Even if you have only one operating system, you can create a boot menu that will let you choose to load your operating system with different parameters. For example, for menu choices, you might have your normal operating system; a mode that lets you trace any startup problems; and Safe Mode. To give yourself the option of operating systems with different parameters, create separate entries for each new operating system choice. For example, for the version of the operating system that traces potential startup problems, you could create this entry:

Read more »

If you’re hosting a blog, eventually you’re going to get curious about how many people are reading it. You can, utilize third-party hit counters and tools to track your blog’s traffic. Some of the most popular of these tools include

• Bravenet Counter and Site Stats (www.bravenet.com/webtools/counter/)

  Read more »

The Similar Pages link is interesting although not always tremendously useful. Clicking this link starts a new search for pages that somehow resemble the original search result. Sorry to be vague, but Google isn’t very talkative about its Similar Pages formula.

The results are interesting and more diverse than you might expect. You’d think the search would yield a narrowed set of results, but my experience is to the contrary. Search for Britney Spears, for example, and you get a solid set of results including fan sites. Click the Similar Pages link under britney spears.com, and you get a far-ranging assortment of pages, including unofficial fan pages and sites dedicated to other singers and bands.

Read more »

A cache (pronounced “cash”) is a storage area for computer files. Google maintains an enormous cache of Web pages. Actually, for practical purposes, it doesn’t matter whether you confuse them or not, but they are different.

The index is a database of Web page content, stripped of its formatting. The cache contains the pages themselves. By and large, clicking the Cached link provides a quicker display of the target page because you’re getting it from Google’s computer instead of from the Internet at large.

Read more »

Google uses a filter called SafeSearch to screen out pornography from Web page and image searches. In its default setting (moderate), SafeSearch applies fairly strict filtering to image searches and leaves Web search results unedited. Change the setting to strict for harsher filtering of images and clean Web page searches. You can turn off the filter entirely for an unbiased search session. You select the filtering strength on the Preferences page.

Read more »

When you set preferences in Google, the site is customized for you every time you visit it, as long as you’re using the same computer through which you set the preferences. To provide this convenience, Google must place a cookie (a small information file) in your computer. The site and the cookie high-five each other whenever you visit Google, and then the site appears according to your settings. For this system to work, the reception of cookies must be turned on in your browser.

Read more »

There are several different types of DVD writable drives available in the market as follows:

DVD-R: Can write to a blank disc once. The discs are compatible with most recent DVD video players.

DVD-RW: Can be written and rewritten to. The discs are compatible with most recent DVD video players.

Read more »

The Home versions of Vista suffer from some stricter limitations on available main memory and peer-to-peer networking than the non-Home versions. I ’ll summarize these limits as follows:

•  32-bit Vista versions will always be limited to 4 GB of RAM, due to limitations of x86 processors.

• 64-bit Vista versions have dramatically different limitations in the various editions:

  Read more »