How to erase duplicate lines in a DWG drawing?
A - answer Duplicate lines (2 or more stacked lines - overlaid) can be removed using the drawing cleanup functions in AutoCAD Map: Tools > Drawing Cleanup.
You can also use one of the Express Tools command - OVERKILL.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Autocad Dialog boxes do not open navigation dialog boxes command line only Acad
Set variable
FILEDIA = 1
1 Displays dialog boxes
0 Does not display dialog boxes
________________________________________________________
Symptoms:
Autocad Dialog boxes do not open navigation dialog boxes command line only
Suppresses display of file navigation dialog boxes.
0 Does not display dialog boxes. You can still request a file dialog box to appear by entering a tilde (~) in response to the command's prompt. The same is true for AutoLISP and ADS functions.
1 Displays dialog boxes. However, if a script or AutoLISP/ObjectARX™ program is active, an ordinary prompt is displayed.
Settings for a "Save As" dialog box?
Open goes to text and not dialog box.
When I go to File and Save As, I no longer get the dialog box to choose the path to save the file in. I am now presented with options in the command line where I must choose the format and type the full path in order to save the file. The same occurs when I am trying to open a file.
FILEDIA = 1
1 Displays dialog boxes
0 Does not display dialog boxes
________________________________________________________
Symptoms:
Autocad Dialog boxes do not open navigation dialog boxes command line only
Suppresses display of file navigation dialog boxes.
0 Does not display dialog boxes. You can still request a file dialog box to appear by entering a tilde (~) in response to the command's prompt. The same is true for AutoLISP and ADS functions.
1 Displays dialog boxes. However, if a script or AutoLISP/ObjectARX™ program is active, an ordinary prompt is displayed.
Settings for a "Save As" dialog box?
Open goes to text and not dialog box.
When I go to File and Save As, I no longer get the dialog box to choose the path to save the file in. I am now presented with options in the command line where I must choose the format and type the full path in order to save the file. The same occurs when I am trying to open a file.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
select line of particular length less than or greater than Autocad polylinr pline
The ._Qselect command should be able to do this.
Friday, January 14, 2011
vray line resolution
http://www.cgarena.com/freestuff/tutorials/max/studiolighting/index4.html
http://www.cgarena.com/freestuff/tutorials/max/studiolighting/image_19.jpg
Change the resoultion to 900x500 -Set the Adaptive rQMC image samplers min dubdiv to 2.Now thinner lines can be rendered correctly.
-Change the preset of the Irradiance map to Medium from Low.Set 50 to the HSph subdiv to achive higher quality GI.
-Use value 1200 for the Light cache subdiv.Change the Sample size to 0,006 ,now small details will be more visible. Use value 1000 to the Pre-filter option to reduce noise.We have a lot of glossi rays so check the "Use light cache for glossi rays" option./it will speed up rendering/ For the Filter use the "None" possibility.
-At the rQMC sampler use value 0,005 for noise treshold. Set the Global subdivs multiplier to 4 ,it will increase samling quality everywhere in the scene.
-You can find the Light properties in System>Lights settings. Changing the diffuse subdivision of the lights wil effect the number of the traced photons.
-Change all the vraylights subdivison to 15 or 20 to avoid noisy parts.
-Change all the materials subdivs to 20 in the Reflection section. With these settings the rendertime will increase a lot according to test render settings. Now hit F9 and wait until the calculation finishes.
http://www.cgarena.com/freestuff/tutorials/max/studiolighting/image_19.jpg
Change the resoultion to 900x500 -Set the Adaptive rQMC image samplers min dubdiv to 2.Now thinner lines can be rendered correctly.
-Change the preset of the Irradiance map to Medium from Low.Set 50 to the HSph subdiv to achive higher quality GI.
-Use value 1200 for the Light cache subdiv.Change the Sample size to 0,006 ,now small details will be more visible. Use value 1000 to the Pre-filter option to reduce noise.We have a lot of glossi rays so check the "Use light cache for glossi rays" option./it will speed up rendering/ For the Filter use the "None" possibility.
-At the rQMC sampler use value 0,005 for noise treshold. Set the Global subdivs multiplier to 4 ,it will increase samling quality everywhere in the scene.
