If you’re installing Linux as a guest operating system under VirtualBox, the chances are that you downloaded the ISO file from the internet with the intention of burning it to DVD and booting it to begin the installation process. Still, there is another way. After creating a new virtual machine into which to install the operating system, select the virtual machine , press the config button and go to ‘CD/DVD-ROM’ section. Tick ‘Mount ‘ CD/DVD drive ‘ and select the ‘ISO image file’ radio button . Press the folder button to the right of this and the Virtual Disk Image Manager appears.
Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy,” it says. “Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications.”
You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?
Seven gadgets for your Windows Sidebar that will help keep your bank manager happy…
Clever ways to improve your context menus
The real context menu fun comes when you create commands to perform unusual Windows functions that are tricky to access in other ways.
Does the Windows Aero interface sometimes get too much for your old PC, for instance? Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\Shell. Create a new key called Aero Off, and a command key below that with the value Rundll32 dwmApi #104
Add extra layers of protection to your PC’s security without spending a penny
- RATE SITES Download and install McAfee SiteAdvisor for Internet Explorer and Firefox from www.siteadvisor.com – this provides traffic-lights ratings for web sites and search engine results. It’s not infallible, but it adds an extra layer of protection.
- INTERNET SIGNS Red sites should be treated with extreme caution, but roll the mouse over the red icon to get more information – click ‘More info’ for a detailed rating, including what others think about the site and McAfee’s rating.
Collect all the most useful applets in one place
- SETTING OUT Control Panel is packed with applets that you’ll rarely use, which makes it harder to find the ones that matter. But the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) can help. Type ‘MMC.EXE’ into Start Search and press Enter to launch it.
- TAKE A LOOK The MMC can combine many of the most useful Control Panel tools, or ‘snap-ins’, into a single applet, making them easy to find and use. Click File → Add or Remove Snap-ins, and then browse the list to see the tools available.
- IT’S YOUR CALL Click on a snap-in you like, and then click Add → Finish to add it to the list. Device Manager, Event Viewer, Local Users…, Reliability and Performance Monitor, Services, Shared Folders and Windows Firewall would be high on our list, but the choice is yours.
Rid your machine of superfluous extras and cut vital seconds from your start-up time
- CONTROL PANEL TWEAKS Deleting applications you don’t need can help accelerate boot times – especially those that load into memory when you log in. go to the Control Panel and choose Uninstall a Program.
- DELETING PROGRAMS To delete a program select it from the list and click Uninstall. Some may prompt you to restart. Wait until you’ve removed all programs you want to delete before rebooting your PC.
- BE FRUGAL WITH FONTS When Windows Vista starts up, it loads all your fonts into memory. The memory you have, the longer this takes. It’s likely that you’ll only use a fraction of them – so you can safely remove those you don’t like.
Move over Spielberg
Unleash your creative power with Windows Movie Maker
- IMPORT FOOTAGE Open up Windows Movie Maker and click File → New Project. To import your video from your digital camera connect it to your computer using USB 2.0 or better. Go to Task → Import → from digital video camera.
- STORYBOARDING Windows Movie Maker is divided into three main areas including the storyboard/timeline, the preview monitor and the panes. To start editing your movie drag your imported file into the storyboard that lies along the bottom of the screen.
- SPLIT-SECOND Don’t be restricted by actual events: create an entirely new experience by cutting and moving parts of your footage. To split a clip, just click on Play and then a Pause as the clip reaches the point you want to split. Click the Split button under Clip.
Take control of your life
The new Windows Live Calendar makes it easy to stay organized from any computer
- SET UP CALENDARS Go to calendar.live.com Two calendars will be created by default: your own calendar, plus a birthday calendar for your Windows Live Mail contacts. To create more, just click the plus icon next to Calendar, fill in the details and click OK.
- NAVIGATE CALENDAR Switch views by clicking Day, Week or Month – choosing Agenda will let you see all upcoming events between two selected dates. Switch to a different month by clicking the arrow keys by the current month.
