibility mode on the Compatibility tab and then select Windows XP.

Apparently a necessary Quicken file - qwutilnet.dll - is being treated as a virus by some virus scanners. Checking your scanner's logs should reveal if this is the case. If necessary, restore that .dll by conducting a search for it on the web.

Web search query for more help: "Quicken launcher has stopped working".

Free Microsoft Accounting Express 2009

Microsoft's free Accounting Express 2009 is a 161MB download. Get it while you still can. You can use it for your personal or business finances.

Free Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2009 -

"With Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2009, the software behemoth from Seattle proves it's capable of producing high-quality, free software for the masses. Beneath the clean layout, big icons, and point-and-click interface sits a foundation of solid business features that can benefit almost any company." -

UK download - http://www.zdnet.co.uk/downloads/...

US download - http://download.cnet.com/Microsoft-Office-Accounting-Express/...

Quicken 2000

I use Quicken 2000 and it is excellent - VAT, multi currency, shares and good reports. The UK version of Quicken is no longer available, but Quicken 2000 works in Windows 7 and is available for next to nothing on ebay.co.uk. Quicken 98 has the Year 2000 bug, so don't get it. See the list here - http://shop.ebay.co.uk/... Note well that the existing UK versions of Quicken do not work in Windows 7. However, you can use the US version and configure it to use the UK pound as its currency. How to do that and how to avoid registering the program, which requires a US address, is dealt with at the top of this topic.

Internet/web browsers

An Internet or web browser is the software that is used to access the Internet. All of them have been free ever since Microsoft started providing its browser, Internet Explorer, free of charge many years ago. Before then, you had to pay for the only browser - Netscape Navigator, which has become incorporated into the free Mozilla Firefox browser.

There are many web browsers that can be used with a version of Windows XP/WindowsVista/Windows 7 or Linux or Apple OS X operating systems. Internet Explorer, now up to version 9.0 (IE 9), is provided as part of Windows. It is the most popular browser for that very reason, but there are others, such as Mozilla's Firefox, Opera, Google's Chrome and Apple's Safari, that are just as good or better.

Internet Explorer 9.0 doesn't run on Windows XP, so many users of that version of Windows are abandoning IE for the alternative web browsers instead of having to keep using the poor IE8, which can take up to 10 seconds to open a new tab. The latest versions of alternative web browsers - Firefox, Chrome and Opera - support Windows XP.

In Windows XP, it is not possible to get rid of IE. Removing it via Add or Remove Programs (in the Control Panel) merely Windows reverts to IE7 if you have IE8 installed and IE6 if you have IE7 installed. You should update to IE8 because it is required to run Windows Update and there are still many websites that only work using IE. If you try to access Windows Update by using another browser, this message comes up plus a download link for IE: "To use this site, you must be running Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or later."

You can install all of those browsers and use them all at once, but only one of them can be made the default browser that is used automatically when, for example, you click on a link in an email. each l of them will ask you to make it the default browser,but you can refuse to do so and keep the existing default browser or make a particular browser the default one via its internal settings options. Every version of windows allows the user to set the default programs. For example, in Windows XP you can set them by clicking Start (button) => Set Program Access and Defaults. In Windows Vista and Windows 7, enter the words Set your default programs in the Start => Search box to be provided with a clickable link that brings up a window with that title.

Mozilla Firefox 4.0 web browser is available for download

[Note that at the time of writing (August 2011), Firefox 6 was available. Mozilla is aiming to release a new version every 6 weeks now. Only the latest version contains any security updates, so the previous version is immediately not supported when a new version is made available. Therefore, all Firefox users should update as soon as a nes version is released.]

March 23, 2011. Mozilla has released Firefox 4.0. You can download it from http://www.mozilla.com/. Any kind of update for a web browser - a patch or a major version update - should be installed as soon as possible for security reasons. Before installing any software or updates, you should use System Restore in Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 to create a restore point so that you can restore the system files to their original state should any kind of problem(s) occur immediately after the installation. You can always uninstall whatever you installed should your computer experience problems.

A Preview Of Firefox 4 [Video] - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5YSlH4fokI

The official release of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) web browser is now available

March 15, 2010. - Internet Explorer 9 (IE9), the final-release version of Microsoft's web browser, has just become available. Unfortunately, it is only available for users of the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, but not for earlier versions of Windows such as Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows XP, which, in my opinion, is bad decision because Windows XP is still the most popular version of Windows by far and the other most popular web browsers - Mozilla's Firefox, Opera and Google's Chrome - still support it. The decision can only serve to drive users of Windows XP to those alternative browsers. All of the information that Microsoft has provided, including the downloads of the 32-bit and 64-bit versions, can be found at The Internet Explorer 9 TechCenter. The 64-bit version can only be used with the 64-bit versions of Windows, which can also use the 32-bit version. A qualifying 32-bit version of Windows can only use the 32-bit version. You can find out which bit-version of the versions of Windows that support IE9 is being used by a computer by entering the word system in the Search box and be provided with a clickable link to the System Properties window that can also be accessed via System in the Control Panel.

Test drive and download IE9 - http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/

Web Browser Grand Prix: The Top Five, Tested And Ranked -

"We've put Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla FireFox, and Opera through a gauntlet of speed tests and time trials to find out which Web browser is truly the fastest. How does your favorite land in our rankings?" Note that the tests don't include Internet Explorer 9, which was released on March 15, 2011. -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/firefox-chrome-opera,review-31826.html

Desktop and laptop/notebook PCs

Most of the available software is run on suitable desktop and laptop/notebook PCs.

Visit the Desktop PCs section of this site for information on how to buy, build, repair, fix, and protect the various types of desktop PCs.

Visit the Laptop/Notebook PCs section of this site for information on buying and protecting them, and fixing problems with them.

The Linux operating system

Click here! to go directly to the page on this site devoted to Linux if you're interested in the Linux operating system. Some interesting information is provided there, such as how to go about successfully installing Linux on a laptop computer.

The lifecycles of the different versions of Windows XP/Windows Vista

Microsoft provides all of the information on the lifecycle support of its products. Here are some relevant pages on its website:

Microsoft Support Lifecycle - main page - http://support.microsoft.com/?pr=lifecycle

Select a Product for Lifecycle Information - http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifeselect

Table showing support dates for the different versions of Windows XP -

http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?LN=en-us&x=23&y=16&C2=1173

Windows Vista was released in January 2007. Support of Vista with SP1 installed ends on 12 July 2011, so users that have not done so are advised to update to SP2. For other lifecycle information, visit this page: http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifeselectwin

The first Service Pack for Windows 7 (SP1) was made available in February 2011, so the all of versions of Windows 7 have several more years of mainstream support left.

