The Windows registry was introduced to tidy up the profusion of per-program INI files that had previously been used to store configuration settings for Windows programs. These files tended to be scattered all over the system, which made them difficult to track.

The registry contains two basic kinds of elements: keys and values.

Registry Keys are similar to folders – in addition to values, each key can contain subkeys, which may contain further subkeys, and so on. Keys are referenced with a syntax similar to Windows’ path names, using backslashes to indicate levels of hierarchy. E.g. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindows refers to the subkey “Windows” of the subkey “Microsoft” of the subkey “Software” of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key.

Registry Values are name/data pairs stored within keys. Values are referenced separately from keys. Value names can contain backslashes which would lead to ambiguities were they referred to like paths. The Windows API functions that query and manipulate registry values take value names separately from the key path and/or handle that identifies the parent key.

The terminology is somewhat misleading, as the values are similar to an associative array, where standard terminology would refer to the name part of the value as a “key”. The terms are a holdout from the 16-bit registry in Windows 3, in which keys could not contain arbitrary name/data pairs, but rather contained only one unnamed value (which had to be a string). In this sense, the entire registry was like an associative array where the keys (in both the registry sense and dictionary sense) formed a hierarchy, and the values were all strings. When the 32-bit registry was created, so was the additional capability of creating multiple named values per key, and the meanings of the names were somewhat distorted.

Since at least 1998 pages at Microsoft Support relating to editing the registry include the disclaimer that the use of the Registry Editor should be done at one’s own risk, underlining the severity of a corrupt registry.

Why a computer? The world is a pretty exciting place, so dont give me that “too old to learn new tricks” routine, or let me hear you mumbling under your breath about not being interested. Of course you are interested!

I want you to picture yourself (or your senior parent) learning about a wonderful new way to stay in touch with friends and relatives, or even make new friends. E-mailing and sending pictures are a great way to communicate, so even if that is the only thing that you learn how to do, it is a good thing.

It wont be long before that isnt enough and you will want to jump in with both feet when you discover that you can follow your stock options, keep informed, write in your journal, and continue to learn.

Dont forget that learning new things and having new experiences is a good way to exercise your brain. Studies say that older adults who use computers have fewer depressive symptoms than those who dont.

Kids seem to pop into the world already able to use a computer and you may feel a little intimidated when a six year is savvier than you are. There is no reason why you cant learn to enjoy a computer too. Colleges, community colleges, universities, neighborhood recreation centers and senior centers all offer classes designed especially for seniors. If you cant get out, you can find books and computer tutorials (right on your computer) that are geared for the senior audience. Just look up “computers for seniors” in your search engine.

Dont give up! If you love your computer but are finding it hard to see or manipulate the keys on your standard keyboard, help is available. A number of modifications are available to make your work easier and to keep you in touch with your family and friends.

Read Braille? There are specialized stickers and keyboard overlays that are imprinted in Braille so that a blind person can feel and type on the computer.

If your fingers lack precision and arent as nimble as they used to be, you can find key locks and other modifications that enable you to press more than one key at a time. A key lock pivots onto a key that you want to hold down and holds it in place while you press another key at the same time. A sticky key works in much the same way if you have limited hand/arm control. If you press a sticky shift key, the computer waits for a second key to be pressed before acting on the initial stroke. Other options to investigate are one-handed keyboards, key guards, ergonomic keyboards and even on-screen keyboards where you just touch the letters on the screen.

Still nervous? For people with 20/20 vision using a standard sized computer screen is as easy as looking at your monitor. People with cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and other eye conditions encounter a whole new set of problems. Once again, modern technology has not forgotten the folks who dont see quite as well as they used to.

People with low vision do not have to give up the joy and/or convenience of using their computers. Screen magnification products enlarge text and pictures to sizes more easily viewed. You can purchase free standing magnifiers that attach to the monitor or find software programs that will magnify the full screen.

Another type of software called Optical Character Recognition Software allows you to scan newspapers, recipes, bills, etc. where they can be stored, edited and used with screen magnification or screen reader programs.

Another option might be the use of speech synthesizer software. The screen reader reads the contents of all documents, as well as talking you through standard computer functions. The screen reading software helps you with writing, hearing what you are typing, reading back and editing your work, saving files, reading e-mails and web pages and more.

Isnt this exciting? You can also find Assistive Mouse Adaptors that make it easier to control your mouse if you suffer from hand tremors or the Quick Glance for anyone who cannot use a hand operated mouse. There are easy to use Trackballs to make mouse control easier and Touch Pads that allow for mouse movement by just dragging your fingertip across a grid surface.

