Close Multiple Programs By One Click

It's difficult and often discouraging to have to open Task Manager and kill the processes by hand. It's very useful to be able to close applications from the command line, and even more useful to keep a batch file for it.

We have already learned how to open multiple file by using a batch. The process

Steps:

1. Open Notepad. Copy and paste the following into notepad:

@echo off
cls
TASKKILL /F /IM notepad.exe /IM mspaint.exe /IM calc.exe /IM excel.exe
pause

• This example kills every single occurrence of notepad.exe.

2. The syntax is somewhat simple /F stands for force, /IM kills by the process name, and taskkill supports * wildcards.

3. echo off, cls, and pause are just to make the batch script neater.

4. Go to File, and Save As.

5. Where it says "Save as type:", select All Files, and at File Name, type "myUtilityKiller.bat".

• The name doesn't matter, only the .bat matters.

6. Now double-click the .bat file, and all occurrences of notepad.exe, mspaint.exe, calc.exe, excel.exe/ whatever you have added will disappear.

Tips:

• You can add "pause" onto a new line so that you can see the output.

• You can also use wildcards to specify process to kill such as :
TASKKILL /FI "IMAGENAME eq n*"
This will close all processes beginning with n.

• To Kill process running on different system use the following syntax

TASKKILL /S system /U username /P password /FI "IMAGENAME eq note*"

Such as:

TASKKILL /S 192.168.0.14 /U administrator /P xyz /FI "IMAGENAME eq note*"

This will terminate all process matching the wildcard on system 192.168.0.14 [IP address of the system]
Warnings

• It closes the process, and closing the wrong process may cause system instability.

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Hide Your Data In Image

There are many encrypting techniques which are used. Encryption of files having data is used to get it transmitted through internet safely to the recipient. When a file is transmitted via mail there is a great possibility of that file to get hacked. Unauthorized access of any file is prevented through the process called encryption.

Well, I have a great way to encrypt any file or multiple file within an image. Does it not sound amazing? To me it did. when I came to know this method I just spun off from my chair. I am sure that you all gonna like it.

To get this encryption done we need to use DOS command prompt using /b to covert any type of file to an image. The file may have extensions like file1.txt, file2.mp3 and file3.wav etc. So we must look at the process instead of narrating the Jargon.

suppose you want to encrypt the files: file1.txt, file2.mp3 and file3.swf . Put all this files in a folder namely “sample”. We now need a compressing s/w like Winrar.

Thereafter, all we need is to compress the files and name it as “Test” (say). Put this folder in any drive. suppose it is kept in drive D:/. Now its required to open the DOS command prompt. ( type cmd in run dialogue box ). The default directory must be changed to the directory which is containing the stuffs to be encrypted. Here, it’s the folder “sample” in drive D:/.

The DOS command would look like D:\Sample>

Now, use a image say “image1.jpg” to hide the data inside it. This image must be kept in the drive which contain the folder “sample”.

Now there is a small operation which will encrypt your data by hiding it in the image “image1.jpg” type the following in DOS prompt ( the blue part)

D:\sample>copy /b Test.rar + image1.jpg encrypted.jpg

Single.rar is our combined files in rar format and image1.jpg is the image file where we are going to hide the sample1.rar file. Test.jpg (you can use any name of your choice) is the resultant image file that contains the rar file.

The switch ‘/b’ indicates that we are performing the binary copy.

Now, everything is done. Using this method we can hide virtually any file type like rar, swf, mp3, txt, exe etc within an image. The image file may be a jpg, png, bmp or gif.

Advantages:

- Supports hiding any file type within an image.
- No additional tool/software is required.
- Less time and resource consuming.
- You can hide an exe file into jpg and send it through e-mail .

Disadvantages:

- It is not a good method for encrypting any important data.
- The resultant image does not open when a file of higher size is hidden inside it.

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XP Tricks & Tips

  

Remove MSN Instant Messenger Program

Some of us just don't like to use this IM program. I myself have looked in the Add/Remove Program panel and can't find any way to remove it there. I found out how to do it with a little research.
Just go to Start->Run and type in rundll32 setupapi,InstallHin fSection BLC.Remove 128 %SystemRoot% \INF\msmsgs. inf and hit ENTER. Do a copy and paste to avoid typographical errors.

Remove Internet Explorer Completely - All version of Windows

Microsoft said that removing IE may make Windows unstable because it has key components that makes Windows function properly. Well, there is a way to remove it completely. Go to this site and get IEradicator. Many people have used it before and removed IE with no problems afterwards.

Shutdown Windows Faster

All versions of Windows have the same problem. It usually takes a little longer to shutdown when you have the Exit Sound enabled. To disable this go to Start->Settings->Control Panel->Sounds and Audio Devices->Sounds. Scroll down and look for Exit Windows . Click on it once and then under Sounds, choose None. You should see faster shutdown times.

Clean out files in Prefetch Folder

There are files located in the Prefetch folder (C:\Windows\Prefetch ) that you may safely delete. These files are usually left there by other programs that were using. You can either manually delete them or use this batch file that I created to do it.
All you need to do is unzip the file called prefetch.bat into your Desktop and then double click on it. You will see the command prompt come up shortly and disappear. That's it.

Remove temporary files from Temp Folder

You may have noticed that .tmp files appear in the Temp folder ( C:\Windows\Temp). You may delete these files. Since these files might be accessed by another program, it's a good idea to delete these

when you don't have any programs open.

