SIDEBAR BUFFETAdd Locations to the Save In
Sidebar
On the left-hand side of the Save As dialog box
sits a Save In sidebar; in it are common locations
where you might want to save a fi le. To add your
own folders to this list, type gpedit.msc in the
Run box (or search box in Vista), then navigate
to User Confi guration, Administrative Templates,
Windows Components, Windows Explorer,
Common Open File Dialog; then, double-click
Items Displayed in Places Bar. Here you can
add up to fi ve locations, including remote fold-
ers residing on your home network (e.g., \\
MaxPC-Quad\Pictures).32 MAXIMUMPC | MAR 08 | http://www.maximumpc.com
EXPRESS YOURSELFChange the Logon Background
Just like our clothes, our PCs are an extension of us, and we should dress them
accordingly. Logon Studio (free, http://tinyurl.com/2kuys7 ) helps in this endeavor. The
program lets you choose from a wardrobe of more than 500 logon backgrounds
( http://tinyurl.com/mh7eq ). Can’t fi nd a style to suit your tastes? Make your own back-
ground from scratch or edit an existing background.DUAL-BOOT DUELChange Dual-Boot Default to XP
Because of the way Vista’s boot loader works, you’ll
have much better luck with your dual-boot setup by
fi rst installing XP and then installing Vista. By going
this route, Vista loads as the default option, but you
can change this without any adverse effects. In Vista,
right-click My Computer and select Properties, then
Advanced system settings, then the Advanced tab.
Click Settings under Startup and Recovery and select
Earlier Version of Windows from the pull-down menu.HOTKEY HOKEY POKEYAssign Hotkeys to Common
Tasks
Quick, try to open the Task Manager without lift-
ing your hand from the mouse. Unless you have
unusually long fi ngers or a third hand growing
from your torso, you can’t hit the CTRL-ALT-DEL
combination without contorting into an unnatural
position. Luckily, there’s an easy workaround.
Navigate to C:\Windows\System32 and create
a shortcut for taskmgr.exe. Right-click the new
shortcut, select Properties, and assign a new hot-
key combination in the Shortcut tab. Use this trick
for any commonly used application.HOTKEY HOEDOWNKnow Your Common Shortcuts
Many common Windows tasks come assigned
with shortcuts; here are fi ve guaranteed to
increase productivity:Shift+Del: Bypass the recycle bin and perma-
nently delete fi lesALT+Print Screen: Nab a screenshot of just the
active window to the clipboardWindows Key+M: Minimize all open windows
CTRL+ESC: Bring up the Start menuShift+Tab: Tab backward through a formWINDOWS TIPS