Xplorer2 is a Windows Explorer like desktop file manager with some very unique features. Here are five quick reasons why you would love to use xplorer2 -
You can download the lite version of xplorer2 – it is free for private and academic use. A portable version of xplorer2 is also available – the unofficial version is free while the official one is note.
Also see: Find Files in Windows Vista via Explorer
· Find Files in Large Folders More Easily with Windows Vista Explorer
· Windows Internet Explorer 8
· Download Internet Explorer 8 from Microsoft Website (IE 8 Beta 1)
And in case you like to completely hide a word from appearing on web pages, just use a blank instead of specifying a replacement string.
To understand the usage, let’s take this real-world example: Comments written on Digg and YouTube can sometimes leave a normal person depressed because of their language but here’s how FoxReplace can help you.
First create a new rule that applies to all URLs from digg or youtube.com. We use *.youtube.com instead of youtube.com to take care of country specific domains.
Now in the Substitutions panel, choose the "Regular Expression" option and add multiple ‘find & replace’ entries as show in this screenshot.
If you are new to regular expressions, a.*hole will match all words or phrases like a**hole, a**-hole, a** hole, etc. and they will automatically get replaced with the word "awesome".
This is just one example. You may even use Fox Replace to turn Firefox into a slightly more kid-safe browser by specifying a list of stop-words that never appear on web pages.
Or you can use the add-on to edit web pages before capturing not-so-original screenshots.
You’ll have to open each site manually, then wait for the web page to load and finally hit the print screen key. Now imagine repeating this process for 10 different websites every morning. Impossible, right?
What you really need here is a command line screen capture utility like CutyCapt or IECapt – both are similar in execution but differ slightly in the way they render web pages because the former use WebKit engine (same as Google Chrome or Safari) while the latter will save screenshots as if you are viewing the page in Internet Explorer.
Screen Capture Web Pages from Command Prompt
Now to capture a screenshot of Google homepage from DOS, you write a simple like this:
IECapt --url=http://www.google.com/ --out=google.png
You have complete control over the output image format and the page dimensions.
To screen capture multiple web pages, you can write a simple DOS batch file and then configure it run at regular intervals using Windows Task Scheduler. The trick may used to create a time lapse video of web pages as this Techmeme video.
CutyCapt offers some extra options like you can turn off JavaScript and browser plug-ins so web pages may render a little faster.
Also see: Archive Web Pages Automatically at Regular Intervals with Iterasi
· Copy Command Line Output to Windows Clipboard Directly
· Useful Keyboard Shortcuts for the DOS Command Prompt in Windows
Called Spellist, this online spell checker for websites uses the Google API to search for spelling mistakes. You just type the URL and it will quickly point out the potential spelling mistakes that may be in the text or even the meta description of the page.
Spell check your website like a Word document
There are no advanced features like scheduled spell checks, RSS, alerts or support for adding new words to the dictionary but as a quick and simple tool, Spellist does the job. Thanks KillerStartups
· Click TinyURL Links Without Getting Into Embarrassing Situations
This is a snapshot of four stories that are currently ranked at the top on Google Blog Search as of now (October 6, 2008).
In case the fonts in the above screenshot appear small, let me give a quick summary – the stories are about Nokia’s new touch-screen phone, Steve Jobs’ heart attack, Sony’s new e-book reader and some commercial tool for converting video to audio.
Now compare the time when the same stories hit Techmeme home page.
The Google Blog says that this new home page of Google BlogSearch lets you "browse and discover the most interesting stories in the blogosphere". That may be the ultimate goal but frankly, the product is nowhere close yet.
Another point: Google BlogSearch doesn’t offer RSS feeds and the site is written in some complex JavaScript so you no option but to visit the page manually.
Now what this team has done is even more interesting – they have launched a print magazine based on their blog. This is probably the first blog that is available for reading both inside news-readers and on news-stands.
The motivation for launching a blog as a print magazine was simple – they want to reach more people as only a minuscule minority is reading blogs online at least in India.
