Uninstall IE8 from Vista

You've done it now... You've added Microsoft's latest Internet Explorer (version 8) to Vista in its beta form and can't figure out how to remove it?

Well, so did I, and I figured I'd share with those of you who might have decided to try the development release of IE:

Open the Uninstall Dialog

1. On the Windows/Start Menu click on Computer or on your desktop double-click My Computer
2. Then at the top of the window (under the menu bar) in the blue area click 'Uninstall or change a program'

Uninstall Internet Explorer 8 (Following Screenshot Above)

1. Following the screenshots above first click on 'View installed updates'
2. Then type 'Internet' into the search bar at the top right so it finds Internet Explorer 8
3. Select Internet Explorer 8 from the list and click the 'Uninstall' button on the bar just above it
   
4. Wait for the uninstallation to complete, you will be asked to restart, and will be IE8 free
   

Read your Linux partition from Windows Vista or XP

If you're like me and want performance from Linux but can't get away from Windows so you have both installed then this tool is a must for you. It adds native low-level file system support to Windows Vista or XP for the Ext2 file system (the default used in Linux).

Check It Out

Get rid of the annoying Windows XP or Vista System Beeps

Yea, we've all heard the annoying beeps that your computer can make to remind you that you aren't pressing the right key or clicking the right button. After a while they are pretty annoying! There's really two sets of beeps, one that is a sound from your soundcard (the easy one to turn off), and the PC speaker beep, which is annoying and every time it goes off it scares my friend and co-worker Guy Fugate. (I almost don't want to tell him how to turn it off cause it's funny to watch him jump at least once per day)

First the more difficult to attack, but more annoying, PC speaker beep...

Open Device Manager by right-clicking on My Computer and choosing Properties, then on the Hardware tab you'll find the button for Device Manager.

Select View \ Show hidden devices from the menu.

Find Non-Plug and Play Drivers in the list, and then right-click on Beep and choose Disable:

When it prompts you to reboot, select no, and then right-click again and choose Properties this time. On the Driver tab, change the Startup Type to Disabled and then click the Stop button if its not grayed out.

This should disable the system beep speaker.

This helps kill the beeps, remove it from the registry!

In anything but Windows Vista simply click the Start button, then choose Run, and type regedit and press ENTER.

In Windows Vista click the Windows Logo button at the bottom right, in the text area on the menu type regedit and press ENTER.

Then navigate down to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Sound

Find the Beep key on the right-hand side and change the value to no OR you can download this REG file and apply it by double-clicking it.

Kill the Windows WAV file ding or beep...

Click Start and choose to open the Control Panel, find and open the Sounds and Audio Devices panel, choose the Sounds tab and then find Default Beep in the list.

Change the Sounds drop-down on the bottom to (None) and then click Apply. This should disable the volume control beep.

You'll want to also change Critical Stop to (None) as well, and should probably also turn off some of the other items the same way at your preference.

Quickly Enable / Disable Vista Window Transparency

Do you happen to run Windows Vista and love the transparency effects but have noticed that some games and programs don't play well with the new transparency? Well here's the solution:

A tip came out about two icons you could make for yourself on your desktop (or wherever for that matter) that enabled or disabled the transparency so you could toggle it as neccessary. Instead of making some complicated instructions I made this nifty little download that makes the two icons right on your desktop!

[Download Vista Transparency Icons]

Find out the last time someone modified ANY web page

[Download this TechTip as an MP3]

Ever been interested in knowing the last time a particular page that you're viewing on the Internet was modified? You can find out for any page on either Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox as long as JavaScript is turned on.

Simply copy and paste the following code into your address bar:
javascript:alert(document.lastModified)

You can even make it a shortcut that you can use on any page accessable from your Links toolbar (if you have it visible), or from your bookmarks or favorites menu.

Internet Explorer 7 Instructions:

1. On any webpage simply add a new favorite (Press CTRL+D)
2. Change the name from whatever it is to Modified and, if you like, place the favorite in whichever folder you like, I find the Links folder/toolbar to be the best place.
3. Now with the favorites pane open, right click on the favorite you just added and choose Properties.
4. On the Web Document tab, change the URL to javascript:alert(document.lastModified) and click OK
5. A window titled Problem with Shotcut will come up and state The protocol "javascript" does not have a registered program. Do you wish to keep this target anyway? simply click the Yes button.

Now anytime you click on the favorite or button in the toolbar, it will display the last modified date and time of the page you are currently viewing.
Instructions for Mozilla Firefox:

1. On any webpage simply add a new favorite (Press CTRL+D)
2. Change the name from whatever it is to Modified and, if you like, place the favorite in whichever folder you like, I find the Bookmarks Toolbar folder to be the best place.
3. Now in the Bookmarks drop-down menu or pane, right click on the favorite you just added and choose Properties.
4. In the Location field change the URL to javascript:alert(document.lastModified) and click OK

Now anytime you click on the bookmark or button in the toolbar, it will display the last modified date and time of the page you are currently viewing.

Encyclopedia at your Fingertips (on your mobile phone)

[Download this TechTip as an MP3]

Most Internet users have heard of Wikipedia, the online free encyclopedia that anyone can contribute to and edit, its an encyclopedia built on a wiki. But when you're out at a bar with your friends and you need confirmation on that fun fact that you happen to be quoting Wikipedia has a little-known to-go version for your mobile phone called WAPedia.

Browse on your mobile phone to:
wapedia.org

Faster to Download Photos by USB or Card Reader?