OEM software

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. OEM hardware or software is supported by the business concern that uses it in the manufacturer of its own equipment instead of by its manufacturer.

For example, if a hard disk drive made by one manufacturer is used in a computer made by a PC manufacturer, the PC manufacturer is the OEM hardware manufacturer that provides the support for the drive, not its real manufacturer.

A useful piece of information to bear in mind with regard to the software that comes with a computer is this: does the software come with its creator's support, or is it an OEM version that is only supported by the computer's supplier - and even then usually only via premium-rate phone lines.

In other words, apart from the exception in which the purchaser is the OEM, if the software on your computer is OEM, you will have to contact the computer's vendor for support, often over premium telephone lines, or on lines that are so busy that you can be kept waiting hours before your problem is dealt with - and then usually by inadequately trained personnel that do not have the depth of knowledge that the software company's support staff will hopefully, but not necessarily, possess.

Indeed, it is often a better bet to subscribe to the computer newsgroups provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), register with computer forums, and visit pertinent websites for information than it is to rely on vendors and manufacturers to provide hardware and software support. This is where having a brand-name motherboard installed is invaluable, because all of the major motherboard manufacturers have an ALT newsgroup which has this address alt.comp.periphs.mainboard followed by its trade name. For example the MSI alt newsgroup is:

alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.msi-microstar

Moreover, most manufacturers of computer components, including motherboards, have FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) pages, which should be the first source of information to resort to if you are having problems with a particular component. Most of the most frequently experienced problems will usually be dealt with there. Over the course of time, the motherboard manufacturer's newsgroup will discuss everything that can go wrong with it, or with any expansion cards or devices that can be attached to it. Moreover, you can, of course, post messages to the newsgroup, which will almost certainly receive pertinent replies.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 OEM/FPP volume licensing

Note that Windows XP Home and Professional Editions are no longer available from retailers or installed on new desktop and laptop PCs.

The versions of Windows 7 are the latest versions of Windows, having superseded the versions of Windows Vista, OEM information about which is provided further down in this section of this article. Here is a relevant thread on a computer forum that deals with OEM licences for Windows 7:

Can I build my own Win7 PC with an OEM version? -

"I am confused! I have built my own PCs, for my own use, for 15 years. I want to build my own Windows 7 PC. I intended to buy an OEM version from one of the myriad of legitimate sellers, like NewEgg, or Tiger Direct, etc, along with the components. However, I just read that there is confusion in the licensing language and its interpretation, as to whether an end user may use an OEM version on his/her own computer." -

http://lounge.windowssecrets.com/index.php?showtopic=777417

Note also that, due to price drops, it is now a better option to buy the retail Upgrade versions of Windows 7, the replacement for the versions of Windows Vista, than it is to buy an OEM version of Windows 7. There is very little difference between the pricing of OEM and the Upgrade product, which can be installed on an empty hard disk drive (just like the full retail product that cannot be used to perform an in-place upgrade from, say, Windows Vista to Windows 7). This is against the licence agreement of the Upgrade product, is therefore illegal, but Microsoft has not designed the Upgrade product to prevent this from being done. Moreover, an OEM copy of Windows can only be used on the first computer that it is installed on, whereas a retail copy can be installed on multiple PCs provided that it is installedon only one at a time. So, if you change PCs you can stop using the old computer or remove Windows from it whe you sell it and install the retail copy on the new one. If you had an OEM copy, you would have to buy a new copy or a new licence from Microsoft.

Full Windows Vista operating system licences (US: licenses) for desktop PCs can be acquired only either preinstalled on a new PC by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), or as a retail product, which is also known as full packaged product (FPP).

Click here! to download a 52K MS Word document that covers Microsoft Volume Licensing - "Microsoft Operating System License Requirements: Initial Operating System, Transfer of License, and Reassignment of License".

Note that many software retailers that sell computer components are allowed to sell OEM versions of Windows Vista. The technical support is provided by the person or company that installs the software, so you will have to provide your own support for it.

If you purchase an OEM copy with hardware from a site such as eBay, e-mail the seller to make sure that it comes with a Product Key, because without one you will not be able to obtain a Windows Product Activation (WPA) key from Microsoft.

You can make use of a search engine to search for oem windows vista, which finds OEM versions of the full products of Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, and Business Editions.

Note that most versions of Windows Vista were still available new in August 2011 from online stores such as Amazon, Vista was replaced by the equivalent versions of Windows 7 in February 2009, so pretty soon the versions of Vista will only be available from online auction sites such as eBay. OEM versions of Windows 7 are available.

A version of Windows Vista that has a Product ID such as this one - 76588-OEM-0032903-02827 - is called an OEM copy that has been pre-installed by the computer's manufacturer. It can only be used on the same computer. If, say, a significant component, such as the motherboard, is changed, the PC cannot be used, because Microsoft's Product Activation deems that it is installed on a different computer. You would then have to buy a new licence for that computer.

However, it is known that some users have got around this limitation by calling Microsoft and reporting that their motherboards had died, so they had to replace them. It is Microsoft's policy to allow motherboard swaps in instances where a system is defective or has suffered a hardware failure. However, if you are really just an upgrader taking advantage of that policy, you shouldn't rely on it, because Microsoft may rule that you have to install the same make and model of motherboard so that none of the other components need to be upgraded. In that way, Microsoft can be reasonably sure that you have not just upgraded the computer.

Buying OEM versions of Windows Vista: the facts -

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070130-8730.html

Is OEM Windows Vista software legal? -

http://windows.about.com/od/buyupgrade/f/vista_oem.htm

What is a Certificate of Authenticity (COA)?

"A Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is a label that helps you identify genuine Microsoft software. Without it, you will not have a legal licence to run Microsoft software. A COA is not a software licence – it is a visual identifier that assists in determining whether or not the Microsoft software you are running is genuine. A COA should never be purchased by itself without the software it authenticates. To help you verify the authenticity of the Microsoft software you acquired, be sure that your software came with one of the following COAs (or a previous version) and that the COA includes the advanced anti-counterfeiting features described." - For more information on COAs, visit this webpage:

http://www.microsoft.com/howtotell/content.aspx?pg=coa

Optimising/optimizing PC performance

The web has many sites that provide PC optimisation information, or that provide or run optimisation programs from their websites. However, you may want to read the information on the following webpages before induging in any performance-tweaking yourself.