My initial reaction to Mutiny’s blog magazine is exactly the same as Amit Varma - "It takes gumption and commitment to take a bold step like that, and I wish them all the best."
The first issue is available online as well.
· The Importance of Short URLs in Print Newspapers & Magazines
· This 20 Volume Print Edition of Oxford English Dictionary Is The Last
Finding a file is a lot like looking for a pair of socks when you get dressed in the morning. You can’t really start working until you locate those socks, and it’s something you need every single day. Windows can’t help you find your socks any faster, but it can definitely lend you a hand when it comes to finding your files. Here are some ways to find and organize your files, no matter where they might be stored.
There are so many ways to find files on your computer that you might not know where to start. Most of the time, you will probably start by using the search tools that are available within any folder. For example, here are the search tools that are available in the Documents folder:
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| Search tools in the Documents folder |
The method you use depends upon what you're searching for, and where you're searching for it. The following table describes the different search methods and when they're useful:
| Search method | When it's useful |
The Search box | If you're looking for a file or folder located in a common folder (such as Documents or Pictures), you can often find it fastest by using the Search box at the top of the folder window. For more information, see Use the Search box later in this article. If you're looking for a program, a website in your browser history, or a file that you've stored anywhere in your personal folder, you can use the Search box at the bottom of the Start menu. For more information, see Find a file or folder. |
File list headings | If you're looking for several related files, such as all the files from a particular month, or all the documents that you have written, you can use the headings above the file list to filter, stack, or group your files. Organizing your files in one of these ways makes them easier to locate and select. For more information, see Use file list headings later in this article. |
Search folder | When you need to build a search with multiple filters, or when you're looking for files from several folders at once, create your search in the Search folder. When you are done, you can save the search criteria, and use it in the future to find the same set of files again with a single click. For more information, see Create an advanced search in the Search folder later in this article. |
The Search box is located at the top of every folder. It filters the current view based on text that you type. The Search box finds files based on text in the file name, text within the file, tags, and other common file properties that are attached to the file. In addition, it searches the current folder as well as all subfolders.
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| The Search box |
For example, if you created a trip report called "Las Vegas Seminar," as soon as you type Las into the Search box, most files in the folder would disappear from the list, but the trip report, and any other files with the word Las in them, would immediately be displayed.
The following table lists the common properties that you can use in the Search box:
| Property | What it is | How to use it in the Search box |
File name | The name you have given the file. | Type part or all of the file name you are looking for. For example, to find a file called November invoice.txt, you can type Nov or inv. |
Kind of file | A broad description of the content. Most of your files fall into one of these kinds: Document, Picture, or Music. | Type the kind of file you're looking for. For example, to find all of your text, spreadsheet, and presentation files, type Document. |
Type of file | A more specific indication of the file's content. The last three letters of the file name, called the file name extension, identify the file type. Common types include DOC (Microsoft Word document), XLS (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet), JPG (JPEG image), and MP3 (a standard digital audio format). | Type the file name extension. If you want to find only MP3 files, type MP3. For more accurate results, type *.mp3. |
Tags | Words or phrases you add to your files to describe them. | Type any tag to see a list of files to which that tag has been applied. |
Author | The name of the person who created the file. | Type the name of an author to see a list of files by that person. |
Windows will usually search for whatever you type in the Search box by looking in the file name, file contents, and file properties of all the files in the current view. Type "Summer," for example, and it will find files named "sunset in summer.jpg," files tagged with "summer," and files written by anyone named Summer. This broad approach to search usually helps you find your file quickly.
If you want to search more selectively, however, you can filter your search in the Search box by specifying which file property to search. To filter by file property, separate the name of the property and the search term with a colon, as these examples show:
| Example | Use this to |
Name:Sunset | Find only files that have the word sunset in the file name. |
Tag:Sunset | Find only files that are tagged with the word sunset. |
Modified:05/25/2006 | Find only files that have been modified on that date. You can also type Modified:2006 to find files changed at any time during that year. |
Which file properties can you use in this way? Anything you see in a folder. You can filter by any property that appears in the file list headings, for example. To see the complete list of properties that you can filter by, right-click the heading you want to see properties for, and then click More.