It's best to do this right after you login to ensure that no programs are using it. If you don't want to bother going into that folder every time to delete it, you can download xp_downloads. zip which contains a file called del_temp.bat . Just extract that file and double click on it to run it.

Add programs/folders to SendTo menu

When you right click on a file/folder and choose SendTo, you will get a list of programs/folders to send it to. Let's just say that you want to add or delete one of your own programs/folders. This could be accomplished very easily. Just navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\your_ username\ SendTo.
In this folder you may add or delete any program/folder shortcuts. All you need to do is right click on the program you want to add, and drag and drop (choose Create Shortcuts Here) it into the SendTo folder.

Make XP stop displaying zipped files as folders

In XP, zipped folders could be viewed just by opening up the file. If you have a third party zip program that you want to use instead of the built in one by XP, you can stop XP from displaying the zipped files as folders. This may also be useful for those who are on a slow PC and don't want to open zip files using

XP's built in zip program.

To disable this in XP, go to Start->Run and type in regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll. You may just copy and paste the command into the Run menu. If you want to undo it, just type in regsvr32 zipfldr.dll. Zip away.

How to Create a Password Reset Disk

Windows XP allows you to create a password reset disk, just in case you forget the password and can't login. This is only for computers that are not on a domain. Those that are on a domain may or may not work the same way.
Go to Start->Control Panel->User Accounts and click on your username. Under Related Tasks on the left pane, click Prevent a forgotten password . A wizard will show up. Click next and then insert a floppy disk into your floppy drive and choose to save the reset disk on the floppy.
Enter your current password and then click Next and Finish. The floppy will now contain your encrypted password. If you forget your password, you can just use the Password Reset Wizard to create a new one. Just make sure to create another reset disk once you changed your password. So if you forgot your password and changed it to a new one, create another reset disk by repeating the above procedure again.

Set User Logon Hours

You can restrict a certain user to only use the computer at a certain time interval. Let's say you have a username called Bill and you want Bill to access the computer only from 9AM - 9PM from Monday through Friday.
You can do this by going to Start->Run and type in net user Bill /time:M-F,9am- 9pm. For 24-hour time, you can replace the time with 09:00-21:00 instead. This will only allow the user to login during those hours on those days.

Disable XP Messenger Service

Disable the messenger service built into Windows XP to prevent ads or other popups from coming up when using Outlook (and maybe even Outlook Express). Anyway, just disable it for better performance.
To disable it, right click on My Computer->Manage->Services and Applications->Services and right click on Messenger and choose Stop. This will stop the service. There may be cases when the Messenger Service is required for some programs to run properly, so if that's the case, I would set it to Manual instead of Stop .

Customize SendTo Menu - All versions of Windows

Have you ever wanted to use some other program to open up a certain file but had to go through My Computer->Program Files and then click on the program's folder and then the program itself. You can open a file with any programs you have with ease by adding them to the SendTo menu. You know, when you right click on a file and choose Send To.
To do this, go to Start->Run and type in sendto to open up the SendTo folder. Now go to My Computer->C: Drive->Program Files and open up any of the program folders you want. Then right click on the individual programs and drag it to the SendTo folder and choose Create Shortcuts Here. Do that for each program you want to be listed there. The next time you right click on a file and choose Send To, you should see those programs listed there.

Disable Personalized Menus

Some XP users might not like the personalized menus that XP has. One example of this feature is the highlighting of newly installed programs in the Start Menu. Some users might find this annoying. To turn this feature off right click on the Start Button->Properties->Start Menu tab->Customize->Advance tab->uncheck Highlight newly installed programs. Click OK. Now when new programs are installed they shouldn't be highlighted.

Using XP System Restore

One important feature in XP is System Restore. This makes a backup of your data. To create the restore points go to Start->All Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Restore. Click Create a restore point and click Next. Type in a description for the restore point and click Create.
You're all set. If your system fails for some reason you may use the restore point by hitting the F8 key repeatedly during boot time until a menu comes up. Choose Last known good configuration. This will restore everything to the last time when everything was working ok. It's using the most recent restore point that you created. If you can get into Windows XP, you can go to Start->All Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Restore.

Clear System Restore Points

System restore points can take up a huge amount of space due to the many restore points created. You can delete all these restore points by right clicking on My Computer->Properties->System Restore and check Turn off System Restore on all drives.
Then make sure to create them again manually for each drive using the method above (Using XP System Restore). That will get rid of the older restore points and leave you with the new and updated one.

Disable/Remove Hibernation Mode

The hibernation file which allows a user to use hibernation mode takes up a lot of space. If you use this feature you are allocating/creating space so that when you come back everything (programs and folders) are still open. If you don't use it that much then there's not much sense keeping it. So you may remove it.
Go to Start->Control Panel->Power Options->Hibernate tab and uncheck Enable hibernation. That should remove the actual hibernation file. You may double check by doing a Search (F3 key) and search for hiberfil.sys in the C: drive. It shouldn't be found, but if it is, you may safely delete it.

Disable Indexing Service

Speed up XP by turning off the Indexing Service for your hard drive. This feature is used to make your searching needs faster, but it's affecting the overall performance so it's best to turn it off.
Go to My Computer and right click on the drive that you want the feature to be disabled. Choose Properties and uncheck the box where it says Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching. When a box come up choose to Apply to all folders and subfolders.