-You can find the Light properties in System>Lights settings. Changing the diffuse subdivision of the lights wil effect the number of the traced photons.
-Change all the vraylights subdivison to 15 or 20 to avoid noisy parts.
-Change all the materials subdivs to 20 in the Reflection section. With these settings the rendertime will increase a lot according to test render settings. Now hit F9 and wait until the calculation finishes.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Windows free
http://i.techrepublic.com.com/downloads/adl_10_free_progs.pdf
Copyright © 2009 CNET Networks, Inc., a CBS Company. All rights reserved. TechRepublic is a registered trademark of CNET Networks, Inc
For more downloads and a free TechRepublic membership, please visit http://techrepublic.com.com/2001-6240-0.html
Version 1.0
October 15, 2009
10 free Microsoft programs worth
checking out
By Greg Shultz
If I had a nickel for every time I've heard someone say, "For all the money I've spent on Microsoft products, they
should be giving me free software by now…" I'd be rich! Well, unfortunately, that's not going to happen. But
Microsoft does have a lot of Windows software that is free for the taking. We're all familiar with the free Windows
Live offerings, but that's not all there is. Microsoft has a lot of free software just waiting for you to find it. You just
have to know where to look. Here are 10 free programs to get you started.
1: Paint.NET
Paint.NET started as a computer science project at Washington State University. But it was such a good image
and photo editing product (as well as an exceptional example of the .NET Framework technology in action),
Microsoft hired the two developers, Rick Brewster and Tom Jackson, and has allowed them to continue improving
the application and offering it as a free download. Paint.NET has a great user interface (Figure A) and it's easy to
use. It provides all the essential image editing features you need, plus layers, special effects, and support for a
wide range of image formats. Paint.NET also has quite a following on the Internet, and you can find lots of help,
tutorials, and plugins -- and it supports Windows 7!
Figure A10 free Microsoft programs worth checking out
Page 2
Copyright © 2009 CNET Networks, Inc., a CBS Company. All rights reserved. TechRepublic is a registered trademark of CNET Networks, Inc
For more downloads and a free TechRepublic membership, please visit http://techrepublic.com.com/2001-6240-0.html
2: Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition
If you're Web site developer at any level, you need to investigate Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition.
This easy-to-learn, easy-to-use development environment makes it a snap for anyone to create Web sites or
small applications. Mainly aimed at the amateur or intermediate-level developers, Visual Web Developer 2008
Express Edition provides professional-level features that will allow you to create a wide variety of Web sites, from
the most basic HTML to more advanced ASP.NET pages or SQL Server databases. You can get started by
viewing an introductory video that covers the main features of this package and walks you through some of the
most common tasks.
3: XML Notepad 2007
If you need a basic, yet powerful XML editor, you'll want to investigate XML Notepad 2007. The user interface
features a tree view pane on the left that provides a color-coded view of classes, tags, and values. On the right,
the main text editor pane shows all text, which is synchronized and color matched to its associated identifier on
the left. You can even customize the colors and choose fonts to your liking. Other features include drag and drop,
find and replace, incremental search, instant XML schema validation, a built-in XML Diff tool, and much more.
You can learn more about the XML Notepad 2007 Design on MSDN.
4: Virtual PC 2007
Windows 7 supports Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode. However, if you are running Windows Vista or
Windows XP, you can still download and use the free Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 package, which will allow you to
run multiple operating systems at the same time on the same physical computer. Virtual PC 2007 is easy to install
and easy to use. You can install your own copies of Windows in Virtual PC 2007, but at the time of this writing,
Microsoft has several preconfigured VHDs (virtual hard drives) containing sample copies of Windows XP and
Vista that you can download and install in Virtual PC 2007 for testing purposes. You can find another Vista
evaluation here.
5: WorldWide Telescope
The WorldWide Telescope from Microsoft Research offers a rich visualization environment that essentially
provides you with a virtual telescope. This package brings together amazing imagery from the Hubble Space
Telescope and approximately 10 earthbound telescopes. The images are stitched together seamlessly, allowing
you to pan around outer space and zoom as far into any one area as the data will allow. The user interface
(Figure B) makes galactic exploration easy, right from your computer.
