Tweak UI.

Tweak UI is in fact additional useful program from Microsoft after Windows XP is released and it is also part of the so-called PowerToys – a bundle of useful software for Windows XP users. Tweak UI can give users better control over system settings which can’t be controlled from default Windows XP interface. With Tweak UI you can set the setting of mouse, Windows Explorer, IE, Desktop, Start menu, Task bar, Control Panel and so on. For example, you can remove Recycle bin from desktop, disallow Recent Documents on Start menu, set the mouse sensibility and many more.

Folder size for Windows Explorer.

I have really no idea why the size of folder is not shown in Windows Explorer though the size of file is shown under Size column. If I want to know the size of a folder, I have to get mouse pointer paused over the folder and message will be displayed showing the size and other properties OR I juz right-click the folder and click Properties. After I installed FolderSize, I get no hassle - the size of folder is shown. But I needed to do little tweaking – clicked ‘Choose Details…’ under View menu of WE, checked Folder Size and unchecked Size.

How to convert to NTFS format.

NTFS format, by definition, is more secure and advanced than FAT or FAT 32. There are times when you need to convert to NTFS from FAT but wonder how you convert to NTFS without formatting hard-drive or backing up application and data. In fact, you can directly change from FAT format into NTFS format. Open command prompt window and type in like this: convert C: /fs:ntfs where C: is the drive you are working on.

Undelete the deleted files.

This free-ware is really useful when you want to get back files you accidentally deleted. What you need to do is juz choose the drive and start scanning potentially recoverable files. Then you get list of files which are categorized by file types - such as jpeg, mp3, avi, MS word, pdf and so on – helping you find the files you need easily. If you found the files you want, juz choose them and click Start Undelete to recover them. Deleted files are automatically recovered and placed under the folder of you choice.

Are we WILFER?

Internet, as we all know, is a gigantic pool of information. Billions of people are getting online to acquire info they need. The question is: are people going online only to find they get lost. Are people searching info absent-mindedly? Wilfers is new term used to describe those who are wandering around cyberspace. According to one survey, almost 7 in 10 net users ‘wilf’ – a rough acronym of What Was I Looking For? – for 2 days every month. But in my view, all net users wilf sometimes coz info on websites are mixed with flashy, attractive and animated ads or banners which get our purposes off track. My suggestion is that we follow ‘one thing at a time’ philosophy which means keep your attention on a single subject for a moment and shift to another subject. It’s also a good habit to write down what you need to do one by one and deal with each one. In my opinion, sometimes we need to wilf for entertaining purpose coz wilfing or wandering online is like sightseeing.

PIXresizer.

I often need to reduce the sizes of photos when I need to upload them to photo-sharing sites or my blogs. PIXresizer is‘light’ software letting user change the original size of photo by 25% to 100%. Furthermore, you can save the photos as various formats such as BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG and TIFF. The software can work with multiple photo files in a sense that you don’t need to change the sizes of photos one by one. But if you want to work with multiple photos, all of the photos need to be placed in a folder and sizes of photos are supposed to be equal. Anyway, I use PIXsizer when I need to change the size of photo easily and quickly.

Clean up temp files effectively.

Although we can use Windows' Disk Cleanup utility to remove temporary files, some temporary files can remain in PC. Cleaning up temporary files is recommended for better browsing experience. The alternative option to remove temp files effectively is to create a batch file. Open any text editor and type in like this: del /s /q "C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Local Setting\Temp\*.*" where Username is your log in name. Save as this file as 'deltemp.bat' and put this file in Start Up folder( Start>Programs>Startup ). Every time you log in, it will automatically remove temp files.

Let's get rid of desktop icons.

I've noticed that some computer users place a whole bunch of icons on the desktop. Sometimes they must be confused with those icons. Thanks to this free-ware, you can get rid of all desktop icons and enjoy background wallpaper of your choice. You can also get back your icons by clicking 'Show Desktop'.

The first iPod virus is found.

The first iPod virus called 'Podloso' is reportedly discovered by Kaspersky Lab. The virus is not a severe one coz it cannot be run automatically without user involvement. Once installed, it scans the whole disk and infects all .elf files. When you run infected files, 'You are infected with Oslo the first iPodLinux Virus' will be displayed on the screen. So, juz stay away from installing Podloso! Months ago, a handful of video iPods has shipped with Windows virus according to Apple. But the virus can only affect Windows computers.

Quick access to Folders.

As you add frequently-visited sites to Favorites or Bookmarking sites, this free-ware allows you to add frequently-accessed folders. The free-ware is really complement to Windows Explorer. In my view, Microsoft should have taken this feature into account. Once installed, you can add any folder into the list easily. Accessing your added folder is also really fast - juz 2 clicks away. Click File menu of Windows Explorer and juz choose the folder. It saves time by adding frequently-used folders to the list, saving many clicks. Download It!

Gmail Paper.

Google innovates new service called ‘Gmail Paper’ which allows us to print out our emails. The service is free. What you need to do is that you click a button to ask Google to print mails and they will get your mails delivered to your doorway within 2-4 business days. As there is no 'free lunch', some relevant and obtrusive ads will be attached at the back of Gmail Paper. In my view, Google extends its advertising program for those advertisers who want to do off-line marketing.

Access to search engines in one place.

In fact, WebFetch is not a new search engine, but rather it fetches info from popular search engines – Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask.com, MIVA, WebFinder, Kelkoo, Mirago, Turbo10, About – and presents you the best combined results. It is very convenient for those who want to search in multiple search engines at once.