Add Additional Clocks in Vista

Windows Vista provides us with an option to add additional clocks for other time zones. Up to two additional clocks can be added. These clocks will be displayed when you click or move your mouse over (hover) the clock displayed on the taskbar. I don't know how useful they will be, but if can't find any uses, you might as well play around with them or use them to show off! The steps to add additional clocks are given below.

Works On: All Versions

Step 1: Open the "Control Panel" by clicking on the control panel option in your start menu.

Step 2: Select "Clock, Language, and Region" option from the options displayed in the start menu.

Step 3: Under "Date and Time", select "Add clocks for different time zones". The following "Date and Time" window must be displayed.

Step 4: To display the clock, check or place a tick mark beside the "Show this clock" option.

Step 5: Select the time zone for your clock from the list of available time zones.

Step 6: Enter a display name that's meaningful and click "OK".

This new clock will be displayed when you hover your mouse over the clock in the taskbar. You can add another clock using the above method. Go ahead, try it out.

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Vista, Additional Clocks, Clock, How to, Features

Search Folders in Vista

In Windows Vista, a new type of folders called the search folders have been introduced. These search folders are virtual folders that can be used to save your searches. Yes, literally save your searches. Here is how it works.

Say you want to search for all the Microsoft Word files in your computer. Just open the search explorer by selecting Start -> Search or by typing Windows Key + F. You will be presented with a search box where you have to type in "*.doc". By default, Vista searches only the indexed locations in your PC. Indexing locations helps Vista find files within them quickly. We can modify the default locations by using the advanced search option that can be invoked by clicking on the "Advanced Search" option present on the right top of the explorer window under the search box. After hitting search Vista will display all the Microsoft Word files that are found in the location you specified.

Many of us do these kind of common searches on a regular basis. This is where Vista's search folders come into play. Once you have finished searching for what you need, you can save your search to a folder called a search folder. This folder can be named anything and can be placed anywhere on your PC. The next time you want to repeat the search, just open the search folder you have saved. Vista automatically updates your search folders in the background and presents you with fresh and up-to-date results.

Once you start using search folders, they become indispensable. The searches are stored in a folder called searches under your user account. (Start -> User Name -> Searches). It is better to leave them there so that you need not search for the search folders again!

Here is a link to Advanced Search Techniques from Windows Team Blog.

Advanced Search Techniques : Windows Vista Team Blog

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Vista, How to, Features, Search, Search Folders, Virtual Folders

SuperFetch - Vista

Have you noticed that an XP machine that is left turned on overnight, appears to be slow? It does not appear to be slow, but is slowed down.

When your PC running XP is left idle, processes like virus scanning, indexing and defragmenter start executing. The memory allocated to the applications you normally used is now allocated to these processes. Your applications are moved to a page file on the hard drive. Now when you try and open these applications, the operating system has to copy the application back into memory from the hard drive. This takes some time and results in decrease of responsiveness.

This problem has been addressed in Vista. Vista comes with SuperFetch to enhance performance of your system. SuperFetch monitors your application usage and tries to make these applications more responsive by placing them in the memory, ready to start. When a PC running Vista is left idle, the processes I mentioned above, like indexing and virus scanning get invoked and perform their tasks. This causes your favorite applications to be pushed in to the page file on the hard disk. When these processes complete execution, SuperFetch fetches your applications from the page file into the main memory (with out you invoking them). So the next time you try starting those applications, they are up and running in no time.

As you might have understood by now, SuperFetch is a very useful service and disabling it is not recommended.

 

Technorati tags: SuperFetch, Windows, Vista

Using Vista Media Center - 10 May 2007 - IT Week

We all must have used Windows XP's media center one time or the other. Paul Monckton at ITweek talks about the things that are new in Windows Vista's media center.

Link to Using Vista Media Center - 10 May 2007 - IT Week

Technorati tags: Windows Vista, Vista, Media Center, Features