Modern technology is wonderful, and it is reassuring to know that seniors have not been left out. For new and exciting ideas for smart seniors, who want to keep on top of what is happening in their world, please check out my blog:

We’ve been looking at the Release Candidate (RC) and so far, Windows 7 looks a vast improvement on Vista. Here is a quick tour of some of the features of Windows 7 that we like.

1) Better performance

Microsoft appear to have worked hard to sort out the performance problems that Vista had. It seems that Windows 7 does appear to be faster and more responsive than its predecessor (Vista).

2) Enhanced taskbar

• Icons are larger & clearer and easier to work with. Rearrange icons, new “Jump Lists” and full Aero enabled previews of open windows make it a lot easier to work with lots of open windows.
• The “Show desktop” button is now more prominent and easier to use. Quickly minimize all windows with the touch of a button.

3) Desktop improvements

• No more sidebar. Add “Gadgets” quickly and easily directly to your desktop.
• New themes. Good looking new themes contain several high quality backgrounds that periodically rotate (similar to the Mac).
• “Snap” feature allows you to easily compare windows side by side.

4) Less annoyance & interruption from pop-ups and alerts

• All alerts are now contained in one place in the notification area. You can customize the notifications (pop ups) that you receive.
• Less alerts from User Account Control (UAC). Generally, you should notice a reduction in alerts from Windows 7 compared to Vista. UAC level can be set to one of four possible levels.

5) Parental control – New to Windows 7

• Easily set what programs (e.g. games) your kids can use and when (i.e. schedule).

So far, we are impressed with Windows 7. Although we are only running the Release Candidate at this time, it does seem pretty fast and stable. The changes and improvements go a long way towards addressing the criticisms levelled at Vista. We believe that this could be the best operating system that Microsoft has released since XP.

But was Vista just used to fill in the gap? As only a few years later Microsoft announced that they are working on Windows 7. Windows 7 was literally meant to be the successor to Windows XP but got put on hold for Vista.

Although Windows seven will look and feel like Vista, it will be much more flexible with great response times. When Windows 7 was leaked onto a Torrent site, first reviews of the software have stated that it beats both XP and Vista editions hands down, the processes and responses are much faster.

It has been stated that Windows 7 should be ready for release in time for Christmas 2009. So I would expect to see all of the tech savvy people trying to grab hold of a copy as soon as it hits the shelves. Initially Microsoft did say that the software would not be ready until 2010, but things have moved a long quite promptly to get into the seasonal market.

So what will happen to Windows Vista and why was it so short lived? Well although there were a lot of happy people using the package there were also a huge amount of unhappy people that were using it at the same time, and it did sometimes look as though there were die hard fans that were never going to come off from using XP, and we all know that after a while operating systems get made redundant and updates get stopped. So Microsoft needed to convince people to switch over and that is exactly what Windows 7 will do.

Last week, Microsoft released the almost-finished version of Windows Seven, otherwise known as Windows 7 Release Candidate and feedback from the testing community have been overwhelming positive. It prompted some to say that Windows 7 is what Vista should have been in the first place; a stable operating system that is light on resources and compatible. So fingers crossed for Microsoft hopefully everyone no matter what type of machine they have will enjoy using it.

As smaller businesses search for ways to become more efficient and cut costs, their computer budgets are a great place to find value. Computers certainly contribute to efficiency and with a bit of planning, costs can be saved at the same time. So, without further ado, here are some ways to find savings in your computer department.

Avoid the Bleeding Edge

A simple formula in the IT (Information Technology) world is that today’s fastest, most glamorous, hardware is going to cost you – big. The simple truth is that the most up to date equipment will be much less expensive in 6 months and for most applications, will work just as well if bought then. In fact, for business purposes, high end fresh off the press equipment is often only needed for high end graphics or server applications.

Some businesses are even buying and using off-lease (used) computers as commodity items. This can be an effective cost saving measure if the computers are used primarily for bookkeeping, word processing, etc.

Standardize

While this is often easier said than done, the benefits of staying with similar hardware across the business can’t be understated.

Consider the typical small business with let’s say 8 computers that were all bought ad hoc as they were needed and from different vendors. A year or 2 down the road, the computers need to be upgraded to support new software.

