Play Your iTunes Files on Windows Media Player

So you just purchased a new media device and it uses Windows Media platform to playback stored media files. You just copied your media files from your iTunes unto your new device but playback show you that the file format is not supported, hence the files won't play. Fret not! There are many methods of how to convert iTunes files into Windows Media files.

Although a seemingly easy task, converting downloaded media files into player acceptable format can turn out to be such a chore for some users, this should not be the case.

Method One - For non-ACC format files:

For files that are not purchased or downloaded from iTunes, following these simple instructions will convert the media file automatically.

• Open your Windows Media Player.
• On the 'Library' tab click, 'Add to Library'
• Select the 'My personal folders' option and click 'Ok'
• The files should be added to your Windows Media Player

Method Two - third party converter:

However, media available on iTunes can only be downloaded in a format called AAC. Currently, Windows Media Players does not support this format. If the above instructions are used, the Player will search for the media files and find them but the ones bought from iTunes store will not add to the library. The files would then have to be converted using any media converter.

There are a lot available over the internet, some which are free. Browse the web to choose suitable ones and follow the instructions to download, install, convert and enjoy your new device like it was intended to.

Method three - iTunes built-in converter:
Files available from iTunes used to come in two versions - the plus (indicated with a '+'sign before the price of the song) and non-plus version. File with the '+' version, are premium quality and can be converted easily without charge whereas, those without the '+' sign can be converted with a 30cent charge each.

All files available on the iTunes are now in the '+' format so this worry is eliminated and are compatible with various media players. This is how to convert iTunes files into Windows Media Files format using the iTunes.
• From 'Edit preferences' go to the General tab
• Select the 'Import Settings' option and set it to use an encoder compatible with Windows Media - an MP3 or WMA would suffice, and click 'Ok'
• Select 'List View' and the select all items in your library
• Select the 'Advanced' option and choose with format you want, e.g., MP3
• The file conversion begins when you click 'Ok'.
• Open the Windows Media Player and from 'File', select 'Add to Library'. The player then searches for the media files on your computer and adds them to the Library.
This method only works if you purchased media files from iTunes or converted the songs to '+' iTunes for a 30 cent charge.

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How to Speed Up Your Windows XP, Vista, Or Windows 7 Computer - Make it Run Like New!

If you want to speed up your Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 computer this article can help. I fix computers for a living and I can't tell you the amount of times I get asked, "how can I make my system faster?" And the truth is any PC purchased in the last 5 years should be fast enough to allow you to run whatever program you have in mind. But what happens is that over time a computer can turn sluggish and slow, to the point where it becomes painful to use. I have become an expert at getting an older computer to run like new again, and that is why I want to share these tips that can help you make your PC feel like when you first bought it. So let's dig in, shall we?

1. One of the biggest reasons your computer is slowing down is because of the amount of applications that you have installed. Now, it isn't really the amount, but the amount that have added themselves to run when your computer starts up. You would be amazed at how slow these start-up items can make your system. So your first step is to head into the Control Panel, and then into either Add/Remove Programs (for Windows XP) or Programs and Features (in Vista and 7) and remove any apps that you either don't recognize or don't use. You can find wonderful lists on the web that will tell you what every application is and what their purpose is so that you don't remove something you may need.

Then you want to go to the Run command (in the Start menu on all the Operating Systems) and type MSCONFIG. This will pull up a window. Go to the tab labeled Startup and take a look at what is running at startup. Again, there are great lists available online that will tell what those cryptic names mean, and they will also tell you if those apps running at start-up are needed or not. Trimming this list down will make your computer run so much better.

2. The type of Anti-Virus you run can be causing your computer to slow down. There are two popular packages that often get pre-installed (meaning they are already on your computer when you bought it) that I personally don't like because they are system hogs! I am often floored by just how much they can make a PC crawl, even a newer PC. I remove and replace these with my new favorite light-weight anti-virus app: Microsoft Security Essentials. This anti-virus app will self-update and even when I play games I can barely tell it is running. It is almost an computer industry secret that most folks that work with computers are switching over because of how little this anti-virus app slows down a computer.

Of course, there are some other things that can make your computer faster, such as fine-tuning the registry, but those "tweaks" should be left to the experts, because if you change something the wrong way, you can really mess up your computer in the long run.

