Most digital cameras capture your pictures at a size large enough for quality printing. But when sending pictures by email, it’s important to reduce the size of your pictures so they transfer faster and are more viewable on the recipients screen. Windows Vista has an automated function that will resize, optimize, and email a group of pictures without altering your originals.

1. Open My Computer and navigate to the folder containing the pictures you wish to email.
2. Select the group of files that you wish to email. Use Shift or Ctrl to select additional files.
3. If the picture files are inside your Pictures folder, you should see an Email button at the top of the Window. Click this. If you do not have the Email button, right click and choose Send To > Mail Recipient. The Attach Files dialog box will appear.
4. Choose a size for your pictures. The small option is suitable for most purposes and will give you the best reduction in file size. If you know your recipient has a fast Internet connection you may want to choose Medium or Large.
5. Click Attach.
6. A status bar appears as Windows resizes the files, then a new message is opened in your default mail program with your pictures attached.
7. Windows inserts the file names into the subject field of the message. You will probably want to change this.
8. Fill in the recipients email address, add a personal message, and you’re ready to send.

1. Most images will be converted to the JPEG format for best compatibility.
2. Some files types (such as PSD) cannot be converted by Windows. You should convert these yourself before emailing them as they can be quite large.
3. Most Email providers have a maximum file size limit per message, usually around 10 MB. Try to limit the total size of all attachment to less than this when sending to recipients with a high speed connection.
4. If your recipient is on a dial-up internet connection, limit your total attachment size to 1-2 MB or less.

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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Avast: Another free Anti-Virus software. Just as good as AVG. However this one is more system intensive than AVG or NOD.
Bitdefender: Popular anti-virus software- Free of charge. (Free- NOT real time scanning -only manual scanning)
ClamWin: Small and non-intrusive anti-virus. Like Bitdefender (Free- NOT real time scanning -only manual scanning)
AntiVir: An anti-virus that has been around for a long time – still free for home use.
Blink: First security solution to build all of the necessary protection layers into a very lightweight package. (Contains a software Firewall)
NOD32: The absolute BEST anti-virus protection. (I know, I clean scumware for a living). 30day trial. Or purchase.
Kaspersky: A very sweet anti-virus software with a 30day trial. Be sure to JUST get the AV, not the full suite of bloatness.

TheCleaner: This finds/prevents trojan horses. This is on a 30day trial, however very recommended – try it.
DiamondCS: Many high-end programs for worm/Trojan detection, 30day trial.
Windowsecurity: Free online Trojan scanner.

Ad-Aware SE: Great for getting rid of spyware and malware – the items that can cause annoying pop-ups.
SpyBot: Similar to Ad-Aware, however more aggressive. Clean up spyware and hijack attempts.
SpyCatcher: Active Protection. One of the most advanced antispyware solution available as a free service.
AVG AntiSpyware : Clean annoying malware such as spyware, Trojans and hijackers. Great compliment to an anti-virus.
MalwareBytes: Since programs like Ad-Aware have become.. crap, this is a GREAT replacement for cleaning.
CounterSpy: Probably the best shield against spyware. The best database cleaner there is. Period. 30day trial.
Comodo BOClean: This is more of a “real time” (run the the background) anti-spyware. Not a fan of TSR’s, but this works.
CWShredder: Takes care of many hijacking software – run if you get many pop-ups/redirecting pages.
HijackThis: Tool to find out if there is “hijack” software on your system. Use the logfile analyzer if your not sure.
Kill2me: Another stomper of spyware – bring it on.
KillBox: Very nice for taking care of “Abetterinternet” and other n00bish software.
a² free: This bridges the gap with anti-virus and malware. This free scanner cleans Trojans, worms, spyware (all malware).
SpywareBlaster: Active prevention against spyware, adware, browser hijackers and dialers.
HitmanPro2: Incorporates all major Anti-Spyware software and updates/runs them all for you. Too cool.
WinDiz: Windows updates with FireFox. Great if ActiveX is damaged by spyware.