Windows tweaking and optimization: myths and reality -

http://www.edbott.com/weblog/2010/08/...

Tweaking Windows for performance [forum thread] -

http://lounge.windowssecrets.com/index.php?showtopic=777499

But if you want to try tweaking your computer for performance, you can make use of a search engine to locate system-tweaking websites. If you are running, say, Windows 7, you could use a search query such as: tweaking windows 7. Here are a few relevant websites that I found:

TweakWin7 [Windows 7] - http://www.tweakwin7.com/

Windows 7 tricks: 20 top tips and tweaks -

"Getting to know Windows 7? Here are 20 ways to get around the interface and make it act the way you want." - http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9140414/...

Here is an optimisation/optimization website with a good reputation:

PC Pitstop Optimize -

"Run our free Optimize scan and identify many common problems that plague most computers. Find out what it takes to get a better performing computer without the expense or difficulty of adding new hardware." -

http://www.pcpitstop.com/store/optimize.asp

How to edit the Windows Registry

Ever since Windows 95, Windows has used a database of entries called keys that configure the computer system that Windows is running on. The database is called the Windows Registry.

When a program is installed it enters information about itself in the Registry. However, when a program is uninstalled, via Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel, or by making use of its own uninstall feature, it can leave most of its entries in the Registry, which are then increasing its size for no useful purpose. Running a good Registry cleaner, such as RegSeeker or CCleaner (which has a Registry cleaner and a system cleaner) remove many redundant entries, thereby allowing Windows to access the valid entries more efficiently.

To find download sites for RegSeeker and other cleaners, you can enter the name, or a suitable search query (registry + cleaner + windows + 7) in a search engine.

In order to fix certain software problems, you may have to edit the Registry. To open the Registry Editor in all the versions of Windows since Windows 95, just enter regedit in the Start => Run box.

Before attempting to edit the Registry, in case you make a mistake that render Windows unbootable, you should create a restore point in System Restore (available in Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7) that can restore the main system files, including the Registry from Safe Mode, which is accessed by repeated pressing the F8 key at startup just before Windows starts to load.

How Can I Delete a Key and its Subkeys from the Registry? -

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/.../ScriptingGuy/default.aspx

How To Recover From a Corrupt Registry That Prevents Windows XP From Starting:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307545

How to back up, edit, and restore the Registry in Windows XP:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=322756

Software is supplied on CDs and DVDs

Note that software such as the operating system and office suites can be supplied on CDs and DVDs. Do not buy the DVD version if you do not have a DVD-ROM drive, because it will not install from an ordinary CD-ROM drive. But CDs will install from a DVD-ROM drive. This is because the track on the disk that the laser follows is much finer on a DVD disk than it is on a CD disk, so an ordinary CD-ROM drive's laser beam cannot follow the finer track. CD and DVD writers can read DVD-ROM disks.

The operating system

The most important software used by a computer is the operating system, without which the computer itself can't work, because the operating system runs all of the other software.

For ordinary home use, the operating system installed on a new PC should be Windows XP, (Home and Professional Editions), or one of the versions of Windows Vista or Windows 7 for home use installed. In spite of first being released in 2001, by October 2011, Windows XP was still being used on almost half of the world's computers.

Although the versions of Windows Vista suitable for home use were made available on January 30, 2007, Windows XP is set to receive mainstream support from Microsoft until April 2009 and update support until June 2014. Click here! to go to the section of this website devoted to the different versions of Windows Vista. Click here! to go to the section of this website devoted to Windows 7.

Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 have to be activated on the Internet or by telephone, otherwise they both cease to work after a notified period. If Windows XP or Windows Vista or Windows 7 produces a message saying that it requires to be activated, and you don't know how to go about it, to find out, open Start=> Help and Support and enter product activation in the Search box. In Windows 7, just enter the term in the Start => Search programs and files box to be provided with a link to that information. You can be provided with links to information about any feature or hardware (Device Manager, Disk Management, mouse, keyboard, etc.) that Windows 7 provides or runs by entering its name in that box.

Note that you will only have to activate Windows XP/Windows Vista/7 if you purchased and OEM or retail copy and installed it yourself. If you have purchased a brand-name PC with Windows pre-installed, it will already have been activated.

If you have to activate Windows XP/Vista/7 and the activation process fails to finish successfully because Microsoft's records show an irregularity to do with that particular licence number, you will be supplied with a telephone number of one of Microsoft's support personnel. You provide the Product ID number that you will have with the documentation that came with Windows, or which is on the installation CD/DVD, and in exchange you will be provided with a Windows Product Activation (WPA) key as a means of preventing Windows XP/Vista/7 from being loaded on to more than one PC. The idea is not to allow more than one Product Activation key to be issued per product unless a further license is purchased for each additional PC.

Visit How Microsoft Windows XP Product Activation (WPA) Works on this site for the latest information on WPA.

Note that you should be able to buy a brand-name computer (Dell, HP, Acer, etc.) without an operating system (usually Windows), or any software installed. Pre-installed software is not free; it increases the price of the computer, because the manufacturer has to pay license fees for it. Therefore, you should be able to obtain a brand-name computer at a reduced cost if it is supplied without an operating system or software.

You will probably have to buy a computer with or without any software, not just minus the operating system. This is because the manufacturer cannot load any software applications without an operating system being installed. You will therefore not be supplied with a recovery CD/DVD, which restores the whole system (Windows and the applications) to the state they were in when the computer left the factory), unless you have the whole package pre-installed. However, some brand-name computer manufacturers supply the software on CD/DVD disks, so, in this case, you will probably be able to negotiate a deal in which the computer comes supplied with only the software that you want to install.

Therefore, look hard with educated eyes at what is on offer before you buy. If your eyes are not educated read all of the information provided by websites such as this one before you start looking.

See the information on the Warranty page on this site for more information on how PC manufacturers are behaving or can behave with regard to warranties.

Access a database of definitions of Windows error messages

If you're sick of having Windows produce error messages that are as understandable as written Chinese to you, WinErrs is a free utility that accesses a meaningful database of 1554 Windows error messages:

http://www.sofotex.com/WinErrs-download_L3957.html

Visit the Diagnostics page on this site for MS Knowledge Base articles on Windows error messages.