Rename Multiple Files

This is something new in Windows XP - renaming multiple files. Let's say you have a huge photo collection and want to name them in sequential order. You can do this very easily.
Just select all the photos you want to rename (you may use the ctrl key and click on individual files if desired). Then hit the F2 key and type in the name of the file. Hit Enter. It should all rename. So if you entered VacationPhoto, you will have VacationPhoto (1), VacationPhoto (2), VacationPhoto (3), etc.
Reinstall Windows XP Without Repeating Online Activation
This has probably happened to most of us already. We have XP installed already and when we reinstall it, we are asked to go online and activate it again. You can avoid doing that by backing up a very small file that has the activation information.
Before you do this, keep in mind that your hardware should be the same as before when you activated in order for this to definitely work. Go to C:\Windows\System32 and look for wpa.dbl. Copy that file to a floppy. After you finished reinstalling XP, just rename the current wpa.dbl file in C:\Windows\System32 to something like wpa.old.

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e-Shopping: Security

How secure is your transaction?
1. Secure Internet Connections

How do you tell if the Internet connections are secure?

Many web sites use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to encrypt the credit card information that you send over the Internet. These sites usually inform you they are using this technology. Or, check if the web address on the page that asks for your credit card information begins with "https:" instead of "http" if so, this technology is in place.
A different security technology, which works on different principles, is Secure Electronic Transaction, or SET, technology. SET or SSL technology are designed to make your connection secure.
Other ways to tell whether a web site uses security software:
Your browser displays the icon of a locked padlock at the bottom of the screen

You see the icon of an unbroken key at the bottom of the screen (earlier versions of Netscape Navigator
You see the icon of a lock on the status bar

2. Phone-In Option
Would you rather give your credit card information over the phone?
Many web merchants allow you to order online and give your credit card information over the phone. If you’re more comfortable with this option, make a note of the phone number, company, the date and time of your call, and the name of the person who recorded your credit card number.
You should only give your password and credit card number in a secure connection on a web site, not in ordinary e-mail. "Theft of identity," in which someone gets access to your bank account or gets credit cards or loans in your name, is a growing problem, and you should carefully guard personal information that might allow a thief to impersonate you.
3. Passwords

Do you use different passwords?

If you use a password to log on to your network or computer, use a different password for orders. Some web sites may require you to create a password for future orders. You may want to create a special password for particularly sensitive sites, such as your home banking site.

How did you choose your password?

The best passwords are not your address, birth date, phone number, or recognizable words. Choose a string of at least five letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. One easy way to create a memorable password is to take the first letter of each word in an expression or song lyric, and add some numbers and punctuation marks. For example, "tmottobg!" is derived in part from "Take Me Out To The Old Ball Game."

How should you record your password?

Don’t write down any password near your computer where someone could see it. If you do record it somewhere, reverse the order of the characters or transpose some letters or numbers. That way, someone finding it won’t have discovered your true password.

Who wants to know your password or other identifying information?

Be very careful about responding to an e-mail, phone call, fax, or letter from anyone who asks for your password, social security number, birth date, bank account, credit card number, mother’s maiden name, or other personal information. To verify that the person contacting you really does work for the seller, call and request to speak to that person directly. Except for your password and credit card number, you should never have to give any other information to place an order online. And you should only give your password and credit card number in a secure connection on a web site, not in ordinary e-mail. "Theft of identity," in which someone gets access to your bank account or gets credit cards or loans in your name, is a growing problem, and you should carefully guard personal information that might allow a thief to impersonate you. Viruses How can you avoid viruses? If you receive an unsolicited commercial message, you should not open any attached file whose name ends in ".exe." Clicking on such files could activate a computer virus that might affect the operation of your computer and/or damage the information stored on your computer. You can also protect yourself against viruses carried by e-mail or by computer files that you’ve received on a floppy disk, by purchasing and installing on your computer or network a virus-protection program.

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e-Shopping: Payment

How are you paying for the item?

1. Safest Way to Pay

Why is paying by credit card safer than paying by check, cash, or debit card?
If you have an unauthorized charge on your credit card, under federal law. In fact, some credit card issuers and web site operators say that under certain circumstances they will even pay this amount for you.

Can paying by credit card help in a dispute?

You may be able to dispute the seller’s charges if the goods don’t arrive or if you aren’t satisfied with them and return them. However, under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act, you can only effectively dispute charges billed to your credit card (but that you have not yet paid) if ALL of the following are true:

1. You have made a good faith attempt to resolve the dispute with the seller;
2. The dispute involves the amount of $50 or more; and
3. The dispute arose within the state of your credit card billing address, or within 100 miles of your address

4. The seller of the goods (for example, a department store) has not issued the credit card that you used to pay.

5. If the seller of the goods has issued the credit card you used to pay, as when you use a department store credit card, you may be able to dispute the seller's charges as long as you have first made a good faith attempt to resolve the dispute. The $50, 100-mile requirements do not apply where the seller and card issuer are the same company.
Be aware that if you buy goods or services from a seller through a web site, there may be some legal uncertainty about where a dispute arose.

What are other reasons to pay by credit card?

You may save money by using a credit card if you pay it off in full when the bill arrives. Payments made by credit card allow you to keep the payment amount in your bank account, earning interest, until your credit card bill for those payments comes due.
In addition, some credit card issuers grant you extended warranties or other advantages for purchases made with the card.

1. Credit Card Account Protection
How can you protect against unauthorized use of your credit card account number?
Carefully and promptly check your credit card statements when they arrive. If you identify any irregularities, you should immediately bring these to the attention of the issuer of the credit card by telephone and in writing.
Do you need a separate credit card?
Consider dedicating a single credit card for online purchases. It will be easier for you to review your records. Also, should the security of this number be compromised, you’ll still be able to use your other credit cards.