For more information about advanced searches, go to the Windows Desktop Search: Advanced Query Reference website.
Using Boolean filters is another way to perform a more precise search. Boolean filters let you combine search words using simple logic, as you can see in the following table.
| Filter | Example | Use this to |
AND | tropical AND island | Find files that contain both words "tropical" and "island" (even if those words are not right next to each other). |
NOT | tropical NOT island | Find files that contain the word "tropical," but not "island." |
OR | tropical OR island | Find files that contain either of the words "tropical" or "island." |
Quotes | "tropical island" | Find files that contain the exact phrase "tropical island." |
Parentheses | (tropical island) | Find files that contain both words "tropical" and "island," in any order. |
> | date: >01/05/06 | Find files that are more than or later than a certain value, such as after 01/05/06. |
< | size: <> | Find files that are less than or earlier than a certain value, such as less than 4 MB. You can also specify other sizes, such as KB and GB. |
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You can combine Boolean filters with other filters. The following table shows how you can get very different results using the same search words, but different Boolean filters. Also note how the use of parentheses can change the effect of a filter.
| Boolean filter | Use this to |
author: Charlie AND Herb | Find files that are authored by Charlie as well as any files that include Herb in the file name or in any file property. |
author: (Charlie AND Herb) | Find only files that are authored by both names. |
author: "Charlie Herb" | Finds only files that are authored by someone with exactly this name. |
If you turn on natural language search, you can perform searches in a simpler way, without using colons and without the need to enter AND and OR in capital letters. For example, compare these two searches:
| Without natural language | With natural language |
kind: music artist: (Beethoven OR Mozart) | music Beethoven or Mozart |
kind: document author: (Charlie AND Herb) | documents Charlie and Herb |
To turn on natural language search | |||||||
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Even with natural language search turned on, you can continue to use the Search box in exactly the same way. If you want to use Boolean filters or introduce filters with colons and parentheses, you can. In addition, you can use all the same properties to fine-tune your searches. The difference is that you can enter searches in a more casual way. Here are some examples:
| • | email today |
| • | documents 2006 |
| • | author Susan |
| • | pictures vacation |
| NoteSome searches might give more results than you expect. For example, if you search for "email today" you will see all messages sent today as well as any messages with the word "today" in the contents. |
By clicking the headings that appear above the file list in a folder, you can change how files are displayed. Viewing files in this way can help you find files that share something in common.
 | To filter your files | ||||||||||
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| To stack your files | ||||||||||||
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| To group your files | ||||||||||
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The is a good choice for searches whenever you:
| • | Don't know where a file or folder is located, and want to look in many locations at once. |
| • | Want your search results to include files from several folders at once. |
| • | Want to create an advanced search that looks for files using several different criteria. |
To customize your search, click the Advanced Search button in the Search folder.
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| The Search folder |
Here, you can change any of the following:
| • | Location. By default, the Search folder searches in a set of locations called Indexed Locations. This includes all of the folders in your personal folder (which includes Documents, Pictures, Music, Desktop, and other common locations), e‑mail, and offline files. You can add additional locations to Indexed Locations if you commonly store files in different locations. For more information, see Improve Windows searches using the index: frequently asked questions. Alternatively, you can choose to search a different set of locations, though any searches on files that have not been indexed will be slower. |
| • | Date. You can narrow the search to any time before or after the date you specify. |
| • | Size. You can look for files larger or smaller than the specified size. |
| • | Property. You can filter the search according to one or more file properties, such as file name, tags, and authors. The search will be limited to files that include all the properties you specify. |
The mouse, one of the greatest advances in computing history, provides you with an intuitive point-and-click method for using your computer. Depending on the type of work you're doing, however, sometimes using a mouse actually slows you down. If you are a good typist, taking your hands away from the keyboard to move the mouse can use up a few seconds. Over the course of a full day, you could save several minutes by using keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse.
