June 21, 2008

Windows XP Fax Service

If you're running Windows XP, you can finally donate that old fax machine to a local charity and use the desk space for something more valuable (like a box of doughnuts, perhaps!) Believe it or not, but an easy to use fax service is built into Windows XP already, so you can send and receive faxes from your computer.

There are a number of advantages of moving to a Windows XP based fax system, with the main one being no wasted paper. There's no need to print documents before faxing them. You can read, save, delete or attach incoming faxes to an e-mail, all without using a single piece of paper. Of course, you can print them too!

Although you don't need a fax machine, you'll need a phone line, a modem and a scanner to send and receive faxes from your computer. For faxing, the modem and scanner don't have to be anything special. Even a 33.6 bps modem will dispatch a multi-page letter in a minute or two. As to the scanner, faxes are sent in black and white and usually at a default resolution of no better than 150×150 dpi (dots per inch). Any working scanner can manage that.

Setting Up and Configuring Windows XP Fax

The fax service isn't automatically installed in Windows XP. To install the fax component:

1. Go to Start, Control Panel and click Add/Remove Programs.

2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components. Select the Fax Services check box and then click Next. The Windows Component Wizard takes care of the rest.

After the fax component is installed, the next step is configuring it. You can configure the fax service in the Fax Console, the center for faxing tasks. To configure the Fax Console:

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to Communications, point to Fax and then click Fax Console.

2. On the Tools menu in the Fax Console, click Configure Fax. This will start the Fax Configuration Wizard. Click Next to start configuring your fax information.

3. On the Sender Information lamina propecia fracture page, include your name or your business name and your fax number. Everything else on the page is optional.

4. On the Select Device for Sending or Receiving Faxes page, your modem will be selected, unless you have more than one. If you do, just select the one you want to configure at this time. Specify send and receive options and whether you'll manually answer incoming faxes or answer automatically when received.

5. On the Transmitting Subscriber Identification (TSID) and Called Subscriber Identification (CSID) pages, enter your business name and fax number. These fields really matter when you're running special fax routing software. Most software of this kind depends on TSIDs to determine where to direct an incoming fax.

6. On the Routing Options page, specify how incoming faxes will be handled. All faxes are stored automatically in the Fax Console, but you can also print a copy or store a copy in a local folder or on your network.

Sending Faxes From Your Computer

You can fax a document that's stored on your computer or you can scan a document and fax it by sending it to your fax printer. The Windows XP fax service uses the Windows Address Book (WAB) as its default book for fax numbers. If you ever install Outlook 2000 or Outlook 2002, the fax service switches to the Outlook Address Book (OAB) as its source for fax addresses. So, you don't need to maintain two address books, just one will do. To fax a document stored on your computer:

1. On the File menu of the document, click Print.

2. In the Print or Print Setup dialogue box, in the Printer name box, click Fax to open the Send Fax Wizard. (When faxing from an MS Office program, on the File menu, point to Send To, and then Click Fax Recipient. An Office Fax Wizard asks for specific information and then hands the process over to the Send Fax Wizard).

3. To supply the recipient's fax number, click Address Book and select one or more recipients just as if you were sending them an e-mail message.

4. If you've already set up Dialing Rules, skip ahead. If you haven't, click Dialing Rules. If you need to dial an extra digit to get an outside line, use a special carrier code or dial an area code even for local numbers, add those settings here and then click OK to return to the fax sending.

5. Specify when the fax should be sent, as well as, the fax's priority. Priority only matters if you're stacking up a number of faxes to be sent at a particular time. In that case, the order of sending will be determined by the priority you set.

6. Finally, you're presented with a screen that recaps the details of the fax. It also offers you a chance to preview it. If the fax is a multi-page, you'll be able to preview only the first page.

If you're sending the fax right away, the Fax Monitor, shown below, will start when the dialing does.

Faxing Scanned Documents

The second way to send a fax is to scan a document and then send it to your fax printer. The software that came with your scanner can help you set up this kind of fax and send it directly to your fax printer. However, you can also fax from a scanner using the tools in Windows XP:

1. Open Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, click Scanners and Cameras and then double click the icon for your scanner to start the Scanner and Camera Wizard.

2. On the Choose Scanning Preferences page, click Grayscale picture and then click Preview to start the scanner.

3. Provide a name and location for the scanned document.

4. Open the folder that contains the image file, right click the image and then click Print. The Photo Printing Wizard will open.

5. Select the check box for the image to be faxed.

6. Select Fax as the printer you want to use.

When you finish the Photo Printing Wizard, the Send Fax Wizard opens and you proceed as described in the procedure for sending a fax from your computer.

Does that sound pretty cool to you?! Go on and give it a try!

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Take advantage of the pinned items list in the XP Start menu

Date: June 18th, 2008

Author: Greg Shultz

The pinned items list found in the Start menu of Microsoft Windows XP can be customized to save you time by keeping your most-used applications in an easily accessible list.

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The left panel of the Start menu consists entirely of a divided list of programs that Microsoft Windows XP thinks will come in handy for you: the pinned items list above the separator line, and the most frequently used programs list, displayed below the line.

