EASY TIPS

1. How to Get Into Safe Mode

To get your computer into Safe Mode you must first shut it down. Find the F8 on your keyboard and get your finger ready to press it. Power on the computer and tap the F8 key every second or two, but not too fast or you will get a keyboard error. The trick is to catch it before you see Windows start to load. When you succeed, then you will see a "boot menu" of white text on black background.

Windows 9x

Use your keyboard arrow keys (that’s right, your mouse won’t work) to highlight Safe Mode (Option 3) and press the Enter key. Windows will now load into Safe Mode, and when it’s finished it will give you a confirmation box that it is running in Safe Mode – just click the OK button. Congratulations, you are now in Safe Mode. All you need to do is reboot your computer to have it boot back in Normal Mode.

Windows 2000 & XP

Use your keyboard arrow keys (that’s right, your mouse won’t work) to highlight Safe Mode (highlight Safe Mode with Networking if you need the Internet) and then press the Enter key. You may now see another screen that asks you to select the Operating System, so just press the Enter key again. Windows will now begin to load into Safe Mode, but stopping at the Login screen. Click Administrator, and then, after a few seconds, click YES to proceed in Safe Mode. Congratulations, you are now in Safe Mode with Networking. All you need to do is reboot your computer to have it boot back in Normal Mode.

 

2. MSCONFIG to Speed up Your Computer

To Optimize your computer, you will want to have the minimal amount of programs and services starting when your computer starts. Most people will only need their security software (antivirus, antispyware, and firewall programs) running at startup. This is how you control your startup programs:

Click Start - Run and type "msconfig" [without the quotes] into the dialog box. Press ENTER or click OK.

You will now have the System Configuration Utility window open.

Click on the Startup Tab located at the top of the window.

Windows 9x

You can uncheck everything but:

- your security software
- ScanRegistry
- TaskMonitor
- SystemTray
- LoadPowerProfile

Click the OK button.

Restart when prompted, as the settings will not take place until Windows reboots.

Windows 2000 & XP

You can uncheck everthing but your security software.

Click on the Services Tab that is to the left of the Startup Tab.

Put a checkmark in "Hide All Microsoft Services" located at the bottom of the window.

Now uncheck all the Services that you don't need running (usually everything but your security software).

Click Apply, Close, and Restart when prompted as the setting will not take place until Windows reboots.

 

3. Backup your Registry (Windows 9x)

Click Start - Run, and type "scanregw" [without the quotes] into the dialog box. Press ENTER or click OK.

When you receive a prompt to back up the registry, click Yes.

When you receive the "Backup complete" message, click OK.

4. Backup your Registry (Windows 2000 & XP)

Click Start - Run, and type "regedit" [without the quotes] into the dialog box. Press ENTER or click OK.

Click once on "My Computer" on the left side of the window pane.

On the File Menu, click Export.

In the Save in box, select a location where you want to save the Registration Entries (.reg) file, type a file name in the File name box, and then click Save.

5. Restore your Registry (Windows 9x)

Turn off your computer.

Find the F8 on your keyboard and get your finger ready to press it. Power on the computer and tap the F8 key every second or two, but not too fast or you will get a keyboard error. The trick is to catch it before you see Windows start to load. When you succeed, then you will see a "boot menu" of white text on black background (Note: If you have Windows ME, then start your computer with the startup disk).

Use your keyboard arrow keys (that’s right, your mouse won’t work) to highlight Safe Mode Command Prompt Only (Option 6) and then press ENTER.

At the MS-DOS prompt, type "scanreg /restore" [without the quotes], and then press ENTER.

Select the previous registry you want to restore, and then press ENTER .NOTE: A properly working registry has the word "Started" next to the date.

When it tells you that it has restored a properly working registry, then press ENTER to restart your computer.

 

6. Restore your Registry (Windows 2000 & XP)

Windows XP Only

If your computer will start, you can run Windows System Restore.

Click Start - Run, and type "c:\windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe" [without the quotes] into the dialog box. Press ENTER or click OK.

Follow the Prompts to restore your computer to an earlier date.

Windows 2000 and Windows XP

A very complex method that works when your registry is corrupted and your Windows 2000 or XP will not boot (you usually get an error similar to "Windows\System32\Config\System Corrupt or Missing").

See HERE for instructions (Note: just replace "windows" with "winnt" if you have Windows 2000).

 

7. How to Cleanup your Junk Files

I could tell you the manual way to clean all junk files, but there is a cool program that will do it for you. And it is FREE!!! Get CCleaner Here.

PS. If there is a demand to know the manual way to clean up junk files, I will post it here.

 

8. How to Boot into the Recovery Console

Recovery Console only exists with Windows 2000 and Windows XP (all versions).

Windows 2000

Boot your computer with the Windows 2000 CD in the CD Drive (Note, you may have to change your boot sequence so that your computer boots from the CD ROM).

If you don't have the Windows 2000 CD-ROM, you will need the Windows Setup floppy disks which you can get from here: http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Watch the screen closely, and press any key when prompted to boot from the CD.

At the "Welcome to Setup" screen press R to repair, and then press C to start the Windows Recovery Console.

Select the appropriate number for the Windows installation that you want to repair, and then type the administrator password. If the administrator password does not exist, just press ENTER.

Windows XP

Boot your computer with the Windows XP CD in the CD Drive (Note, you may have to change your boot sequence so that your computer boots from the CD ROM).

If you don't have the Windows XP CD-ROM, you will need the Windows Setup floppy disks which you can get from here: http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Watch the screen closely, and press any key when prompted to boot from the CD.

At the "Welcome to Setup" screen press R to enter the Windows Recovery Console.

Enter the appropriate windows installation if prompted to (In most cases, just enter "1" [without the quotes] and press Enter).

Type the administrator password. If the administrator password does not exist, just press ENTER.

 

9. "Unmountable Boot Volume" Error

When you start your computer, it gives you a nice ugly "Unmountable Boot Volume" Error.

What do you do??

Easy. Boot into the Recovery Console and at the "C:\" prompt, type "chkdsk /r" and press ENTER.

Wait until it is 100% complete and reboot your computer.

 

10. Convert to NTFS from FAT32

This option is not available in any Windows 9x systems.

If your computer's file system is not NTFS, I highly recommend you convert it (the biggest reason is because of built in security, which allows for effortless techniques when killing viruses and spyware).

To convert to NTFS:

Click Start - Run, and type "cmd" [without the quotes] into the dialog box. Press ENTER or click OK.

The command prompt window (black window) will open. Now type in "cd \" [without the quotes] and press ENTER.

Now at the "C:\>" prompt type "CONVERT C: /fs:ntfs" [without the quotes] and press ENTER.

Reboot for the conversion to take place.

 

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