Figure B10 free Microsoft programs worth checking out
Page 3
Copyright © 2009 CNET Networks, Inc., a CBS Company. All rights reserved. TechRepublic is a registered trademark of CNET Networks, Inc
For more downloads and a free TechRepublic membership, please visit http://techrepublic.com.com/2001-6240-0.html
Figure C
6: Windows SteadyState
If you support shared-access computers in a public venue, such as classroom/lab, a library, or an Internet cafe,
you're definitely a prime candidate for Windows SteadyState. With this package, you can configure and lock down
a Windows system to be just the way you want for your public setup. Users can do whatever they need to do,
change whatever they want, or even inadvertently crash the system with malware while they're using it. When
they are done, you can reset the entire system to be exactly the way that it was the first day you configured it. just
as if no one had used it. You can find several demos as well as an FAQ that will help you quickly determine if
Windows SteadyState is the tool for your environment. At the time of this writing, Windows SteadyState supports
Windows XP and Windows Vista. Once Windows 7 is out the door, Microsoft should be adding it to the list of
supported operating systems.
7: SyncToy 2.0
zAs its name implies, SyncToy is a synchronization tool designed to assist you in maintaining duplicate copies of
files you might keep on a laptop and a desktop or a desktop and a network drive. With the widespread availability
of inexpensive external hard disks, SyncToy is also a great backup tool. SyncToy is intuitive and it sports a
straightforward user interface. In fact, the first time you use it, the opening screen prompts you to select a pair of
folders you want to use and then for simplicity, the folders are designated as the Left Folder and the Right Folder.
There are five synchronization methods to choose from, but since there is no built-in scheduling capability, you
must perform the operation manually. Even so, SyncToy 2.0 is extremely quick and efficient and is a great tool.
8: Office Accounting Express 2009
Office Accounting Express is an easy-to-use accounting package that has the familiar Microsoft Office interface
and is designed to integrate seamlessly with other Office applications. Providing most accounting features a small
business might need, such as managing credit cards, bank accounts, payroll, vendors, invoices, quotes, cash
sales, and even built-in PayPal functionality, Office Accounting Express is a great piece of software for business
managers.
9: SQL Server Express 2008
SQL Server Express 2008 is a slimmed down version of SQL Server, yet it retains all the powerful SQL database
features you need for building Web sites and apps. In fact, there are three versions: Express, Express with Tools,
and Express with Advanced Services. It's easy to learn, easy to use, and provides the same advanced database
engine as the full fledged editions of
SQL Server.
10: ServerQuest II game
Okay, for the last of these Microsoft
freebies, let take a look at something
technologically entertaining. Do you
remember playing the vintage
computers games King's Quest or
Leisure Suit Larry? If so, you should
enjoy Microsoft TechNet's ServerQuest
II game. It emulates the same sort of
pixilated graphics (Figure C) and
cheesy humor as those classics, but
it's aimed at IT professionals and
computer specialists.
In the game, which is created with
Silverlight and runs in your browser,
you play an IT pro (either Matt or Alicia) whose objective is to keep the network running smoothly while
encountering a host of technical problems that are presented as games and puzzles, ranging from the absurd to
things you might encounter in the real life of an IT pro. As you work through the tasks, you'll learn about and use
Microsoft technologies to solve problems, encounter hidden Easter Eggs, earn geek points, and get to post your
high scores for others to compete against. The game is really very humorous -- and you might even learn some
interesting troubleshooting techniques as you play. 10 free Microsoft programs worth checking out
Page 4
Copyright © 2009 CNET Networks, Inc., a CBS Company. All rights reserved. TechRepublic is a registered trademark of CNET Networks, Inc
For more downloads and a free TechRepublic membership, please visit http://techrepublic.com.com/2001-6240-0.html
Additional resources
TechRepublic's Downloads RSS Feed
Sign up for the Downloads at TechRepublic newsletter
Sign up for our 10 Things Newsletter
Check out all of TechRepublic's free newsletters
10 free security tools that actually work
10+ IT pros share the utilities and tools they can't live without
10+ Microsoft Office add-ins to simplify your work
Version history
Version: 1.0
Published: October 15, 2009
Tell us what you think
TechRepublic downloads are designed to help you get your job done as painlessly and effectively as possible.
