Who Knew Your...PC, Software, Camera, Printer, Network, Drive, Handheld...Could Do That?

Windows

...You could keep Windows Update from listing useless downloads? Windows XP's automatic updates are great, but the Windows Update site lists more downloads than I'll ever need. On my update page, the space-wasters are MovieMaker 2 and dozens of foreign-language fonts. Customizing the page to get rid of these and other unwanted entries takes no time at all. To get to the Windows Update page in XP, click Start, Help and Support, and choose Keep your computer up-to-date with Windows Update under 'Pick a task'. To get there in Internet Explorer, select Tools, Windows Update. Once you reach the update page, click Scan for updates. When the scan finishes, select Personalize Windows Update under 'Other tasks' in the left pane, uncheck the categories and updates you no longer want to see, and click Save Settings.

...You could set Windows to load just the hardware drivers you need right now? Anybody who has owned a notebook computer for a while probably knows that Windows lets you boot with different hardware profiles. Using profiles can help conserve system resources and can force your machine to boot faster. For example, you can create one profile that disables your network adapter or modem when you're on a plane, and another that recognizes your network adapter, external DVD player, and other devices when the notebook is docked at home. Why not carry this over to your desktop? If you sometimes perform heavy-duty video editing, set up a profile that doesn't load drivers for your CD drive and for other hardware you won't need. This way your system can focus on the task at hand.

To create a hardware profile in Windows XP and 2000, right-click My Computer, select Properties, and click Hardware, Hardware Profiles. In Windows Me and 98, right-click My Computer, choose Properties, and click Hardware Profiles. If you've never created a profile, the only listing under 'Available hardware profiles' will be 'Original Configuration' or 'Original Configuration (Current)', depending on your version of Windows. Otherwise, your current profile will be highlighted. Click Copy, type a name for your new hardware profile, and click OK. Other options in this dialog box let you choose a profile when Windows boots, or use the first profile if you don't select one. When you're done, click OK again, choose Device Manager, and disable the devices you won't need for your new profile. Now simply log on with the hardware profile that uses only the devices you'll need.

...You could improve your hard drive's performance and security by switching to NTFS? If you've upgraded your system from an older version of Windows to XP, there's a good chance that your hard drive still uses the old operating system's FAT32 file structure. You can boost your drive's performance and reliability by converting to NTFS (short for NT File System). NTFS permits you to save files larger than FAT32's 4GB limit, and it lets you encrypt folders for added security. Better still, NTFS uses a smaller cluster size, which translates into less wasted storage space--so you'll get more drive bang for your buck. Keep in mind, however, that you won't notice any performance boost with NTFS if your hard drive is smaller than 10GB or if it runs at 5400 rpm.

To convert a FAT32 drive to NTFS, click Start, Run, type cmd, and in the command prompt window, enter convert drive letter: /fs:ntfs, where drive letter is the appropriate letter for the drive in your PC. For instance, if you want to convert your C: drive, type convert c: /fs:ntfs (don't forget the spaces before the driver letter and before the forward slash).

One peril to watch out for: Once you convert the drive to NTFS, you'll have to use a third-party program, such as Symantec's PartitionMagic 8, to return the drive to FAT32 format.

...You could divide to conquer your video file woes? People posting video on the Internet often split their productions into dozens of individual files to make them easier to upload and download. Of course, you could watch each of them separately, but it's far more rewarding to view the whole video continuously. Fear not, auteurs, Boilsoft's $20 AVI/MPEG/RM/WMV Joiner and $25 AVI/MPEG/ASF/WMV Splitter can handle all of your video splicing needs, lickety-split. Both of these utilities take an infinitesimal amount of skill to operate--even a video newbie can get it right the first time. Simply add the files you want to merge, and then click one button. Splitting a large file is just as easy: Locate it, decide on a file size (or choose selected portions of the video), and click a button. Visit Boilsoft.com to inspect the vendor's tools for converting Windows Media and Real Media files to AVI or MPEG format.

...You could store notes with files in Windows? Windows' file-annotation function may be unpolished, but it does give PC users a quick and easy way to add notes to important files. To annotate a file in Windows Explorer, right-click the file and choose Properties (or select the file and press Alt-Enter). Choose the Summary tab (Windows XP) or the Custom tab (all other versions of Windows), and type your note in the Comments field or any other blank field. Strangely enough, this option is unavailable for certain file types, including some video formats. (If you don't see any blank fields under the Summary tab, click the Simple button.) Now whenever you send the file to someone, your annotations will travel along with it.

...Windows could make it so easy to safeguard files? Even if you trust your friends, family, and coworkers, it's still worth encrypting your sensitive files on multiuser systems to shield them from nosy bosses and other snoops. To protect files in Windows XP Pro and 2000 (with an NTFS-formatted drive), open Windows Explorer and right-click the folder you want to encrypt. Choose Properties, click the Advanced button, and check the box next to Encrypt contents to secure data. Click OK twice; and just like that, the folder's contents are locked up tight as a drum. Any files that you move to the folder subsequently will be encrypted as well. If you use Windows Me, read Scott Dunn's July 2003 Windows Tips column, "Password-Protect Your Sensitive Files and Folders." Or get the free Cryptainer LE utility, which creates a hidden, encrypted virtual drive. To keep your PC single-user, read February's Answer Line column, "How Do I Keep People Off My PC?"