Free Encrypted Email

Do you want to easily communicate securely and privately over email. Ciphire Labs in Germany is offering software that makes it easy to encrypted e-mail communications. New Scientist wrote an article about the product.

Once the software is installed it performs all the complex tasks of encrypting your e-mails. The software works with most email clients, and is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.

Note: This service will only work if you and the recipient are running this software.

Modifying XP's Visual Effects

You can increase Windows XP's system performance by disabling different visual effects, such as: fade or slide menus, visual effects on buttons, slide open boxes, etc..

    * Right-click on My Computer, and select Properties.
    * Click the Advanced tab.
    * In the Performance section, press the Settings button.

From here you can adjust the performance by turning on and off individual visual effects, or by using pre-defined configurations by selecting one of the radio buttons.

Windows XP: Creating Your Own Toolbar

Have you wanted to create your own toolbar in the taskbar or on your desktop. Windows will allow you to turn almost any folder into a toolbar, even special folders like the Control Panel. It is pretty easy, follow the instructions below to convert the Control Panel folder into a toolbar. This same procedure should also work on just about any other folder:

    * Minimize all your windows so that the desktop is exposed. (Press the WinKey+D)
    * Right-click on the Taskbar.
    * Scroll to Toolbars > 'New Toolbar...'.
    * In the dialog, select a folder (open 'My Computer', then select 'Control Panel').
    * Press the OK button to continue.
    * Click on the new toolbar in the Taskbar and drag it on of the edges of your monitor. It should automatically lock into place.

You can make the toolbar auto-hide when it's not in use so it's not taking up valuable desktop space. Just right-click on its label where it says 'Control Panel', and select 'Auto-Hide'. To get rid of the toolbar altogether, right-click on label again and select 'Close Toolbar'.

Creating a Password Recovery Disk

For: Windows XP Professional and Home Edition

In the previous versions of Windows if you accidently forget your password all you had to do was the press the ESC key. In Windows XP if you forget your password you can be locked out of your computer.

This is because Windows XP uses a more sophisticated method of managing each user's permissions. These premissions are also enforced by file system and operating system itself.

To help protect you from getting locked out your computer, you can create a password recovery disk. The password recovery disk can allow you back into your computer even if you forget your password.


Note: You will need some type removable media to create a password recover disk, such as a floppy disk. The Password Recovery wizard will want to erase disk that you will use.

- Open the Control Panel
- Open the User Account control panel
- Click on a user, to create a Password Recover Disk
- On the left hand side, click on 'Prevent a forgotten password'.

You will now be presented with a wizard which will walk you through creating password recover disk. You will also need to know the current password for the account you want to create the recover disk.

If you forget your password, all you have to do click on the green arrow next to the user account at the login screen. You will then be prompted to insert the password recover disk.

Choosing the Windows Explorer Start Folder

For: Windows XP Professional and Home Edition

When the Windows Explorer is launched, it opens the My Documents folder by default. To make Windows Explorer start in another folder, you can create a shortcut that causes it opens in a new location.

- Right-click on the desktop and select New > Shortcut.
- In the Location field type "explorer.exe /e,C:\", then press the 'Next >' button.
- Give your shortcut a new name, or accept the default, then press the Finish button.

Whenever you launch the shortcut it will open the Windows Explorer to the C:\ drive. You change the location of folder which the Explorer opens, you need to modifying the path (i.e.: 'C:\') after the '/e'. If the path includes a space, then the whole path name needs to be enclosed in quotes.

Changing the Default Action With Removable Media

For: Windows XP Professional and Home Edition

Whenever you insert some type of removable media (such as: CD/DVD disk, flash card, etc.) into your computer, Windows will pop-up a dialog questioning you on what you want to do with it (such as: play the audio, play the movie, display the pictures, etc.). You can also specify for Windows to never AutoPlay any type of content for this device.

If for some reason the AutoPlay dialog box stops appearing, or you want specify AutoPlay default actions for different types of content. Follow the instructions below:


- Inserting the media into its reader
- Open the Widows Explorer
- Expand 'My Computer', then right-click on the drive letter that represents your removable media, and select Properties
- Click on the Autoplay tab.
- In the dropdown menu, choose the type of content that the removable can contain, and click the "Select an action to perform" radio button.
- Select the default action for this media type.
- Repeat the last two steps for the different types of content, and the action for that content.
- Press the OK button when done.

Note: If the system doesn't remember your settings you may have repeat this task a few times to get it too work.

Using the "Show Updates" Option (Windows XP SP2')

For: Windows XP Professional and Home Edition

Before Windows XP SP2, in the Add or Remove Programs control panel the Microsoft updates that were applied to your system would show in here. This is great if want to see what patches were applied to your system. Although it was annoying if you had to scroll through the list trying to find the program that you wanted to remove, and accidentally removed a system patch or service pack.

In SP2 a new feature prevent the system updates from being displayed in the list by default. So if you want to see the system date you have enable this feature.


- Open the Control Panel folder
- Open the Add or Remove Programs control panel
- At the top of the Add or Remove Programs window, check the "Show updates" checkbox.

You're now able to scroll down and see the system updates intermixed with the other programs.