And here are some sites that deal with Windows error messages:

Bootdisk.com - Look for the "Errors" heading on the Home page -

htt://www.bootdisk.com/

The Windows Support Center - http://aumha.org/kberrmsg.htm

And don't forget that you can usually find plenty of links pertinent to a particular error message by using the intelligible part of it as the search query (enclosed within double quotation marks) in a search engine.

Past posts on Windows error messages in Google Groups

Enclose the main body of the error message within double quotation marks and use it to conduct a Google Groups search. It would be quicker than searching through error-message sites, because the search engine will find all of the available references to that error message. If necessary, keep shortening the search phrase until you get links.

Enter the name of the newsgroup you want to search in the search box. Say, alt.windows98 or alt.os.windows-xp. (There are newsgroups listed for other versions of Windows on the Newsgroup page of this site.) In the next search box, enter your search phrase (or error message) within double quotation marks. You have the options to search that newsgroup only, search all newsgroups, or search the web.

Google's archived Usenet newsgroups:

http://www.google.com/grphp?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=

System Resources can be problematic in Windows 95 /98/98 SE/Me

Windows XP and Windows 2000 don't have problems with what are known as System Resources, but the Windows 9x versions of Windows, including Windows Me, can crash or require that the system is restarted if they reach too low a level.

A four-part series on System Resources in Windows 9x - what they are, why they are unrelated to the amount of RAM, how to manage them and prevent memory leaks, etc. - is available here:

http://content.techweb.com/winmag/columns/explorer/2000/14.htm

End User License: Only one copy of Windows per computer

According to the Windows End User License Agreement (EULA) that everyone agrees to before installing the operating system, a single computer can only have one copy installed. Moreover, if, say, the user used the upgrade version of Windows XP to upgrade the system from, say, Windows 98, the user won't be able to install Windows 98 in order to have a dual-boot system, because it's illegal, and in any case, Windows 98 will refuse to install.

This would not legally be the case if the user owns the full versions of Windows XP and Windows 98. Then the user would be entitled to install both versions. But if Windows 98 detects that another version of Windows is installed, it will refuse to install, because it wants to be the only operating system. However, if Windows 98 is already installed, a full version of Windows XP or Windows Vista can easily be installed, because it has the capacity to install itself as part of a multi-boot system, and it will even install a boot menu that allows the user to choose which version to boot with. A full version of Windows Vista can easily be installed on a separate partition of aPC running a version of Windows XP, simply by running the Vista installation DVD (requires a DVD drive). The Vista setup routine installs a boot manager that allows the user to choose which version to boot. Note that Vista is the default option that boots after a set number of seconds. Visit the Using Windows Vista section of this to find out how to set Windows XP as the default boot option.

It is still possible to add the full version of Windows 98 to a system already running Windows XP, but the user would have to implement the workaround of the kind provided on the site of MVP, Doug Knox.

Note the MS Office comes with a license that allows it to be used on one desktop and one laptop computer. If you are a student, or even the parent of students, you can buy Microsoft software with a student license at much-reduced prices.

Why programs and games designed to run on a Windows 95/98/Me system can often not run well, or not run at all on a Windows XP/Windows Vista system

Because Windows 95/98/Me and Windows XP systems have completely different architectures, some programs written for Windows 95/98/Me simply won't run at all or won't well under Windows XP, no matter what you do to rectify the situation.

However, there is a way of making such programs run properly under Windows XP - run the Program Compatibility Wizard.

I used it when MS Excel 97 and MS Word 97 wouldn't work. After running the wizard, they worked as they had done under Windows 98. I chose Windows 98 as the operating system to emulate.

To run the Program Compatibility Wizard in Windows XP, follow this path:

Start => All Programs => Accessories => Program Compatibility Wizard.

In Windows Vista, open the Program Compatibility Wizard by clicking Start => Control Panel => Programs => Use an older program with this version of Windows.

For information on using another method, visit this relevant Q&A on this site: How can I get an old program that requires 256 colours (US: colors) to work in Windows XP?

If you require more information on how to make Windows 95/98/Me programs and games run better under Windows XP, visit the following pages on the Microsoft site. The information there also applies to virtually any program that anyone might want to run under Windows XP.

Compatibility Resources and Information -

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/compatibility/default.asp

Using Program Compatibility Mode -

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/gethelp/appcompat.asp

64-bit Windows XP Professional Edition and the 64-bit versions of Windows Vista

Microsoft has made a 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional Edition available that must run on a 64-bit processor already made available by Intel and AMD. However, it can run 32-bit software because all 64-bit processors are able to run it. But the operating system itself is 64-bit and therefore requires a 64-bit processor.

Microsoft's WOW64 (Windows on Windows 64) translation layer allows the execution of 32-bit software in Windows x64 without any noticeable difference. However, 32-bit software should be run on plenty of RAM, because the 64-bit operating system addresses 64-bits of information at a time, but will only be able to address half of that (32 bits) when running 32-bit software, thereby using twice the amount of RAM that would be the case with a 32-bit version of Windows.

Microsoft tried to attract buyers to the new version by offering a free exchange programme. Owners of Windows XP Professional 32-bit edition could upgrade to the x64 version free of charge, but they had to forsake their 32-bit license (US: license) permanently. However, there weren't many takers who were willing to go for a pig-in-a-poke that didn't even provide 64-bit device drivers for their hardware.

Note that there is no 64-bit version of Windows XP Home Edition.

For more information on this subject read the information on the following pages:

Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition -

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/default.mspx

Top 10 benefits of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition -

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/facts/top10.mspx

64-bit SuSE Linux - http://www.novell.com/linux/suse

64-bit versions of Windows Vista

These are the 64-bit versions of Windows Vista: Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition.

64-bit Editions of Windows Vista -

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/.../windowsvista/editions/64bit.mspx

Microsoft has extended support for Windows XP Home and Media Center Editions

February 23, 2007. - Microsoft has extended its support for Windows XP Home and Windows XP Media Center Editions to match the support it has always intended to give Windows XP Professional Edition. Support for those two versions was supposed to end five years after their introduction, but Windows XP Home Edition was released in October 2001, and Windows Vista was only officially made available on January 30, 2007, so, although Microsoft had to extend its support for them, it has done so very generously.

