How to Hide a User Account from the Welcome Screen in Windows

Windows operating systems like Windows 7, XP, and Vista are capable of creating multiple user accounts on one computer or machine. Aside from the administrator (usually the computer owner), other users can be named so they won’t have to log in to the computer as guests. 

When more than one user accounts have been created on the PC, the Welcome Screen will be displayed, in order to allow users to click on their names and login.

But did you know that there is a trick to make user accounts, which would normally be visible in the Welcome Screen, to be hidden from view?

To create a hidden account, or hide an existing user account, from the Welcome Screen in Windows 7, Win XP, and Vista, just go to Control Panel (START button --> Control Panel)

First, create an additional or a new user as normal:

Windows 7 and Windows Vista:

(Control Panel -> User Accounts and Family Safety -> User Accounts)

Windows XP:

      (Control Panel -> User Accounts)

After creating the new account:

After creating a new user account, you may hide this, make it invisible or have it disappeared from the Welcome Screen by doing the following steps:

1. Click on the START button, and then click on Run. Type in regedit to bring up the Registry Editor.
2. Look for the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

3. Click on UserList, and right-click on any blank space in the right side of the window, and then choose New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. By default, you will get a New Value #1. Rename this to the exact same name of the user account you wish to make invisible or hidden.

For instance, if the user name of one account is John, the New Value #1 needs to be renamed as John.

5. Double click on the renamed New Value #1 (this should now be renamed to the user account you wish to hide), and set the value data to 0.

(right-click --> Modify --> Value Data: 0)

This will make the account hidden from the Welcome Screen. 

Tip: If you wish to make a hidden account visible to the Welcome screen again, just delete the renamed value (right-click --> DELETE) … or set the value data to 1 (right-click --> Modify --> Value Data: 1)

Exit Registry Editor.

6. Log off or restart your computer to apply the changes.

Tip: If you wish to login to Windows using an invisible or hidden user account, press on Ctrl+Alt+Delete all at the same time to bring up the Windows Logon dialog screen, after that type in your user name and password manually.

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Most Useful Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

Working with a new operating system like Windows 7 can be challenging at times, but can be very rewarding once you've become comfortable with the navigation and controls. Here are a few of Windows 7 keyboard shortcut to help you perform efficiently with your tasks.

Activate Preview Pane:

Pressing on Alt + P when inside a directory (My Computer, Libraries, etc) will activate the preview pane in that directory to the right side of the window.

Activating the Magnifier:

By pressing on Windows + plus key (+)  /  minus key (-), you can activate the magnifier. This will allow you to zoom in or out of a page or image up to 1600% magnification. The magnifier can be customized to follow your keyboard or mouse pointer. 

Maximize - Restore - Minimize a Window

You can easily maximize, restore, or minimize a windows by pressing Windows + Up Arrow Key/ Down Arrow Key.

Case 1: Windows are maximized to full screen view

    Pressing on Windows + Up Arrow Key  -- no effect
    Pressing on Windows + Down Arrow Key (Once) -- window will be restored down
    Pressing on Windows + Down Arrow Key (Twice) -- window will be minimized to taskbar

Case 2: Windows are restored down
    Pressing on Windows + Up Arrow Key  -- window will be maximized to full screen view
    Pressing on Windows + Down Arrow Key (Once) -- window will be minimized to taskbar
    Pressing on Windows + Down Arrow Key (Twice) -- no effect

Case 3: Windows are already minimized to the taskbar
    Pressing on Windows + Up Arrow Key  -- no effect
    Pressing on Windows + Down Arrow Key (Once) -- no effect
    Pressing on Windows + Down Arrow Key (Twice) -- no effect

Activating Half Screen for Windows

By simultaneously pressing on Windows + Left or Windows + Right, you can choose to make a window resized to only half of your screen, aligning to the left or right side. This shortcut is most efficient when you extending windows across multiple monitors.

Managing Multiple Active Windows

• Alt + Tab

This will create a linear thumbnail view of all open windows, providing a quick preview of each (you need to hold down on Alt while tapping on Tab to switch preview)

• Windows + Tab

This will present a 3D version of all open windows. Just hold down on Windows key while tapping on Tab to switch windows.

• Windows + D

This will activate the "show desktop" command and minimize all open windows.

• Windows + T

Pressing on Windows + T will allow you to cycle through all peek preview of active taskbar applications.

• Ctrl + Click

This is useful when you have multiple instance of a program open and minimized. Just hold down Ctrl, choose the icon on the taskbar you wish to toggle, and repeatedly click on it with the left mouse button. (This shortcut will NOT let you toggle between browser tabs)

• Windows + Spacebar

If you have multiple active windows open and you wish to look at your desktop without minimizing all these windows, just press Windows + Spacebar. This will make all active windows transparent so you can view your desktop.

• Windows + E

This will open up a new Windows Explorer directory window.

