Windows XP ClearType tuner


Do you know that you can fine tune ClearType by using Microsoft ClearType Tuner. Note that the tuner can only be used with Windows XP.

If you don’t know what is ClearType, let me give you a brief explanation.

Some of the fonts may look ugly, jagged edges. Who wants to look at that all day long? Through the use of a Windows feature called ClearType, you can take advantage of smooth fonts. These fonts have smooth edges that blend into the background, creating much more readable characters.

Those of you with LCD monitors can also adjust your settings with the ClearType tuner.

Windows XP SP3 RC1 available

Windows XP User can start download Windows XP Services Pack 3 first release candidate straight from Microsoft. Thanks to Steven28 from winmatrix.com forum, all Windows XP can enjoy his direct download link of XP SP3 from Microsoft.

I’m not sure how long this link would last. So that if you’re one of those who want to try new product earlier than others, grab it while you can.

Many people reported that XP SP3 speed up their computer and provide more stability and security.

Here are the facts I know about XP SP3.

  • File size of SP3 is about 336 MB.
  • Installation process could take around 15 to 30 minutes.
  • SP3 is cumulative, so users can install SP3 on top of Windows XP SP1 or SP2.
  • SP3 is able to update any version of XP, including XP Media Center.
  • SP3 will not upgrade Internet Explorer to version 7. The Service Pack does include updates for both versions of Internet Explorer, but the main version of IE that you’re running will remain untouched.

Windows services you can disable to improve startup speed and security

Windows services run in the background when you start the computer no matter who’s logged in.

I’ll tell you the services which I think can be harmful for a system especially if your computer is over a network such as Internet/ University/ Office as bad boys can be anywhere.

To start the services management console, Go to Start Menu –>> Run and then type services.msc

After that disable any of the following services.

  • 1. Stopping Windows Messenger Spam
  • Have you ever see a popup with a “Messenger Service” in the title bar while you’re surfing the net. If you did, that means someone is using the Messenger for sending adware to your system.

    To stop it, disable the “Messenger” service from the Service Manager.

  • 2. Disable NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing
  • It allows for someone to remotely access to your computer through NetMeeting. Unless, you’re regularly NetMeeting often, you should disable this.

    Disable the “NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing” service from the Service Manager.

  • 3. Disable Protected Storage
  • This service stores the passwords and the auto complete function with Internet Explorer. Unless, you want to use it, I recommend you disable it.

    Disable “Protected Storage” service from the Service Manager.

  • 4. Remote Desktop Help Session Manager
  • This service provides supports for Remote Assistance. If you use this service rarely or not at all, it is recommended to be disabled.

    Disable “Remote Desktop Help Session Manager” service from the Service Manager.

  • 5. Remote Registry Service
  • This service allows for your system registry to be accessible remotely. If you don’t require the assistance of someone to remotely have access to editing your registry settings, then disable this service.

    Disable “Remote Registry” service from the Service Manager.

There you have it, 5 simple services which you can disable to improve not only security but also startup speed for your system.

Come back already

I come back from vacation only to find BtoN has got a lot of comments (some are spammy). Please excuse me if there’s any delayed in reply. There’s a little drip in traffic (trust me I’ll make it up). For my email inbox? Yes, there are many (really many) emails that I need to read or delete.


Meanwhile, Yahoo! has released long-awaited Yahoo! Messenger for Vista. I’ve just installed now and will follow up a full review later. As of now, Yahoo! Messenger for Vista looks really really buggy and omit a lot of features(such as voice call, video call, phone out/in, etc). If Yahoo! can’t iron out those bugs, they should drop the whole project.

If you want to see Yahoo! UI intended for Vista, you should download Yahoo! messenger for Vista Preview version and install it as you can still use your old messenger also.