This blog post is also available in the PDF format in a TechRepublic Download.

By default, Windows XP places links to your Internet browser and your e-mail application in the pinned items list and will place as many as 30 shortcuts to the programs that you’ve recently used in the most frequently used programs list. (The most frequently used programs list is, by default, six shortcuts long.)

In order to really take advantage of the Start menu as a launching area for all the programs you use most often, you can configure the entire left panel as a pinned items list. Here’s how:

  1. Right-click the Start button and select the Properties command to display the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog box.
  2. Click the Customize button adjacent to the Start Menu radio button to display the Customize Start Menu dialog box.
  3. In the Programs panel, use the Spin button to set the Number Of Programs On The Start Menu setting to 0. Click the Clear List button.
  4. In the Show On Start Menu panel, you can clear the Internet check box, because the Internet Explorer icon already appears in the Quick Launch menu by default, and maybe even the e-mail check box, depending on how you launch your e-mail application.
  5. Click OK twice — once to close the Customize Start Menu dialog box and once to close the Taskbar And Start Menu Properties dialog boxes.
  6. Click the Start button and access the All Programs submenu.
  7. Locate and right-click on a shortcut to a program you use most often and select the Pin To Start Menu command.

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You can pin as many as 30 of your most often used programs to the Start menu, depending on your screen resolution setting. With your actual favorite programs on the pinned items list, you can now really take advantage of the Start menu.

Note: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional.

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June 17, 2008

XP era ends: Will Vista step up?

June 16th, 2008

Posted by Larry Dignan

The Windows XP era ends June 30 and soon hardware vendors will be shipping you all Vista all the time (in most cases). The save XP effort failed. The whining should cease. And now it’s time for Vista to sink or swim.

Ina Fried has a good overview of where Windows XP will stand with PC manufacturers. And Matt Asay highlights a report from Evans Data noting that 92 percent of developers are ignoring Vista. Coupling these two items together and you come to one conclusion: Folks are skeptical about Vista, but a lot of that skepticism is because XP is still lingering.

If you’re a Vista complainer you have two options from here:

  • Move away from Windows completely (users try a new OS and developers jump ship).
  • Or shut up and go with Vista.

My hunch is most folks will do that latter. I’d love to believe that Microsoft’s Vista miscues would result in a mass exodus, but I doubt that will happen. I also wonder why people live in New Jersey and pay those ridiculous property taxes, but shockingly enough people stay. Based on my Libertarian leanings I’d reckon there would be four people left in Jersey by now.

But I digress. Once consumers no longer have the XP option they’ll fall in line with Vista. Sure some percentage will go Mac, but if you didn’t jump yet–after a gazillion brilliant Apple ads knocking Vista–you probably won’t. And the developer worries: Developers will fall in line too. Evans Data notes:

Only eight percent of North American software developers are currently writing applications to run on Microsoft’s Vista operating system, while half are still writing programs for XP, according to Evans Data’s Spring 2008, North American Development Survey. These same developers forecast a fragmented Windows market in 2009 with only 24 percent expecting to target Vista and 29% expecting to continue with XP.

“Developers have taken a wait and see approach to Vista”, said John Andrews, Evans Data’s President and CEO. “The new operating system has had more than its share of problems and the desire to move from XP on the Windows platform is still lagging – that coupled with interest in alternative operating systems is suppressing development activity and that in turn will further erode Vista’s acceptance.”

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Also see: Ed Bott, Mary Jo Foley, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes and all resources on Vista.

Should Vista supporters be worried? Probably not. Developers have clearly hedged their bets, but that’s because XP was still being distributed. Once that distribution ends developers will have to step up their efforts on Vista. Corporations will complain but still roll out Vista. There’s a reason Microsoft cuts off previous versions of Windows–it works. And it’ll probably work this time too.

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June 14, 2008

Install Microsoft Management Console 3.0 for Windows XP SP2

Date: June 11th, 2008

Author: Greg Shultz

The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) application provides you with an interface shell into which you can insert various tools called snap-ins to create custom consoles. While custom consoles can come in handy for performing any number of tasks, Windows XP’s MMC 2.0 convoluted console-creation process often seems counterintuitive.

Fortunately, Microsoft has made the new MMC interface developed for Windows Vista available for Windows XP. Version half dose propecia 3.0 of the MMC application provides more functionality for snap-ins than prior versions and sports a smoother-looking user interface that makes it much easier to create and use consoles.

One of the biggest changes in MMC 3.0 for Windows XP is the new Add or Remove Snap-ins interface. Instead of having to use a tedious procedure that involves two separate dialog boxes to build a custom console, the new MMC 3.0 provides a single dialog box that makes it much easier to create custom consoles.

Downloading and installing the MMC 3.0 for Windows XP is a breeze. However, you must manually enable the new user interface by adding a key to the registry. Here’s how:

  1. Download the Microsoft Management Console 3.0 for Windows XP from the Microsoft Download Center.
  2. Locate and run the WindowsXP-KB907265-x86-ENU.exe executable file to launch the MMC 3.0 installation wizard.
  3. Once the installation is complete, launch the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
  4. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MMC.
  5. Right-click the MMC subkey and select New | Key.
  6. Name the key UseNewUI and press [Enter].
  7. Close the Registry Editor.