Most card readers are in-fact USB devices themselves, so no matter what you are limited to USB speeds. Unless your camera or computer is in the signifigantly older category, it is likely USB 2.0 which means nothing more than, the second revision of USB, which as one might guess means its faster than the 1.0 version.

USB 2.0 is 480 megabit per second, or 60 megabytes per second, or to put it another way if you could take full advantage of the USB speed it would only take:

• 8.5 seconds for 512 MB
• 17 seconds for 1 GB
• 34 seconds for 2 GB

But in real life, it doesn't happen that quick, however there is a noticeable difference in speed between card readers that read the card from your camera and plugging the camera in directly. 90% of the time, the card reader is faster.

Here's the drawbacks to using a card reader:

• If you have only one card for your camera, your card is no longer in the camera while you're reading it which means you can loose it, forget it, or not have it for that quick picture.
• Taking the card out slightly increases the chances that it could get damaged, should something happen it would be akin to opening a film camera before rolling the film up into the canister. Generally however, the cards are made fairly well and can undergo quite a beating, and there are nifty cases that usually come with them to keep them safe.
  

Here are the positive aspects to using a card reader:

• If you have more than one card, you can keep shooting on the alternate card while you or someone else downloads the full card. Very nice for photographers, as it frees the camera to do what its supposed to do: Take pictures.
• Generally a card reader will be faster than the camera's connection as its optimized to read cards.

Which is better? You decide. I like using a card reader because its faster, I take 10 megapixel pictures (which are BIG!), and because I have multiple cards. If you take few pictures, only have one card, and/or your photography is of lower resolution (less megapixels) then perhaps downloading from the camera works.

How much is a card reader? You can get them for as little as $3. Check NexTag and PriceWatch for great prices (wayyyy cheaper than your local store).

Connect to your computer remotely

There is a service that is called LogMeIn that will allow you to connect to your home or work computer remotely for free. LogMeIn makes their money by charging for a premium version of their product with more features called LogMeIn Pro.

To get started you need to register at LogMeIn, then you would add the computers you want to access, it will install some software on those computers, in the future you would simply go to logmein.com and click on the computer you want to connect to.

It's important to note that if you install this software on your work computer (or any computer that you don't own) you should get permission first. Many companies have their own VPN and security in place and may frown strongly on a product like LogMeIn.

Another service that is very similar, however does not have a free offering is called GoToMyPC from the same people that make GoToMeeting, Citrix Online.

Save a receipt / webpage

Ever been on a webpage and your printer is not on, just happens to not be working, or you simply don't have on on the computer you are on and you need to save the receipt or webpage you are looking at for later reference?

In case you're thinking, well I'll just bookmark it, those readers who have tried that before know that will not work on the final pages of a checkout process or a ticket purchase most of the time. Rather than get into why that is, lets see what some solutions might be:

• Save the webpage as a PDF
• Save the webpage in HTML
• Copy & Paste Method
  

Save the webpage as a PDF

Saving it as a PDF is absolutely the best option IF you happen to have the full Adobe Acrobat ($449) or the FREE PDF995 software (however its a bit harder to get all setup).

The nice part of using PDFs is that what you see (or more accurately, what you print) is what you will store, exactly. And PDFs open using very common (and free) software called Adobe Acrobat Reader that is on or can be easily obtained for most computers.

The drawback is that you have to have specialized software to create the PDF, and software to read it / print it later.

If you have PDF995 or Adobe Acrobat Professional installed, either will have added a virtual printer to your computer which you can print the webpage to by going to the File menu in your browser, selecting Print, then selecting the PDF virtual printer and clicking OK / Print.

Both PDF creators will show a dialog of options and/or ask for the filename you want to save the PDF under after the OK / Print button has been pressed, simply choose the name for the file (if applicable) and click OK on the following dialog's buttons.

Save the webpage in HTML

Well you're on a web page, might as well save it as a webpage, right? Well, no not always. Some webpages have special content, javascript, Flash, or embedded data that may not work properly when saved as an HTML. Now the majority of web pages will work, and because of this I mention it, but before you assume it worked, check first.

In Firefox:
When you are on the wbepage you want to save for later consumption click File on the menu bar then select Save Page As... from the menu, make sure Web Page, Complete is selected in the Save As Type area and type the name you want to use. The browser will save the HTML and all of the associated images and files into a folder. Try opening that HTML file BEFORE leaving the webpage incase you need to try a simple copy & paste.

In Internet Explorer 7:
When you are on the webpage you want to save for later consumption choose the Page drop down on the toolbar on the right side near the top of the window to the left of Tools then choose Save As from the menu. Make sure that Web Page, Complete is selected in the Save As Type area and type the name you want to use. The browser will save the HTML and all of the associated images and files into a folder. Try opening that HTML file BEFORE leaving the webpage incase you need to try a simple copy & paste.

Copy & Paste Method

This method can get the data out of the screen but can loose all formatting or all images depending on the target of the copy and paste.

If you want the majority of the page and you have Microsoft Word try this:

1. When on the webpage you want, press CTRL + A (Select All)
2. Then press CTRL + C (Copy)
3. Then go to Microsoft Word, create a new blank document
4. Place cursor in document and press CTRL + V (Paste)

If you want to retain only the text (like a confirmation number, details, etc) and formatting is not important or you do NOT have Microsoft Word, then click Start and choose Run OR press WINDOWS KEY + R and type notepad and press ENTER. Then follow steps 1-2 above and go to the Notepad window and follow step 4.