Because we're continually looking for ways to improve the usefulness of these tools, we need your feedback.
Please take a minute to drop us a line and tell us how well this download worked for you and offer your
suggestions for improvement.
Thanks!
—The TechRepublic Content Team
Copyright © 2009 CNET Networks, Inc., a CBS Company. All rights reserved. TechRepublic is a registered trademark of CNET Networks, Inc
For more downloads and a free TechRepublic membership, please visit http://techrepublic.com.com/2001-6240-0.html
Version 1.0
October 15, 2009
10 free Microsoft programs worth
checking out
By Greg Shultz
If I had a nickel for every time I've heard someone say, "For all the money I've spent on Microsoft products, they
should be giving me free software by now…" I'd be rich! Well, unfortunately, that's not going to happen. But
Microsoft does have a lot of Windows software that is free for the taking. We're all familiar with the free Windows
Live offerings, but that's not all there is. Microsoft has a lot of free software just waiting for you to find it. You just
have to know where to look. Here are 10 free programs to get you started.
1: Paint.NET
Paint.NET started as a computer science project at Washington State University. But it was such a good image
and photo editing product (as well as an exceptional example of the .NET Framework technology in action),
Microsoft hired the two developers, Rick Brewster and Tom Jackson, and has allowed them to continue improving
the application and offering it as a free download. Paint.NET has a great user interface (Figure A) and it's easy to
use. It provides all the essential image editing features you need, plus layers, special effects, and support for a
wide range of image formats. Paint.NET also has quite a following on the Internet, and you can find lots of help,
tutorials, and plugins -- and it supports Windows 7!
Figure A10 free Microsoft programs worth checking out
Page 2
Copyright © 2009 CNET Networks, Inc., a CBS Company. All rights reserved. TechRepublic is a registered trademark of CNET Networks, Inc
For more downloads and a free TechRepublic membership, please visit http://techrepublic.com.com/2001-6240-0.html
2: Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition
If you're Web site developer at any level, you need to investigate Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition.
This easy-to-learn, easy-to-use development environment makes it a snap for anyone to create Web sites or
small applications. Mainly aimed at the amateur or intermediate-level developers, Visual Web Developer 2008
Express Edition provides professional-level features that will allow you to create a wide variety of Web sites, from
the most basic HTML to more advanced ASP.NET pages or SQL Server databases. You can get started by
viewing an introductory video that covers the main features of this package and walks you through some of the
most common tasks.
3: XML Notepad 2007
If you need a basic, yet powerful XML editor, you'll want to investigate XML Notepad 2007. The user interface
features a tree view pane on the left that provides a color-coded view of classes, tags, and values. On the right,
the main text editor pane shows all text, which is synchronized and color matched to its associated identifier on
the left. You can even customize the colors and choose fonts to your liking. Other features include drag and drop,
find and replace, incremental search, instant XML schema validation, a built-in XML Diff tool, and much more.
You can learn more about the XML Notepad 2007 Design on MSDN.
4: Virtual PC 2007
Windows 7 supports Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode. However, if you are running Windows Vista or
Windows XP, you can still download and use the free Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 package, which will allow you to
run multiple operating systems at the same time on the same physical computer. Virtual PC 2007 is easy to install
and easy to use. You can install your own copies of Windows in Virtual PC 2007, but at the time of this writing,
Microsoft has several preconfigured VHDs (virtual hard drives) containing sample copies of Windows XP and
Vista that you can download and install in Virtual PC 2007 for testing purposes. You can find another Vista
evaluation here.
5: WorldWide Telescope
The WorldWide Telescope from Microsoft Research offers a rich visualization environment that essentially
provides you with a virtual telescope. This package brings together amazing imagery from the Hubble Space
Telescope and approximately 10 earthbound telescopes. The images are stitched together seamlessly, allowing
you to pan around outer space and zoom as far into any one area as the data will allow. The user interface
(Figure B) makes galactic exploration easy, right from your computer.