POPfile: Perfect/Free ani-Spam tool. Involved installation, but once it’s set – it’s good.
IHateSpam: For Exchange (V5.5, 2000 and 2003) was uniquely developed to be both user and admin-friendly. 30day trial.
Spamihilator works between your E-Mail client and the net. Useless spam mails (Junk) will be filtered out.
SpamBayes: is a tool used to segregate unwanted mail (spam) from the mail you want (ham).
SpamPal: Mail classification program that separates your spam from the mail you really want to read.
OSpam: A great and simple spam solution for any POP account.

Sygate. Just bought by Symantec – now it’s going to be crap. Hurry and get this before it happens.
Tiny: Tiny is a free firewall. It is designed for the more advanced due to the heavy features included.
Comodo: Great little personal firewall. This is pretty new and robust.
OutPost: An Opensource based firewall. Works very well protecting against worms, trojans and hackers.
Kerio: Smart, easy-to-use personal security technology that fully protects PC’s against hackers and internal misuse. The best.
Protowall: Very small application that blocks IP address. Very cool.
Prevx: Stops the attacks that bypass anti-virus and firewall products.

PowerCrypt 2000: Encrypted files, folders and E-mails. This free file lets you hide all your data.
PGP: “Pretty Good Privacy”. Actually it’s probably the best encryption software out there. Free – PC/MAC
Cryptainer LE: Secure your data and ensure absolute privacy with Cypherix’s powerful 128bit encryption.
BitCrypt: A sophisticated tool allowing for encryption of plain text within a bitmap image.
EasyCrypto: Encrypt both standalone files and entire folders. Many cool options here.
Truecrypt: Free open-source disk encryption software for Windows XP/2000/2003.
MD5HashGen: Simple application that can generate one-way MD5 hashes – Great for password generations.
PerfectPasswords: GRC’s Ultra High Security Password Generator.
RoboForm: A free password manager and one-click web form filler. Just be carefull who uses your PC.
Password Safe: Allows you to have a different password for all the different items that you deal with – remembers for you.
CutePasswordManager: Form filling software that auto fill user/password. Stores info with 256-bit AES encryption – 1click login. *
PIN’s: Storing of any secure information like passwords, accounts, PINs etc. 448 bit Blowfish. Does not install.

Eraser: FBI just kick in the door? This little program will erase data to a level that the Dept. Of. Defense uses.
KillDisk: KillDisk conforms to US Department of Defense clearing and sanitizing standard DoD 5220.22-M.
AutoClave: Hard drive sterilization on a bootable floppy.
SuperShredder: Shred’s individual files. It’s stronger than DOD specs.
DBAN (“Darik’s Boot and Nuke”) is a self-contained boot floppy that makes it an appropriate utility data destruction.

Anonymizer: Installs a small toolbar into your browser. Moves your connection to proxies around the word. Slows connection.
Proxify.com Spoof your IP address without installing software. The paid version is much faster.

SpeedFan: Allows you to see your CPU temperature. Good for overclockers and modders.
Motherboard Monitor: Like speedfan, reads temperature and fan RPM data – alerts you when there’s trouble.
Si Meter: Great/free/small application that does live monitoring on system resources.
TDIMon: Lets you monitor TCP and UDP activity on your local system.
InterMapper: Gives a visual in real-time view of traffic flows through and between critical network devices and links.
WinBar: A compact program that lets you monitor your system and provides easy access to frequently used controls.

RegSupreme: Clean up the registry from old entries, speed up your system. 30day trial.
RegSeeker: Very tiny – does not install. I have tested this and trust it. Many tweak options with it.
RegscrubXP: A great free registry cleaner for XP. Fix those “weird issues” with Windows.
Beclean: is the complete suite of system cleaner. Registry to history – cleans many things.
CCleaner: Removes unused and temporary files from your PC – allowing it to run faster, more efficiently and saving space.
MyUninstaller 1.0: Uninstall anything,clean out old video drivers, uninstall programs that are not in “add/remove”.
DriverCleaner: Made to fully clean out the drivers of ATI and NVIDIA.
MSconfig: Get rid of startup programs that slow your PC down. This would be for Windows 2000.
Starter: It’s better than Msconfig. Also works with Windows 2000, which is nice due to the fact that 2k doesn’t have msconfig.
PreFetch cleaner: A pre-fetch scrubber to clean out files that are used commonly – can be corruption or spyware hiding.

