To resolve this issue you have two options, you can upgrade your C:\ drive to a larger drive (which might not be feasible for some) or we can trick Picasa and Windows into thinking that the Picasa database is stored on the C drive when it’s really stored in another location. The second option requires the installation of a small application and following the steps below. I recommend you allot at least 10-15 minutes to complete all of the steps below and that you read through all of th instructions at least once before attempting to complete the steps below.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to comment below and I will be more than happy to help you. If you know of an easier way, please post it below.

Before we get started you will need to install the Link Shell Extension application.

Note: I used Picasa 3.6 and Windows 7 Ultimate for this tutorial.

Known Limitations

• Supported platforms are NT4/W2K/WXP/W2K3/W2K8/WXP64/Vista/Vista/Windows7 in 32bit or 64bit.
• Hardlinks can only be made on NTFS volumes, under the supported platforms.
• Hardlinks can only be made within one NTFS volumes, and can not span across NTFS volumes.
• Junctions can not be created on NTFS volumes with NT4.
• The Pick Link Source and Drop … choices are only visible, if it’s possible to create Hardlinks/Junctions/Symbolic Links. E.G.: If you select a file on a FAT drive and press the action button, you wont see the Pick Link Source in the action menu, because FAT file systems, don’t support Hardlinks/Junctions/Symbolic Links. This also happens, if you select source files on a network drive, or select a file as destination, etc.
• There is an OS limit of creating more than 1023 hardlinks per file. This is less known, but it is there.

IMPORTANT Please backup your computer before continuing with this how-to, I installed and used the features without a problem, however it doesn’t hurt to be careful. Use this guide to create a restore point in Windows 7. If you use another operating system, use the search form above to locate the appropriate guide.

Please choose one of the versions below.

32bit – Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003/2008/Vista/7

1. Runtime Dll’s Required for LSE to work - Download (from Microsoft)

2. LSE (Link Shell Extension) - Download (from application author)

64bit – Windows XP-64/Vista-64/7-64

1. Runtime Dll’s Required for LSE to work - Download (from Microsoft)

2. LSE (Link Shell Extension) - Download (from application author)

Once you have downloaded the 32bit or 64 bit files, install the Runtime Dll’s first, then install the LSE application.

Special thanks to LSE’s author – LSE Website.

Note: When LSE installs Explorer may be restarted to enable the context menu links.

1. Locate your Picasa2 folder by browsing to  C:\Local Disk\Users\[your user name]\AppData\Local\Google\

When you get to the Google folder you should see a folder named Picasa2. This is the folder containing all of your Picasa goodies.

2. Right-click on the Picasa2 folder.

3. Click on Copy from the menu.

4. Browse to the drive you wish to use for your Picasa database (I’m assuming that this would be a secondary hard drive or an external hard drive attached to your computer).

5. Right-click in the directory.

6. Click on Paste from the menu to paste the Picasa2 folder from your C:\ Drive to the new directory.

Note: Depending on the number of images you have, this could take anywhere from a couple of seconds to a couple of minutes (the database gets bigger as you have more and more pictures).

7. Right-click on the Picasa2 folder you just pasted.

8. Click on Pick Link Source.

Note: If Pick Link Source does not appear, you did not install LSE or the installation was not done correctly. Return to the beginning of the article and make sure you installed the Dll’s and the LSE application.

9. Open the Google folder from step 1.

10. Right-click on the Picasa2 folder (the original folder).

11. Click on Delete from the menu.

Note: Don’t worry we created a backup of the folder when we copied it to the other directory in steps 4-6.

12. Go up a level, in other words you should now be at – C:\Local Disk\Users\[your user name]\AppData\Local\ this is where the Google folder and others are located.

13. Right-click on the Google folder.

14. Click on Drop As.

15. Click on Junction.

Note: If you get a User Account Control prompt, click OK to proceed.

Verifying the Links

1. If everything went well, open the Google folder and you should find the 2. Picasa2 folder with a small shortcut link. If you open the Picasa2 folder you should see all of the files contained in the Picasa2 folder on your other drive.