You can use your keyboard instead of your mouse to do these three tasks:
| • | |
| • | |
| • |
The Start menu is great for finding programs, but its multiple levels of folders can be time consuming to navigate. If there is a program you start frequently, you should set a keyboard shortcut for it so that you can start the program without taking your hands off the keyboard.
To set a keyboard shortcut to start a program
1. | Click the Start menu, and then click All Programs. Right-click the program that you want to start with a keyboard shortcut, and then click Properties. |
2. | Click in the Shortcut key box. Now press the letter on your keyboard that you want to use to start the program. Make it easy to remember—for example, press I for Microsoft Internet Explorer. Note: You can use either uppercase or lowercase letters when creating your keyboard shortcuts—and when accessing them later. In the Shortcut key box, Microsoft Windows XP automatically adds Ctrl + Alt + before the key you pressed. When you want to start the program, hold down both the CTRL and ALT keys simultaneously, while also pressing the letter you chose. This way, your program won't start every time you type that letter. |
3. | Click OK. |
4. | Now test your shortcut. Hold down the CTRL and ALT keys, and then press the letter you chose. If you find it difficult to hold down two keys at once, read Turn on the Sticky Keys feature. Your program should start. |
When your friends see you start up programs without touching your mouse, they just might think you have a psychic connection with your computer!
You can speed up tasks in almost any program by choosing menu items using your keyboard instead of your mouse. This operation is particularly handy when you're performing repetitive tasks.
To control menus using your keyboard
1. | With your program open, press the ALT key. Notice that one letter on each menu name is now underlined. To open the menu, press the underlined key. For example, in Internet Explorer, the View menu name shows the V underlined after you press the ALT key. To open the View menu, press the ALT key, and then press V. |
2. | Now, each menu item will show one letter underlined. To access or activate the menu item you want, simply press the underlined key. For example, in Internet Explorer, after you open the View menu, the Privacy Report menu item shows the V underlined. Instead of clicking Privacy Report with your mouse, you can just press the V key. |
3. | You can also choose menu commands by pressing key sequences quickly, without waiting for the menus to open. For example, to quickly view a Web page's privacy report in Internet Explorer, press ALT, V, V. Similarly, to save a Web page in Internet Explorer, you would normally click the File menu, and then click Save As. To choose the same commands using your keyboard, press ALT, F, A. |
If you like to keep four or five windows open while you work (or play) on your computer, you'll appreciate knowing these keyboard shortcuts. You can quickly switch between your Web browser, e-mail, instant message windows, and other programs without taking your hands off the keyboard.
| Action | Shortcut |
Minimize a window to your taskbar | ALT, SPACEBAR, N |
Maximize a window so it takes up your whole desktop | ALT, SPACEBAR, X |
Restore a window so it's visible but doesn't take up your whole desktop | ALT, SPACEBAR, R |
Close a window | ALT+F4 |
Switch to the last window you had open | ALT+TAB |
Switch to any window | Hold down the ALT key, and press TAB until the window you want is active |
Programs often start up in a "restored" state, where the window takes up only part of the screen. To maximize the window so that it takes up the entire screen, press the ALT key, press the SPACEBAR, and then press X. This will feel natural after you do it a few times, and you will feel much more efficient while using your computer.
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is the complete set of Windows Vista updates Microsoft has issued over the past year plus additional enhancements to improve your PC experience. SP1 doesn't add new features or require you to learn anything new—it simply makes your PC more reliable, run more smoothly, and even more enjoyable to use, all at no charge.