Each computer will need to be assessed to determine what can be upgraded and what parts will be needed when on a more standardized network, it would be much less time consuming (and expensive) to simply determine what needs to be upgraded and apply the same upgrade to all of the computers on the network.

Virtualize

You would probably be surprised to know that many server CPUs are heavily underutilized; their workload is so small that the CPU spends a great deal of time idle. Virtualization can solve that problem, make the server room greener, save money, and even make disaster recovery far easier than even before.

Virtualization is described by Tech Republic as “… a method of running multiple independent virtual operating systems on a single physical computer.” In other words, using virtualization, more than one server can run on a single computer. At the heart of it, any one of these servers is simply a bunch of files rather than physical computers and as such they can be restored to a previous state very easily.

Virtualization is one of the hot topics in the industry today and Microsoft recommends that even if you have a need for only one server, it should be virtualized. This technology will show up more and more in small and medium sized businesses in the coming years and will help simplify how we do business.

Monitor

There literally is nothing more expensive to a business from a computing perspective than downtime. The sad truth is that most situations that result in downtime are preventable and would be caught with a proper monitoring protocol in place. Monitoring keeps a finger on the pulse of the network so to speak and can prevent costly problems before they occur.

Consider Software Alternatives

Ah yes, possibly my favourite subject. There are literally thousands of free and open source software packages out there that do their jobs as well if not better than their commercial cousins. Some of the world’s most powerful and important servers run on free software. Quite frankly, it’s a mistake to discount free software in your business.

Let me give you two very simple examples. Many people have spent money for programs that create zipped archive files. A free alternative is 7-Zip which has one of the best compression techniques available. On a similar note, CDBurnerXP is free CD/DVD burning software that rivals the best of breed commercial available out there.

Just as computers bring flexibility and efficiency to a business, they can also bring economy. The trick is knowing where to find it.

• Internet browsers were limited to one or two competitors, but there are many competitors for this market now, including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Chrome.

• Office suites were once limited to Microsoft Office and WordPerfect, with WordPerfect becoming a smaller and smaller market share. With open source coding, other options are emerging, including Google Docs, Zoho, and the most notable being OpenOffice, an entirely free package that is competing with Microsoft Office. 20% of OpenOffice users are now using this suite for work purposes, including some government offices.

Variety in Software

At one time, the majority of computing was done on Windows-based software, almost exclusively on Microsoft products. A small group, primarily graphics-intensive users, used Apple products and an even smaller group, mostly scientists and academics, used Unix for their computing needs. With the popularity in open source coding on the rise, a renewed interest in Apple products, and a growing population interested in Linux, the pendulum is swinging towards a variety for both operating systems and the software applications that go with them.

• The number of software programs that can be installed on a variety of operating systems has increased astronomically. In the past, Apple computer users were limited to a handful of programs available for that platform, limiting the market share for Apple users.
• Internet browsers were limited to one or two competitors, but there are many competitors for this market now, including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Chrome.
• Office suites were once limited to Microsoft Office and WordPerfect, with WordPerfect becoming a smaller and smaller market share. With open source coding, other options are emerging, including Google Docs, Zoho, and the most notable being OpenOffice, an entirely free package that is competing with Microsoft Office. 20% of OpenOffice users are now using this suite for work purposes, including some government offices.

Variety in Hardware

Computers have had similar pendulum swings in the popularity of their hardware, most notably in processors. At one time, all Microsoft computers relied on Intel processors and Apple computers, which were a much smaller share of the market, used Motorola processors. AMD began to compete with Intel for the market on Microsoft computers, making significant inroads during their fierce competition. A few years ago, another shift took place when Motorola was abandoned by Apple in favour of the Intel processor.

Competition and variety in computer hardware is not limited to processors, but processors are a good example of this competition, showing the swing in the marketplace and driving a portion of the technological advancement.

Why is Variety Healthy?

With variety in computer hardware and software, comes growth and new ideas in the marketplace. Not long ago, computers were functional for limited purposes and a limited time frame. As the newer models came out, the small portion of software available would cater to the new machines and it became harder to support older machines. Now that there are so many computers in use, software companies no longer cater solely to the latest and greatest, but rather the widest range of machines possible. In turn, these trends have opened up the market for resale, used, and wholesale computers and computer parts.