To get the best performance from your PC, I recommend using an online tool to make your registry faster. These online optimizers are able to "tweak" your system for you for the best speed possible. The only optimizer I trust and highly recommend is: Registry Easy. Click Here Now to make your PC run like new! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_R_Barber

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Windows Vista Boot Process Overview

The Windows Vista" boot process differs from Windows® XP in the way the operating system is located and initialized. Start-up begins with the BIOS loading the Master Boot Record (MBR) on the bootable disk. The MBR in turn loads the Partition Boot Record (PBR) on the active partition. So far, Windows Vista remains relatively unchanged.

Windows Vista is different from XP starting by the fact the PBR code written by Windows Vista no longer looks for Ntldr. The new boot loader in Windows Vista is Bootmgr. This component loads the Boot Configuration Database (BCD), which in turn loads an OS loader boot application (Winload.exe, in the case of Windows Vista). Finally, the OS loader application is responsible for initializing the kernel. This process is illustrated below.

You can think of this change in two elements:

1. The two key actions performed by Ntldr in previous Windows versions have been divided between two components:

2. Bootmgr reads the boot configuration, including device and path locations.

WindowsSystem32Winload.exe initializes the kernel.

The boot configuration stored by Boot.ini in previous Windows versions is now stored in an extensible database, BootBCD, the Boot Configuration Database (BCD).

These changes are significant because of the impact they have:

The boot process can be extended to support other applications, such as other operating systems or other versions of the OS.

Only nonversion-specific components are stored in the root of the active partition. This means that theoretically Windows Vista could be installed on a machine running some future Windows version with the same boot structure, and it would not break the boot process for that future version. With legacy Windows, installing an older Windows version last causes the newer version to fail on start-up. This is due to version-specific code improvements in Ntldr.

Tool-oriented boot entries can be supported to offer maintenance options on boot when a previous start-up failed. In the past, Windows supported an menu provided by a target operating system. This new structure can make tools available earlier during the boot process, meaning that they are available even if all OS-specific boot entries are damaged. The Windows Memory Diagnostic tool is provided in the boot menu in this way.

BCD Store

The Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store contains boot configuration parameters and controls how the operating system is started in Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. These parameters were previously in the Boot.ini file in BIOS-based operating systems or in the nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM) entries in Extensible Firmware Interface-based operating systems. You can use the Bcdedit.exe command line tool to affect the Windows code which runs in the pre-operating system environment by adding, deleting, editing, and appending entries in the BCD store. Bcdedit.exe is located in the WindowsSystem32 directory of the Windows Vista partition.

The BCD is a database used by Bootmgr. It contains the functions of Boot.ini and is located in the {ActivePartition}boot folder

Bcdedit.exe

You can use Bcdedit.exe to modify the Windows code which runs in the pre-operating system environment by adding, deleting, editing, and appending entries in the BCD store. Bcdedit.exe is located in the WindowsSystem32 directory of the Windows Vista partition.

Boot.ini Compared to BCD

BCD eliminates the need for Boot.ini in Windows Vista, although Boot.ini is still present on dual-boot systems for backwards compatibility. Because the BCD boots to the boot environment first instead of Ntldr, the location of Ntldr is not verified unless a legacy operating system is chosen.

Configuration Tools

The BCD store can be modified or repaired using several tools:

System Properties in Control Panel

SystemPropertiesAdvanced.exe

Msconfig

Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) Startup Repair

Bcdedit.exe

Bootrec.exe

Most of these tools enable you to perform simple tasks, such as setting a boot menu timeout, setting a default operating system, or configuring boot options such as /SOS and /SAFEBOOT. Others are repair-oriented tools; Startup Repair and Bootrec.exe, in particular, provide automated mechanisms for fixing problems in the BCD.

Bcdedit.exe is the main tool for detailed BCD store modifications. You can use Bcdedit to change Bootmgr options; add boot, delete, and edit boot entries; import and export the BCD store; and create a new store if it becomes significantly damaged. Bcdedit.exe is located in the WindowsSystem32 directory of the Windows Vista partition and is also available in WinRE.

BCD Store Location

The BCD store is a registry hive, stored as BootBCD on the active partition. This hive is loaded but hidden from view in Regedit.exe within Windows Vista. The store is loaded to the following registry location: HKLMBCD00000000.

You can also view the store manually in WinRE by loading the hive from the Boot folder. To obtain a copy of the hive on a running system, use the Bcdedit /export filename command to export a hive file for offline examination. This command exports the BCD store to a file called filename in the current directory.

