DIGITAL SANKALP

Google+ profiles and pages updated to display total content views

<h2 style="font-family:Roboto,Arial;margin:0px"><div class="detail-head" style="font-family:'Roboto Condensed';font-size:25px"><br></div></h2><div class="description des-box" id="news_description_container" style="float:left;font-family:'Signika Negative',sans-serif!important;line-height:23px!important">  <div class="story_pic" style="margin-right:3px;margin-bottom:10px;padding-left:1px;text-align:center"><img alt="google_plus_view_counts.jpg" border="0" id="MainContent_FullstoryCtrl_mainstoryimage" src="http://cdn.ndtv.com/tech/images/gadgets/google_plus_view_counts.jpg" style="max-width: 295px; max-height: 200px;"></div>  <div id="MainContent_FullstoryCtrl_fulldetails" class="">Google, in an attempt to bolster the popularity of its Google+ social network, has added a 'total content views' feature to user profiles and pages.<p style="padding:0px 5px">  According to a Google+ post by Eddie Kessler, the new feature will show the sum of page or profile, post and photo views since October 2012. The post <a class="ui-link" href="https://plus.google.com/+EddieKessler/posts/6EKuxzR9zPe" style="outline:none" target="_blank">said</a>, "Ever wonder how many times your shared Google+ content has been seen? Starting today you'll see a new number on your Google+ profile or page: total content views. This number is the sum of your profile, post and photo views since October 2012, and you can choose to show or hide it via settings. Just visit <a href="http://plus.google.com/settings">plus.google.com/settings</a>, scroll down to "Profile," and make your selection."</p>  <p style="padding:0px 5px">However, Google+ users who do not want people to see the total view counts can disable the feature in settings by not selecting the box to the left of "Show how many times your profile and content have been viewed."</p>  <p style="padding:0px 5px">Notably, <a class="ui-link" href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/twitter-testing-display-of-tweet-view-counts-on-ios-app-499443" style="outline:none">Twitter has also been testing a similar feature in its iOS app</a> that allows users to check how many people saw their tweet.</p>  <p style="padding:0px 5px">Of late, <a class="ui-link" href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/tags/google" style="outline:none">Google</a> has been on a Google Search update releasing spree. The Mountain View company, soon after rolling out a <a class="ui-link" href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/google-search-app-for-android-gets-voice-command-for-playing-music-499574" style="outline:none">song recognition feature in the Google Search app</a>for Android, announced another update to the Search app for music fans.</p>  <p style="padding:0px 5px">The <a class="ui-link" href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/tags/google-search" style="outline:none">Google Search</a> app added voice commands for playing music. The voice commands can be activated by saying 'Ok Google'. Earlier, <a class="ui-link" href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/google-search-app-for-android-gets-quick-voice-commands-for-camera-497926" style="outline:none">Google added voice commands via the Search app for actions</a>like clicking images or taking videos. Prior to this, much like the camera voice-command feature for the Google Search app, the search engine giant added <a class="ui-link" href="http://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/google-search-for-android-now-supports-relationship-based-voice-commands-482543" style="outline:none">relationship-based voice commands</a> and allowed a user to make calls, send messages, and search using voice commands.</p>  </div></div>

Google+ profiles and pages updated to display total content views

Google, in an attempt to bolster the popularity of its Google+ social network, has added a 'total content views' feature to user...

1:29 am

Doom creator backs Oculus/FB deal

<h1 style="margin:0px 0px 5px;padding:0px;font-size:18px;color:rgb(0,45,73);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><br><table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="font-size:13px;line-height:16px"><tbody><tr>  <td align="left" style="color:rgb(0,80,143);font-size:11px"><br></td><td align="right" style="color:rgb(0,80,143);font-size:11px"><img align="left" border="0" src="http://mobi.iafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/1862444.JPEG" style="color: rgb(0, 45, 73); font-size: 13px; border-width: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" width="150"></td>  </tr></tbody></table></h1><div style="color:rgb(0,45,73);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:16px">John Carmack is still a legend in video game circles, known for his role in the creation of pioneering titles "Wolfenstein 3D," "Doom," and "Quake."<p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px">  Now, as CTO for Oculus VR, he says he "wasn't expecting Facebook" but thinks "they get the Big Picture".</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px">Having left Id Software in 2013 in order to push boundaries at Oculus, Carmack wrote in response to concerns raised by digital musician Peter Berkman, one quarter of chiptune band Anamanaguchi.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px">Carmack contrasted the development of virtual reality tech with that of Steam, Valve's digital distribution games platform for Mac, Windows and Linux PCs.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px">  "For years, the industry thought Valve was nuts, and they had the field to themselves. Valve deserves all their success for having the vision and perseverance to see it through to the current state," he wrote.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px">"VR won't be like that. The experience is too obviously powerful, and it makes converts on contact. The fairly rapid involvement of the Titans is inevitable, and the real questions were how deeply to partner, and with who," Carmack explained, casting the Oculus acquisition as a necessity.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px">"Honestly, I wasn't expecting Facebook (or this soon). I have zero personal background with them, and I could think of other companies that would have more obvious synergies."</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px">"However, I do have reasons to believe that they get the Big Picture as I see it, and will be a powerful force towards making it happen. You don't make a commitment like they just did on a whim."</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px">Berkman's objections were built around three pillars – data-mining virtual reality, the creation of an information monopoly, and the nature of good ideas.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px">  He lamented the "most promising VR company being acquired by the world's largest data mining operation".</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px">"Cultural evolution is the most important thing in the age of information, good ideas can and should change paradigms," he said, arguing that Oculus is getting "sucked into the old system just as [it] reach[es] potential to break a standard model."</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px">Carmack, who is also founder of a rocketeering company, later conceded that Oculus's new owner may cause him to reevaluate his own plans.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px">  "The FB deal probably will get me to take another swing at aerospace," he tweeted, "but not for several years. I have divided my focus too much in the past," though he didn't say whether that was for financial or ideological reasons.</p>  </div>