Do other payment options offer as much protection as a credit card?

When it comes to other types of payment options such as debit cards, money orders, cashier’s checks, certified checks, teller’s checks, and cash on delivery (C.O.D.), you’ll find the level of protection isn’t as high as with credit cards. Although there are pros and cons to these other payment options, using a credit card is still your best bet for safety.

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e-Shopping: Seller

What do you know about the seller?

The Seller - Do you know the seller’s reputation?

You might feel safer dealing with companies you already know and trust. If you’re not familiar with the name and reputation of a company–and especially if a seller has sent you an unsolicited e-mail message ("spam")–find out more before you buy.

Spam - How can you avoid "spam"?

Although many e-mails ask you to reply if you would like your name removed from the seller’s mailing list, some experts have advised against responding. That’s because your e-mail address might then be sold to others who wish to send you unsolicited commercial messages. A better way to deal with spam is to contact your Internet service provider to complain about these messages and to ask whether they can be blocked.

The Individual - Do you know the individual's reputation?

Some online auction sites offer "feedback" areas where customers discuss their experiences with a particular person

The Address - Will the seller be at the same web address tomorrow?

With a physical store or a catalog, you know where to turn to if you run into problems. But in cyberspace, all you may have is a web address. Look on the site for a street address and phone number. (Be wary if the seller’s only contact information is a post office box.)

International Buying - Are you buying from someone located outside your country?

Since it’s the World Wide Web, sellers might well be located in other countries. If so, you might not have the same legal rights, or be able to enforce your rights as easily, as when the seller is located in your own country.

Company Experience - Does it matter if the seller has experience selling the product?

The law generally gives you more protection when you buy an item from a seller who regularly sells those items.

Authorized Seller - Is the company an authorized seller?

You may get better warranty service if you buy from an authorized seller. How do you know who’s authorized? You can call the manufacturer of the product you’re interested in, or visit the manufacturer’s web site to check if the operator of the site has been authorized to sell the manufacturer's product.

Electronic Agent - Shopping for the lowest price?

Some web sites offer an "electronic agent" to identify the sites that charge the lowest price for a specified product. Be aware that some sellers have taken technological steps to block these "agents" from gathering pricing data. In addition, "agent" sites might not take shipping costs or return/refund policies into account when comparing the prices.

Still Selling - Is the seller still in business?

You might wish to telephone or send an e-mail to be sure the seller is still in operation, particularly if the web site’s material appears to be old or out of date.

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e- Shopping: Products

Updates - Have you checked for updates?

If you frequently access a web page, you may be seeing outdated pricing or old inventory information. The reason: Some Internet browsers, that is, a program such as Netscape Navigator™ or Microsoft Internet Explorer®, save frequently-accessed pages. Check whether the seller indicates when the information was last updated. To insure you’re seeing the latest version, use your browser’s "reload" and "refresh" capabilities available under the "View" menu to update the page you’re viewing.

The Product - What are you buying?

Be aware that some claims are just someone’s opinion and the consumer has no legal claim if it is not true. For example, if the seller claims: "This is the best book ever written on this topic," that is merely an opinion. However, you may have a legal case if an item that you buy does not conform to the seller’s specific description. For example, if the seller’s e-mail or web page states that the book is 1,000 pages long and published last year, you may have a legal claim if the book that's delivered is half that long and ten years old.

Double Check The Price - Does the price of the product seem reasonable to you?

Whether the product is being sold as new or used, be suspicious of prices that are too good to be true. Also, consider carefully whether you may be paying too much for an item, particularly if you’re bidding through an auction site. You may want to comparison-shop, online or offline, before you buy.
Authenticity - How do you know your product is authentic?
Is the seller offering a real brand-name item, or just a replica? Review the site for a guarantee of the product’s authenticity.

Check Your Order - Have you checked the item number and amount?

After typing in your order, double check the online form. It’s easy to order "22" rather than "2" of an item if your finger stays on the keyboard a little too long.
Many electronic order forms will tell you the total price of your order before you buy. Pay attention to that total price so you can crosscheck the items and quantity. Also, check any confirmation e-mail that you receive from the seller. If it doesn’t agree with what you wanted, immediately notify the seller by e-mail or telephone.

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e-Shopping: Terms

What are the legal terms of your purchase?
Terms - Where do you find the terms?

Different web sites have different ways of displaying legal terms; some ways are more conspicuous than others. You might find a link on the home page or order page to something like "Legal Terms" or "Disclaimers," or you might find that the "(c) 1999" at the bottom of a home page is such a link.
Other sites might display legal terms on a "click-wrap" screen, which requires you to mouse-click on a button that says "OK" or "I agree" to the terms displayed on that screen. Some courts have held that clicking will indicate that you agree to the terms, while other courts have held that the click doesn’t create agreement to the terms. In any case, if you aren't comfortable with the terms displayed, you should shop elsewhere.
Shipping, Returns and Refunds - What if you don’t see the seller’s return and refund policies?
You might want to ask the seller, through an e-mail or telephone call, to indicate where these policies are on the site or to provide them to you in writing.
You may want to specifically ask:
• Does the seller charge a flat shipping fee (for example: $5 per order), a per-item fee(such as $1 per book), or some combination of these?
• Can you return an online ordered item to one of the seller’s retail outlets for cash or credit?
• Can you return a product if you've already opened it?
• Will the seller deduct a "restocking fee" from your refund?
• Will the company charge for a second shipment if it is shipping part of your order now and part later?
• When will the seller charge your account: only when each item ships, or at some time before that?