 | The easiest way to update your Windows Vista-based PC with SP1 is by using the Windows Update control panel. Just set Windows Update to automatically download important updates and Windows Update will download SP1 when it's available for your PC. (It could take a month or more before SP1 shows up on your PC, so please be patient.) After SP1 is downloaded you'll see an alert like this:  Click on the alert to start the installation, which will take approximately one hour. (For the first half hour, you'll be able to use your PC. Then, you'll be asked to restart, and you won't be able to use your PC for the last half hour of the installation.) You can also manually download and install Windows Vista SP1 from the Microsoft Download Center, but we strongly recommend using Windows Update. You should be an advanced computer user and have a broadband connection to consider using the Microsoft Download Center for SP1. |
 | You may be able to upgrade a PC running Windows XP to Windows Vista with SP1. Use the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor to see if your PC can run Windows Vista. You can get Windows Vista with SP1 from a retailer or from Windows Marketplace. |
 | PCs with Windows Vista with SP1 will arrive at retailers beginning in April. But you don't need to wait. You can update a new Windows Vista–based PC to SP1 over the Internet, free of charge. |
 | If you have problems installing SP1, Microsoft is here to help, free of charge—by e-mail, web chat, or telephone. Microsoft provides free support covering any issue you have with installing SP1, available until March 18, 2009. And, if you upgrade a Windows XP–based PC to Windows Vista with SP1, you get 90 days of free support. |
You can save time by configuring your computer to automatically open a specific Microsoft Office program whenever Microsoft Windows starts by doing one of the following:
, click All Programs, and then click Microsoft Office. Keyboard shortcut To paste your selection into the Startup folder more quickly, press CTRL+V.
The next time you start your computer, Windows automatically runs the program or programs that you have copied to the Startup folder.
Keyboard shortcut To paste your selection into the Startup folder more quickly, press CTRL+V.
The next time you start your computer, Windows automatically runs the program or programs that you have copied to the Startup folder.
Lately, more people are declaring bankruptcy. No, they’re not financially insolvent. They just can’t keep up with e-mail. They empty their inbox, announce e-mail bankruptcy, and start over from scratch.
Don’t let it happen to you. Get a grip on the problem before it is too late.
Your first goal is to reduce the amount of incoming e-mail. So cancel subscriptions to unwanted mailing lists. The messages become a nuisance if you don’t have time to read them.
A good spam filter reduces the amount of spam reaching your inbox. But don’t expect to eliminate spam completely. Some will still get through.
Do your friends send jokes or chain messages? Explain your situation and ask that they stop. Hopefully, they’ll oblige.
Not all e-mail requires a response. If you receive an e-mail addressed to several people, you may not need to respond. If a response it required, it may not need to go to everybody.
Be succinct; restrict your messages to a few sentences. If you can’t, pick up the phone or talk in person.
If an e-mail contains several different points, respond to each in separate messages. This may take longer at first. But, it will be easier to deal with each e-mail thread.
Subject lines should relate to the body of the e-mail. So be as descriptive as possible. Subject lines that say things like "question" or "hello" should be avoided. Recipients won’t know what the message is about. And it will be difficult for you to categorize responses.
If you have a one-line e-mail, put it in the subject line. This will save you and the recipient valuable time.
If possible, create a set of codes with your co-workers. Placed in the subject line, codes help you process and prioritize messages.
For example, use "FYI" for informational messages. Use "AR" for action required and "URG" for urgent messages.
Be courteous when forwarding an e-mail. Summarize the message and say why you’re forwarding it. This is particularly helpful if the e-mail contains several messages.
Recipients will appreciate your thoughtfulness. They won’t need to read through several messages to guess your thoughts. This will cut down on questions from recipients.
Don’t copy someone on a message unless it is necessary. And explain why you’re copying them. Recipients won’t need to guess your intentions. This means less back and forth messages.
Avoid the temptation to check your e-mail every few minutes. Check it every hour on the hour for important messages. If you can go longer, do so. Of course, this might not be feasible in some work environments.
Set time aside each morning and evening to process your inbox. When you’re done, it should be completely empty. File messages you need to keep. Set reminders for messages that require you to follow up.
Respond to messages immediately, so you only read them once. There is an exception to this rule. If emotions might govern your response, give yourself a cooling-down period.
Explore the tools your e-mail program offers. I already mentioned setting follow-up reminders. Filters and folders can help you file and prioritize mail. Auto-responders can alert business associates when you’re out of town. You won’t come back to a full inbox.