I know, I know, Windows Explorer says you are in the C:\ drive when you open the Picasa2 folder, but in fact you are not, remember we are fooling Windows and Picasa into thinking that this shortcut is the real folder.

3. If you open the Properties window for the Picasa2 folder you will notice that the Target is the directory we copied the original files to.

Now for the ultimate test, open Picasa. If all the steps were followed then Picasa should open as if nothing ever happened.

Note: If you are using an external drive, make sure it is plugged in when Picasa opens, otherwise you will get an error that it cannot find the files.

What does this mean? All this means is that your computer will no longer receive security updates from Microsoft to protect you from the latest threats.

What can you do? If you’re running Windows Vista or Windows XP, you might want to take the next couple of minutes to determine if your version will no longer be supported. Before we begin, let’s determine which version is currently running on your computer. Follow the instructions below to quickly determine the Windows version you are running.

Windows Vista

The screenshot below should help you determine which operating system you are running on your computer.

Are you running Service Pack 1 or above? If so then you need not worry, just make sure Automatic updates are on and that you periodically run a virus scan.

If not, then you need to head on over to the Microsoft download website to obtain the latest service pack for Windows Vista, download and install the service pack…but before you do that, make sure your computer is backed up and your files are saved.

1. Click on the Orb to open the Start Menu.

2. Right-click on Computer.

3. Click on Properties from the menu.

4. When the System window opens, you will find the version of Vista installed along with the service pack version, if any.

If the words Service Pack are not listed you will need to download and install Service Pack 1 and 2 from Microsoft.com (direct link to download page). I recommend that you upgrade Vista to the latest Service Pack version, which will ensure continued support coverage from Microsoft.

Note: Service Pack 1 is a prerequisite for installing Service Pack 2. Please make sure that your system is running Service Pack 1 before you install Service Pack 2.

Windows XP

The screenshot below should help you determine which operating system you are running on your computer.

Are you running Service Pack 3? If you are, just make sure to keep your computer updated and run your virus scans periodically.

Don’t know which Service Pack you have installed? Follow the instructions below to determine which version you have installed.

1. Click on the Start to open the Start Menu.

2. Right-click on My Computer.

3. Click on Properties from the menu.

4. Make sure that the General tab is selected.

5. You will find your XP version along with the Service Pack version installed.

If the Service Pack installed is something other than Service Pack 3, use the following links to download Service Pack 3 from Microsoft (direct link to download page).

If you have any comments or questions please post them below.

Note: I used Windows Vista Ultimate when creating this tutorial.

Backing-up the Windows Vista Registry

1. Click on the Start button.

2. Type regedit in the search box. (regedit.exe is the Registry Editor)

3. Click on regedit.exe when it appears in the search results.

Note: If you have User Account Control enabled, you will get a warning. Click OK to proceed.

4. When the Registry Editor window opens, click on My Computer.

5. Click on File located on the menu bar.

6. Click Export from the File menu.

7. When the Export Registry File dialog box appears, locate a folder to store the registry and click on All under Export range

Note: You can specify a branch within the registry to backup instead of backing up the entire thing.

8. Name the registry file, try to use something descriptive that will help you identity when the registry was created at-a-glance.

9. Click on Save to export the registry to the selected location.

If you are like me and you are looking for a way to ungroup the Excel windows into their own Taskbar buttons follow the instructions below. The instructions are the same for resetting this option to the default setting. If you have any comments or questions please post them below.

NOTE: I used Vista Ultimate and Excel 2007 in this tutorial..

The 1st Taskbar above is an example of all Excel windows grouped together (the default setting). In this scenario I have 3 Excel workbooks open, but only one Taskbar button.

The Taskbar below the 1st Taskbar above is an illustration of the same scenario except that each Excel window has its own button on the Taskbar.

How to Change the Setting

1. Open Excel and click on the Office Orb located on the top-left corner of the screen. Click on the Excel Options button to modify the setting.

