Guru status
Posted on 11 Mar 2008 at 12:40
48. Master the Command Prompt
The Command Prompt is a dinosaur in IT terms: a holdover from the heady days of Windows 3.1. But it's still there and can be a saviour in a tight spot. Start it up by typing cmd into either the Run dialog (Windows + R) or the Vista Start Search bar. There are hundreds of commands to use, some highly potent and dangerous if used carelessly. For starters, IPCONFIG allows you to see the status of your network adapter, while attaching a URL after PING sends 32 bytes to an address of your choice. The round-trip time lets you hazard a guess as to the status of your internet connection.
49. Don't wait for boot up
Waiting for your computer to boot is a tedious and unproductive start to any work day, but leaving your PC on permanently will help to make Croydon a seaside resort. Save a few minutes every morning by using Wake-on-LAN to boot your computer just before you get to work. If you don't happen to have a server handy to do this for you, there are several websites willing to schedule a wake-up call, such as www.rshut.com/products/wol.
50. Simplify your life with scripts
Many people don't realise there's a full scripting language built into Windows, called VBScript. It's hugely versatile, supporting file operations, complex variables and full user interaction. So if you don't mind getting your hands dirty with VB code, you can create sophisticated scripts to reduce almost any sequence of tasks in Windows toa double-click. Or it can be launched automatically via the Task Scheduler. For simpler scripts, use good old MS-DOS file scripting language.
51. Turn off User Account Control

User Account Control (UAC) was one of Microsoft's most-heralded additions to Windows, dimming your desktop and prompting you every time you did anything potentially dangerous - every time! The result is that User Account Control rears its unwanted face far too frequently. Turning it off opens up plenty of dangers, though, so we recommend you only switch it off temporarily when you know you're going to get an annoying batch of prompts (such as when installing new hardware). Type User Account Control in the Control Panel search box to access the option.
52. Convert from FAT to NTFS
The older FAT and FAT32 drive formats are obsoleteand new installations of Vista use the more secure and powerful NTFS format by default. If you have any drives still using the redundant ones, you can easily convert to NTFS by opening a Command Prompt and typing "convert [Your drive letter]: /fs:ntfs". Just remember to back up any important files before you try.
53. Add Command Prompt to your start menu
If you use the Command Prompt often, navigating to the right directory is a pain. Try editing the Registry to give access to the Command Prompt with a right-click on the appropriate folder. Open the Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Run box, delve down to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Classes/Folder/Shell and make a key by selecting Edit | New | Key. Label this Open Command Prompt, make a second key under this and label it Command. Select the Command key, and double-click on default to open the Edit String box. Then, in the Value Data field, type cmd.exe /k pushd %L.
54. Open the Command Prompt where you want to
When you open the Windows Command Prompt, the default working directory is your personal data folder. But what if you want to get to a folder that's buried deep in your file system? You can get there by cd'ing to the right place, but Vista makes it easier: instead of running Command Prompt from the Start Menu, hold down Shift and right-click on the folder you want. You'll see an extra option - Open Command Window Here - and it does what you'd hope. You can add this to XP by downloading the Command Window PowerToy from Microsoft's website.
advertisement
- Tech support survey reveals men need to read the manual
- OpenOffice ships 18-button mouse
- Nokia recalls 14 million faulty chargers
- Play.com order glitch leaks names and addresses
- Rupert Murdoch considers Google block
- Skype safe as eBay strikes deal
- Rick Astley worm infects iPhones
- Web censorship "breaches WTO rules"
- Facebook users to join the IM crowd
- Government promises broadband windfall for Scots
- Microsoft shows courage at Tech-Ed 09
- PowerPoint and Silverlight: a perfect match?
- Why all the fuss over Windows Explorer?
- Your iPhone has a virus? Well it's your fault
- Motorola pays Lucas for its Droid
- Where are the killer apps for Windows?
- Will you hit the Orange iPhone "unlimited" cap?
- USB 3 first benchmark - it's here, and it's fast
- Why Windows 7 has forced me to worry about security
- How Dixons is (under)selling Windows 7
- The bulletproof Dell that costs an arm and a leg
- Microsoft Office 2010 Technical Preview: Q&A
- Lawnmowers, the TyTN II and one odd insurance request
- There'll never be a bulletproof OS
- How far can we trust apps?
- Five nice touches in Outlook 2010
- Building a better Google
- Beware HP's horrendous printer-driver glitch
- Microsoft debuts free Morro antivirus package
- Getting started with Search Server 2008 Express
advertisement

Printed from www.pcpro.co.uk