Related Components

Msconfig

Msconfig is the preferred PSS UI tool for managing boot settings. The tool supports BCD and allows the user to enumerate all BCD objects in the system store. It allows certain elements to be altered for each OS object, including debug settings, safe mode settings, and other popular PSS options. It cannot be used with the WinRE console; Bcdedit needs to be used in these cases.

Bcdedit.exe

Bcdedit.exe is a command line tool that can be used to manage BCD settings. In summary, Bcdedit.exe is a replacement for Bootcfg.exe. However, it is enhanced for better scripting and to expose some of the more powerful features of BCD that bootcfg.exe did not expose for manipulating Boot.ini. Bcdedit.exe is designed to work on previous operating systems and in recovery environments.

For more details on this topic please go to www.wintechhelp.com [http://www.wintechhelp.com/vista_startup_bcd.htm] Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arun_Arora

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Windows Vista Repair

Now that just about everyone knows how to use the XP Recovery Console Microsoft's newest OS does not contain one. Not to worry we have a detailed article that will walk you through how to use these great new features in Vista.

The Purpose of this article is to teach you how to make vista repairs if you are having startup issues or you can't seem to use the vista system restore option. There are two ways to use these options and they depend on if you have a Windows Vista install disk or if Vista was pre-installed on your OS you will have a ghost image on your hard drive.

If you have the windows vista repair disk: (This should be your backup copy of Vista if you made one)
PLEASE NOTE: This Vista install CD can be run from within Vista. Just insert the CD once Vista has loaded up and go to install, go > Install Now > Upgrade.

1. Boot up with the Vista install disc

2. You should see a screen that says "Windows is loading files"

3. After a few minutes you will get a language option. Select your language and hit next.

4. On the install screen select "Repair your computer"

5. Windows will find your copy of Vista on the machine

6. Select your copy of Vista and click next

7. You will now see the following options.

* Startup repair - This automatically fixes problems that are preventing Windows from starting

* System Restore - This will Restore Windows to an earlier point in time

* Windows Complete PC Restore - This will completely restore your entire PC - programs, system settings and files - from a back up that you have previously created (Available in Windows Vista Business, Enterprise and Ultimate editions only)

* Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool - This checks your computer's memory hardware for errors

* Command Prompt

8. Assuming you are using this option because you were unable to boot to Windows Vista select the system Restore option and then select the date you would like to go back to. If your OS is fine you can always use the startup repair option.

Pre-Installed and OEM versions: (please check with your manufacturer fist. They may have replaced these tools with their own.

1. Turn your computer on and start pressing the F8 key. If you see the Windows Vista Logo you have gone too far and need to reboot and try again

2. You will get an advanced options screen. Select the "Repair your computer option" and hit enter.

3. Select your language and hit next.

4. Enter your user name and password and then next.

5. The recovery options should now appear.

6. In most cases just using the system restore to set your computer back will solve your issue. If this is not the case try the Startup repair option.

For all your computer repair needs please go to windows Vista repair. If you would like to just have your computer fixed for you right now online and at a great price then you should consider online computer repair Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacob_Erdei

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Recover Forgotten Windows Password

Windows has a built in feature that creates a floppy diskette that helps you reset your password in case you don't remember it. This feature is accessible from Control Panel in the User Accounts applet. To create a password reset disk,click on the user account and click "prevent a forgotten password". You will need one blank formatted floppy disk to complete the task. Keep the floppy disk in a safe place for use in case of a forgotten password.

Most computers running Windows XP do not have a password set for the hidden administrator account that is accessible only in safe mode. You can access safe mode by pressing the F8 key just after the first screen(sometimes know as the BIOS screen). Windows gives a list of options after the F8 key is pressed. Choose the "Safe Mode" option and press Enter. Log on the account called "administrator" and open control panel. Navigate to the user account applet and click on the user account with the forgotten password. Click "remove password" and the account will be password free. This only works when there is no password set on the hidden administrator account. This method works only in Windows XP. The hidden administrator account is not accessible via safe mode in Windows Vista.

Third party tools have been developed that help you reset your Windows password. My personal favorite is "Active @ Password Changer". The software finds the registry key that contains your passwords and gives you the option to remove the password from any user account. Moreover, the software works for almost every version of Windows out there both 32-bit and 64-bit. It has both DOS and Windows versions. I prefer the Windows version since it uses a simple graphical interface and it is a lot easier to use than the DOS version.