1. Checking The Computer Accessories Inside The CPU

As you may know, CPU is the main unit of a computer and so we should start checking with it. Just turning the power of the computer on and getting the operating system loaded doesn’t mean that all the computer accessories are working perfectly. For example, the RAM (memory module) failure may not be indicated immediately. RAM failures can be identified only by working on the computer for at least 15 minutes. Certain RAM failures can be identified with the beep codes. You should have noticed a beep sound while turning on the PC. Each beep states an error in the memory module. The beep codes and their explanations are widely available online. Be sure to check the beep codes first. You should also operate the computer with some demanding programs to check the hard disk performance. There are thousands of hard disk diagnostic software available out there for this purpose. Hard disk failures will result in data loss and so hard disk is one of the components that have to be checked.

2. Checking The Display The Display

This is the common part were many of them get tricked. Just checking the software settings for the display will not ensure the working condition of the monitor. Remember that there are hardware buttons for the alignment of the display on the monitor. In many cases any of these hardware buttons on the will not work. This will leave you with no possibility to change the alignment settings of the monitor. So you should make sure that the monitor hardware buttons are fully functional.

3. Beware Of Stolen Goods

Apart from checking the quality of the used computers you have to check their authenticity too. Stealing the computer parts seems to be easy and these stolen goods are sold for dead cheap prices. If you are attracted by the cheap pricing of these stolen goods, you are making a big mistake. Buying stolen used computers will make you end up in severe legal issues. So be sure to check the authenticity of the used computer supplier.

It is important when you are considering a computer system that you ask some hard questions, and look very closely at the fine print. Here are some of the things you will want to be aware of before you buy computers.

READ THE FINE PRINT

• It seems that the way that some of the more unscrupulouscomputer companies that are losing money are making it back is by including outrageous fine print that actually charges you to return thecomputer system if it is defective. Yes, Dell Computer, offers free shipping. What they don’t tell you is that if the product is defective, you have to pay to ship it back to themand if you don’t have one of “their” dell technicians go over the computer system before returning it, you will not have a hope of getting a refund!
• Another little splurb in the fine print is that if you return the computer with a dell technician going over it to make sure that it is lousy and return the computer, not only do you not get a refund for the money you have spent on the computer, BUT you don’t get the computer replaced by Dell. So, they get your money AND the computer!
• Another little “fine print” mega money maker for Dell computeris that if you do return a product, even if it is defective, even if you have done nothing but remove it from the box and put it back, they charge you a 15% “re-shelf” fee. So, if you have bought one ofDell’s “cheap” computers for over a thousand dollars and it didn’t work and you took it to a “certified Dell Technician” who affirmed that it was defective, and returned it, you are still going to have to pay 15% plus pay to ship it back to the company yourself just for ordering the dell computer. Now I don’t know about you, but I have NEVER gotten a “tip” for doing a lousy job. But, this company includes that little message in the fine print so that even if they don’t give you a quality product, they are still going to make money off of you.
• When you are shopping for a personal computer, be certain to read the fine print before paying any money or signing any contracts. Don’t assume that the company is honest or reputable. If a company is not selling a quality product they are going to make their money off the backs of people trying to return the badproduct. And, if you think that the fine print is too small, then there is something in there that the company does not want you to see. Walk away, find a company locally that will stand behind their product and, even if it appearsto cost a little more, go for quality and honesty. In the end, the extra money you spend on an honest and reputable company will be much less than what you will spend trying to get a company likeDell computer to stand behind their product.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Just because a company has an 800 number does not mean that they are going to answer it. Or, if they do answer it, it does not mean that you will actually get “customer service.” When shopping for a computer system make sure that there is an actual human who will help you if you need assistance. One of the ways that some computer companies avoid having to actually “talk” about their defective products is to run you through seven or eight mechanic and human voices who cannot help you and put you on hold until the next person comes on to say they can’t help you. They do this because they know that the majority of people will give up and keep the defective equipment they have purchased, or call in a local repairman to try and fix the computer system.
• For the life of your system, you will have more contact with a customer service representative of the company that you buy the product from than anyone else. Be certain that you actually will be able to contact a customer service representative that can help you solve problems and issues. “Hostgator” is a very reputable company that has customer service technicians who will come on line for you and walk you through any issues that you may have, they are incredibly helpful. This is a big company, they get all kinds of questions and issues everyday, but they manage to provide personal one on one customer service. If the excuse you get from a computer supplier is that they are “so” big, “so” busy, “so” bored that they can’t take the time to help you. Or, if they don’t have online live chat to help you, then go to a different computer company. When live chat online is only used as a sales tool, that is not going to help you when you are trying to figure out how to make your wireless keyboard work. You want help when you need it, not when it is convenient for dell computer people to play the transfer game.