Belarc: Takes a snap-shot about a PC (hardware-software) with a full profile report. This is very handy.
SIW: A small .exe that when ran – gives you all kinds of info about your PC and software. Need this on your tools disk.
PcpBios: Very tiny script that looks at all BIOS related information. RAM, CPU and motherboard instant info.
EVEREST: (recently AIDA32). Like Belarc, gives full system summary of hardware and software/keys.
SpaceMonger: A tool for keeping track of the free space on your computer. It shows a graph of files and sizes.
IP subnet calculator: A diagnostics tool to calculate your network latency and subnet information.
CPUid: A very small application that tells you about your specific specs. (FSB, core clock, dual channel etc.).
PC Pitstop: A good site to check how your doing on fine tuning your computer. It will also help you fix your issues.
PowerMax: Diagnostics for hard drives made by Maxtor. Download, put on a floppy or CD and test your HDD.
MemTest86: Diagnostics for your RAM. Download, put on a floppy or Cd and test your RAM.
Monitor Asset Manager: A Plug and Play monitor information utility. Provide detailed technical information about the target display.
ShieldsUP: Port scanning of all ports or custom scans. See how good your firewall is doing.
BandwidthTest: Test your internet connection speed.

TweakUI: Perfect for somebody who really wants to customize there XP. Made my Microsoft
X-Setup: Like TweakUI but with more functionality and options. Very slick.
ResourceHacker: Get in and really tweak or fix Windows. Great registry GUI hacking.
RenameRecycleBin: I made this registry value in notepad, download/double-click/”yes”/throw away, rename your recycle bin.
Matrix Screensaver: Best (only) Matrix screensaver out on the web. Great options. Here is actual text (change name for you)
FOOOD’s Icons: Great free icons for XP. Default is boring.
Strokit: Advanced mouse gesture recognition engine and command processor.
ReForce: Windows 2k and XP have an issue with Hz in games. This will allow you to set all games at a specific Hz setting.
Keyboard Remapper: Remap your keyboard keys. Easy enough.
ClocX: Analog clock for the desktop.
Xpadder: Map your game pad or RC TX to keyboard keys. Wokrs great for customized controllers.
Alarm: A digital clock that you can set to display a message and play a sound at a time of your choice. AlarmClock
WeatherPlus: Display satellite images and video around the globe, stay updated on current and expected weather conditions.
Nlite: Remove or add Windows components to your Windows CD – for next time you re-install Windows.
AutoStreamer: Just like Nlite, this is specifically for adding Service Packs to your Windows install CD’s.
Digital Blasphemy: Probably the best wallpapers and images on the net.
Konfabulator: Engine that lets you run little files called Widgets that can do pretty much whatever you want them to.

File Recovery: This is free software made by PC Inspector. Really, Really nice if you lost or trashed a file and need it back.
Smart Recovery: Recover data from flash drives: CF, SM, Thumbdrives, micro drives – etc.
Disk Investigator: Discover all that is hidden on your computer hard disk, recover lost data.
File Scavenger: Undelete and data recovery utility for NTFS volumes. 64KB or smaller files can be recovered with free trial.
CDCheck: Utility for the prevention, detection and recovery of damaged files on CD-ROMs and error detection.
Restoration: Tiny program that doesn’t install. Perfect if you trashed a file (even emptied the recycle bin) and you need it back.
RecoverOutlookMail: A little trick for recovering those corrupted .PST files.

FireFox: Drop Internet Explorer and get a superior browser. Check out the add-ons.
Google Chrome: A great webkit based browser by Google. Very fast. *
Opera: If you don’t use FireFox, use Opera. Now that it is free and Ad-free – it is now recommended.
Safari: Apples web browser now for Windows. Great web browser next to Firefox.
Reload Every: Extension for FireFox. Allows you to set reload times on your browser windows so you won’t be logged out.

