Windows 8-Enable/Disable System Restore

To enable or disable the System restore feature of Windows 8, follow the below procedure: 
Move the cursor to the bottom right corner of the corner to display the "Charm Bar" and choose "Settings".

• Then choose "System" > "System Protection".
• Click on "Configure".
  • To disable System Restore, select "Disable system protection" and then click on "Apply."

• • To enable System Restore, select "Turn on system protection" and then click on "Apply."

source: en.kioskea.net

The most used keyboard shortcuts

Using keyboard shortcuts can greatly increase your productivity, reduce repetitive strain, and help keep you focused.These are the most used keyboard shortcuts I recommend everyone memorize and use:

Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert

Copy the highlighted text or selected item.

Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert

Paste the text or object that's in the clipboard.

Ctrl + A

      Select all the text or items from a document or folder.  

Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y

Undo any change. For example, if you cut text, pressing this will undo it. This can also often be pressed multiple times to undo multiple changes. Pressing Ctrl + Y would redo the undo.

Ctrl + F

Open the Find in any program. This includes your Internet browser to find text on the current page.

Alt + Tab or Alt + Esc

Quickly switch between open programs moving forward.

Tip: Press Ctrl + Tab to switch between tabs in a program.

Tip: Adding the Shift key to Alt + Tab or Ctrl + Tab will move backwards. For example, if you are pressing Alt + Tab and pass the program you want to switch to, press Alt + Shift + Tab to move backwards to that program.

Tip: Windows Vista and 7 users can also press the Windows Key + Tab to switch through open programs in a full screenshot of the Window.

Ctrl + Back space and Ctrl + Left or Right arrow

Pressing Ctrl + Backspace will delete a full word at a time instead of a single character.

Holding down the Ctrl key while pressing the left or right arrow will move the cursor one word at a time instead of one character at a time. If you wanted to highlight one word at a time you can hold down Ctrl + Shift and then press the left or right arrow key to move one word at a time in that direction while highlighting each word.

Ctrl + S

While working on a document or other file in almost every program pressing Ctrl + S will save that file. This shortcut key should be used frequently anytime you're working on anything important.

Ctrl + Home or Ctrl + End

Move the cursor to the beginning or end of a document.

Ctrl + P

Print the page being viewed. For example, the document in Microsoft Word or the web page in your Internet browser.

Page Up, Space bar, and Page Down

Pressing either the page up or page down key will move that page one page at a time in that direction. When browsing the Internet pressing the space bar will also move the page down one page at a time. If you press Shift and the Space bar the page will go up a page at a time.

source:computerhope.com

Scanner Problems

These are some solution if your computer can't find the scanner or the scanner doesn't start scanning:


   Solution 1: Check the power supply and cable. Verify that the power light is on and the scanner is ready. Make sure to use the power equipment that came with the scanner. If the power supply is plugged into a power strip or surge protector, try plugging it directly into the wall.
   Solution 2: Check the USB cable, if applicable. If your scanner is connected to the computer with a USB
cable, use the cable that came with the scanner. If you are using a different USB cable, it should be no more than 6-feet long. Try plugging the USB cable into a different USB port on the PC. If the USB cable is plugged into a USB hub, try connecting the cable directly to the computer. If you have another compatible cable, try replacing the current cable.
   Solution 3: Check the SCSI or FireWire cable, if applicable. Some high-capacity scanners use a SCSI or FireWire interface. Use the cable that came with the scanner, and double-check the connections on your computer and the scanner itself. Try disconnecting and reconnecting the cables. If you have another compatible cable, try replacing the current cable.
   Solution 4: Check the shipping lock. If the scanner has a shipping lock, verify that it is in the unlocked
position. The shipping lock prevents carriage damage to the scanner during shipping.

   Solution 5: Reset the scanner. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to reset the scanner. If you do not have instructions, disconnect the cable that connects the scanner to the computer. Disconnect the scanner
power cable to turn the scanner off. Turn off the computer and wait a couple of minutes. Turn on the computer, reconnect the scanner power cable to turn the scanner on, and reconnect the cable that connects the scanner to the computer.
   Solution 6: Update the scanner driver and software. Check for updates to device drivers and new software
patches. Install the updates as instructed by the manufacturer.
   Solution 7: Check the device driver in the Windows Device Manager. To open the Device Manager, right-click My Computer, click Properties, select the Hardware tab, and click Device Manager. Look in the Imaging Devices section for a yellow exclamation mark or red X indicating a problem with the device or driver. If a problem is indicated, right-click the scanner and click Properties. In the Device Status box, look for any messages about problems with the scanner, or click the Troubleshooting button for additional help.
   Solution 8: Verify scanning software settings. Most scanning software automatically opens when you attempt to perform a scan. If yours does not, open the software manually. If you don’t know the correct software settings, change the settings to the factory default, or refer to the software’s online help or support information.
   Solution 9: Close all open programs and disable antivirus software. If this solves the problem, the antivirus
software may be interfering with the scanning software. Check with the antivirus software manufacturer to resolve the conflict.
   Solution 10: Try repairing the scanner software. Click Start, Control Panel, and Add Or Remove Programs. Select the scanning software and click Change or Repair. Follow the onscreen instructions.
   Solution 11: Uninstall and reinstall scanner software. Click Start, Control Panel, and Add Or Remove Programs. Select the scanning software and click Remove. Follow the on-screen instructions to remove the software. Reinstall the scanner software using the original installation CD.

source: smartcomputing

Deleting contact data and SMSes forever

   

Every cell phone has certain amount of data that is specific to its owner. If the cell phone is subsequently passed on, then it should be wiped clean of this compromising data. After all, there are certain personal details which its owner does not want to reveal, even to his family members. The same logic applies to office phones, which is at times shared between colleagues. Whether it is personal or official, no one wants to pass on his sensitive data in unknown hands. You can always use the delete function of the cell phone, but this option comes with loopholes.