Other third party tools such as EBCD (Emergency Boot CD) and Spotmau Password Finder can also help recover or reset Windows Passwords. Active @ Password Changer is by far the simplest way to remove a forgotten password and there is no fear of losing data.

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How to Fix the Windows XP Blue Screen Stop Error

Have you ever experienced working something in your computer and all of a sudden your computer began to stop and you just saw a blue screen on it? Tendency is you may have experienced one of the most common problems that computer users are facing and that is getting a windows XP blue screen stop error when using the system. It is important to take note and act upon these instances for there are some opportunities that this Windows XP Blue Screen Stop Error will cause your system to crash in the future. You don't want to specifically encounter this problem so you should be cautious enough to work on this one when it's badly needed.

One major cause of a Windows XP stop error is programs that are running spontaneously under one setting. Although, this error can be eliminated temporarily by restarting the computer, tendency is, ignoring this one constantly may cause you more likely to have a system crash in the future if this is constantly ignored. You would actually need to take some step by step process in allowing different things that would coordinate and provide the best fix that you can get once you have this Windows XP Blue Screen Stop Error.

For most instances, using a registry cleaner provides the best solutions in terms of getting the right way to eliminate these errors. Doing this will necessarily improve your computer performance and will ultimately prevent one from having have to endure the nuisance of this blue screen error. While the windows registry is an important storage of files and different information stored in connection to software and hardware that is running in the computer, from time to time it's also a good thing to perform and use a registry cleaner to fix this issue and prevent you from getting into some problems such as getting a blue screen. Doing this will indeed decrease any chances of having to face multiple times of getting this blue screen error in your computer.

If you're not so savvy enough when it comes to troubleshooting some occurrence in the computer such as the Windows XP Blue Screen Stop Error, it's relatively important to know how far this is going to provide a wide range of advantage in keeping your computer at a certain performance level. In this case you can also try checking on what are the best opportunities that we can use when we do take charge in having to have someone download a registry cleaner that will make an important process in allowing significant improvement on how your computer is going to work out. With a registry cleaner, there is indeed an assurance that you will be able to give the best possible maintenance and care of your computer.

Fixing windows xp blue screen stop error is easy to do with registry cleaner. If you scan your computer it will detect the errors in your registry and safely remove them. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hason_Lacny

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How to Resolve Xul Dll Errors in Windows

Xul.dll is a file that's used by the "FireFox" browser to help it download and process a variety of web pages. Unfortunately, it's also prone to a lot of problems which cause a series of different errors that are displayed when you try and use FireFox. This issue is actually very easy to fix and although many people do experience it every day on their computers, you can resolve it relatively quickly and easily.

The first thing you should do to resolve this error is to reinstall Firefox. This can be done by first downloading the most updated version of this free browser from Firefox.com and then saving it to your hard drive. Then you should click on Start > Control Panel > Add / Remove Programs and then remove the FireFox program from your system. This will remove the program from your PC and will also delete xul.dll with it. After you've uninstalled Firefox, you should then restart your system (to make sure the changes took effect) and then open up the installer you downloaded before. You should then load up this installer and install the new version of Firefox on your system, which should update xul.dll

If this does not work, you should then try and update xul.dll by hand by first downloading a fresh copy of the file and then placing it onto your PC. You'll find xul.dll in the C:\Program Files\Mozilla FireFox folder of your system and the first thing you should do is to rename your current xul.dll to xul2.dll. After that, download a fresh copy of the file from the Internet and then place it into the folder that you had the other xul.dll file in. This will replace the old file with a new version which should fix the error you're seeing.

After performing these steps, you might also want to think about using an antivirus program to remove any of the virus infections which could potentially be distorting the xul.dll file. This is a quick process which is very easy to do - you just need to first download an antivirus program and then let it scan your PC, removing any of the infections that could be damaging your system.

You should also try using a 'registry cleaner' to fix this issue as well. One of the main reasons why Windows constantly has DLL file errors is because of the way in which the 'registry' becomes damaged or corrupted. The registry basically holds a central storage list of all the DLL files on your PC (it's called the "DLL Path References" list) and is what every software program uses on your system to load all the DLL files on your system. This list often gets damaged, preventing programs like FireFox from being able to read the DLL files that it needs. You should use a 'registry cleaner' to fix this problem for good.

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