If you work with a Windows PC, you must have come across error messages (in the form of small message boxes) from time to time. When you click on the “OK” button on these message boxes, those simply disappear. However, if you wish to view these error messages again in future, you are in a fix. How can you display or view these error messages in future, when you have already closed those? The answer is provided by Event Viewer, a system-generated log of errors that occur in your system.

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Have you ever received a file with no extension from someone? These files can be a royal pain in the neck if you don’t know which program was used to create it. Users of Macintosh computers have a real advantage over Windows users here. In Mac, information about the software used to create a file is always embedded within the file itself. So, even if you create a file with no extension on a word processor, it will always open with the word processor, no matter which Mac you transfer it to.

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If you are transmitting files over the internet of to another user on a removable drive, security for the data should be your first concern. Password protection is nice to have, but it can be quite a setback if you or the recipient of the file forgets the password. Besides, simple passwords that are easy to remember are also prone to getting hacked easily. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could forego the need of a password altogether and secure the file in a different manner?

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New CD/DVD drives can burn data at lightning fast speeds and can probably copy data from optical discs with startling quickness, but these sure can make a lot of noise. While the crackles and whirs of a noisy drive can be easily tolerated when burning an important backup disc, it can sure put a lid on the experience of listening to one’s favorite tracks or catching up on a weekend movie. Well, not any more. There are software tools available which can successfully bring down the racket caused by your optical drive to a fraction of the actual volume.

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The name “Malware” applies to a lot of different types of malicious software. A malware can have various undesirable effects, such as slowing down your PC, sending unsolicited e-mails to everyone in your address book, etc. What’s more, malwares can tap into critical system resources and shut down your PC or worst of all, scan through your hard disk and look for sensitive data, especially credit card information.

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You can take quite a few seconds off your boot up time in Windows® XP by automating the Windows log on process. Windows XP can store your login information in the registry, so that you do not have to type it every time you boot your PC. Be aware of the fact that, while the process is quite convenient, it will pose substantial security risk, especially if your PC is connected to a network. Anyone will be able to access your PC from the network, without even having to type in any password or user ID.

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Microsoft Cabinet (CAB) files are widely used in Microsoft Windows operating system, and also on various software installations designed for Windows operating system. These files are compressed using a specific compression technology designed by Microsoft, and are usually part of self extracting installation archives. When the archive is run, the CAB files are extracted automatically and put in specific folders. Apart from the standard CAB format created by Microsoft, CAB files can also be of several other standard formats. All CAB formats usually keep some space in the file header, in order to store important information, such as tag markers. For instance, Microsoft CAB files have a tag marker in the form MSCF.

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