2. When the Excel Options window opens click on Advanced located on the left pane. Scroll down on the list of options until you reach the Display section. Once you reach this section you can either remove or add a checkmark to the Show all windows in the Taskbar checkbox. When you are done click OK.

If you have multiple Excel windows open you will notice the change right away.

I began using Windows Vista DVD maker for all of my picture slideshows, however when I learned of Picasa’s capabilities in this same space (customization of title screens, more flexibility with formats, and the ease of use inherent with Picasa) I began to use Picasa instead. The problem arose when I was ready to burn my movie slideshow.

Other than for backup purposes, Picasa does not have offer the capability of burning a DVD slideshow that is viewable by most stand-alone DVD players. I went back to DVD maker from Vista and instead of adding pictures as I had done in the past I simply added the video files generated in Picasa and burned the DVD from those files instead. The result is a wonderful highly customizable photo slideshow viewable in most stand-alone DVD players. The guide below will walk you through the steps necessary to burn your own movie slideshow to DVD using Windows DVD Maker and Picasa 3. If you have any comments or questions, please post them below.

Before following the guidelines found in this tutorial you should read the following articles that will walk you through the process of creating movies in Picasa and then customizing your DVD menu in Vista DVD maker.

Article #1 – How to Burn DVD Slideshows in Vista

Article #2 – How to Create Movie Presentations and Slideshows in Picasa

Once you’ve completed the light reading included in the two articles above, proceed to the directions below.

Create Hi-Def Video in Picasa 3

1. After you select the photographs for the slideshow (Step #1 of Article #2). Click on the Movie tab and select either 1280X720 for 720p video or 1920X1080 for a 1080p video.

2. Click Create Movie after making your selections.

Movie creation In Progress…

Burning Picasa Movie Slideshow to DVD Using Windows Vista

Once movie creation is complete you can close Picasa and proceed to burning your movie to DVD.

1. Go to the Start menu > All Programs and click on Windows DVD Maker

Note: In order to use Windows Movie Maker & Windows DVD Maker you must have Vista Home Premium or Vista Ultimate.

2. Windows DVD Maker will load, now let’s select the movie files to add to the DVD. Click on the Choose Photos and Videos button from the DVD maker splash screen.

3. Click on Add Items located on the top-left corner.

4. Browse to the directory where the movie file was saved (Picasa defaults to "Pictures\Picasa\Movies"), click on the file and click on the Add button. If you have multiple video files to add, hold the [Shift] key on your keyboard and click on each video to add to the selection and click the Add button when you are done.

5. Depending on the size of your slideshows it may take a couple of seconds to a couple of minutes to process the video, click Next when you are ready to proceed.

6. Configure the DVD menu you would like to use for this DVD, (please refer to Article #1 for more information). Click Burn when you are ready.

7. Burning will commence, this process may take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours (depending on the number of videos and your computer specifications).

Once burning is completed, insert your new DVD into a DVD player and enjoy the show!

If you’re asking yourself, “Windows 7? What’s that?” Then you’re probably among a large number of users that are unaware of the new operating system hitting the market on October 22nd of this year. That is correct, almost 3 years later Microsoft is now set to release a replacement for Windows Vista (which was released to retail on January 30, 2007). Only this time it appears that Microsoft has been keeping their fingers on the pulse and have intently listened to the user community about its disappointment with Windows Vista.

Although much improved from its initial release, Vista with Service Pack 2 still leaves a lot to desire. Microsoft’s resolve to listen to the customer is evident in the plethora of built-in applications and functionality that will be available with the release of Windows 7. They have also streamlined the product offering, made it less confusing, and dropped prices. In this article I will go over some of the new features WIndows 7 will be sporting along with some resources, and a walk through along with tips to help you, should you decide to upgrade come October. If you have any tips or information to add, please feel free to post it below.

What’s New?

So what’s the big deal? Why should you upgrade? There are several good reasons to upgrade to Windows 7, among those are the new and improved features listed below.