• Windows + P

This is useful when managing multiple monitors. Windows + P will open a configuration overlay to let you choose whether to activate dual-display (mirror or extended) or projector only.

• Windows + Shift + Left  /  Windows + Shift + Right

This will let you move a window from one monitor to another, while maintaining its position and original size.

• Ctrl + Shift + Esc

Opens up Task Manager.

• Windows + L

Locks your computer and directs you the login screen.

• Windows + F

Shortcut for opening the search window.

• Windows + F1

When you're lost and no longer sure what to do, this is your best bet. A handy shortcut to launch Windows 7 Help and Support. Enjoy!

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How To Recover Firefox Bookmarks From Another Hard Drive in Win XP

Most of us just can't help browsing the web and dragging sites to our bookmarks list. But what if, say one day, your laptop stops working and the best you can do to save your files is connect your laptop hard drive to another computer. Will you be able to salvage your bookmarks too?

Yes, here is what you can do.

1. As soon as you connect your laptop hard drive to another machine (e.g. to another desktop computer), it will use acquire or use a drive letter. Since the operating system is normally installed to the C: drive, your connected laptop hard drive will use the next available letter of the alphabet (D, E, or F).
2. Double click on the laptop drive letter and look for the "Documents and Settings" folder. Open it.
3. Look for the profile name you normally use when logging in to your windows welcome screen. Open that folder.
4. Then click on "Tools" >> "Folder Options" >> Under Files and Folders --> Hidden Files and Folder, choose "Show Hidden Files and Folders". All hidden folders will now be visible to you, look for the folder named "Application Data". (see this image for reference)
5. Open "Application Data" folder and look for "Mozilla" >> "Firefox" >> "Profiles"
6. Open the folder with a name like this ---->    k3g7dcy.default
7. Look for a folder named "bookmarkbackups"
8. Find the most recent file (it has a date on its file name) -----> ex: bookmarks-2011-06-23
9. Copy and paste it to your desktop (for easy access) and rename it to bookmarks.html. 
10. Copy and paste it to \Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\3k3g7dcy.default and overwrite the existing bookmarks.html. 
11. Close your Mozilla Firefox (if it's running) and relaunch it. Your should now see your old bookmarks restored.
     

Of course there's an easier way to backup your bookmarks, that is if you were still able to access Firefox on that old hard drive before you had any issue. Here's how to do it:

 Open your Mozilla Firefox browser, click on BOOKMARKS -- Show All Bookmarks -- Import and Backup -- Backup

You'll get a pop-up window with a default file name like this bookmarks-2011-07-04 

Just click on SAVE and you're done!

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The World’s Most Expensive Egg

Gladly, this is not something you can cook and eat – something this expensive is better off displayed and admired by many.

Faberge eggs are considered the world's most costly and luxurious eggs.

It was the Easter of 1885, and Russia was having the most wonderful festivity of the Orthodox faith. In this same year, Czar Alexander III and Czarina Maria Fedorovna will be celebrating the arrival of their 20^th anniversary.

Eager to give his wife the most exceptional gift for their anniversary, Czar Alexander III made an appointment with a young jeweler, Peter Carl Fabergé. Faberge, known to have impressed Maria’s eye for his beautiful creations of jewelries, was ordered to present a special gift for the Czarina. He arrived at the palace on Easter morning carrying what seemed to be a plain, enameled egg. However, to the surprise of the Empress, the egg revealed a golden yolk. And inside of that is a golden hen; and veiled within is a diamond miniature of the Imperial crown holding a tiny ruby pendant.

Empress Maria was so charmed by the Czar’s gift, and so Fabergé was given a special order to create another Easter egg for the following year. The following year marked another impression to the royal palace, thus giving freedom to Fabergé to create more Imperial eggs in the future. Czar Alexander presented his requirement to Fabergé that each egg must be unique, and each must hold a surprise inside for the Empress Maria.

When Alexander III died in 1894, his son Nicholas continued the royal tradition and presented an Imperial egg both to his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Fedorovna, and his wife Empress Alexandra Fedorovna.

The Imperial eggs became famous and Fabergé made other models for a few selected clients, though his first priority will always be to the Czar. 

Due to its popularity, the royal eggs were later called Faberge eggs. In the James Bond film, Octopussy, a Faberge egg was used by Bond. He took the original egg and replaced it with a replica egg with a recording tool.

As each egg were made of expensive metals and gemstones, only 57, out of 65 known Faberge eggs survived to the current day. The last auction sale in 2002 sold the famous 1913 Faberge Winter egg for $9.58 million.

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The World’s Longest Lizard

The longest known lizard is Varanus salvadorii. 

It is a monitor lizard that can be found in Papua New Guinea. With this given, Varanus salvadorii is known to exhibit the same behavior of rising up on its hind legs to check its surroundings. Similar to other monitors, V. salvadorii possesses an impressive anatomical attribute that facilitates easier breathing when running. However, it is thought to have better stamina than other monitors found on the island of New Guinea.

