If you have numerous documents on your computer and you want to search them all for a specific string of text, it could be an overwhelming task to open each document and search them individually. That's why Windows has a command to search all your documents for a specific string of text. You can use

Microsoft Exchange lets you purge a mailbox if it has remained inactive for a certain period of time. However, the mailbox is not removed permanently from the system when you purge it. It remains in the sever for a specified number of days before it is actually deleted. This will give you enough tim

Microsoft uses balloon tips along the Start menu to familiarize users with button functions and how to use them. These balloon tips typically pop-up once you hold your mouse over a particular feature or button, which can be a nuisance--especially for experienced users. Using the Registry Editor, you

Your computer may automatically load some programs that you don't want launched at startup, while you may have to manually launch other programs that are desired immediately. Common programs that start automatically include Internet messaging applications and monitoring utilities. You have a choice

Windows Security Agent, or Security Center, refers to the built-in security tools that are included with Windows XP. These include the Windows Firewall, Virus Protection, and Automatic Updates programs. While leaving the Security Center enabled will help to keep your computer safe from threats, disa

A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, allows users in a group or organization to use the Internet to transmit data privately between a host computer and authorized client computers. Similar in theory to a standard wired network where computers connect to a server via Ethernet cables, a VPN creates virt

DNS allows computers to connect to local computers or Internet computers.network image by dinostock from Fotolia.comDNS (Domain Name System) is the name of the IP (Internet Protocol) resolution system, much like a phone book resolves names to phone numbers. Any time you want to access the...

The registry editor in Windows is a tool that allows you to modify several configurations of Windows and other installed software. However, the tool is so powerful that a novice user could cripple the computer by using it. Additionally, allowing access to the registry editor could be a potential sec

Windows no longer offers the ability to put passwords on folders. However, users can add security to folders by editing the security preferences and selecting which user profiles have the ability to access the folders. This can be done through the general security tab of Windows 7.

Restoration of the Windows XP operating system occurs in one of two ways, through the setup process embedded on the XP CD or through the programs embedded in the operating system. Avoid using the setup process when the restoration required is not extensive--as in when you are only suffering minor an

DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, and is used by routers connected to a network to automatically assign IP addresses to all of the computers on that network. The assigned addresses are kept in a central database. Using DHCP prevents two machines from receiving the same IP address,

CS3 can stand for almost anything and can refer to numerous software programs. The most well-known software that uses CS3 as part of its name is produced by Adobe, which uses it to identify a variety of their programs, including Photoshop, After Effects and Dreamweaver. Adobe often makes upgrades to

Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager and email client which was first launched in 1997. Primarily used to manage email, Outlook also has a calendar, contact manager and task manager, and third party plug-ins are available to add extra features such as spam filtering. Many users leave

Microsoft regularly releases updates to each Windows operating system. These updates protect your computer, making them essential to the overall health of your hardware and software. Automatic Update, the older version of the Windows Update utility found in Windows operating systems Vista and 7, off

File extensions (the final few characters of a file's name) are associated with specific programs in the Windows XP operating system, calling that program to run in order to open the file when it is double clicked. Unassociate a file extension from a specific program and reassociate it to another wh

An external hard disk drive is portable and connects to your computer via a USB cable. When your computer has multiple hard drives, one of the hard drives or partitions on the hard drive must be marked as active in order for an operating system to boot. Set both internal and external hard drives as

Setting up a computer modem properly is important if you want your computer to connect to the Internet. The software needed for the modem typically includes the drivers required for the computer to communicate with the modem, and by proxy, the Internet. Modems cannot work without the proper drivers.

Originally released in 2001, Microsoft Windows XP was in use by millions of people worldwide by the time it was replaced by Microsoft Vista. Just because the operating system proved to be so popular doesn't mean that it was without its faults, however, and many users found themselves testing out var

There are tools that you can use to test Windows.computer technology image by Raimundas from Fotolia.comWindows, developed by Microsoft, is the world's most widely-used operating system. Over the years, there have been many improvements in the interface and utility of the system. Many...