Figure B10 free Microsoft programs worth checking out
Page 3
Copyright © 2009 CNET Networks, Inc., a CBS Company. All rights reserved. TechRepublic is a registered trademark of CNET Networks, Inc
For more downloads and a free TechRepublic membership, please visit http://techrepublic.com.com/2001-6240-0.html
Figure C
6: Windows SteadyState
If you support shared-access computers in a public venue, such as classroom/lab, a library, or an Internet cafe,
you're definitely a prime candidate for Windows SteadyState. With this package, you can configure and lock down
a Windows system to be just the way you want for your public setup. Users can do whatever they need to do,
change whatever they want, or even inadvertently crash the system with malware while they're using it. When
they are done, you can reset the entire system to be exactly the way that it was the first day you configured it. just
as if no one had used it. You can find several demos as well as an FAQ that will help you quickly determine if
Windows SteadyState is the tool for your environment. At the time of this writing, Windows SteadyState supports
Windows XP and Windows Vista. Once Windows 7 is out the door, Microsoft should be adding it to the list of
supported operating systems.
7: SyncToy 2.0
zAs its name implies, SyncToy is a synchronization tool designed to assist you in maintaining duplicate copies of
files you might keep on a laptop and a desktop or a desktop and a network drive. With the widespread availability
of inexpensive external hard disks, SyncToy is also a great backup tool. SyncToy is intuitive and it sports a
straightforward user interface. In fact, the first time you use it, the opening screen prompts you to select a pair of
folders you want to use and then for simplicity, the folders are designated as the Left Folder and the Right Folder.
There are five synchronization methods to choose from, but since there is no built-in scheduling capability, you
must perform the operation manually. Even so, SyncToy 2.0 is extremely quick and efficient and is a great tool.
8: Office Accounting Express 2009
Office Accounting Express is an easy-to-use accounting package that has the familiar Microsoft Office interface
and is designed to integrate seamlessly with other Office applications. Providing most accounting features a small
business might need, such as managing credit cards, bank accounts, payroll, vendors, invoices, quotes, cash
sales, and even built-in PayPal functionality, Office Accounting Express is a great piece of software for business
managers.
9: SQL Server Express 2008
SQL Server Express 2008 is a slimmed down version of SQL Server, yet it retains all the powerful SQL database
features you need for building Web sites and apps. In fact, there are three versions: Express, Express with Tools,
and Express with Advanced Services. It's easy to learn, easy to use, and provides the same advanced database
engine as the full fledged editions of
SQL Server.
10: ServerQuest II game
Okay, for the last of these Microsoft
freebies, let take a look at something
technologically entertaining. Do you
remember playing the vintage
computers games King's Quest or
Leisure Suit Larry? If so, you should
enjoy Microsoft TechNet's ServerQuest
II game. It emulates the same sort of
pixilated graphics (Figure C) and
cheesy humor as those classics, but
it's aimed at IT professionals and
computer specialists.
In the game, which is created with
Silverlight and runs in your browser,
you play an IT pro (either Matt or Alicia) whose objective is to keep the network running smoothly while
encountering a host of technical problems that are presented as games and puzzles, ranging from the absurd to
things you might encounter in the real life of an IT pro. As you work through the tasks, you'll learn about and use
Microsoft technologies to solve problems, encounter hidden Easter Eggs, earn geek points, and get to post your
high scores for others to compete against. The game is really very humorous -- and you might even learn some
interesting troubleshooting techniques as you play. 10 free Microsoft programs worth checking out
Page 4
Copyright © 2009 CNET Networks, Inc., a CBS Company. All rights reserved. TechRepublic is a registered trademark of CNET Networks, Inc
For more downloads and a free TechRepublic membership, please visit http://techrepublic.com.com/2001-6240-0.html
Additional resources
TechRepublic's Downloads RSS Feed
Sign up for the Downloads at TechRepublic newsletter
Sign up for our 10 Things Newsletter
Check out all of TechRepublic's free newsletters
10 free security tools that actually work
10+ IT pros share the utilities and tools they can't live without
10+ Microsoft Office add-ins to simplify your work
Version history
Version: 1.0
Published: October 15, 2009
Tell us what you think
TechRepublic downloads are designed to help you get your job done as painlessly and effectively as possible.
Because we're continually looking for ways to improve the usefulness of these tools, we need your feedback.
Please take a minute to drop us a line and tell us how well this download worked for you and offer your
suggestions for improvement.
