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Stop the Messenger Pop Up Windows

Recently, many listeners have asked how to get rid of the annoying messenger pop-up windows they receive when online. This problem affects only Windows XP users. These messenger pop-ups are NOT related to the MSN Messenger service used for instant messaging. These messages are unsolicited advertisements where the advertiser utilizes a function of Windows XP called the Messenger Service.

The purpose of the Messenger Service is to alert users on a local network (like a business) to announcements and company information. However, some advertisers have figured out a way to use this service as a way of popping ads in front of our eyeballs. Follow this weeks tip to stop these unwanted and unnecessary ads.

Remove Password at Startup

Are you annoyed by a ‘password’ screen that starts up every time you start your computer? Did you know that this password affords you NO extra security what-so-ever?

Well, if you are itching to get rid of it, here’s how:

1. Click on Start –> Find –> Files or Folders
2. Type: *.pwl in the named box
3. Click in the Look In box and choose My Computer
4. Make sure the Include subfolders box is checked and then click on Find Now
5. Delete any files that are found and close the Find window
6. Click on Start –> Settings –> Control Panel
7. Double-click on Network

Quick Tweaks to Make Windows Snap

When I make a house or office call during the week to work on a computer, I almost always run through a few quick tweaks to make Windows perform just a little bit better. No matter how new a computer may be, it can’t be too fast. Try these tweaks on your computer to see if you can eek out a little more performance.
Disable Visual Effects

Starting with Windows 98 Second Edition, Microsoft added visual effects to menus and windows that do nothing but make us wait a little longer to perform our computing tasks. To cut down on these visual effects, do the following:

1. RIGHT Click on a blank part of the desktop