Windows XP Home and Windows XP Media Center Editions are to receive free mainstream support until April 2009. Mainstream support includes feature requests, security updates, hotfixes, and support. After mainstream support ends, five years of extended support begins. Extended support provides free security updates and paid-for support. Official support for all three versions of Windows XP (including Windows XP Professional Edition) will end in 2014.

Windows tips and tricks

Click here! to go directly to the information on a page on this site that contains some useful tips and tricks specific to Windows. There are many more tips and tricks on the two Tips & Tricks pages on this site.

Free computer forums

Computer forums can be an excellent source of free troubleshooting, purchasing, or any other computer-related advice. Here is an example from the Sysopt.com forum. -

Windows XP system randomly reboots itself...

System: Dell Pentium 4 1.8 GHz, 256MB RAM, Windows XP. I got this PC for Xmas 2002 and the first time I fired it up it would make it to the Windows XP startup screen then it would reboot. I got it to boot after a few tries and got it up and running. It kept on doing it so I called Dell and we went through some troubleshooting and we narrowed it down to the CD-ROM drive. We set it to boot directly from the CD-ROM drive and that is when it would reset itself on booting. They sent me a new drive, installed it, ran fine while booting from then on. My problem now is it sometimes randomly reboots and usually if I leave it on overnight I'll wake up to the Windows login screen, which tells me it rebooted. The most I ever made it [being trouble-free] was about 1.5 days. I called Dell today and the guy told me to open msconfig [Start => Run - enter msconfig] and remove a few things from Startup and call him back if it still does it. This sucks because it is hard to reproduce the random reboot to try to diagnose what is causing it. Anyone have any thoughts or pointers for me? - Thanks in advance.

Response

I can't believe that they pay those Dell bozos. [Open] Control Panel => System => Advanced => Startup and Recovery. Uncheck Automatically restart and set memory dump to None. Hopefully, you'll get a blue screen with an error message next time [that might help you track down and cure the problem].

Click here! to go directly to computer forum links on the first of the four Links pages on this site.

How to recover, repair, and reinstall any version of Windows

Visit the Recovering Windows XP page on this site for information on how to protect, recover, or repair that version of Windows.

The best way to recover a Windows 98 system other than reinstalling it over itself is to start-up, press the F8 key to bring up the boot menu, select the command prompt option, and enter the command scanreg /restore to be offered the choice of the last five days worth of backups of the system files in Cab files. Use the first one that predates the problem. You can enter scanreg /opt to optimise the Windows Registry and scanreg /fix to repair the Registry.

You can also create a batch file that makes a backup of the system files that can be restored by running a command from full DOS mode. You should run it before making a change to the system, such as installing new software. Then you can return the system files to the state they were in just before you made the change.

Tutorials on how to repair or reinstall any version of Windows are available on the following excellent sites. -

Windows Support Center - http://www.aumha.org/

Windows Reinstall - http://www.windowsreinstall.com/

Visit http://www.bootdisk.com/ for many tutorials on the installation and reinstallation of Windows, software, and device drivers. The site provides the files for every kind of start-up disk, and there is also a good BIOS optimisation guide.

Recovering Windows XP - http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/RecoveringXP.htm

Duplicating Windows 95/98/98 Second Edition Installation to a New Hard Disk -

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310396

The differences between Windows XP Home and Professional editions

Here are a few of the differences between the two editions. -

Only the Windows XP Professional comes with the Remote Desktop feature, which allows the computer to be accessed remotely over the Internet. There are also security and control features, such as group policies, that are missing from the XP Home edition.

If you want all of the security tools available in a Windows environment, including file and folder encryption, extensive user restrictions (groups and policies), and file-level access control, then XP Pro is the choice to opt for.

If you want simplified security for multiple users on a single machine, XP Home is the best choice, since e it only has two choices for the user levels.

If you want support for multiple processors, or want to host a website from your computer (using Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS) or Personal Web Server software), or want to be able to access a computer remotely from the Internet (not just the remote support, which is built into XP Home so that XP Pro can access it remotely), you will need to opt for XP Pro.

As for working with home movies on DVD, there is no benefit to having XP Pro over XP Home for that usage. Spending the extra money you would pay for XP Pro on a larger, faster hard drive which will have a bigger impact on working with video.

Programs created mostly for home users, such as camcorder interfaces, DVD-burning programs, and basic video editing packages are more likely to be created for XP Home. There is also a larger library of support documentation for XP Home because of the larger number of users.

If you currently use older Windows-based systems in a small home network, and you want to introduce a newer Windows XP system to the network, XP Pro would probably work with them better than XP Home.

The administration of the users and the network configuration are probably the most complicated features in XP Pro, so if you don't need them, opt for the much cheaper XP Home edition.

If you read the information on the webpages listed below, you'll soon see why a professional individual or business with demanding and complex computing needs would be best advised to pay the extra money for the Professional edition. -

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.asp

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp

Backup strategies and how to make backups

Click here! to go to Page 3 of this article on the programs and methods used to create backups.

Using a USB cable to transfer files between two computers

It's possible to transfer files - or even a backup image of a whole system created by using programs such as Norton Ghost or Drive Image - via a USB cable that links computers together.

Visit http://www.windowsnetworking.com/.../usbmain.html for a full explanation.

System security

First of all, if you can possibly avoid doing so, never have a computer that contains valuable or strictly private information connected to the Internet, either as a stand-alone unit or as part of a network. Secondly, use Windows 2000 or XP with the NTFS file system installed, and enable data encryption on a folder-by-folder basis rather than global encryption of the whole system.

See the next item for information on data encryption.

Visit the Security section of this website for more security-related information and links to security sites.

Data encryption and compression

If your hard disk drive failed and had to be send back to the manufacturer, it could contain private information that could be recovered when the drive is repaired, returned to you, or resold. If your computer is accessed by a hacker, or stolen and accessed, your private information could fall into the hands of those you would least want it to. Therefore, if you have data you want to keep private, you should consider using data encryption to protect it.

You can use encryption to protect a whole hard disk drive, or just to protect a particular file or folder. It is up to you to decide which is the best option for your particular circumstances.

However, note that the NTFS file system that is native to Windows XP, makes you choose between encryption or compression. If you use NTFS for either one, you have to use a third-party utility for the other.

Click here! to read an article on the subject if you need to know how to use encryption, or which method of encryption to use.

And here are some other useful pages. -

The Encrypting File System (EFS); Windows 2000 and XP Pro -

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/howitworks/security/encrypt.asp

Only Windows XP Professional version supports encrypted files via the Encrypted File System (EFS).