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e-Shopping: Warranty

Warranties - Is there a written warranty?

If there’s a written warranty, it must be made available to you before you buy the item. When you review the warranty, look for the same information buying online as you would buying from a store or catalog:

• What does it cover and how long does it last?
• Whom do you have to contact for repair, refund, or replacement under a warranty?
• Is the seller limiting its liability if the item doesn’t work or causes damage?

A "full" warranty generally means that you’re entitled to free repair of the product during the warranty period, and do not have to pay shipping, removal, or re-installation costs. If the seller cannot fix the product after a reasonable number of attempts, you’re entitled to a free replacement or full refund.
Any lesser warranty is "limited." As you’d expect, there are more limited warranties than full ones. Nonetheless, they often provide substantial protection and value to a consumer.
If a product is sold "as is" or "with its faults" that means the seller gives no warranty. If the seller "disclaims the implied warranty of merchantability," that means the seller does not promise that the goods are fit for ordinary use. In some instances, the law provides that you must be given this warranty of fitness for ordinary use. Then a disclaimer isn't effective. A lawyer could advise you on when this is so.
Liability - Are there limitations of liability on the warranty agreement?
The seller might say that if something goes wrong with the item you purchased, the seller is liable only for a fixed amount of money. Or, the seller is only required to repair or replace the item. Even if you have suffered other damages–say you lost thousands of dollars in business because your computer crashed–you’d only collect for the value of the product or the cost of repair.

Arbitration or Mediation - Arbitrate or mediate?

Check the agreement to see if you’re able to go to court to sue. Some agreements say that you have to go to arbitration (have a third party decide the case) and give up your right to ever go to court. Or the agreement could specify that you must attempt to mediate any disagreement (through a third party, who will attempt to settle the case) before you can take your claim into court.
Suing - Where can you sue?
The seller may try to specify that you can only sue in a certain state. If it’s not your home state, you might have to travel to the seller’s state if you want to sue.

Under whose law will you sue?

Not only can the seller try to specify which state’s courts will hear your case, but also which state’s laws apply. The terms might not only require you to sue in Texas’ courts, but also require the Texas courts to apply New Jersey law. This could result in courts far from home applying the law of a state that might be particularly tough on cases like yours.

Time Limit - Is there a time limit on lawsuits?

In most states, you have at most four years to sue if you think the seller has violated the warranty. Wait longer, and you’ve lost your right to sue. Often, you’ll find that the seller has cut the time to as little as one year. But take note that the seller can’t limit the statute of limitations to less than one year. Find out the statute of limitations (time limit) on lawsuits by checking the seller’s legal terms posted on its web site or see if a time has been specified in its correspondence with you.
Damaged Merchandise - What happens if your purchase is damaged or missing a piece?
To preserve your legal rights, inspect your purchase carefully as soon as you receive it. Contact the seller as soon as possible if you discover a problem with it. Tell the seller in writing about any problem that you are concerned with, ask for a repair or refund and keep a copy of your correspondence.

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e-Shopping: Delivery

When can I expect delivery of the item?

Is the seller complying with the 30-Day Rule?

A Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") rule states that if a seller says that a product will be shipped within a certain time, the seller must reasonably believe it will. If the seller doesn’t specify the time within which an item will be shipped, the seller must reasonably believe that it can be shipped within 30 days from the day the order is placed. If the seller can’t ship the goods within the stated or 30-day deadline, the seller must notify you, then give you a chance to cancel your order and receive a refund. Or, the seller can just cancel your order and refund your money.
Violating these rules or regulations can expose a seller to legal action by the FTC, the Postal Service, and state law enforcement authorities. The FTC can assess penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation. These regulations do not apply to products ordered on a cash-on-delivery (C.O.D.) basis.

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e-Shopping: Records

How should you keep records about your purchase?

Keep Records - What documents should you keep when purchasing online?

We suggest you retain the following records when shopping online:
• A printout of the web pages indicating the seller’s name, postal address, and telephone number;
• A printout of the web pages describing the item(s) that you ordered;
• A printout of the web pages or pop-up screens that provide the seller’s legal terms;
• Printouts of any e-mail messages (for example, confirmation messages) that you send to or receive from the seller. This includes:
o Those that might show that the seller indicated that the product would be suitable for the specific purpose for which you needed it,
o Those in which you notify the seller of problems with the merchandise that you have received; and
o Those that would show your good faith attempt to resolve with the merchant a charge that you do not feel should have been made to your credit card.
• Notes or e-mail confirmations of any telephone conversations that you have with the seller.
If the current date does not appear on these printouts, you should add it in writing

Technorati Tags: online shoping,online shoping tips

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e-Shopping: Complaints

To whom can you complain if you're not satisfied?

Do you know to whom to complain or contact if you are not satisfied or have a question?
Check the site for a customer service page, "contact us" link, e-mail address, or phone number to get your complaint addressed or questions answered. If you have a complaint, ask for what you think is fair – even if it’s more than the legal terms stated. A merchant isn’t forbidden from doing more than required to make the customer happy. If you still are not satisfied with the answers or action taken, contact the Better Business Bureau, The Commission's Consumer Complaint Forum, Consumer Courts, or the Office of the State Attorney General in your state or the state where the seller is located which can be accessed through the National Association of Attorneys General.