Work with Windows Efficiently

Taking a hint from other gesture enabled devices and trying to clear up the clutter that multiple windows, gadgets, and other applications create, Microsoft has introduced the Aero Shake, Snap, and Peek. These are all gestures and functions that make it easy for users to manage open windows in the operating system.

• Aero Shake: While selecting a window move your mouse from left to right as if you were shaking it side to side and the unselected open windows will automatically minimize and get out of the way.
• Aero Snap: With so many users opting for wide screen displays there is an awful lot of space lost when browsing the internet. Users will now be able to snap open windows (browsers and other applications) to sections of the screen, after snapping a windows to the left, you can go ahead and open another window snap it to the right. Viola!
• Aero Peek: Want to take a look at your gadgets, but the open applications are blocking the view, use Aero Snap to display only open gadgets on your desktop.

New Super Bar

The task bar has been re-designed with appeal and ease of use as priorities. You will now be able to preview the windows that are minimized to the task bar by simply placing the cursor over the icon. You will also notice that open programs are now represented with an in con instead of an icon and text. The notification area has also been improved (not pictured).

Improved Gadgets

The main change with gadgets has been releasing them from the sidebar. Instead of being limited to the sidebar, gadgets can now roam freely throughout the desktop. Use Aero Peek (mentioned above) to quickly access open gadgets.

Working with Libraries

My Pictures, My Documents, My Videos – those folder names are history. In Windows 7, Microsoft has introduced the concept of a library, each library pertains to a file type, for example the Videos library would be used to store all video related content, the Pictures library would do the same, but for pictures …I think you get the idea. However you are not limited to these libraries, you can create your own.

The best part of the library feature is that files in a library can be physically located in other locations, they need not be in the Picture library. Refer to the diagram below for a quick description.

You will notice that pictures are stored in various physical locations, but since they were placed in the Picture Library location (as a reference/link), whenever you open the Picture Library ‘folder’ all the images tagged with the Picture Library folder will appear in the same window regardless of location.

Networking with HomeGroup

HomeGroup simplifies file and printer sharing on home networks. Vista made some strides with the Networking Center, however 7 goes a step further by simplifying access to wireless networks via the notification area and simplified the process to share a single file across the network.

Jump Lists

Similar to pinning up your favorite programs in the Start menu and your favorite files in Office 2007, Jump Lists provide you with links to your frequently used files just by right-clicking on a program icon in the task bar.

Windows Touch

The tablet PC on steroids, instead of using a pen or a clumsy touch screen with your finger, Microsoft is introducing Windows Touch with Windows 7 to address some of the shortcomings found with previous versions of Windows.

“…Windows 7 extends it to every corner of your PC. The Start menu and task bar now sport larger, fingertip-friendly icons. Familiar Windows 7 programs are also touch-ready. You can even finger paint in Paint!”

Windows XP Mode

When Microsoft released Windows Vista it had a hard a time convincing the enterprise to make the switch from the robust XP operating system. In this version of Windows, Microsoft listened and is now including a Windows XP mode that allows businesses to run applications that may not be compatible with Windows 7.

“The feature, designed primarily with small- and medium-sized businesses in mind, comes as a separate download and works only with Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate. Windows XP Mode also requires vitalization software such as Windows Virtual PC. Both are available free on the Microsoft website.”

Link to Windows XP Mode download.

Windows XP Mode Image from WinSuperSite

BitLocker

Although available in Windows Vista, BitLocker has been improved and now allows for the encryption of thumb drives as well, a big plus for anyone who would like to secure their information on their thumb drives.

for a complete list of features, visit Microsoft.com

Minimum System Requirements

In order to run 7 your computer should meet the following requirements;

• 1GHz or faster 32-bit or 64-bit processor
• 1GB of RAM for 32-bit installations and 2GB for 64-bit installations
• 16GB of hard disk space for 32-bit installations and 20GB for 64-bit installations
• DirectX 9 graphics card with WDDM 1.0+ driver
• BitLocker requires Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2
• Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1GB of RAM and 15GB of hard drive space

Which Flavor?