Even though the price of a quality computer system has decreased over the last few years, this is still a big investment for most people. We depend on our computers and need them to work. And, we need to know that the company we purchase our computer system from is going to provide a quality product and excellent customer service when we buy computers. It is vital that we make conscious and knowledgeable decisions when we buy computers and do not fall prey to unscrupulous companies that have forgotten who supports them.

Since it can seem a bit intrusive for some and just downright annoying to others, many people opt to turn off the automatic update feature on their computer for whatever reasons. Recent versions of Microsoft Windows, including Windows ME, 98, 2000, XP, and Vista all have this automatic update feature included. It is important for you to keep your computer updated because Microsoft issues patches and updates for security issues on a regular basis. If you choose to manually update, be sure to visit the Microsoft update site on a regular basis. You can choose which updates you wish to install, but the critical updates are the ones you should be most concerned about.

Since updates patch gaping holes in Microsoft Windows, do not be surprised to find that you are suddenly a victim of a virus, Trojan, worm, or some other such nastiness if you choose not to make sure that your software is updated. You may wonder how you have fallen victim to such things when you have not done of the traditional ‘wrong’ things (such as opening unknown attachments or downloading illegal software) that normally cause these problems. Simply put, you may have neglected to keep your Windows software updated and someone may have exploited one of the known security vulnerabilities in the software. It is also most likely the reason you cannot find Windows Update Agent 5.8.02469.

Now that you understand the importance of updating your Windows software, if you do not have your computer set for automatic updating, you can regularly check for updates by going to windows update – your operating system will be detected automatically. You can then scan your computer for updates and the results will return any critical and/or security updates your system may require. Choose the critical updates and any recommended updates you may want and then select ‘Install’. For those who are missing the elusive Windows Update Agent 5.8.02469, you will probably find it hiding out here.

So, where in the world was Windows Update Agent 5.8.02469? Perhaps, it was hiding right under your nose all the time. Many of our computer issues can be solved by taking care to perform a little maintenance and care on a regular basis. So the next time you try to install a new software program and get an annoying error message, it may just be that you have not been as diligent about keeping your software current as you should have been.

Unsystematic files. Unnecessary software. Unused network drives. Too many programs. Virus and spyware. These are the common reasons why your computer performs slower than before. You will know if you have Windows XP slow boot if your personal computer shuts down slow, hangs during shutdown or reboots instead of shutdown. A lot of people do not make any effort solving these problem because they get too intimidated and think that it needs the help of an expert to fix Windows XP slow boot conditions.

Actually, you can manually cure your problem with Windows XP slow boot. Here are some suggestions that you might find helpful: First, remove the programs from the startup that you think is unnecessary. Either you go to the Startup menu, delete them and make sure that the Preferences settings in every program, keeps them from booting up.

Remove spyware and adware. Make sure that you run a full adware and spyware scan if the computer is still running slow during booting. Another helpful tip is to run a virus scan. This is advantageous in the end to boot time. Use disk defragmentor to defragment the computer. Make the system do a boot defragment. This will put boot files close to one another on the hard disk when all the boot files are arranged closely, the system will start faster. This is the simple way to speed up Windows XP slow boot. You can find this in the accessories, in the system tools area. You can also use programs like registry mechanic to optimize your registry. Search the internet on where you can download this program. After doing these and you still have troubles in Windows XP slow boot, it is recommended that you take a back up and reformat the computer.

Moreover, these information might enlighten you with your Windows XP slow boot problem. First, open Windows Task Manager. If your computer was running smooth at one time, the problem must be inside the Operating System. All the resources being used by your computer is shown in the Windows Task Manager. To do this, just hold down Ctrl-Alt-Delete. Then, select ‘Open Task Manager’.

Then check the processes. Once the Task Manager is opened, click the Processes tab. Examine which of the processes are using the most resources by scrolling down. You may find that there are programs that are infected by a virus or a spyware, which you have installed without being aware of it.

Close the program that is stealing your resources. Close the programs that are using all your computer’s resources. But be careful not to close the program by clicking the ‘end processes’ option in the Task Manager because this will just make the computer stable. If you find some unfamiliar entries in the Task Manager that you find strange, this is a possibility that there is a virus present.

Look in the System Tray if you cannot find a program that is eating your resources. The system tray is located in the lower right hand corner of the computer screen. When you install a new program, this sets up a fast start option in the system tray. Right click the icons in the system tray and turn them off.