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Manage iTunes 8

I have brought to you all some settings and functionalities you may access in iTunes 8 released by Apple. I hope you will be benefitted

1. Organize your playlists in folders by clicking File >New Playlist Folder, thereafter drag playlists into each one.

1. Create a playlist of an entire album by clicking Music in the Library menu at left, and thereafter View > Show Browser. Thereafter drag the album from the Album list to the space beneath everything else in the bluish pane at or just Shift-click the Add (+) button on the album name to do the same thing.
2. Create an instant playlist of a group of selected songs by Ctrl-clicking each song, and thereafter drag the whole batch to the same space on the left.
3. Right-click a song name to see a group of useful shortcuts, including the ability to display all the playlists in which a song currently appears, or cue it as the next song in Shuffle mode.

Navigate iTunes like a pro.

1. Lost your place in the Library view while listening to a song? Then jump to the currently playing track by a click to the curved arrow to the right of the progress bar at the top.

1. Right-click any column heading in order to change which ones are visible.
2. Work the iTunes controls from the keyboard by holding down the Ctrl key: Ctrl-Right Arrow skips to the next song, while Ctrl-Left Arrow skips back. Ctrl-Up and Ctrl-Down change the volume, while the space bar plays or pause the current track.

Delete duplicate songs. Now that Apple is finally pulling DRM off its iTunes Store tracks, 30-cent upgrades are available for prior purchases, and, thrown into the bargain, the upgrades double the bit rate—to much-better-sounding 256-kilobit-per-second AAC files. Although iTunes offers to delete the old 128-Kbps files in the process, I found that iTunes misses a lot of them—seemingly because the iTunes Store changed the name of albums along the way. So knock them all out in one fell swoop by selecting File > Show Duplicates, and thereafter deleting all the unwanted versions.

Beef up artist recommendations. iTunes 8's new Genius feature is pretty cool, but take it a step further and install the free iLike Sidebar. It attaches to the right of your iTunes window and generates new recommendations, free MP3 links, and even related videos as you play different tracks.

Create extra libraries. Apple wants you to keep all of your music in one library, but that doesn't mean you have to. Hold down the Shift key when starting up the app; you'll see a small dialog box asking whether you want to create a new library or look for an existing one. This little trick lets you archive music you don't feel like staring at all the time but don't want to delete forever, either—and it's also great for people with different musical tastes who share the same computer.

Improve the sound quality of imported CDs. Now that storage prices have fallen through the floor, and the standard iPod classic has a 120GB hard disk, consider bumping up the sound quality of imported CD tracks to at least 256 Kbps AAC, if not Apple Lossless..

Source[ PC MAG]

Technorati Tags: iTunes,Apple

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You Tube: Tips and tricks

YouTube is a video sharing website on which users can upload and share videos.YouTube is an online public communications site. The site allows for registered users to upload and have available for the public their videos for viewing. Anyone who goes to the site can view the videos that are posted on this site. The videos are anything from beginner videos to more professional videos. Here I have in this post written some tricks about you-tube which many don’t know. These tricks are really helpful and you-tube users will certainly find it helpful. So, enhance the efficiency of you-tube with the following tips

Embed only a part of Video

Its easy!! only append ‘&start=20' to skip first 20s of the video. In general the value of "start=" can be changed to the number of seconds you want to skip the video for.

Hide the search box

The search box appears when one hovers over an embedded video. To hide the search box add ‘&showsearch=0' to the embed url.

Loop an embedded video

Append ‘&loop=1′ to make the video start again without user intervention after it reaches the end.

Autoplay an embedded video

Normally when a page embedded with you-tube video is loaded , the player is loaded and it waits for you to hit the play button. You can make the video play automatically by adding ‘&autoplay=1' to the url part of the embed code.

Download Video

Although not inherently a youtube trick but useful all the same for downloading videos. Just change youtube to kickyoutube in the url of the video and it will take you to kickyoutube.com with all the options for downloading the video you were watching.

Hope that I have helped out with this trick. Feel free to ask any thing about the posted stuffs. Do let me know If I have helped you .. :)

Technorati Tags: video,youtube,tips and tricks

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Download HD wallpapers

Wallpapers printing techniques…

Wallpaper printing techniques include surface printing, gravure printing, silk screen-printing, and rotary printing. Mathematically speaking, there are seventeen basic patterns, described as wallpaper groups, that can be used to tile an infinite plane. All manufactured wallpaper patterns are based on these groups.

I have a great collection of desktop wallpapers to share with you all. These wallpapers are my favorite and I am sure it will fascinate you all. So explore these wallpapers and give your desktop a new and refreshing look.

 

  

I will certainly post some more exciting wallpapers soon. Till then use these wallpapers to give a awesome look to your desktop….

Click The Photos to Download…

Leave your valuable comments to assist me..

Technorati Tags: HD wallpapers,Desktop,wallpapers,abstract wallpapers

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Start Blogging on blogger

I have uploaded a Video to illustrate the process of starting the journey of blogging . In the Following video the illustration is quite easy to understand and execute it thereafter. I, feel the pain a person thinks to start blogging and surfs here and there to know the process, so I have uploaded a video that illustrates the process in very lucid way. So start blogging with new ideas, share and gain knowledge..

Hopefully this post helped the persons thinking to blog on blogger.

Technorati Tags: blgger,start blogging,blog

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How To Add Fly-Out Menus To Start Menu?

How do you access "My computer", "my documents", and "control panel"?. Whatever your way is to access them I don't have any idea. However, I have a alternative process to access the components of above mentioned options.

I will, thereby explain the process of adding fly-out menus to your start menu corresponding to those options. The process is quite easy until one explores it. I will explain to add the fly-out menus to one of the option say, control panel. Other options may be accessed via fly-out menus in the similar way I have explained below.