To identify what could still be found in the cell phone memory after the supposed deletion, we can use a spy tool for professionals called the Paraben’s Device Seizure, which is available on http://www.paraben.com/device-seizure.html. The site offers a trial version for 30 days with the complete version of the forensics tool. And yes, Device Seizure is a tough nut to crack.

After installation, we can plug in current cell phone models to the computer and set the spy tool on the devices. The program creates an image of the cell phone memory that can be subsequently used with the integrated hex editor. We may find deleted contact data and SMSes in few cell phones, which the previous owner had received and deleted.

While tool did not work on all the devices, it is, however, constantly being developed. Thus, the danger of unauthorized persons retrieving your deleted data is very plausible.

To avoid such a scenario, you should ideally first delete the data on the SIM card and then overwrite it. This makes it very difficult or rather impossible for forensics programs to restore the contacts or messages. For doing so, you must use a SIM card reader such as the SIM Card Stick. You can use it to access the SIM card, load the contact data and messages stored on your computer and edit the entries there. It is much more comfortable and even much faster in case of several messages as opposed to editing data using the cell phone menu.

In addition, the software deletes all the existing contacts on your SIM card and overwrites them. Once done, the overwritten contact data can no longer be read.

source: chip.in

The Blue Screen Of Death

   The most infamous error message is the Blue Screen Of Death. It’s so wellknown that it has crept into the vernacular: “Aw, man! I was almost finished with my term paper when I got bluescreened!” The phenomenon is also known by its acronym, BSOD.

   The conditions that cause a blue screen have changed since the days of Windows 95/98, as has what it means. In either case, chances are pretty good that, if you get bluescreened, any unsaved work will be lost, as either Windows (in NT/2000/XP/7) or your application (in 95/98) has been shut down.

   The BSOD is perhaps the most despised error not only because it has wiped away countless hours of work over the years, but because of the obtuse way in which it does so. The messages delivered in the typical blue screen are meant for developers more than end users. For example, a blue screen delivered by Windows may deliver a message such as the following: 

“0x0000001E, KMODE_EXCEPTION _NOT_HANDLED.”

   And if you don’t find that sufficiently informative, you’ll see four variables in parentheses to help developers

figure out what’s happening. Again, none of this will mean much to most of us, but a support rep or developer can often learn a great deal from such cryptic messages.

   Fortunately, blue screens are rare in recent versions of Windows and may disappear after a reboot. But if

the problem recurs, you could have a real problem. Here are some troubleshooting steps to follow if you encounter a BSOD:

   While your system is booting, press F8 and select Safe Boot Mode, which loads a subset of Windows

with minimal drivers. If things run smoothly in Safe Mode, you likely have a software problem with a recently installed application. Try to decipher the error message to see if you can trace it to a specific program. If all else fails, uninstall your most recently-installed application.

   If you still see blue screen errors in Safe Mode, restart again and use F8 to get to the advanced options.

This time, choose Restore Last Known Good Configuration, which is a snapshot of your system as it existed before you last installed any drivers or other software. You will lose any system changes you’ve made since that point, but your documents will normally remain untouched by this process.

   If you’re still having problems, you are likely suffering from a hardware problem or a corruption of vital system files. Again, any hints that you can gather from the error message could help you (or a tech support rep) trace the source of the problem. Remove any recently installed hardware and try booting again.

   In the worst case, it’s not uncommon to have to resort to reinstalling device drivers or even the whole operating system.

   Ultimately, the best cure for the BSOD is prevention: Save often and create frequent backups.

source: smartcomputing

Middle Mouse Button

   Most computer users do most of their clicking on the left side of the mouse. Many make good use of the right button too. But only a handful take advantage of the middle button.

   You might be thinking, "My mouse doesn't have a middle button, just a scrollwheel" But that wheel doubles as a button; try pressing it.(Admittedly, on a few older models the wheel really is just a wheel.) You can click and hold that button, and then move the mouse back and forth to scroll in a Web browser. If you want more versatility, though, check out the free X-Mouse Button Control, a utility that modifies mouse button behavior.

   True to its name, this free utility affords considerable control over your mouse's buttons. I'm going to focus solely on the middle one--but once you learn to tweak that, you should have no trouble modifying your mouse's other buttons. Once installed, X-Mouse intercepts clicks of any given button and performs a selected task. For example, you can program the middle button to go back a page in your browser; close the current window; cut or copy selected text; activate Windows 7's Flip 3D mode; lock your workstation; maximize the current window; and so on. My favorite use for the middle mouse button: double-click. In other words, instead of having to manually double-click a desktop icon to launch a program or open a document, I just middle-click it. Once you've made your selection from the drop-down list, simply click Apply to make it start working immediately.

   This is really a handy utility, almost on par with another useful tool, WizMouse.

WizMouse is a tiny free/donationware utility that has a single, simple, function--if you hover your mouse over an inactive window, and use the mouse scroll wheel, it will scroll that window while keeping it inactive. This can be a boon for anyone copying text manually from an inactive window to an active one, or who needs to see data in one window (perhaps one partially obscured) while reading or working in another. It even scrolls applications that don't offer mousewheel support by converting the wheel to clicks on the scroll bars. In other words, if you spin the wheel down, WizMouse will virtually click the "down arrow" for you. WizMouse has a very simple interface. Most of the time, it sits in your system tray as an icon; if you click it, you get a small dialog with a handful of basic options. I found the default settings to be perfect.

Source: pcworld.com