FileZilla: An FTP program that is superior to “Cute”, and is Free.
WinSCP: Open source SFTP client for Windows using SSH and SCP protocol’s. Secure FTP.
FireFTP: If you use FireFox browser (like you should be) – use this plug-in for FTP functionality in your browser.
Hamachi: Setup two or more computers with an Internet connection into their own virtual network for direct secure communication. How-to’s
FolderShare: Securely keep files synchronized between your devices and remotely download your files from any browser.
LogMeIn: Easy to log into a PC from a PC, MAC or linux machine. No port forwarding involved! Just like terminal services but easier.
Avvenu: Remote connect to your PC from another PC or any web-enabled handheld. Perfect for getting those files you forgot.
Crossloop: Secure screen sharing utility designed for people of all technical skill levels. Basically, TightVNC but no port forwarding needed.
TightVNC: Remote control software- see the desktop of a remote machine and control it with your local mouse and keyboard.
RemoteDesktop: Microsoft remote desktop client side installer for older Windows versions.
RDPortX: A small app I made to change the defualt 3389 port that Remote Desktop ueses. Great for multiple RD servers on the same network.
eMando: Client/server package which you can use to control and manage a computer over a LAN or the Internet.
DirectUpdate: Get an Email of your WAN IP address changes even behind a router (for dynamic ISP’s). 60day trial ($15.00 – buy).
DynDNS: A full list of dynamic IP administration software tools.

CDBurner-XP Pro: Just like it sounds, burning program for Windows. Free.
ImageBurn: A lightweight CD / DVD / HD DVD / Blu-ray burning application.
ISORecorder: Small program to burn images of CD’s. Once installed, right click an .ISO’s or a ROM drive and “create CD image”.
DeepBurner: A full featured Burning app for CD’s, DVD’s and ISO’s. Much like Nero only totally ~~Free

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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If you work on windows , you know that shutting it down can be really a hassle and time taking , especially when a lot of programs are running . Most of us tend to avoid shut down due to this reason but we know that shut down is always safer and also considered good for the pc .

There are a lot of shut down tricks and tools available , which help you to achieve a smooth and fast shut down of windows without negatively affecting your pc . However this trick , which was suggested to me by a friend , is probably the simplest one and also the fastest way to shut down your pc .

Here are the steps :-

1: Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to go to the Task Manager .

2: Click on Shut Down on the Top .

3: Highlight ‘ Turn Off ‘ and while holding down the Ctrl key , click on it .

And thats it ! Just count 1 , 2 , 3…5 and there you go…your pc is off !

I have tried this trick on my XP system and it has worked everytime and hasn’t negatively affected my pc . I haven’t tried this on any other version of Windows but I think it’ll work .

However I advise you to use this trick only when you are in a rush and you need a speedy shut down of your pc .

If you work on windows , you know that shutting it down can be really a hassle and time taking , especially when a lot of programs are running . Most of us tend to avoid shut down due to this reason but we know that shut down is always safer and also considered good for the pc .

There are a lot of shut down tricks and tools available , which help you to achieve a smooth and fast shut down of windows without negatively affecting your pc . However this trick , which was suggested to me by a friend , is probably the simplest one and also the fastest way to shut down your pc .

Here are the steps :-

1: Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to go to the Task Manager .

2: Click on Shut Down on the Top .

3: Highlight ‘ Turn Off ‘ and while holding down the Ctrl key , click on it .

And thats it ! Just count 1 , 2 , 3…5 and there you go…your pc is off !

I have tried this trick on my XP system and it has worked everytime and hasn’t negatively affected my pc . I haven’t tried this on any other version of Windows but I think it’ll work .

However I advise you to use this trick only when you are in a rush and you need a speedy shut down of your pc .

Windows Vista has many new features that are designed to help older computers run Windows Vista better. One of those features and the topic of this tweak is called ReadyBoost. ReadyBoost helps your computer by giving it more high-speed memory. If your computer is running low on RAM then it has to kick a lot of applications out of high-speed physical memory to the paging file on your hard drive. This usually results in a big hit in performance and increased activity on your hard drive. ReadyBoost helps this situation by giving Windows an alternative to having to stick data into the slow paging file on your hard drive. Instead, ReadyBoost uses a USB storage device that is faster than a hard disk. This results in a performance boost because Windows will have a high speed alternative than using the slow paging file on your hard drive.