Thanks!
—The TechRepublic Content Team
flash drive Boost performance ReadyBoost
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=931&tag=zd-left
Turn ReadyBoost on or off for a storage device
Windows ReadyBoost can use storage space on some removable media devices, such as USB flash drives, to speed up your computer. When you insert a compatible device, the AutoPlay dialog box will offer you the option to speed up your system using Windows ReadyBoost.
1. Plug a flash drive or other removable media device into your computer. This should automatically open AutoPlay.
2. Under General Options, click Speed up my system.
This will display the Properties dialog box for your flash drive or other removable media device.
3. Click the ReadyBoost tab, and then do one of the following:
*To turn ReadyBoost off, click Do not use this device.
*To turn ReadyBoost on, click Use this device, and then move the slider to choose how much of the available space on your flash drive you want to reserve for boosting your system speed.
1: Run portable applications
In addition to storing your data, you can run portable applications from a USB flash drive. For example, OpenOffice, which is a complete office suite that includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, drawing package, and database, is available as a portable application. Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird are also available as portable applications. When you combine the office suite with the ability to surf the Web and check email, you’ll be able to take your most vital computing applications with you wherever you go — right in your pocket.
If that’s not enough, you can choose other applications to install on your USB flash drive from PortableApps.com (Figure A). You can even install an entire prepackaged suite of applications that includes such things as an audio player, games, an antivirus utility, and a handy menu system.
Figure A
The PortableApps.com suite comes with a menu system to allow you to easily access your portable applications.
2: Boot an operating system
If you want to do more than just run your own applications, you might want to consider booting an entire operating system from your USB flash drive. You can boot either Windows or Linux from a USB flash drive; however, the process is not an exact science and you may be in for a technical adventure.
Fortunately, there are some guides you can follow. To learn how to boot Windows XP from a USB flash drive, see the article Creating a bootable USB flash drive for Windows XP. To learn how to boot a version of Linux from a USB flash drive, see the article Puppy Linux teaches an old dog new tricks.
3: Connect to a wireless network
If you have a wireless network, you can use the Wireless Network Setup Wizard in Windows XP or the Windows Connect Now (WCN) feature built into Vista to save wireless network configuration information to a USB flash drive. You can then use your drive to quickly and easily connect another computer or a WCN-compatible device, such as a router or printer, to your wireless network. To learn more about using the Wireless Network Setup Wizard, see the Help And Support Center, which is accessible from Windows XP’s Start menu. To learn more about using the Windows Connect Now feature, see Windows Help And Support, which is accessible from Windows Vista’s Start menu.
4: Create a password reset disk
A password reset disk can really come in handy if you forget the password to your user account on a Windows system that is not a part of a domain. If you find yourself in that situation, you can use the password reset disk to reset your password and quickly get back into your user account. In Windows Vista, you can use USB flash drive rather than a floppy disk as a password reset disk (Figure B). For details on how to do so, see the article Create a Vista password reset disk using a USB flash drive.
Figure B
You can use your USB flash drive as a password reset disk.
5: Boost performance
If you’re running Windows Vista, you can use a USB flash drive to speed up your system with the ReadyBoost technology. ReadyBoost can use the storage space on a USB Flash drive as an additional memory cache to aid the memory cache on your hard disk. And because flash memory is more responsive than a hard disk, with its physical moving parts, the memory cache provided by ReadyBoost can significantly improve system responsiveness.
Using ReadyBoost is easy. You just insert your USB flash drive into your Vista system and follow the onscreen prompts to configure and use ReadyBoost. If you want more details, check out the article How SuperFetch and ReadyBoost work together.
6: Manage it
If all you really want to do with your USB flash drive is transport data, and you’re running Windows XP, you can do so more efficiently with the Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager (Figure C). Once you have installed this manager, you can easily copy files to and from your drive, back up and restore the entire flash drive to and from your hard disk, change the drive label, and even create an autorun.inf file to launch Drive Manager automatically when you plug in the drive. To learn more about and download the USB Flash Drive Manager visit the Microsoft TechNet Magazine site.
Figure C
The Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager provides you with a host of features, such as drive backup.
