Cannot click on Window Vista Taskbar

I have been having some strange problems with Vista lately. For the past few weeks, my computers been having bouts of me being unable to click the taskbar or system tray. When I try to click on it, it just beeps. After some googling, there are many opinions as to what had happened. But I found a solution that really works as follows:

1. Create a new admin account in Control Panel>User Accounts. Log into the new account
at least once to activate it. In this case, I have named it "NewAdmin"

2. Reboot the computer.

3. Log into new admin account.

4. Browse to C:\Users\OldAccount and select everything except: ntuser.dat, ntuser.dat.LOG1, and ntuser.dat.LOG2. These are hidden files. To make them visible, go to
Control Panel>Folder Options>View tab,
and mark the radio button for "Show hidden files and folders."

5. Copy (or move) everything except those 3 files to
C:\Users\NewAdmin

6.Reboot and log into the new account. After verifying that all data
has been transfered, go back to User accounts in the Control Panel and delete the old account. It will prompt you to delete all the files. You may choose to backup them into a folder first to check later what are the missing data you have not copied or moved.

7. Since the registry has been rebuilt, you should have no more problem to click on the taskbar.

Desktop Graffitist

There will be things when you are bored out of your brain when you are sitting in front of the computer screen for long hours.

There is a program call Desktop Graffitist which is quite useful to do some graffiti and sketches on screen. You can switch between colors, using the mouse wheel and quickly erase your creation with the Esc key.

Aside from the added bonus of allowing you to vent on that stupid monthly report or the latest homework assignment, the program is also good for leaving messages on other people's computers that they can't miss (love notes, hate notes, grocery lists and art/graffiti/vandalism, ...).

You may download it from here. It's simple, relaxing, addictive, free, and totally fun!

Hidden Software in Window Vista - EudcEdit

There is another hidden software in Window XP and Vista that some people may find useful.

Eudcedit is a Private Character Editor that allows you to design new fonts, icons and logos. You simply select a hexadecimal code for the 1st character from the grid and click OK to start designing.

To access Eudcedit In Windows XP, go to start run > type in eudcedit and click OK.

When the Private Character Editor launches, you’ll see the Select Code dialog box Click OK.

A user interface that looks and works very much like Paint will appear. From this, you may use standard tools to create your characters.There is a toolbar on the left with some basic tools. Shown in the figure is the “pencil” used for freehand drawing.

Create your new character

When you finish your new character, select the Save Character command on the Edit menu.

Once you save your new character, you can access it using the Character Map tool.

Procedure to access your new character using the Character Map tool

start–>run type charmap click OK.

When the Character Map appears, select the Font drop-down list and select All Fonts (Private Characters). Select your character, click the Select button, and then click the Copy button.

You can now paste your font character in any document that you want like official documents,presentations,email signatures

Hidden Software in Window Vista - IExpress

There are a few hidden software within Window Vista which may be quite useful to some people.

Windows Vista and Windows XP both have a rarely used tool known as IExpress. This is an extremely useful tool for turning Visual Basic script files and other non-executable scripts into one-click executables.

Before you begin the installation process, you will need two files. The first file is the script you would like to bundle into the executable. The second script must be the batch file that you use to execute your script. For example: if your script is a visual basic script (.vbs) you need a batch file (.bat) that will run your script.

Launch IExpress in Windows Vista by clicking the Start button and typing iexpress. In Windows XP, launch IExpress by going to Start >> Run and typing iexpress.

Organize your world

It must be a sign of getting old. I can no longer remember the things as well as last time. As I am looking around for something to help remind me of all the things I have to do, I found a number of interesting tools. These software can appear as calendar organizer on your desktop and float above your normal desktop wallpaper.

One of my favorite is Rainlendar.
This is not the run of the mill calendar that sits pretty on your desktop and do nothing. Rainlendar looks quite similar to the Window Vista Calendar gadget but it can do far more. I find Rainlendar to be light and its appearance can be customized with skins and you can even mix different skins together.

You can also subscribe to online calendars including the Google Calendar and edit your Outlook appointments directly in Rainlendar.

One click on the calendar allows you to set the events for the day. You can see the week's events at one glance. You can also decide how many days in advance you want to see in the list. You can mark the important events with icon so to distinguish it from the others.

You may use the To Do list to keep yourself organized. You can also set a due date and alarm for the tasks to make sure you'll remember to do them on time.

Rainlendar Pro is a shareware and cost EURO 9.95. Rainlendar Lite is free. You may download it from http://www.rainlendar.net/cms/index.php?option=com_rny_download&Itemid=32.

Another free Image Viewer

Vallen Jpegger is another excellent product of German company. Vallen JPegger is designed for large image libraries with thousands of files. It reads 40 different image file formats, supports lossless JPEG rotation and includes an unique MP3 Organizer including a simple player:
MP3 files are categorized according their MP3 tag information into artist, genre and album in a comfortable tree structure. Great for larger music archives. My friend also specially mentioned about its ease in simple image editing.














Vallen JPegger is free for home user however licensing is needed for commercial use. Hard to believe this little gem is free. You pick the folder and then get a super-fast preview of the thumbs and a window where you can preview the image in full. What I like most about JPegger is that it can be put on a CD and it can run without being installed. It is not easy to instruct computer illiterates how to install a thumbnail viewer to see a large collection of images. So it is very handy when you are scanning lots of graphics files.


It is currently on Build 8.0724. You may be able to download it from http://www.vallen.de/freeware/#Vallen%20JPegger%20Download.

Another free and powerful File Manager and Explorer

The other day after having some chit chat with a friend of mine about my new blog. He mentioned to me another free but powerful File Manager and Explorer - Free Commander. I found that it is quite easy to use, similar to Directory Opus minus the cost. This is another File Manager and Explorer I would like to introduce to the readers.