It turns out that in this version Microsoft has divided the product into 4 segments (only three pictured below). The chart below describes the features available in each flavor. The fourth which is not picture below is the Starter Edition of Windows 7 which is aimed at the Netbook or Mini Notebook segment.

More information on the different versions can be found at Microsoft.com

Upgrade Paths

Users will be able to upgrade from;

• Vista SP1/SP2 to Windows 7 however cross-architecture upgrading will not be possible, i.e, 32-bit to 64-bit and vice versa.
  • Vista Home Basic can upgrade to Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate
  • Vista Home Premium can upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium and Ultimate
  • Vista Business can upgrade to Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate
  • Vista Enterprise can upgrade to Windows 7 Enterprise
  • Vista Ultimate can be upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate
• Windows XP users will not be able to upgrade directly to Windows 7, but may upgrade to Windows Vista, then 7 using the the double upgrade trick.

Windows 7 Resources

The following are a list of articles that I have written to date about Windows 7, feel free to check them out. I have also included links to other sites with information about the new operating system.

Articles Written by me

7 New and Improved Windows 7 Features That Shouldn’t Go Unnoticed

How to Use the Windows 7 Snipping Tool

How to Customize the Windows 7 Shutdown Button

Windows 7 Beta Screen shot Tour Installation

Windows 7 Task bar Reviewed

How to Setup Remote Desktop with Windows 7

External Resources

Paul Thurrott’s Supersite

Official Windows 7 Web site

Run the Upgrade Advisor

So you’re interested in Windows 7, but don’t know how your computer or your software will hold up with an upgrade. Thankfully Microsoft has released the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Beta to help users determine just that. Running this tool will save you countless number of hours from dealing with software and hardware comparability. Knowledge is power. The guide below will walk you through the installation and simple use of the program. If you run the advisor, please take the time to vote on the poll at the end of this article. Thank you.

Installing Upgrade Advisor

Download Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from Microsoft.com

1. When you run the installation file you may encounter this warning. Verify the file and click Run.

2. Click Next to proceed.

3. If you agree to the license terms, add a check mark to the I accept the license terms check box, click Next to continue.

4. Select the directory for installation (I’d go with the default), verify whether or not you would like to Create a shortcut on my desktop and click Install when you are ready to proceed.

Installation in progress…

5. When the installation completes, click on the Close button to exit the installation wizard.

Using Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

1. Double-click to open the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor icon on your desktop.

2. The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor window opens. Click Start check to perform a system check.

Checking compatibility in progress…

3. Once done with the check you will be taken to a results screen that will highlight the issues encountered. As you can see here my PC only had issues with Windows Mail, Parental Controls, and Extras – items that don’t phase me because I don’t use them. However if you are concerned about an item listed as a problem, you can click on the links provided by the software for more details. You can save the report for later viewing by clicking on the Save Report button located on the top right corner of the screen.

If you are done and don’t need the report, click Close to exit the application.

4. Locate a directory to save the report file, name it and click Save. Click Close to exit the application when you are done.

Excerpts via Microsoft.com/Upgrade paths information via Softpedia.com

Although elementary as a security measure, disabling the routers ability to broadcast its SSID is still used by many and I feel it is an added layer that will keep snoopers away. If you have this feature enabled you will find that adding a network device requires additional steps that you may not be familiar with.

I recently upgraded my router and beefed up security quite a bit. One of the features I disabled was SSID broadcasting. Today I received a call from my wife that she could not find the wireless network from her work laptop and she needed to get online. I forgot to update her security settings so I had to sit with her on the phone and walk her through the process of adding a router that is not broadcasting its SSID and the new security settings. As I walked her through this I realized that perhaps others do not know how to add networks manually and so this article will walk you through the process.

What the heck is an SSID?

The SSID is your router’s name. SSID or Service Set Identifier is a user friendly name used to identify an 802.11 wireless LAN (local area network), your router.
By default most routers will broadcast their SSID which makes it easy for devices like laptops, mobile phones, PS3, and others to find your router. As an added level of protection routers can be set to disable broadcasting of the SSID which makes it more difficult for casual wireless snoopers to find your network, of course somebody who wants to gain access to your network will find this measure elementary and will discover your network immediately. This is why I encourage users to enable WPA2 security on their routers on top of other measures.