Now I will explain to add fly-out menus for "Control Panael" .

Steps to perform:

Step 1. Right-click the Start button on the desktop, and then click Properties.




step 2. In the Start Menu tab, click the Customize button. XP users should then switch to the Advanced tab.





step 3. You'll see entries marked Computer, Control Panel, Documents, Games, Music, and so on. For any or all of them, enable Display as a menu.



step 4. Click OK twice to exit.


I hope this has helped you a lot.

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Stay Connected: Blogger Widget

Hi, Readers. I have a great widget which I came across of late. Its a excellent widget for blogger blogs which lets the visitors of your site to remain connected with you. It allows the traffic to your blog/site to get associated with you through the social networking sites. Its easy to install in the blogger blogs. I have stated the steps to do so in a most lucid way I could have.

Steps:

1.Login to blogger

2.Go to “layout”

3.Select “Add a Gadget” and then select “HML/JavaScript” from the POP-UP window.

4.Copy and paste the below code and give a proper Heading.

Replace “#” with your respective profile links in corresponding sites

Stay connected widget.....

<div style='padding: 6px 0pt;'>
<table border='0' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='100%'>
<tbody><tr>
<td width='100%'>
<a href='#' target='_blank' title='Add me on Orkut'><img border='0' src='http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3627/3517922519_cfd986c939_o.jpg'/></a>
<a href='#' target='_blank' title='Add me on Facebook'><img border='0' height='16' src='http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3383/3541243317_b319d98116_o.png' width='16'/></a>
<a href='#' target='_blank' title='Checkout my Del.icio.us bookmarks'><img border='0' height='16' src='http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/3541243313_121d9a8c99_o.png' width='16'/></a>
<a href='#' target='_blank' title='Add me on Technorati'><img border='0' height='16' src='http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3538/3541246267_40fd356eb0_o.png' width='16'/></a>
<a href='#' target='_blank' title='Follow Me on Twitter'><img border='0' src='http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3409/3541247791_81624992ea_o.png'/></a>
<a href='#' target='_blank' title='View my pics on Flickr'><img border='0' src='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2374/3541246245_0c2221546c_o.gif'/></a>
<a href='#' target='_blank' title='Join My Community on MyBlogLog'><img border='0' src='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2204/3541246253_152bbaa61d_o.png'/></a>
<a href='#' target='_blank' title='Add me on FriendFeed'><img border='0' height='16' src='http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3608/3541246247_d943535f4b_o.png' width='16'/></a>
<a href='#' target='_blank' title='My Professional Profile on LinkedIn'><img border='0' height='16' src='http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2222/3538499023_c8abe478b6_o.jpg' width='16'/></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>

This is all You have to do and your blog is ready with a Great looking widget that let the readers connected with you. I hope It would be helpful to YOU

Technorati Tags: blogger,blogger tips,javascript,widgets

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Install OpenOffice.org 3.0 on Ubuntu 8.10

I guess everybody knows about open office suit. It’s a light and well functional free software that replaces other bulky counterparts. Well, I would like to explain about Open office

OpenOffice.org (OO.o or OOo), commonly known simply as OpenOffice, is an office application suite available for a number of different computer OS. It is distributed as freeware. It supports the ISO/IEC standard OpenDocument Format (ODF) for data interchange as its default file format, as well as Microsoft Office formats among others. As of March 2009, OpenOffice supports over 75+ languages.

STEP 1 - Add the OpenOffice.org 3 repositories

Navigate to System -> Administration -> Software Sources...

Navigate to the second tab, "Third-Party Software," click on the "Add" button, and paste the line below...

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/openoffice-pkgs/ubuntu intrepid main

Get key files HERE Navigate to the fourth tab, "Authentication", click the "Import Key File" button, navigate to to the location were you've just saved the key file (File System/home/YOURUSERNAME/Desktop) and double click it. You will immediately see a new entry called "247D1CFF 2009-01-21 Launchpad PPA for OpenOffice.org Scribblers".

Now, click the “Close” button, then the “Reload” one and wait for the application to termnate!

STEP 2 - Update OpenOffice to version 3.0.0

When the Software Sources window will close itself, the update icon will appear in the system tray...

Click on it and update your system. Your open source office suite will be up-to-date from now on. Take a look below for some shots of OpenOffice.org 3.0 in Ubuntu 8.10 .

Work on it and enjoy

Technorati Tags: ubuntu,OS,open office

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Save Share Settings and Permissions

How to save and restore share names and permission on a windows 2000/XP/2003 computer?

After surfing, experimenting and reading a lot I ultimately found out the solution to the above question. Its really a great method to achieve the same. It’s simple and can be done tweaking in the Registry Editor. The method is easy and can be followed by any person. I have tried to explain the method in best way I could have. Read the steps carefully…

I will explore the method to you all

Steps:

1. Open the registry editor.

navigate: HKEY_LOCAL _MACHINE sub-tree, go to the following key:

SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Shares

2. Save or export that Registry Key.

3. Type in new file name (a file extension is not necessary), and then save the file to a floppy

4. Reinstall Windows and run the registry Editor.

5. Restore or import the registry key. You’ll need to type in the path and file name of the file you saved.

6. Restart your PC

*You can always restore your previous configuration by pressing [F8] at boot-up and selecting he “Last known good configuration” option

Technorati Tags: Regedit,Share permissions,restore windows,share names

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VLC Media Player: Tips And Tricks

VLC 0.9 has released to widespread acclaim. The media player of choice for many, has packed in a horde of new features and marked changes in the design and interface. The playback bar has jazzed up buttons, which won’t appeal to those who went for the minimalist charm of VLC. They have also inverted the direction in which the scroll works with the media, you scroll down to go backward, and scroll up to go forward which is counterintuitive to everyone and irritating to the long term users.