Doom creator backs Oculus/FB deal

John Carmack is still a legend in video game circles, known for his role in the creation of pioneering titles "Wolfenstein 3D,...

1:28 am

Nadella 'tunes' Microsoft, announces 3 leadership changes

<div class="stname arttitletxt" style="font-size:1.75em;line-height:28px;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;float:left;margin:0px;padding:10px 0px 5px 10px"><br></div><div class="photo" style="padding:10px 0px 10px 10px;font-size:0.75em;font-family:arial;color:rgb(111,111,111);line-height:14px">  <img border="0" src="http://m.timesofindia.com/thumb.cms?msid=33031671&width=283&resizemode=4" style="width: 286px; height: 209px; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); float: left;"><div class="clear" style="clear:both;height:3px">  </div>After taking over from Steve Ballmer, Satya Nadella is making changes in the top leadership of Microsoft in a bid to shape the organization in his vision.</div><div class="storycontent_outer" style="font-size:0.91em;line-height:20px;font-family:georgia;margin:0px;padding:1px 5px">  <div class="storycontent" style="font-size:16px;line-height:normal;margin:0px;padding:5px"> In an email to Microsoft employees, company CEO Satya Nadella announced three leadership changes in a bid to "tune our organization for maximum focus and impact". <br>  <br>Nadella said that Scott Guthrie, who was the acting leader for Cloud and Enterprise division after he left to become the CEO, has been promoted to executive vice president. Guthrie will continue to look after the Cloud and Enterprise division. <br>  <br>Xbox division too has a leadership change. Phil Spencer will now take care of Xbox and Xbox Live teams and will report to Terry Myerson, who is currently responsible for teams looking after operating systems. The move is likely to deepen the partnership of Xbox division with the Windows team and is likely to be crucial for Microsoft to achieve its vision of "seamless experience" for users across Microsoft products and services. <br>  <br>The move also comes days after long-time executive Marc Whitten, who was the chief product officer at Xbox, left the company. <br><br>In his email, Nadella also confirmed that "Stephen Elop will join Microsoft as executive vice president, Microsoft Devices Group," and report to him after the deal with Nokia concludes by the end of this month. "I've had a chance to work closely with Stephen, when he was previously a senior leader with Microsoft, as a key partner during his tenure as Nokia CEO, and again in the last several months as we've worked through the initial stages of integration planning. I look forward to working with Stephen as a key member of the senior leadership team," wrote Nadella. <br>  <br>Incidentally, before Microsoft confirmed Nadella as its new CEO, Elop was reportedly in the running for the post. <br><br>After taking over from Ballmer, Nadella is making changes in the top leadership of Microsoft in a bid to shape the organization in his vision. <br>  <br>"Recently, I've discussed with the Microsoft leadership team the need to zero in on what truly makes Microsoft unique. As I said on my first day, we need to do everything possible to thrive in a mobile-first, cloud-first world. The announcements last week (MS Office for iPad), our news this week (the leadership changes), the Nokia acquisition closing soon, and the leaders and teams we are putting in place are all great first steps in making this happen," Nadella wrote in his email. "There's a lot of work ahead of us and I am counting on every single one of you to bring your 'A' game every single day."</div>  </div>

Nadella 'tunes' Microsoft, announces 3 leadership changes

After taking over from Steve Ballmer, Satya Nadella is making changes in the top leadership of Microsoft in a bid to shape the organizat...

1:00 am

Is Facebook Too Big to Care?