I hope you find it useful. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to post them below.

Note: I used Windows Vista Ultimate for this Tutorial

1. Click on the Orb (Windows Logo) > Control Panel

2. Click on the View network status and tasks link located under Network and Internet

3. Click on the Manage wireless networks link

4. The Manage Wireless Networks window will open. To add a wireless network click on the Add button.

5. Choose Manually create a network profile

Configuration

6. Enter the required information;

• Network name: This is the SSID or the name assigned to the router
• Security Type: Choose the security type used by the router – make sure to choose the right one otherwise you will not be able to connect to the router.
• Encryption Type: Once you choose the security type you need to determine the encryption being used. Like the Security type make sure you choose the correct one otherwise you will not be able to connect.
• Security Key/Passphrase: Enter the security key provided to you.
• Start this connection automatically: If this is a trusted source then you should enable this so that you don’t have to manually add it each time you wish to use the wireless network.
• IMPORTANT – In order to access a wireless router that is not broadcasting it’s SSID/Name (the whole reason behind this article) you must select Connect even if the network is not broadcasting.

To proceed, click Next when all information has been entered.

7. Click on Connect to…

8. Select the network that you have just added (network-name) and click Connect.

Note: If you allow a couple of seconds before clicking Connect the computer may connect automatically as it did while I was writing the tutorial. If this happens to you and the status of the connection is Connected (to the router of your choice) then you can exit the window by clicking Cancel.

I’m always looking for ways to tweak my computers, specifically my laptop. I recently came across a section of the Windows Vista Annoyances book that detailed how you can increase hard drive performance by tweaking the NTFS file system settings in the registry. I have created a series of screen shots along with explanations to walk you through the process and so that you too could tweak Windows Vista a bit more.

What’s NTFS? NT File System is the standard file system used by the operating system on your computer, specifically Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Server 2008, Vista, and 7. For more information follow this link.

The registry keys we will be modifying in this tutorial

• NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation
  • In the olden days of DOS and earlier versions of Windows, the operating system only supported 8 character file names + the 3 characters for the extension, hence the 8dot3. In newer versions of Windows this is no longer the case, however Windows still generates the 8dot3 file name for each file you create.
  • Acceptable Values: 0 = enabled (default setting) and 1 = disabled
  • Note: If you are running older applications in compatibility mode then you might want to ski modifying this key in case it has adverse effects with the older application.
• NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate
  • Each time you access or modify a file in Windows it will update that information accordingly, this of course is an additional operation that is performed on all files when enabled. You may be able to slightly improve performance by disabling this time and date stamp auto update.
  • Note: Your files are not modified in any way when you disable this feature
  • Acceptable Values: 0 = enabled (default setting) and 1 = disabled
• NtfsMftZoneReservation
  • The MFT or the Master File Table is an index (think of a books index) of all the files on the hard drive (pages in a book). As time passes this table may become fragmented (think of a bookshelf that is out of order – it takes longer to find a book compared to a bookshelf that is ordered alphabetically or defragmented), the smaller the space allocated for the MFT the quicker it will become fragmented, but you have to be careful because to big of a size will cause to waste too much space.
  • Acceptable Values: 0 thru 4
  • Note: This change will not affect the current index, it will only affect its future growth. It is recommended that you set this value early on, after formatting a hard drive or installing a new one.

WARNING – Please backup your registry before proceeding with this tutorial.

Note: I used Windows Vista Ultimate for this Guide

1. Click on the Orb (Windows Logo) and type regedit into the search box. When regedit appears in the search results click on it to open the Registry Editor.

2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > FileSystem

3. Locate the keys highlighted above. These are the keys you will be modifying in this tutorial.

• NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation
• NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate
• NtfsMftZoneReservation

Note: If the keys are not listed make sure that you are in the correct directory by verifying the location on Step 2 above. If the keys are still missing create the keys yourself by right-clicking in the white space and choosing New>DWORD (32-bit) Value. When prompted enter the information as described in the sections below for the missing keys.