Check out this audio course about managing your inbox in Microsoft Office Outlook 2007.
If you've been using your computer for more than 6 months, it's probably safe to say that you don't need all the files and e-mail messages stored there. When left untreated too long, an unorganized computer will perform slower and make it more difficult for you to find the information you need. If that's the case, it's a great time to make sure your computer is cleaned up and ready to roll for your next upcoming project or assignment. This article can help you get started.
 | Clear Out Your Old, Unnecessary Files |
| Back Up Important Files |
| Clean Out Your E-Mail |
| Organize and Clear Out Your Internet files |
So how long should you keep old files on your hard drive? It's kind of like cleaning out a closet—if you haven't used a particular file (or sweater) in a year, you're pretty safe storing it somewhere else.
How can you tell how old a file is? Rest your mouse cursor over the file to see when it was last modified. For more information right-click the file, and choose Properties. You can see when the file was created, last modified it, and most recently accessed. If a file is old, not important, and hasn't been accessed in more than 6 months, it might be time to clear it out.
You're the best judge to determine which files to keep, but here is a list of items you might want to consider saving:
| • | Tax and legal information |
| • | Project-related files |
| • | Favorite digital images from the year |
| • | Plans you could leverage for future projects |
| • | Important e-mail messages |
| • | Customer information  By looking at the properties of a file you can see when the file was created, last modified it, and most recently accessed. |
Once you've gotten rid of your files, learn 7 ways to manage your files better.
Tip To view your files in a folder by the date they were last modified, open a folder and on the View menu click Details. On the top of the column, click Date Modified.
Quickly find old files by organizing them by the date they were modified.
The next step is to copy selected files to another storage medium, such as a writeable CD or DVD or an external hard drive. For your most important files, such as project files, key presentations, or large e-mails, you'll rest a lot easier if you have a backup copy stored safely away from your computer. Backing up your files to CD or DVD will allow you to safely store these disks should you happen to lose your computer or if it should fail.
To back up your files it's ideal to have a CD or DVD burner or a hard drive you can connect to your computer through a USB or FireWire port. Learn more about how to back up your files with Windows XP. Also, learn more about how to back up your Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 e-mail messages.
Tip If you're backing up your information to a CD or DVD, be sure to create labels for your CDs that in some way describe their contents. For example, you might title the CD "2005 Archive" or be more specific with something like "2005 Presentations."
Do you have a system for weeding out and organizing your old e-mail messages? Here are a few quick ideas for taming your Inbox and getting ready to handle those messages in the months to come:
| • | Create folders to store messages according to sender, topic, or date. |
| • | Create e-mail rules to file and manage your messages automatically. For example, you can create a rule to send all messages from your manager to a special folder. Learn more about managing e-mail messages with rules. |
| • | Go through your Sent folder in Outlook in and delete items you no longer need (especially those with large file attachments). |
| • | If you're sure you no longer need e-mail you've deleted, empty the folder that contains it. |
For more help keeping your e-mail in check, learn 4 ways to take control of your e-mail Inbox. Or watch a demo about how to manage the size your Inbox.
If you're like the average person, you've been doing a lot of Web searching and your Internet Explorer Favorites folder may be bursting at the seams. It could probably use some weeding out and organizing. To organize your Favorites in Internet Explorer, on the Favorites menu, click Organize Favorites.
While your tending to your Favorites folder there's some additional clean up that's easy to do. Start Internet Explorer and on the Tools menu click Internet Options. In the General tab of the Internet Options dialog box, you have two cleanup choices. These steps can help reduce some unnecessary files on your computer.
1. | In the Temporary Internet files section, click Delete Files to remove all temporary files. (You can also elect to remove all offline content downloaded from sites you've visited.) |
2. | In the History section, click Clear History to remove the list of sites you've previously visited. Also make sure that you have the Days to keep pages in history: set to where you would like it.  Clear out Internet Explorer using some of the options on the Internet Options dialog box. |
, clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Folder Options.