To encrypt a folder/directory, in Windows XP Pro, right-click on it, and click the Advanced button that opens the Advanced Properties windows. Enable the option Encrypt contents to secure data, and click OK. Thereafter the contents of the folder are encrypted. If you copy a new file in the folder it is automatically encrypted, and if you open the file it is decrypted automatically. But note well that it is your responsibility to obtain and manage the digital certificates that are used in the encryption/decryption process from Microsoft's site.

The same Advanced Properties window has the option to compress data. As I said, you can only enable encryption or compression, not both. Enabling either of these features slows the system down slightly because of the additional processes involved. Because of today's huge hard disk drives, it is advisable to use encryption instead of compression because of the security it provides. No one will be able to access the folders/files that are encrypted should the computer be stolen or the hard drive fail and have to be returned to the manufacturer. Only the person logging on to XP via your user name will be able to access the folders/files.

If you have valuable data that you cannot allow to fall into anyone else's hands and the hard drive fails and the data is not encrypted, you would not be able to return the drive to the manufacturer in order to obtain a replacement under the terms of the warranty. You would have to smash it to pieces, because the data would be accessible by anyone if the drive were repaired.

The encryption provided by Windows 2000 and XP (none is provided with Windows 9.x) is relatively weak, so you are advised to employ a third-party program.

If you want to conduct your own search, use the search query data encryption in a search engine.

"How Encryption Works" - http://www.howstuffworks.com/encryption.htm

Encryption: Do It Today or Pay Tomorrow -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article...

The best way to uninstall programs

You should never try to remove a program by deleting its folders or files manually. Always use either the Windows Add/Remove Programs utility, or, preferably, the uninstaller that the program itself installs and makes available - usually from the Start => Programs (Windows 95/98/Me) or All Programs menu (Windows XP/Windows Vista).

The Windows 95/98/Me Add/Remove Programs utility in the Control Panel is a very basic uninstaller, so it is always better to use the uninstall feature of the program itself if it has one. The program's uninstaller should be programmed to know exactly how to uninstall the program, and hence be able to handle aspects such as unlocking files in use so they can be deleted, and removing data files specific to the program.

Microsoft has been getting much better at creating its uninstallers. Uninstallers under Windows 95 made a pretty crude job of it, while the uninstallers used by Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista do almost as good a job as the program's own uninstaller.

Always uninstall a previous version of software before you install the latest version

It is always a good idea to uninstall the previous version of a software package before installing the latest version, because the previous version might leave parts of itself that are not compatible with the latest version. This is especially advisable with antivirus and firewall utilities.

You should consult the software's Help files to find out if more is required to remove it than merely using the Add/Remove Programs utility in the Windows Control Panel.

For instance, removing the ZoneAlarm firewall completely is a bit complex. The Windows Registry must be searched and edited, and all residual files and folders must be located and deleted (according to ZoneLabs Service & Support). Otherwise, Internet access is blocked the next time the computer is rebooted. This is because of a failsafe lockout program that is installed by the latest versions of the ZoneAlarm firewall.

Using Add/Remove Programs to remove a program or utility almost always leaves entries in the Windows Registry, and folders and files left intact that should be removed before the new version is installed.

You should also make sure that antivirus and firewall software is completely removed even if you are installing the same kind of software made by another manufacturer, because leftovers from the previous manufacturer's software can adversely affect the new installation.

Note well that if you are going to reinstall or upgrade Windows, you should uninstall all of the security programs, because security programs are more complex than ordinary programs, and consequently reinstalling or upgrading Windows without removing them as completely as possible can result in all kinds of weird problems, such as Windows refusing to reinstall the security programs themselves, or having them block all Internet traffic.

Note well that if you are upgrading from an earlier version of Windows to Windows XP, you should always uninstall the security programs (virus scanners and firewalls, etc.) beforehand, and then reinstall them after the upgrade has taken place.

This advice is especially applicable to the Norton security programs, such as the Norton Personal Firewall. It would be a good idea to comb the computer for all references to Symantec's products (the makers of the Norton products) and deleted them, and then search the Registry and delete all the items you can find, using Norton and Symantec as the search terms.

If you want to make sure that Norton AntiVirus is removed, a file called Rnav2003.exe is available from http://www.symantec.com/ that removes the programs files and Registry entries for Norton AntiVirus 5.0, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003.

There are also sites that provide removal instructions for Symantec software, which is the developer of the Norton products. You can find them by using a suitable search query in a search engine. Here is one that I found:

Symantec NAV, NIS, NSW Removal - http://basconotw.mvps.org/SymRem.htm

You should not have more than one software firewall installed, because such a setup can be the cause of numerous problems. Also don't forget that the installation of one make of firewall can affect the installation of another make of firewall, even if one make of firewall has been uninstalled before the other make is installed. This is because entries are always left in the Windows Registry, and these entries can interfere with the operation of the new installation.

Indeed, you may not even be aware that the system has two software firewalls installed, because Windows XP installs its own rudimentary firewall that remains invisible to a user who hasn't become familiar with the list of start-up programs and services, and McAfee VirusScan also installs McAfee's firewall.

Fully Uninstall Software Firewalls - http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/35.htm#csavvy

Always disable an active virus scanner when installing software

You should always close down any programs that are running before installing new software to the system, because programs that are running can bar access to files that the installer requires to access, and therefore the installation can be ruined. This is especially the case with active virus scanners.

If you have a virus scanner installed that is set to monitor the system, you would be wise to disable it before you attempt to install software.

An active virus scanner can ruin the installation, because it can block the installation of files that it is programmed to regard as being suspect.

This is often what happens when the Windows Media Player is installed. The virus scanner blocks the installation of the codec files, which it scans as being suspect, and their absence makes the player unable to execute the functions that require these files. So, if you have installed an application or utility that malfunctions, disable an active virus scanner, use the Add/Remove Programs utility in the Control Panel to uninstall the software, and then reinstall it, and reactivate the scanner.

Always update the BIOS before making a major change of operating systems

If you are planning to change your operating system from say Windows 98 SE to Windows XP ( a major change), save yourself a lot of hassles by checking the motherboard/PC manufacturer's website for a BIOS update. A large percentage of operating-system upgrade problems would be avoided just by reflashing the BIOS with the latest update file.