<h6 class="byline" style="max-width:200px;margin:0px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:1.1em;font-weight:normal"><h1 class="headline" style="font-size:2.2em;margin:4px 0px 6px;line-height:1.2em;font-weight:normal;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Georgia,serif">  <a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/images/100000002796271/blogs/bits/2014/03/30/is-facebook-too-big-to-care/?from=technology" style="font-size:10px;line-height:14px;color:rgb(135,156,180)"><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2014/03/30/technology/30bits-fbeat/30bits-fbeat-jumbo.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; vertical-align: middle; width: 288px; height: auto; display: block; position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px;"></a></h1>  <div id="byline"><span style="color:rgb(102,102,102);font-size:1.1em;line-height:1.35em">In a letter posted to Facebook, Eat24 recounted all the reasons why brands are unhappy with the social network.</span></div><div id="byline">  <span style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:1.6em;line-height:1.4em">Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, has always followed his own instincts when making decisions about the company he founded 10 years ago. But several events over the last week make you wonder: Has the company gotten so successful that it doesn’t care what other people think about it?</span><br>  </div></h6><div class="article-body" style="margin-bottom:20px;font-size:1.6em;line-height:1.4em;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Georgia,serif"><p>On Tuesday, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/26/technology/facebook-to-buy-oculus-vr-maker-of-virtual-reality-headset.html" style="color:rgb(135,156,180)">Mr. Zuckerberg announced</a> that Facebook would pay more than $2 billion in cash and stock to buy Oculus VR, a start-up that has spent years developing a virtual reality headset that is still far from ready for public release.</p>  <p>According to various published accounts, including <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/03/25/oculus-ceo-describes-rapid-sale-to-facebook/" style="color:rgb(135,156,180)">one in the Wall Street Journal</a>, the deal came together quickly. Mr. Zuckerberg decided he wanted to buy the company, and a couple of weeks later, the purchase was announced.</p>  <p>Facebook’s stock fell more than 7 percent as investors and analysts questioned the wisdom of Facebook spending $2 billion in real money to buy a product that will be virtual for another year or more. But Mr. Zuckerberg has voting control over the company, so he can simply ignore Wall Street as he pursues his vision of the company’s future.</p>  <p>Then there was the company’s unsympathetic reaction to Thursday’s announcement by Eat24, an online food ordering service, that it would shut down <a href="https://www.facebook.com/eat24" style="color:rgb(135,156,180)">its Facebook page</a> on Monday.</p>  <p>In a long, funny “<a href="http://blog.eat24hours.com/breakup-letter-to-facebook-from-eat24/" style="color:rgb(135,156,180)">breakup letter to Facebook</a>,” Eat24 recounted all the reasons that brands are unhappy with Facebook. The biggest complaint: Facebook has changed its algorithms over the last couple of years to highlight more posts by individuals and bury posts from brands — unless, of course, a brand wants to pay for ads to promote its posts.</p>  <p>“Truth be told, your actions make us feel like you don’t respect us. Maybe you think our food-related pick-up lines and sexy tater tots memes come out of nowhere, but we spend a lot of time trying to make people happy,” Eat24 wrote. “What do you do in return? You take them and you hide them from all our friends.”</p>  <p>A Facebook spokesman, Brandon McCormick, posted a response on Eat24’s Facebook page essentially telling the delivery company not to slam the door too hard on the way out.</p><p>“We used to love your jokes about tacquitos and 420 but now they don’t seem so funny,” he wrote. “There is some serious stuff happening in the world and one of my best friends just had a baby and another one just took the best photo of his homemade cupcakes and what we have come to realize is people care about those things more than sushi porn.”</p>  <p>In the long run, the departure of one brand from Facebook is a blip in the feed. Advertisers continue to flock to the service. The research firm eMarketer projects that Facebook will bring in $10.75 billion in digital ad revenue this year, accounting for 7.82 percent of the global market, up from 5.83 percent last year. In the fast-growing mobile arena, Facebook is expected to get 21.7 percent of ad revenue worldwide in 2014, up from 17.5 percent last year, according to eMarketer.</p>  <p>But Eat24’s concerns echo those from other companies, which complain that Facebook keeps changing the rules on how brands can use the service to get their message out. Nate Elliott, a Forrester analyst, <a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/nate_elliott/14-03-17-facebook_is_still_failing_marketers?cmpid=pr:ema:nws:TFP_031714_ElliottBlog" style="color:rgb(135,156,180)">wrote this month</a>, “Every day I talk to brands that are disillusioned with Facebook and are now placing their bets on other social sites.”</p>  <p>Facebook says that the changes are meant <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/04/technology/with-new-app-facebook-aims-to-make-its-users-feeds-newsier.html" style="color:rgb(135,156,180)">to give more relevant content</a> to its 1.2 billion users and get them to spend more time on the service.</p>  <p>Maybe Eat24 is trying to hit the top of the news feed the wrong way.</p><p>In the spirit of its rant about Facebook’s problems, I have a suggestion: Instead of posting jokes about bear anatomy and dietary preferences to sell pizzas and burritos, Eat24 could lay out a futuristic strategy to deliver customer orders via unmanned aerial delivery vehicles. (Drones, like cute cats, seem to be one of those topics that are inherently viral.)</p>  <p>Even Mr. Zuckerberg — who just laid out <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/28/daily-report-facebook-aims-to-use-drones-to-deliver-internet-access/" style="color:rgb(135,156,180)">his own vision</a> for a fleet of laser-wielding, Internet access drones — might hit the like button on that.</p>  </div>