FreeCommander is an easy-to-use alternative to the standard windows file manager. The program helps you with daily work in Windows. Here you can find all the necessary functions to manage your data stock. You can take FreeCommander anywhere - just copy the installation directory on a CD or USB-Stick - and you can even work with this program on a foreign computer.

Main features in FreeCommander:

• Dual-panel technology - horizontal and vertical
• Tabbed interface
• Optional tree view for each panel
• Built in file viewer to view files in hex, binary, text or image format
• File viewer inside archives too
• Built in archive handling: ZIP (read, write), CAB (read, write), RAR (read)
• Nested archive handling
• Built in FTP client
• Easy access to system folders, control panel, desktop and start menu
• Copy, move, delete, rename files and folders
• Multi rename tool
• Wipe files
• Create and verify MD5 checksums
• File splitting
• File properties and context menu
• Calculation of folder size
• Folder comparison / synchronization
• Modification of file date and attributes
• Folder / program favorites
• File searching (inside archive too)
• File filters for display
• User defined columns for detailed view
• DOS command line
• Multiple language support

You may download this program from http://www.freecommander.com/fc_downl_en.htm.

Better then Window Explorer

If you are someone who find that Window Explorer from Vista cumbersome, there are two alternatives you can explore - Directory Opus and xplorer2.

Directory Opus is a software from Australia. It is a Files Manager and Explorer replacement. Its features are as listed below:

• Powerful File Manager & Explorer Replacement
  
• User-definable File Display Views
  
• User-definable Toolbars, Menus, File Types
• Advanced built-in Image and File Viewers
• Built-in ZIP and Advanced FTP
• Visually Synchronize Files & Find Duplicates
• Advanced Search and Rename Functions
• More Configurable than any other program
• Easy Slideshows...and much more..

The software comes with a trial for 60 days after you register yourselves. I find that it is easier to use than Window Explorer especially when I want to copy or move files from one directory to another directory. You may download Directory Opus from http://www.gpsoft.com.au/. Some people may find Directory Opus a bit too complex. For such people, I will propose for them to use xplorer2. xplorer2 is a shareware from zabkat where the full company name is a difficult to pronounce ZabaraKatranemia.

xplorer² is a desktop file manager combining the efficiency of the legendary norton commander and the ease of use of windows file explorer. It is tough as boots, rock solid stable, lightweight in size and system resource use, and fast.

I find it to be easier to use than Directory Opus even though Directory Opus is slightly more powerful. xplorer2 comes with 2 versions. xplorer2 lite that is free and xplorer2 Pro which cost USD$29.95.

You may download xplorer2 from http://www.zabkat.com/. The Pro version comes with a 21 days free trial.

Here you are, two neat solution that made File Management and Exploring a breeze.

A free image viewer

I come across this free image viewer the other day. It is quite nifty and the best part of it, is that it is free for home user. It can be a replacement for ACD See.

FastStone ImageViewer is a fast, stable, user-friendly image browser, converter and editor. Its features include image viewing, management, comparison, red-eye removal, emailing, resizing, cropping and color adjustments. It has a full screen mode that provides quick access to EXIF information, thumbnail browser and other major functions via pop up toolbar that appears when your mouse touches the four edges of the screen.

Other features include a high quality magnifier and a musical slideshow with 150+ transitional effects, as well as lossless JPEG transitions, drop shadow effects, image annotation, scanner support, histogram and much more.

It supports all major graphic formats (BMP, JPEG, JPEG 2000, animated GIF, PNG, PCX, TIFF, WMF, ICO and TGA) and popular digital camera RAW formats (CRW, CR2, NEF, PEF, RAF, MRW, ORF, SRF and DNG).

You may download it from http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm. The current version is version 3.6. Even though it is free for home users but I will advise business users to pay USD$34.95 for it.

Magnifying your world

The other day, one of my architect friend was complaining to me that it is difficult to see the wording on the screen especially since he had to check the AutoCAD drawing for errors. I browse around the internet and found the following application to be particularly useful for his purpose.

Magnifying Glass Pro from Workers Collection is a nifty tool that will magnifying a portion of the screen while your application is still running. Some people may argue that Window Vista has a free magnifying glass function but it is quite cumbersome. You may also purchase a mouse that come with an extra magnifying function button. The only thing is that I found that most often than not, the cursor within the magnifying glass activated by mouse is not enlarged.

You may install Magnifying Glass Pro from the following site: http://www.workerscollection.com/wcollect/english/html/mg_pro.html. You may download a 30 days trial version to test it out. The purchase price is USD 24.95.

Once the application is activated, a magnifying glass will appear that can be move around anywhere to magnigy any area on screen. CTRL-G will toggle the activation of the magnifying glass.

After installing this nifty tool, my friend no longer need to squint his eye to check drawing anymore!

A cool tool for screen pointing

I was looking for something that allows me to draw on the screen even as I show the software usage during our training session. There are many solution around. You may used a hardware based technology that allows you to use a special pen and draw on the screen. However, this is a bit out of my budget.

Then I come across a software called e-pointer. It is developed by RedCandle software. It is a shareware. The current version is e-pointer 2.3. Basically the software allows you to sketch on the screen while your application is still running. However, the sketches will be cleaned up once you minimize or close it.

The left image shows the screen shot of e-pointer.

I have tested it and found it to be easy. I do not need a separate white board nor expensive hardware anymore yet I can easily illustrate my points with hand drawn sketches.

To download this software for trial, you may go to www.foredu.com/e-pointer/. Happy sketching....!

Introduction

This is a blog that is dedicated to share some of my findings on how software and technology can made our life easier. Thanks to my friends and associates who so generously contributed the various ideas. If you are looking for some software to made your life easier, please do drop me a mail so that I can share with others also.