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In Vista Windows 2008  or Windows 7 when  you right-click the network icon in the navigation area, but it does not take you directly to the Network Connections properties as we are used to in Windows XP 2000 or 2003 .
You can access Network Connections management menu by running ncpa.cpl from run menu or you can create a shortcut that will access those menu by key combination.

To create ncpa.cpl shortcut

• Right-click on the desktop
• Click: New>Shortcut
• Type the location of the item: ncpa.cpl 
  
• Choose a suitable name, e.g. ‘Network Connection’
   
• Right-click on the newly created shortcut
• Select Properties and seek the dialog box called Shortcut Key.
      Simply over-type ‘None’ with the combination that suits you, for example:
      Ctrl +Alt +N.  Start by holding the Ctrl key, ‘None’ should change.
   
• Now by pressing on Ctrl +Alt+N Network Connection Properties will Open.

Creating shortcuts using control panel applets (CPL files) can be be very useful.
Here is a list of common CPL files which can be used.

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Although IP v6 is the next thing , if you not going to use it it can be simply disabled.

To disable IP v6 go to Start >Run type ncpa.clp and hit enter.
You will receive your network adapters list.

Press right click and properties on each adapter and remove selection from “internet protocol version 6”

After you remove it run the following command from command prompt :
Remember you must run Command Prompt as administrator

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User Account Control (UAC) is a security component in Windows Vista/7 and 2008 .

It allows user to perform tasks with non administrative privileges. Some times the feature need’s to be disabled.

To disable it Click Start>Control Panel>User Accounts
In the User Accounts  window, remove selection from “Use User Account Control (UAC) to help your computer”

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Since windows Vista and Windows 2008 when performing some system tasks in command prompt ,
you must run CMD with administrative privileges.

To do that navigate to All Programs>Accessories right click on Command Prompt and chose “Run as administrator”

You can chose Command Prompt to run always with administrative privileges.
To do that navigate to All Programs>Accessories right click on Command Prompt and chose “Properties”
Under properties navigate to “shortcut” and press advanced
Select Run as Administrator and OK.

From now CMD will run always as Administrator

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To import wireless network profile you must have XML file with exported setting.
See Export Wireless Settings Profile

1. Open  command prompt with Administrator privileges
2. Type netstat wlan show profile – you will see no profiles defined.
3. Type netsh wlan add profile filename="c:\profiles\WifiProfile.xml”
4. By default it will add to all user profiles, so everybody on this computer can see this new profile and use it.

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Nice and easy way to Export and WiFi lan setting using netsh command on Vista

1. Launch a command prompt as administrator
2. Type “netsh wlan show profiles”
   
3. Chose profile you want to export.
4. Type Netsh wlan export profile name=”[ProfileName]” Folder=”[Folder Path]”

Example: netsh wlan export profile name=”home-network” folder=”g:\wireless-profile”

To import Wireless settings check out the import Wifi Network profile guide

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Unusually Operating System is installed on C drive and whenever you install new program it goes to C:\Program Files\program name

I is because the default suggested installation path is C:\Program Files.
It can cause a problem when C drive is been wrong partitioned and the size of C drive is small
You can use registry to change the default application installation path to for example install in D:\Programs,
To set different default installation path, follow the steps bellow:

1. Pres on start
2. Type in run regedit
3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion.
4. At the right panel, loacate ProgramFilesDir.
   
5. Double click on it to change the value to your desired path. For example, change the value from C:\Program Files to D:\Programs.
   

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To clear user local profile via registry :

1. Press on Start > Run >Regedit
2. Navigate to the following registry key :“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList”
3. Under ProfileList navigate to  binary key’s like this :S-1-5-21-3656904587-1668747452-4095529-500
4. On the right side under  ProfileImagePath you’’ll see the username and profile path.
5. Chose the one with the desired user and delete the long reg key like :“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList”

Note:The following method works on all of these operation systems:Windows 2000/XP/2003/2008 and Windows 7.

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If you Windows Desktop icon is disappeared , there is a quick way to restore it.
Follow the steps bellow:

• Open Notepad
• Paste the text bellow

[Shell] Command=2 IconFile=explorer.exe,3 [Taskbar] Command=ToggleDesktop

• Save the file as Desktop.scf and drag it to your Quick Launch bar

Note: If you can’t place it you Quick Launch bar may be locked.
To unlock it :Right click on it , and remove selection from “Lock The Task Bar”

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Windows Vista allows you to add custom search engine to start menu instant search box

You can add various search engines like Wikipedia, Google, Yahoo,Ebay, Amazon,Youtube and more.

To add Search Wikipedia or Google or Yahoo at Start Menu Instant Search Box, follow below steps:

• Click on Start button, then type gpedit.msc in the search bar, and press enter .
• Press OK on security dialog displayed.
• Navigate to “User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Instant Search > Custom Instant Search Internet search provider”
  click on Properties to open the properties window. 
  
• Go to Setting tab, select Enable .
• At “the string or DLL resource” text box, type Google Search .
• At “the URL to use when invoking the custom internet search” text box,Fill one of the desired search engine.
  For Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%w
  For Google: http://www.google.com/search?q=%w
  For Yahoo: http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=%w
  For Ebay: http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?satitle=%+&category0=
  For Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/103-7114533-6465427?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=%+
  For Del.icio.us: http://del.icio.us/search/?fr=del_icio_us&p=%+&type=all
  For Digg: http://www.digg.com/search?section=news&s=%+
  For Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%+
  For MySpace: http://sads.myspace.com//Modules/Search/Pages/Search.aspx?fuseaction=advancedFind.results&searchtarget=tms&searchtype=myspace&t=tms&get=1&websearch=1&searchBoxID=HeaderWebResults&searchString=%+&q=%+
  For LifeHacker: http://lifehacker.com/search/%+/bydate/

    

• Click OK .
• To enforce new setting click on start button
• And type gpupdate/force .in search box and hit enter key

You can find more and use any search engine. I listed the main ones only.

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