7: Use it as an MP3 player
Would you like to be listening to music when you’re using a computer at the office, but you don’t have an MP3 player? If so, you can use a USB flash drive as an MP3 player along with Windows Media Player and a set of headphones. Just copy your MP3 files to your USB flash drive, plug it into your computer, and direct Windows Media Player to build a library of the songs on your drive. You can use all of Windows Media Player’s playback features, such as playlists and favorites, to easily customize your music listening experience. And best of all, you won’t have to worry about running low on battery power.
8: Password-protect it
If you use a USB flash drive to transport sensitive data that you would prefer to protect from prying eyes, should you lose the drive, Rohos Mini Drive (Figure D) can safeguard that data. This security tool allows you to create a secret partition on the drive and then password-protect/encrypt that partition, thus protecting any documents you copy to that partition via the utility’s file manager. You can download (and read a review of) Rohos Mini Drive at Download.com.
Figure D
Using Rohos Mini Drive, you can secure sensitive files on your USB flash drive.
9: Run a Web site from it
If you are a Web developer, you may be interested to know that with Server2Go, you can easily run a Web server that supports Apache, PHP, MySQL, and Perl right from a USB flash drive. You can use Server2Go right out of the box without any installation. It runs on all versions of Windows, supports most common browsers, and is completely free. To a developer, the benefits of having a portable Web server on a USB drive are numerous. For example, imagine being able to carry a live Web site demo into a sales pitch meeting. For more information about this package, visit the Server2Go site.
10: Lock your PC
Have you ever seen a movie in which a person in some secret government installation simply inserts and removes a card to log in and log out of a PC? If you thought that idea was cool, you’ll definitely want to investigate Predator (Figure E). Once installed and configured, this little freeware utility will allow you to turn a USB flash drive into a key you can use to lock and unlock your computer.
Figure E
With Predator, you can use a USB flash drive as a key to lock and unlock your computer.
While the USB flash drive is connected to your computer, everything works as it normally would. Once you remove the USB flash drive, your computer is locked down — the keyboard and mouse are disabled and the screen darkens. To unlock your computer, you just plug in the USB flash drive and the computer will be unlocked and you can begin using it. To learn more about Predator, and/or to download it, visit the developer’s Web site.
Turn ReadyBoost on or off for a storage device
Windows ReadyBoost can use storage space on some removable media devices, such as USB flash drives, to speed up your computer. When you insert a compatible device, the AutoPlay dialog box will offer you the option to speed up your system using Windows ReadyBoost.
1. Plug a flash drive or other removable media device into your computer. This should automatically open AutoPlay.
2. Under General Options, click Speed up my system.
This will display the Properties dialog box for your flash drive or other removable media device.
3. Click the ReadyBoost tab, and then do one of the following:
*To turn ReadyBoost off, click Do not use this device.
*To turn ReadyBoost on, click Use this device, and then move the slider to choose how much of the available space on your flash drive you want to reserve for boosting your system speed.
1: Run portable applications
In addition to storing your data, you can run portable applications from a USB flash drive. For example, OpenOffice, which is a complete office suite that includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, drawing package, and database, is available as a portable application. Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird are also available as portable applications. When you combine the office suite with the ability to surf the Web and check email, you’ll be able to take your most vital computing applications with you wherever you go — right in your pocket.
If that’s not enough, you can choose other applications to install on your USB flash drive from PortableApps.com (Figure A). You can even install an entire prepackaged suite of applications that includes such things as an audio player, games, an antivirus utility, and a handy menu system.
Figure A
The PortableApps.com suite comes with a menu system to allow you to easily access your portable applications.
2: Boot an operating system
If you want to do more than just run your own applications, you might want to consider booting an entire operating system from your USB flash drive. You can boot either Windows or Linux from a USB flash drive; however, the process is not an exact science and you may be in for a technical adventure.
Fortunately, there are some guides you can follow. To learn how to boot Windows XP from a USB flash drive, see the article Creating a bootable USB flash drive for Windows XP. To learn how to boot a version of Linux from a USB flash drive, see the article Puppy Linux teaches an old dog new tricks.
