6 MAXIMUMPC | MAR 08 | http://www.maximumpc.com
Golden Oldies
Three 30-second changes to improve XP1
The fi rst thing we do with every new XP
install is turn on ClearType to clean up those
unsightly fonts. Go to Display Properties and
select the Appearance tab, then click Effects.
Choose ClearType in the second pull-down menu
and make sure the box above it is checked.2
Often, we need access to hidden fi les and
folders to apply power-user tweaks, and
the second thing we do on every XP machine is
make these visible. Under My Computer, click
Tools, Folder Options, View, and then click the
“Show hidden fi les and folders” radio button.3
We don’t anticipate any BSODs on a new XP
install, but if it does happen, we want to be
prepared. By default, Windows will automati-
cally restart if it encounters an error, but those
blue screens contain key information that helps
us decipher what went wrong. To stop XP from
restarting, right-click My Computer and select
Properties. In the Advanced tab, click Settings
under Startup and Recovery, and then uncheck
“Automatically restart.”BETTER BACKUPSSync Your Backup Routine
If you don’t have a backup routine in place, then
get one. Now. Then install Microsoft’s SyncToy
v2.0 Beta (free, http://tinyurl.com/2cu9fh ) to back up
fi les from one folder to another on different hard
drives, or across a network or an external device.
SyncToy even keeps track of renamed fi les, so you
won’t end up with duplicates.CODEC CORNUCOPIAImprove Video Viewing with a Codec Library
Life would be so much easier
if all video clips adopted a uni-
fi ed standard, but instead we’re
forced to hunt down codec after
codec to play an assortment
of videos. At least, that’s how
we used to do it, until we found
ffdshow tryouts ( http://ffdshow-
tryout.sourceforge.net/ ). Ffdshow
sports an expansive codec
library, several fi lters, and the
ability to display pertinent details
about the fi le it’s playing. CPU-
utilization monitoring and the
ability to grab screenshots add
icing to the cake.LOGO-LICIOUSCustomize XP’s Boot Logo
Tired of the same old
boot screen? Change it
up! There are two meth-
ods for altering XP’s boot
logo—one involves risky
system-fi le edits that
put your OS at risk, the
other entails download-
ing BootSkin (free, http://
tinyurl.com/358lj ). Play it
safe with the latter and
click your way to a new
boot screen with one of
the bundled logos. Don’t
see one you like? Choose
from hundreds more
available for download
or follow the tutorial at
http://tinyurl.com/367khw
and make your own!LIGHTS, CAMERA, WALLPAPER!Use a Video Clip as Your
Background
Dreamscene enables Vista Ultimate owners to
set video clips as wallpaper, and with the help of
VideoLAN (free, http://www.videolan.org/vlc ), you can
get the same effect on XP. Select the video you
want to display, right-click while it’s playing, and
select Wallpaper. Create a playlist with multiple
video clips and then confi gure VideoLAN to loop
your selections by clicking Tools, Preferences,
Playlist, and checking Repeat All.WINDOWS TIPS