AutoPlay in Windows XP Home is a feature that enables you to play or launch CDs and DVDs automatically when you insert them into the CD/DVD-ROM drive on your computer. This saves you the hassle of manually launching the discs from Windows Explorer. Windows XP Home enables you to configure your AutoP

Updating your current OEM version of Windows Vista keeps your computer running smoothly, installing the latest patches, service packs and hotfixes from Microsoft. Normally the update procedure runs in the background through the Automatic Update service, but you also have the option to manually insta

Browsing the Web using tabs instead of new windows saves resources.Helle Glaskugel World Wide Web image by Marem from Fotolia.comWeb browsing changed forever in 1993 when Mosaic, the first mass-distributed graphical browser, premiered and opened up the World Wide Web to everyday...

You likely will have to repair your Windows 2000 computer with Service Pack 1 if you notice that your operating system files are error prone or otherwise corrupt. The repair process replaces all of the operating system files on your computer's hard drive with fresh copies, enabling you to quickly re

Optimizing your Windows Vista Business Edition operating system will speed up the operation or your computer. If your computer seems to be experiencing a decline in performance, a system optimization may be needed. To perform this optimization, you need to make changes and adjustments to features be

Once you've used Norton Ghost to restore an image of Windows 2000 to your notebook's hard drive, you can replace any of the installed drivers using the Windows Device Manager. If you want the changes to be reflected in your Ghost image, you'll need to make a new one once you've replaced the drivers

Microsoft's MSN Messenger 7, now renamed Windows Live Messenger, is an application that allows the sending and receiving of instant messages between the computers of registered users. MSN Messenger 7 was first published in 2007 and has since been superseded by later versions, but it's still availabl

Windows Vista has a built-in speech recognition program which allows users to operate a computer using only their voice. This can be helpful for people with disabilities who have difficulty seeing or using their hands. Almost anything can be accomplished with a computer using the speech recognition,

Most computers made since the mid-1990s work with Windows 2000 Professional.keyboard image by Fyerne from Fotolia.comIf you are currently running a Windows 9x-based operating system such as Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition, you are missing out on the maximum security and stability...

Windows Explorer is the primary file manipulation software item in the Windows operating system. Repairing a crash of explorer occurring subsequent to the installation of Service Pack 1 for your Windows operating system indicates an issue between the explorer files and the service pack install. Solv

GoToMeeting is an online service that enables you to connect with others to hold a meeting over the Internet, and is compatible for Windows PCs, Macintosh computers and the iPad. The service sends a downloadable program to your computer that requires you to accept the software and enter the meeting

Spoolsv.exe is an executable file that allows Windows users to print documents without tying up their entire Windows operating systems. Spoolsv.exe is considered an essential system file and thus the file, if corrupted by a malicious program, can be repaired with the Windows System File Checker tool

While you might assume that you should contact your computer manufacturer for a replacement copy if you lose your original Windows XP disk, that is not necessary. You can download a copy of Windows XP directly from Microsoft. This will be a fully functional copy so long as you have a valid product I

If you send a print job to your printer but receive no response, the print spooler is one of the first things you should check. When the print spooler service fails, the printer and the computer can no longer communicate with one another. Learning how to check the status of the print spooler and rep

Many business networks have systems in place to deliver telephone services over Ethernet lines. If your business has this type of system, you can use Windows 7 to place phone calls by connecting a microphone to your computer and running the Phone Dialer application.

All Windows computers have a feature called Registry Edit. As the name suggests, Registry Edit allows you to go into the registry and manually make any changes you want. A common reason for needing to make registry changes is removing software such as spyware or adware that is otherwise impossible t

When you activate an Aircard 595U wireless USB modem for carriers such as Sprint, you allow it to connect to the Sprint network and provide your laptop wireless access to the Internet. However, some versions of the modem come preactivated. If this is the case, you must unlock the modem before it can

The USB flash drive is becoming popular and may soon replace CDs and DVDs because they can hold more storage. Copying data to a flash drive is much faster than to a CD or DVD, and they are more convenient to carry around. If you purchased Windows 7 on a DVD you will need to use a tool to convert the

Creating a backup copy of your Windows Media Center 2005 operating system disk will allow you to rest easy, knowing that your bases are covered even if something should happen to the original. Although you might think that you can just create a straight copy using DVD burning software, the procedure