3: Connect to a wireless network
If you have a wireless network, you can use the Wireless Network Setup Wizard in Windows XP or the Windows Connect Now (WCN) feature built into Vista to save wireless network configuration information to a USB flash drive. You can then use your drive to quickly and easily connect another computer or a WCN-compatible device, such as a router or printer, to your wireless network. To learn more about using the Wireless Network Setup Wizard, see the Help And Support Center, which is accessible from Windows XP’s Start menu. To learn more about using the Windows Connect Now feature, see Windows Help And Support, which is accessible from Windows Vista’s Start menu.
4: Create a password reset disk
A password reset disk can really come in handy if you forget the password to your user account on a Windows system that is not a part of a domain. If you find yourself in that situation, you can use the password reset disk to reset your password and quickly get back into your user account. In Windows Vista, you can use USB flash drive rather than a floppy disk as a password reset disk (Figure B). For details on how to do so, see the article Create a Vista password reset disk using a USB flash drive.
Figure B
You can use your USB flash drive as a password reset disk.
5: Boost performance
If you’re running Windows Vista, you can use a USB flash drive to speed up your system with the ReadyBoost technology. ReadyBoost can use the storage space on a USB Flash drive as an additional memory cache to aid the memory cache on your hard disk. And because flash memory is more responsive than a hard disk, with its physical moving parts, the memory cache provided by ReadyBoost can significantly improve system responsiveness.
Using ReadyBoost is easy. You just insert your USB flash drive into your Vista system and follow the onscreen prompts to configure and use ReadyBoost. If you want more details, check out the article How SuperFetch and ReadyBoost work together.
6: Manage it
If all you really want to do with your USB flash drive is transport data, and you’re running Windows XP, you can do so more efficiently with the Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager (Figure C). Once you have installed this manager, you can easily copy files to and from your drive, back up and restore the entire flash drive to and from your hard disk, change the drive label, and even create an autorun.inf file to launch Drive Manager automatically when you plug in the drive. To learn more about and download the USB Flash Drive Manager visit the Microsoft TechNet Magazine site.
Figure C
The Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager provides you with a host of features, such as drive backup.
7: Use it as an MP3 player
Would you like to be listening to music when you’re using a computer at the office, but you don’t have an MP3 player? If so, you can use a USB flash drive as an MP3 player along with Windows Media Player and a set of headphones. Just copy your MP3 files to your USB flash drive, plug it into your computer, and direct Windows Media Player to build a library of the songs on your drive. You can use all of Windows Media Player’s playback features, such as playlists and favorites, to easily customize your music listening experience. And best of all, you won’t have to worry about running low on battery power.
8: Password-protect it
If you use a USB flash drive to transport sensitive data that you would prefer to protect from prying eyes, should you lose the drive, Rohos Mini Drive (Figure D) can safeguard that data. This security tool allows you to create a secret partition on the drive and then password-protect/encrypt that partition, thus protecting any documents you copy to that partition via the utility’s file manager. You can download (and read a review of) Rohos Mini Drive at Download.com.
Figure D
Using Rohos Mini Drive, you can secure sensitive files on your USB flash drive.
9: Run a Web site from it
If you are a Web developer, you may be interested to know that with Server2Go, you can easily run a Web server that supports Apache, PHP, MySQL, and Perl right from a USB flash drive. You can use Server2Go right out of the box without any installation. It runs on all versions of Windows, supports most common browsers, and is completely free. To a developer, the benefits of having a portable Web server on a USB drive are numerous. For example, imagine being able to carry a live Web site demo into a sales pitch meeting. For more information about this package, visit the Server2Go site.
10: Lock your PC
Have you ever seen a movie in which a person in some secret government installation simply inserts and removes a card to log in and log out of a PC? If you thought that idea was cool, you’ll definitely want to investigate Predator (Figure E). Once installed and configured, this little freeware utility will allow you to turn a USB flash drive into a key you can use to lock and unlock your computer.
Figure E
With Predator, you can use a USB flash drive as a key to lock and unlock your computer.
While the USB flash drive is connected to your computer, everything works as it normally would. Once you remove the USB flash drive, your computer is locked down — the keyboard and mouse are disabled and the screen darkens. To unlock your computer, you just plug in the USB flash drive and the computer will be unlocked and you can begin using it. To learn more about Predator, and/or to download it, visit the developer’s Web site.
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