"Hello Lawrence, My brother’s computer have two OS installed, Vista and XP on separate drives. How can I find, get and access the Windows Directory easily? I mean I can go there directly. I remember he installed two Windows XP on the same drive. Thanks in Advance… - Fred"

There are several ways to do this in Windows Vista and XP… Here’s the Quickest way to find the correct folder. Note: Login first, Of course :)

1. In Windows Vista, Click the Start Menu Button and type,

%SystemRoot%

As shown in the picture above > To open, just click the folder. That’s it!

2. Open the Run Window by pressing Win+R and type: MSINFO32

 

Afterwards, find the location from the System Summary. Simple isn’t it?

3. You can also see the location in the command prompt. Press Win+R, type: CMD to launch and use %SystemRoot% again.

Enjoy Learning Windows!!!

More Quick Tips:

2008/05/quick-tip-windows-vista-power-button.html”>A Windows Vista Power Button that actually Turns off your PC

2008/05/quick-tip-create-shortcut-and-go.html”>Quick Tip: Create a shortcut and Go directly to Device Manager

2008/05/quick-tip-opening-network-connections.html”>Opening Network Connections Window easily

2007/11/turn-off-aero-using-keyboard-shortcut.html”>Turn Off Aero using a Keyboard Shortcut

I have been looking for a "best practices" document to use when setting up Vista in a business environment. While searching the MS website I came across these three security guides:

Windows Vista Security Guide

Windows XP Security Guide

Windows 2003 Security Guide

They offer a tremendous amount of information that can help you get your machines as secure as possible in any type of environment.

Take a look - you will be surprised by how much is covered.

Between Windows and Linux, you will hear a majority of the players choosing the former since many of us have bee accustomed to it and know the way it works more or less. The commands and features are elementary to us while Linux, a supposed more steady operating system, needs orientation once more for people to be able to use.

Ever since Linux was introduced into the market, there have been people who have studied it and have likewise gotten the hang of it. But compared to Windows operating systems which seem to be around for ages, the preference is still for an operating system that you are familiar with.

Windows still has flaws and issues to address. The initial release of operating software by Microsoft is not bug-free. There are patches that you have to download to ensure safe and stable processes when you use your PC. They are normally free and if you fail to apply these patches, chances are you will see your computer going haywire at one time or another.

For Linux, the clamor is that it is stable. But as far as familiarity is concerned, it still needs to cover a lot of lost ground in terms of seasoned users. There is no doubt that Linux is a great alternative.

But basing it on the acceptance that most people react to today, only a few are willing to accept change. That is perhaps one reason why Linux has been relegated to specialized cases such as internal networks since it is reliable in that aspect.

For standards PC users, Microsoft Windows products are still the logical choice and preference we see today.

The Windows UX Taskforce is now feature complete. In the past 7 days, I’ve implemented all the features I had originally planned (and much more) to facilitate the community Windows user experience feedback site I require for world domination. If you haven’t already checked it out, then head over to www.istartedsomething.com/taskforce.

For those who like numbers, here’s some interesting stats from the past 7 days.

• 18,128 votes casted (average 100 per hour)
• 449 submissions posted
• 1,633 comments written
• 573 registered users
• 159,000 hits since its launch

The amount of quality submissions received so far is pretty amazing. There’s a few submissions entirely off-topic and the occasional “Save XP” banter, but I must admit I’m really impressed by how much attention to detail some users pay to the Windows user interface. And I thought I was picky. Of course, all of this wouldn’t mean much if none of these are ever addressed by Microsoft.

Speaking of that, I’ve heard some encouraging words from in and around Microsoft that none of this is going by unnoticed. The details are sketchy but apparently people in the Windows Experience group who are responsible for the Windows user experience are well aware of the site and have even browsed through the list of feedback thoroughly. This leads me to the next step.

Ideally, I want Microsoft designers and developers to be a part of the conversation. I’ve already implemented the necessary functionality to allow them to ‘respond’ to the feedback via a status update and explanation (in a very cool AJAX manner I might add). Knowing the situation at Microsoft, this will probably take some effort but I’m going to try to get them involved in some way or form. Until then, keep those submissions coming and know that it isn’t a lost cause. And if you are a Microsoft employee (or Steven Sinofsky), my email is in the profile page.

On a side note, I’ve received tremendous feedback on the PHP application as well. In case you were wondering, I didn’t use any frameworks - all coded from a blank file. I’ve implemented a number of optimizations in the past few days so it should feel a little snappier than it was 7 days ago. I’ve also had a number of requests to deploy the same website/application for other Microsoft softwares and even Mac OSX. All of which are under consideration, but I might need some extra incentives.

P.S. If anyone tells you not to edit code live on a production server, tell them they haven’t lived life on the edge. Having said that, if you’ve edited your profile on the Windows UX Taskforce in the past 12 hours and haven’t been able to login, that would have been my fault. Please proceed to reset your password.

If you happen to be wondering why your computer would suddenly give you a blue screen, check out the message first. If it has something to do with your video card, chances it is overheating for some reason.

Normally, you will notice that these video cards have built-in auxiliary fans. The purpose for this is to maintain a certain temperature level for their use. Some make use of wider heat-sink fans but if you are the type who spends a lot of time on the computer, this may not be practical.

Going back, once you get that blue screen, try and check our video card hardware. Observe if the fan is still functioning and how fast it is going. If it is not the normal speed to which ventilation is being circulated, chances are your video card is indeed overheating.

Normally, this will be a real problem for you. While you can try and use your computer over and over again, chances are it will keep on crashing and giving that blue screen. Worst, if you are not careful, the next time around your computer may not load anymore.

Such big problems from one computer peripheral can really be frustrating but it is something you just have to face. Video cards such as Nvidia or Palit Daytona normally have these small fans to help mediate the temperature level for their use. In case this happens, you have two options; either buy a new video card or replace the fan. The fans can be replaced at a much cheaper rate and all you have to is bring it to a technician so that it can be replaced.