Crocodile Monitor: jdmpics.com

Physical Characteristics:

• It has a blunt, peglike, bulbous snout 
• It’s body is dark green with yellow spots 
• It’s tail is covered with bands of yellow and black
• It has long, fanglike, straight teeth adapted to hook into fast-moving preys,  such as carrion in the wild, rodents, and bats

 (image taken from jdmpics.com, visit the site for more interesting stuff)

This reptile likes to hang itself onto branches using its rear legs and occasionally uses its tail for grasping or holding. According to Herpetologist Robert Sprackland, the tail of the V. salvadorii is 210% of its body length. Not only does it serve as a perfect counterbalance when leaping from one tree branch to another, its tail is also used to whip attackers as part of its defense mechanism.

It is said that this reptile evades human contact, which is good, since its bite can be fatal due to infection. 

Other common names for Varanus salvadorii are the following:

• Crocodile Monitor 
• Papua(n) Monitor 
• Tree Crocodile 
• Salvadori’s Monitor, and 
• Artellia

The full length of Varanus salvadorii can reach up to 244 cm (8.01 ft), though it has been speculated that it may still increase its length.

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Why Do Certain Animals Glow?

 

By the time it gets dark, or say, deep under the ocean where there is no sunlight, certain animals glow naturally.

This ability to naturally glow in the dark is defined as bioluminescence. This happens when a creature capable of producing and emitting light as a result of a chemical reaction converts chemical energy to light energy. 

Bioluminescence can occur in two ways:

•  when a creature has a light-emitting organ called “photophore,” which can be simple or complex, capable of producing light after the digestion of a prey (example: cephalopods like the Sparkling Enope Squid)
• as a product of symbiosis with bacteria after it enters the animal’s body. These bacteria will reside and multiply, which will later result in a collection of very bright lights.

Normal luminescent reaction involves the oxidation of a pigment called “luciferin” to produce light:

luciferin + O₂ → oxyluciferin + light

Now, this process is extremely slow, until an enzyme called “luciferase” acts as a catalyst to the reaction, presenting cofactors such as ATP or calcium ions. Thus giving this much faster process reaction:

luciferin + ATP → luciferyl adenylate + PP_i

luciferyl adenylate + O₂ → oxyluciferin + AMP + light

Examples of bioluminescent creatures:

Angler Fish

Angler fishes are bony fishes that have at least one long fleshy filament growing from the middle of its head, used for predation. Most anglerfishes live in the deepest, darkest part of the ocean. The filament in the middle of its head is bioluminescent, and acts as a lure. When it glows, smaller fishes and other deep-sea creatures get attracted to the light. As soon as they swim towards it, the angler fish will strike and eat them up.

philpage3d.com

Flashlight Fish

The flashlight fish has a large bioluminescent organ beneath its eyes containing bright red bacteria. This fish uses its light to attract prey, find food, and communicate with other flashlight fishes. (image from philpage3d.com, visit the site for more interesting stuff)

Firefly

Fireflies belong in the beetle family of insects in the order Coleoptera. They are sometimes called lightning bugs because they produce light from the lower abdomen, varying from yellow, red, and green, with no ultraviolet or infrared frequencies.

Their bioluminescence is for attracting mate at night. Currently, there are 2,000 known species of fireflies living in the tropical environment. Their larvae also glow and are often called “glow worms.”

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Fun Ways to Open a Pickle Jar

I’m a real fan of pickles, but opening a pickle jar has given me nothing but frustration. Recently, I’ve been surfing the net for tried and tested methods for opening glass jars and lids, and here are the ones that enjoy the top positions in user rankings:

• You can easily open a pickle jar by running the top of the lid under hot water for a minute or so. As to avoid burning your palms or hands, use a towel to twist the cap off. (CAUTION: Make sure that the jar is not COLD. A sudden change in temperature will result the jar to break) 

• Using a sharp knife, very carefully pierce a hole on the pickle jar’s lid to release the contained pressure, and then slowly twist the cap off. (CAUTION: Be careful when using sharp objects such as knives or forks. For kids, always ask for an ADULT's assistance when opening a pickle jar)

• Use the palm of your hand to “gently” tap the bottom of the pickle jar. This will help release the “air pocket” at the top part of the jar, around the lid.

• Use a spoon or any hard object to tap the edge of the lid to help loosen it up. You may also “gently” bump the jar lid on a kitchen counter, around approximately half the lid. And then try to twist the cap off.

• Visit the nearest local store and look for a sheet of rubber. It’s thin, and can be easily applied around the lid to give you a firmer grip, without slipping your fingers, when twisting the metal cap.

image source: watch.discoverychannel.ca

OR, you may also watch this cool video and open the pickle jar with a dash of Physics!

(image taken from a clip in The Daily Planet, visit the site for more interesting stuff)

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