4. Double-click the first key NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation. When the dialog box opens set the Value data to 1, click OK to continue.

5. Double-click the first keyNtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate. When the dialog box opens set the Value data to 1, click OK to continue.

Before continuing to the next key, lets determine what the MFT size and allocation currently is on your computer. In order to do that we are going to access the command prompt to run the Disk Defragmenter program. Follow the steps below.

Open the Command Prompt (for instructions click here). Once opened, type the following command exactly as it appears;

defrag.exe -a -v c:

Press enter when you have entered the command above. Depending on your computer this could take seconds or several minutes, be patient.

Note: This command generates a status report about your drive’s fragmentation level. Among the data listed you will find the percentage of MFT use.

When the process is complete you will see the message below. Take note of the Percent MFT in use at the end of the report. (In this example it is 60%)

Proceed to Step 6

6. Now that you know the percentage of the MFT usage you can double-click on theNtfsMftZoneReservation key. When the dialog box opens set the Value data to the recommended setting, click OK to continue.

Note: In this example I set it to 2 from 1 because the MFT was creeping towards the 100% mark.

Recommended Settings

• Default – 1
• Large hard disks – 2 or 3
• Very large hard drives with a lot of small files - 4 (maximum value)

7. Restart your computer for changes to take effect.

Source Windows Vista Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Hacks

As someone who uses their computer for work, school, and play I find myself with a desktop full of icons. I tend to be extremely organized and a cluttered desktop just doesn’t do it for me. Luckily Microsoft introduced the concept of easily pinning program shortcuts to the the Start menu. The guide below will walk you through the process of pinning items to your Start menu and also how to use that piece of real estate effectively. If you have any other suggestions on organizing the Windows desktop, please post them below.

Note: I used Windows Vista for this article, the same concept applies to Windows XP

A view of my cluttered desktop with 23 icons…

1. To start pinning up shortcuts, open the Start menu to locate your frequently used programs. When you find the program you wish to pin up, right-click on it and select Pin to Start Menu from the menu.

Repeat for all the programs you wish to pin up.

Note: Make sure to use the shortcuts located in the Start menu when you pin up your favorite programs. If you use the shortcuts on your desktop and delete them, the reference to that shortcut will be lost and your pinned up shortcut will not work.

2. Woah! If you have several favorites like I do you’ll notice that the Start Menu is now as tall as your screen! You may even get a message indicating that Some Start menu items can’t be displayed. Don’t worry follow the next step.

3. To resolve the oversized Start menu problem, we’re going to customize the Start menu. Right-click on the task bar, click Properties.

4. Click on the Start Menu tab and click the Customize button.

5. The Customize Start Menu window will open. Uncheck the Use large icons check box and enter 0 for the Number of recent programs to display text box. Click OK.

Note: If you like the recent programs feature, just leave the default value to make sure you can continue using it.

6. Click the Start button to open the Start menu. You will notice that the icons became smaller and that they all now fit.

If you get bored of a particular shortcut, you can always remove by right-clicking on the shortcut and selecting Unpin from the Start Menu from the drop-down menu.

If you’ve ever ran into a problem whose origin cannot be explained, you might want to take a look at the latest Windows updates that were installed on your computer. There are times that the automatically installed updates can cause unforeseen problems with software or hardware installed on your computer. In order to narrow down the issue, you should first take a look at the latest updates installed and when they were installed. In some cases you may find that the problem you’re running into began exhibiting itself when the updates were installed. In order to access this list so that you may reference the updates installed and date installed follow the guide below. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them below.

Note: I used Windows Vista Ultimate for this tutorial.

1. Click on the Windows logo (the Orb) > Control Panel.

2. When the Control Panel opens, click on the Check for updates link.

3. Windows will list any pending updates as well as give you a summary of the updates performed. Click on the View update history link located next to the Updates were installed date.

4. A window will open that will allow you to review your computer’s update history.