But you probably wouldn't have to take that action if you changed from Windows 98 to Windows 98 SE, because that is not a major change. Both versions of Windows 98 use the same architecture, but Windows XP uses a totally different architecture.

If you cannot obtain a BIOS update for the existing motherboard, try making the changeover, or dual-boot Windows 98 and Windows XP to experiment safely, but if it doesn't work out, you will probably have to install a new motherboard with a BIOS that supports Windows XP if you want to use it as the operating system. And given how fast technology is changing, you will almost certainly have to purchase new RAM, and a new processor for that motherboard, because the RAM and processor on the old motherboard won't be compatible with the new motherboard. And if you choose an Intel Pentium 4 (Socket 478) motherboard over an AMD (Socket A) motherboard, you will also have to purchase a new case, because Pentium 4 motherboards require a special power-supply unit and special case mountings. But if you choose an AMD solution, you will be at least be able to reuse an ATX case if the existing power-supply unit meets the processor's power requirements. (Check AMD's website for recommended cases and PSUs.) If not, they you will just have to install a new power-supply unit into the case.

Note that motherboards with built-in sound and video chips use much less power than motherboards fitted with PCI and AGP sound and video cards respectively. Therefore, the latter solution might require a 300W or 350W power supply unit, whereas the former solution might be able to run easily on a 230W or 250W power supply unit.

See the Build a PC set of pages on this site for information on how to install a PSU - and all of the other components.

Instead of backup CD or DVD disks (discs), most of the prominent direct and mail-order dealerships in the UK (and US) provide a Recovery Disk that allows you to restore the application software from a space-wasting master image of that software created on the CD/DVD itself, or from a hidden partition on the computer's hard disk drive. In the latter case, if the hard disk drive is rendered inoperable, all of that software will be lost. And if the system is backed up on to the Recovery CD itself and it becomes unusable due to damage or is lost, you'll have to buy a full version of Windows XP, because you won't have a version to legitimise using an upgrade version.

THEREFORE, IT IS ADVISABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT A COMPUTER COMES WITH FREE RETAIL OR OEM CD/DVD VERSIONS OF ALL THE PRELOADED SOFTWARE BEFORE YOU BUY IT, THE USE OF WHICH IS UNRESTRICTED.

If it doesn't, then I would strike a deal with the vendor to sell the computer minus the software, and I would buy my own retail versions of Windows XP and other software. For example, it's possible to buy a full OEM version of Windows XP Home Edition (that the user supports) together with a qualifying piece of computer hardware (that the OEM license stipulates must be purchased) for half the price of the (non-OEM) retail product that is supported by Microsoft.

I personally would never buy a computer that comes with a Recovery Disk or a recovery system instead of the Windows CD, if only because of all of the useless and/or intrusive software that is preloaded.

****

How the owners of Dell computers can create a Windows CD

A few manufacturers/vendors include a genuine Windows CD with their computers. Others that don't include a Windows CD might post one to you if you specifically request it. There will probably be a cost, because an OEM license is cheaper for the manufacturer if no Windows CD is provided.

Dell has developed a unique method of allowing the owners of its computers to create a Windows CD by including a utility that can only be used once to create a customised Windows XP setup CD that is specific to the system it is made from that includes all of the necessary device drivers. The utility also preserves the original Windows Product Activation. Therefore, when the contents of the CD are installed, Windows runs exactly as it did before whatever occurred to make the use of the CD necessary.

****

Note well that OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) software, which is provided and given customer support by the manufacturer of the equipment, such as Hewlett Packard, not the manufacturer of the software, such as Microsoft, is often customised. That is, it can be restricted in ways that reduce support costs, reduced in size, (with bits such as resource kits removed), or in functionality.

"Recovery Disk" run from a floppy disk, or on a CD/DVD disk?

Note that some Recovery Disks are now provided in the form of a CD/DVD disk - depending on whether the computer was supplied with a CD or DVD drive - which contains the whole master image of the system as it was when it left the factory.

You restore the system by running the recovery procedure from a CD/DVD drive. Any additions that you have made to the system could be lost after the system has been restored, because some recovery systems destroy any data that has been added to the system during the process of restoring the system to the state it was in when it left the factory.

Note, however, that not all recovery systems destroy the user's data. For example, Advent Computers, a brand from the Dixons group in the UK, uses a recovery system whose default option is to restore Windows XP without destroying any of the user's data.

A brand-name computer's user manual should provide all of the information required to make use of its recovery system.

Another common method already mentioned is to have a hidden partition on the hard drive that contains the master image, plus system diagnostic utilities. You would then use a start-up CD or floppy disk that provides the options to restore the system or run diagnostic tests, etc.

The removal of such a hidden partition is discussed in more detail in Wiping Out Special 'Recovery' Partitions:

http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-02-06.htm#1

Click here! to read the Q&A on this site called: How can I remove a hidden partition on a computer from Time Computers?

I know of someone with a Compaq Presario 6000 that came with Windows XP pre-loaded. He didn't like Windows XP and wanted to wipe his hard drive and install Windows 98 SE, but he was told by Compaq support that he could not do that because he would be rendering his warranty void, and, in any case, Compaq use its own customised versions of hardware devices in the system that require Compaq's device drivers, which are not available for Windows 98.

The problem is, you can never tell if information provided by the technical support of a company such as HP/Compaq is true or false until you put it to the test yourself.

For instance, you could backup everything on a Compaq Presario 6000's hard drive to CD-R disks, and then use the Windows 98 FDISK utility (on a Windows 98 start-up floppy disk) or Partition Magic, to remove the partitions (hidden and accessible), reformat the hard drive, disable any virus protection in the BIOS, and then install Windows 98. You will soon find out if Windows 98 doesn't have the device drivers for the hardware devices if, instead of installing them automatically, it asks for their manufacturer's CDs from which to load them. You won't have the drivers' CD because Compaq uses a System Recovery feature, so you will have to try downloading and installing the device drivers obtained from the device manufacturer's sites, and you'll soon find out if they install and work or not.

If any of the drivers don't work, you'll be able to restore the whole system by using the backups you made. You could also restore the backups if the computer has hardware problems that require Compaq's installation of software installed to make the warranty valid.

The use of a Recovery System by the likes of HP, Compaq, and Dell may cut their support costs, but for anyone who wants to customise the computer for his or her own use, it is a serious impediment. For that reason alone, I would never consider buying a brand-name computer. In my opinion, anyone who uses a computer for serious professional purposes, or needs to customise it, should follow the self-build route.