In order for ReadyBoost to work, it requires a USB storage device that meets minimum performance and space requirements:

• The device must be at least 64 MB
• The device must be USB 2.0
• It has to be able to read at 3.5 MB/s
• It has to be able to write at 2.5 MB/s

If you are unsure if your USB storage device meets these requirements, just give it a try anyways. To get started using ReadyBoost, follow these steps:

1. Plug in USB storage device.
2. Go to Computer and right click on the removable storage device and select Properties.
3. If your device is compatible, you will see a ReadyBoost tab. Click on that.
4. Select Use this device and select the amount of space on it you want to dedicate for the ReadyBoost system file.
5. Click OK and you are finished.

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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$199.99 or $399.99

Find out what the difference is between an OEM Vista and a Full Retail Version of Vista, and how you can save up to $200 on your Windows Vista purchase．

Microsoft’s four versions of Windows Vista is enough to throw any user off but that’s only counting Microsoft’s retail version of Vista. To add even more onto this confusion, there are also OEM versions of Windows Vista being sold. In this article, we will go over the differences between the two, and help you decide if saving that $200 on your purchase of Windows Vista Ultimate is a good idea. Before we begin, what is OEM anyway?

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer.

Usually when these three letters (or words) pop up, you think of lousy packaging, reduced service, and very limited warranties. But when you are heading out to purchase Vista, you are dealing with a new definition of OEM.

First, lets go over the most obvious difference between the OEM and Retail version of Vista – the pricing. Pricing for the OEM versions are significantly cheaper. Let’s just see how much cheaper:

• Vista Home Basic OEM $99 (full version retail: $199) Savings: $100
• Vista Home Premium OEM: $119 (full version retail: $239) Savings: $120
• Vista Business OEM: $149 (full version retail: $299) Savings: $150
• Vista Ultimate OEM: $199 (full version retail: $399) Savings: $200

Much cheaper indeed than the full retail version.

Alright, we’ve got the pricing covered. Next we need to know what we are getting for the good money that Microsoft takes from your pocket. When you buy OEM Vista, you will be getting the whole package without all the nice pamphlets, manuals (if any), and any other pieces of paper that might encourage you to buy more of Microsoft’s products.
You might ask, what about the CD itself? In most cases, the OEM version of Vista will run exactly the same with a few exceptions:

1) Variation: If the Vista is bundled with any piece of hardware or computer, it is considered OEM. An example of this would be purchasing Vista with a computer manufacturer such as Dell or having it bundled with a motherboard or something similar. In most cases, Vista has been optimized to work with those particular pieces of hardware. Regardless of the changes though, you will still be getting the real deal like everyone else.

2) Ties in with motherboard: Once you install Vista on your computer, the marriage between the two is set in stone. The OEM version of Vista will lock itself to your motherboard, meaning should you decide to upgrade later on, you would need to purchase a brand new copy of Vista. However, Microsoft does have a policy to allow motherboard swaps in the event of hardware being defective or failing, but don’t count on it as a life-saving excuse to help you. Either way, just remember your Windows Vista will be non-transferable.

3) No returns: If you opened the case, that Vista CD is yours forever.

4) No support: Remember that saying, “No man is an island”? Unfortunately that doesn’t apply when you’re dealing with Windows Vista. If you bought your Vista with a PC, most companies such as Dell do provide 24/7 support. But if you bought your OEM Vista on your own, you won’t be able to count on support because there won’t be any.

Here’s the big question: Is OEM for you? It all depends on what kind of computer user you are. Consider the following when choosing what to buyCan you fix computer problems on your own?

Are you familiar with working with computers?
Are you technologically-inclined
Do you know how to protect yourself from threats?
These are some things you should ask yourself before purchasing. Not everybody requires the 90-days support Microsoft offers. If the answer to the above questions is no, you might want to reconsider before purchasing an OEM version of Windows Vista.

Does the company selling you the OEM version offer support?
For example: Dell offers 24/7 support on its systems, regardless of the OS.

Will you be upgrading your PC in the long run:
This is probably the most important thing to remember before buying OEM Vista. It would really suck if you had to purchase Windows Vista twice. If your computer is a bit out-of-date, you might want to reconsider before purchasing OEM. What you might want to do is upgrade your PC to fit Windows Vista’s requirements before purchasing an OEM. You can find out if your PC is optimized for Vista by downloading Microsoft’s Vista Upgrade Advisor Tool here.

We’ve outlined the differences between Windows Vista OEM and Windows Vista Full Retail. Now it’s your call as to what is right for you.

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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