A Collection of Windows XP Tips (Illustrated)
Posted 5:49PM 13 May 2004

Not much news lately...Although there should be some stuff about my 8th grade graduation coming up. (Maybe even some pictures ) Anyway here are some kewl Windows tips to keep visitors coming:

Unhide Extensions
  • Click Start > My Computer > Tools > Folder Options > View tab > Uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types"
  • Why this is useful: Identifying spyware or virus files is now much easier (.vbs and .scr extensions are common); renaming a file with a new extension will automatically change the file type (.gif > .jpg)


Share Network Drives
  • Click Start > My Computer. Right-click on the drive you'd like to share on your network and click "Sharing and Security"
  • Click the blue text. Click "If you understand the security risks but want to share the files..."
  • Click "Just enable file sharing"
  • Check the box to share this folder on the network and assign a shared name that other computers on your LAN will refer to
  • Why this is useful: Sharing drives on a LAN (Local Area Network) allows users to modify and run eachother's files by accessing the shared hard drive.



Map Network Drives
  • (NOTE: The drive must be "Shared" to be accessible. See below to learn how to "Share" a hard drive)
  • Click Start > My Network Places. On the left pane, click "View Workgroup Computers"
  • Double-click on the computer containing drive(s) you'd like to map. Right-click on the drive(s) and click "Map Network Drive..."
  • Why this is useful: Mapping drives allows faster access to network material. Drives are also assigned letters (E:, F:, etc.) rather than using the shared name.


Assorted Command Prompt Commands
  • (NOTE: Command Prompt can be started by clicking Start > Run, typing cmd and pressing OK)
  • Command-line references can be obtained at the Windows XP Product Documentation website.