Adjust The Colour Of The Video

In the playback bar, click on the icon that looks like the equaliser for lesser media players. This is right next to the playback button.
Then select the ‘video effects’ tab. The ‘basic’ tab will be selected by default. Check the ‘image adjust’ checkbox. From here, you can adjust the hue, saturation, contrast, brightness and gamma of the image. There is also a ‘brightness threshold’ slider.

Use VLC As A Transcoder

Open a file, then Navigate: Media > Convert/Save. In the file tab, click on the Convert/Save button.
Select the ‘File’ checkbox under ‘Outputs’. Enter a file name. Make sure that draw raw input is unchecked.
Then select an encapsulation, that is basically the format under ‘profile’.
Select a video codec and audio codec under the ‘Video codec’ and ‘Audio codec’ tabs.
You can save files in a format to be played on a portable media device and save.

Listen To Online Radio

To listen to online radio, Navigate: Playlist > Shoutcast Radio Listings.
Then Navigate: Playlist > Show Playlist. The Shoutcast radio option should have appeared below the ‘Playlist’ and ‘Media Library’ options. A long list of genres and radio stations will appear. Select one that you want to listen to you. Some of the stations listed don’t work, and some might make the player crash. Some stations are listed under multiple genres.

Skins

VLC supports skins. VLC skins can be downloaded from their site, but VLC also supports winamp 2 and xmps skins. Navigate: Tools > Preferences. In ‘Interface’, select the ‘Skins’ radio button and load the skin file from here.

Prevent Screensaver Interruption

This is a highly useful feature that prevents a screensaver from interrupting the movie you are watching.
Navigate: Tools > Preferences. In the dialogue that pop-up, look at the bottom left corner, and select the ‘All’ radio button under ‘Show settings’. Click on ‘Video’ preferences, and under ‘General Video Settings’ look for the ‘Disable Screensaver’ checkbox.

Overlay A Logo On The Video

Navigate: Tools > Preferences. Select ‘All’ under ‘Show Settings”
Navigate: Video > Subtitles / OSD > Overlays.
Click on ‘Logo Subfilter’ under Sub Picture Filter Module. Enter the path and filename in the bar below.
To do this via command line, Navigate: Tools > Add Interface > Command Line.

To Resume Playback From A Specific Time

If you were interrupted while watching a video or a movie, and want to resume from the exact moment you left off, there are two ways to do it.
While playing the movie, Navigate: Playback > Navigate: specific time, and enter the time in dialogue that pops up.
The other way to do this is to Navigate: Media > Advanced open file, check ‘Show more options’ and enter the Start Time.

Using The Loop Function

VLC can loop a part of a song or a video over and over again. To use this feature, Navigate: Tools > Advanced controls.
The loop button should appear on the playback bar. Open the file you want to play, click the button when you come to the part on the media you want to start the loop at. Click on the button again at the part of the file you want the loop to end. VLC will now start playing that portion of a file in an endless loop till you click on the loop button again to stop the loop.

Take Snapshots Of The Video

Navigate: Tools > Preferences > Video. Under video snapshots, enter the directory, a prefix, check ‘sequential numbering’ and choose a format. The default is .png.
To take the snapshot while the video is playing, Navigate: Video > Snapshot.
Through keyboard  [Shift] + [S].
To use a button to take a snapshot, Navigate: Tools > Advanced Controls. The snapshot button appears on the playback bar.

Add A Ticker To The Video

Navigate: Tools > Preferences, select ‘All’ under ‘Show Settings’
Navigate: Video > Subtitles/OSD > Marquee. Enter the text in the marquee, and the text will scroll across the screen while the video is playing.
You can also ste the settings to get an RSS feed to scroll across the video. Copy the feed URL then Navigate: Tools > Preferences, select ‘all’ under ‘show settings;
Navigate: Video > Subtitles/OSD tick on “RSS and Atom feed display’ and enter the URL in the bar.
There is an option to display or not display images in the feeds.

Technorati Tags: VLC MEDIA PLAYER,AUDIO,Video,media player

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View your saved passwords for any page.

To view the password associated with any website in Mozilla browser you are just required to follow some steps. It’s really an easy job that any novice can follow. I have mentioned some steps below. Just follow it and you can access the saved password of an associated website.

Steps:

· Go to login page

· Right click and select “view page info” from the menu

· A window will pop-up, select “Security” tab.

· Select “view save passwords”

· A window will pop-up showing usernames associated with some sites

· Then click “view password” to access the passwords corresponding to a site

If you want to view all of your saved usernames and passwords just follow the steps below

* open Options under the Tools menu

* select the Security tab.

* Click Saved Passwords to open a list of every site you've ever saved a password for

* Again, click View Passwords and the list will display all of your passwords.

• 

You can't print this list, but you can just as easily take screenshots if you want to store your passwords for safekeeping. But it’s a big security hole. A question arises, Knowing how easy it is for anyone with access to your PC to view all your passwords, passwords can be hacked? To protect passwords from unauthorized access , In the Options | Security tab, click Use a master password and enter a password. Now this password will have to be entered any time you or anyone else tries to view saved passwords. You'll be asked to enter your master password every time you open Firefox; without it, Firefox won't automatically enter saved passwords for you

Technorati Tags: mozilla,Mozilla tricks,password,browser

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