Friday, July 30, 2004

Display Cool Shortcut Icons

Change the icons for shortcuts on your desktop to personalize your computer. You can recognize a shortcut icon by its arrow in the bottom left corner. When changing shortcut icons, Windows provides you with icons you can choose from. Icons included with Windows are stored on your computer at C:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll and C:\WINDOWS\system32\moricons.dll . You can also find loads of free icons on the web. One of the places to looks is http://www.iconarchive.com (click on this link or on the title line of this posting) . Note: When you're downloading icons from the web, be sure the icons have either the .exe, .ico or .dll extensions for them to work.

Here's how you do it! Right-click the shortcut whose icon you want to change. A menu appears. Click "Properties" to view the properties of the shortcut. The "Properties" dialog box appears. Click the "Shortcut" tab and then click "Change Icon" to change the icon for the shortcut. The "Change Icon" dialog box appears. Click the icon you want to use. (If you do not see the icon you want to use, click "Browse" to locate the icon you want to use on your computer). Click "OK" to confirm your selection then click"OK" again to close the "Properties" dialog box. The shortcut now displays the new icon.

You can also change the icon for a folder on your computer that is not a shortcut. Right-click the folder you want to change and select "Properties". In the Properties dialog box, click the "Customize" tab and click the "Change Icon" button. Then select and install your icon as outlined earlier.

Back to top

Friday, July 23, 2004

Accelerate Your Downloads

Fresh Download speeds up your internet downloads by opening several connections at once. A must have - it really works! No adware and no spyware! Free from Fresh Devices.com. While you're at the Fresh Devices site be sure to look at the other FREE programs they offer. They will even notify you by Email when updates and/or upgrades to their products are available. 

Back to top

Monday, July 12, 2004

Plug Another Windows Hole!

Security sage Steve Gibson has created a free program that automatically disables Microsoft's Universal Plug and Play. Download UnPlug 'n' Pray from grc.com/UnPnP/UnPnP.htm.

Back to top

Keep Hackers Out!

Some features of Windows can open your system to hackers and viruses like the Windows Scripting Host.

Symantec offers a free program to disable Windows Scripting Host at www.symantec.com/avcenter/noscript.exe.

Back to top

Friday, July 09, 2004

Find Movie Blunders (Fun Stuff)

Track movie blunders at movie-mistakes.com. The Matrix is the current mistake-ridden film with 147 blunders cataloged, but many other big hits make the list. Did you notice that one of the passengers in Titanic is wearing a digital watch? Neither did I.

Back to top

Thursday, July 08, 2004

My Personal Webpage - "My Moments"

I now have my personal webpage up and running. After you have finished here, please visit me there and leave a message in my Guestbook. Click on the title line of this posting or type http://west3660.tripod.com/mymoments to reach the new site. Hope to see you there.

Back to top

Friday, July 02, 2004

Know what you've got with Belarc Advisor!

Download the Belarc Advisor (FREE) and have it scan your computer. It will list all the software and hardware you have installed with dates, versions, serial numbers, etc. Handy to have in case you have to format and re-install or just for your information. Just make a copy and stash it away someplace safe and you'll have it all together in one place. Handy!

Back to top