Now, when you launch MMC.exe from the Run dialog box, you’ll be able to take advantage of the new Add or Remove Snap-ins interface. You simply scroll through the available snap-ins in the left panel and click the Add button to build your custom console in the right panel.

Notes: This tip applies to both Windows XP Home and Professional but requires that Service Pack 2 or 3 is installed. Editing the registry is risky, so be sure you have a verified backup before making any changes.

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How do I recover my system in Windows XP using System Restore?

Date: June 3rd, 2008

Author: Steven Warren

Oh no! Your computer just crashed after you downloaded and installed the latest video card driver for your system. Don’t sweat it. Windows XP is bundled with a cool feature called System Restore. It allows system administrators to restore XP computers to a previous state without losing the following files: Email, Favorites, My Documents, and Cookies. It does this by monitoring changes in your files and folders and taking a snapshot of your system at regular intervals. Once a problem with your system is encountered, you can restore the system to a previous point and roll back your system files and registry to a point in time when the operating system was working. In this post, we will discuss how to configure your System Restore options and how to restore to a previous point in time.

System Restore 101

This new feature in Windows XP runs in the background as a service. It constantly logs changes to your system in C:\WINDOWS\System32\Restore (Figure A). In addition to this constant logging, System Restore takes regular snapshots of your system state, which includes the following: User Accounts and System Settings.

FigureA

Figure A

For example, you have recently installed a new device driver and a warning message is displayed that tells you this driver is not supported with XP or is unsigned. You continue with the installation anyway, and as soon as you choose to continue, the System Restore feature creates a restore point automatically so you can restore the system if for some reason it crashes. Restore points are also created when you install or upgrade to Windows XP or when you install any update patches off the Windows Update web site.

By default, System Restore will create a restore point every 24 hours. If this is a machine that is left on all the time, you can count on this happening once every 24 hours. If you shut down the machine and restart it, a restore point is created at boot-up as long as one has not been created in the last 24 hours.

You can adjust this time frame in the registry. Simply open Regedit from a command prompt and browse to Hkey Local Machine\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore (Figure B.). Once you are there, change the RPGlobalInterval from its default setting of 86,400 seconds to the appropriate amount (86,400 seconds is 24 hours). In addition, Restore points are deleted every 90 days. To change this value, adjust the RPLifeInterval from 7,776,000 to an appropriate value (7,776,000 is 90 days).

FigureB

Figure B

You can also specify a protected location in the registry that the System Restore will normally overwrite.

1. Open the Regedit and browse to Hkey Local Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup.

2. Right-click and select New | Multi-String Value.

3. Specify a Name of the location that System Restore won’t restore to a previous point.

4. Double-click the new value and enter the appropriate path that you want protected from System Restore (Figure C).

FigureC

Figure C

Configuring System Restore

Before using the System Restore functionality, you should become familiar with how you can configure your options for optimal performance. You can access the System Restore options by opening Control Panel | Performance and Maintenance | System | System Restore tab (Figure D).

FigureD

Figure D

Note: If you are using the classic view, open Control Panel | System.

In Figure D, you can turn off the System Restore feature completely or specify the amount of disk space for System Restore to use. The System Restore feature uses a maximum of 12 percent of your disk space by default. This can take up quite a bit of your hard drive space, so plan accordingly before changing this setting.

Manual restore points

At any time if you feel it is necessary, you can create a manual restore point. You must have administrative access to perform this function. This can be done by performing the following:

1. Open Help and Support from the Start menu.

2. Select Undo Changes to Your Computer with System Restore (Figure E) and the Welcome to the System Restore window will appear (Figure F).

3. Choose the Create a Restore Point radio button and click Next (Figure G).

4. Enter a Restore Point Description and click Create (Figure H). The restore point is created (Figure I).

5. Click Home.

FigureE

Figure E

FigureF

Figure F

FigureG

Figure G

FigureH

Figure H

FigureI

Figure I

Restoring your computer

In the event of a crash or any other incident that leaves your computer in a state of non-bliss, you can quickly restore your computer by performing the following:

  1. Open Help and Support from the Start menu.
  2. Select Restore My Computer to an Earlier Time and click Next.
  3. Select a restore point by highlighting a day in the calendar and choosing the appropriate checkpoint (Figure J). Click Next.
  4. Review your Selected Restore Point (Figure K) and click Next. This will shut down your computer and restore your computer to an earlier point in time.

FigureJ

Figure J

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Figure K

Note: You can undo your latest restore by following the same procedure and selecting Undo My Last Restoration (Figure L).

FigureL

Figure L

In this article we have discussed the various ways you can easily recover your system in the event of a crash. We also provided you with some basic configuration knowledge to quickly and easily configure System Restore to work optimally on your system. The System Restore feature is a powerful tool that will help you run Windows XP without a glitch.

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