Note that if you have a brand-name computer that came with a Recovery CD instead of a Windows installation CD, you will have to buy a full version of a newer version of Windows in order to upgrade it. For instance, the system might have Windows 98 SE installed, which can be recovered by using the Recovery CD, but if you were to purchase an upgrade version of Windows XP Home edition, it would refuse to acknowledge the Recovery CD as being valid to upgrade from, so you would have to buy the more expansive retail copy of the full version (or a much cheaper OEM license of the full version that must be purchased with a piece of qualifying computer hardware) and use it to perform a clean installation of Windows.

You can buy the reduced-price full versions of Windows XP Home and Profesional Editions under an OEM and OEM DSP (Delivery Service Partner) licenses from certain vendors licensed to sell those licenses. You have to buy an item of hardware, such as a heatsink and fan unit or hard disk drive to qualify for it.

PC manufacturer and vendors that use recovery systems

Hewlett Packard, Compaq, Dell, and most of the major PC manufacturer's make use of recovery systems, each of which will differ in detail and policy and so require individual investigation.

Believe me, you will have to reinstall a computer's software several times over the course of the computer's life; the more often the more experimental you are.

If you install a program or utility that has been badly programmed, it can do things that will require the use of the Recovery Disk to run a complete restoration of the master image, which, if it hidden on the hard disk drive, can take up a gigabyte or more of disk space, depending on the amount of software that the computer came loaded with.

Having a Windows CD is always a much better option than only having the use of a Recovery Disk in order to recover from problems. Even if the recovery procedure of a Recovery Disk doesn't destroy all of the data files on the computer by returning it to the state it was in when it left the factory, which most such recovery procedures do, it will be a lengthy procedure compared to just inserting the Windows CD when it is asked for in order to achieve the same type of recovery.

If a PC you want to buy provides a Recovery Disk instead of a Windows XP CD, it would be a good idea to ask the vendor if you can buy it at a reduced price without Windows XP or any preloaded software, most of which is rubbish anyhow. You can then buy your own retail or OEM copy of Windows XP and use the excellent, free OpenOffice instead of MS Word/Excel, or MS Works.

The full versions of Windows XP (Home and Professional Editions) with an OEM license cost less than half the price of the retail versions. You have to purchase it with a qualifying item of hardware and provide your own technical support for the OEM versions, but you're entitled to all of the updates and to use free programs such as AntiSpyware.

To find local vendors, try using a search term such as oem + "windows xp" as the search query in a search engine.

Recovery systems waste space

It would be much better to have the software disks so that you can delete the master image and restore the software from them instead.

Disk space is not much of a problem nowadays, but on an older system, the loss of 2GB or more of space given over to the master image can be a real handicap, both from a space and performance point of view.

In short, minus the master image, the computer will load its software faster at start-up, can be serviced, and will run much faster - even if you have a monster-sized drive in relation to which two gigabytes represents only 5 to 10% or less of its capacity.

HP, Compaq, Dell, and Packard Bell make use of recovery systems as the cure-all for software problems. Their support staff merely tell clients with software problems to run the recovery procedure, which deletes all of the installed software and replaces it with the master image that was created of the system when it was first installed.

If you have not been provided with backup CDs of this software, all of it will be lost if the computer's hard disk drive dies - an all-too-common occurrence.

Read the complaints with regard to this in the postings in the Compaq and Packard Bell newsgroups. - Click here! for the newsgroup addresses on this site.

Beta software

Unfortunately, something else to look out for is a new or second-hand computer that comes with beta version software - for example, an experimental beta version of Windows 95 or 98 - preloaded. The large suppliers would not dare to use these, but the smaller fly-by-night firms struggling to survive might be tempted to load them in their computers. A second-hand computer could easily be loaded with pirate copies or beta versions of the operating system and the applications. Microsoft releases beta versions of its software, free or at reduced cost, to volunteers who test them and report any bugs. Although it is illegal to resell them, it is not impossible for these versions to find their way on to the open market. In any case, you should never buy a computer that comes without all of its preloaded software on CDs, so if you are not sure of the version you are being sold, telephone Microsoft with the details on the CD packaging, or obtain a translation of the version number from Microsoft's website.

There is a list of the different official releases of Windows from the original retail version of Windows 95 to Windows 98 Second Edition in the Motherboard page.

Windows Me has not been included, because the general consensus of opinion on the web is to avoid it if you can.

The thirty-two bit version of the Windows XP operating system for home users, is expected in the shops on 25 October 2001, and will come bundled with new PCs in advance of that date. But, you should be aware that a sixty-four-bit version will be available in a year or so, which will be supported by sixty-four-bit processors, so why be lumbered with thirty-two-bit kit if you can wait for the next generation of sixty-four-bit operating systems and processors?

Knowledge of Windows Product Activation (WPA) - is essential if you want to keep on top of the policies Microsoft has incorporated into these products. The most important of them is this one. - If you fail to register them according to a predetermined time limit or number of uses, they disable themselves. Windows XP disables itself completely after a time limit, and all of the Office suite programs become partially disabled after a certain number of uses.

Free software

You can obtain an immense amount of software legally free of charge from websites, or from the cover disks that come with computer magazines.

Apart from free downloads that most of the distributions of Linux provide, the Open Office 1.1 office suite is probably the best free software available at the moment.

Click here! to go to the OFFICE SUITES - Alternatives to the expensive MS Office Suite links on the third of the four Links pages on this site.

And, as you can see from the website links provided at the end of this article, a great deal of very useful free software that is not also 'spyware', such as X-Setup, AVG Anti-Virus, Spybot S&D, Ad-aware, ZoneAlarm, can be obtained legally for the cost of the downloads. - See the four Links pages on this site for many free programs - especially under the letter U for Utilities.

Note that Microsoft has directed computer magazines not to include any of its software on its cover CD/DVDs, which used to be a good source of it for those with slow dial-up connections. So, the only way you can obtain programs such as Internet Explorer, DirectX, the service packs that update Microsoft software and operating systems, and the numerous security patches is by downloading them from Microsoft's site, or by purchasing the service-pack CDs that Microsoft has made available.

Web searches

If you want to make your own searches of the web for software or information about software, create a search query using its name and any other term, depending on what you are looking for, such as LibreOffice + review to find reviews of that free office application.

PC Buyer Beware! Copyright © Eric Legge 2004-2011. All rights reserved.