Is Facebook Too Big to Care?

In a letter posted to Facebook, Eat24 recounted all the reasons why brands are unhappy with the social network. Facebook’s chief execu...

12:59 am

Is Facebook Too Big to Care?

Is Facebook Too Big to Care?

In a letter posted to Facebook, Eat24 recounted all the reasons why brands are unhappy with the social network. Facebook’s chief execu...

3:13 am

Twelve Really Useful Links You Need to Know to Stay Safe on the Internet

<div id="content-content" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;width:537.59375px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:20px;background-color:rgb(253,253,253)"><div id="node-6641" class="node odd full-node node-type-article" style="margin:0px 0px 30px;padding:0px">  <div class="content" style="margin:0px;padding:20px 0px;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(177,194,211)"><div class="g-plusone-wrapper" style="padding:0px;float:right"><div id="___plusone_0" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;background-color:transparent;border-style:none;float:none;line-height:normal;font-size:1px;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block;width:38px;height:24px">  </div></div><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">Want to be safe on the Internet? Here is a collection of articles that will help you understand the tricks and tactics used by malware writers and that explain how to set up some powerful computer defenses. Read these and you will be well prepared to protect your computer against hackers and cyber criminals.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">1. <b><a href="http://gigaom.com/2013/10/07/what-is-two-step-authentication/" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">What is two-step authentication?</a></b><br>  With databases being broken into and passwords stolen all the time, complex passwords are no longer a sufficient security measure. An additional defense is “two-step authentication”. This helps protect your account from unauthorized access if someone manages to steal your password. This article explains how it works.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">2. <b><a href="http://blogs.technet.com/b/mmpc/archive/2013/06/20/ad-injection-and-you-how-adware-gets-on-your-computer.aspx" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">Ad injection and you - how adware gets on your computer</a></b><br>  Microsoft discussion of how you get tricked into downloading adware or worse.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">3. <b><a href="http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/malware-definitions.htm" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">Different Kinds of Malware Explained</a></b> <br>  Malware is a commonly used catch-all term for any type of harmful software but there are many different kinds. Viruses, worms, Trojan horses and a variety of other bad stuff are explained in this article.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">  4. <b><a href="http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/buffer-overflow-basics/" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">Buffer Overflow Basics</a></b><br>The most common type of security weakness is something called “buffer overflow”. A major portion of malware attacks target this weakness. This article explains what buffer overflows are and how malware uses them.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">5. <b><a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/what-is-a-ddos-attack-makeuseof-explains/" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">What is a DDoS attack?</a></b> <br>  We constantly hear about some website being attacked and taken off the air by hackers using DDoS. If you ever wondered what a DDos attack involves, this article explains.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">  6. <b><a href="http://www.ghacks.net/2014/01/21/protect-windows-xp-system-april-2014/" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">How to protect your Windows XP system after April 2014</a></b> <br>There are still many users of Windows XP. What to do when Microsoft discontinues security updates? This article gives some answers. One excellent security measure to consider is also discussed in link 11 given below.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">7. <b><a href="http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles-tutorials/trouble/free-network-sniffers-analyzers-and-stumbers.html" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">Free Network Sniffers, Analyzers and Stumblers</a></b><br>  A collection of free software for analyzing who’s doing what on your network. Programs for Windows, Mac, Linux, and even Android.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">And let’s not forget the formidable assembly of security information right here at Gizmo’s. Pay attention to what is said in the articles linked below and you will be well armed against attempts to invade your computer. Here are just a few from the outstanding selection of security articles that are available on our site.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">8. <b><a href="http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-tell-if-website-dangerous.htm" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">How to Tell If A Website Is Dangerous</a></b><br>  These days you never know what might be on a website. This article gives clear and detailed explanations of how to check out a website.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">9. <b><a href="http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-stay-safe-while-online.htm" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">How to Stay Safe While Online</a></b><br>  Step-by-step procedures for making your computer safe</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">10. <b><a href="http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/what-else-have-you-just-downloaded.htm" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">What Else Have You Just Downloaded?</a></b><br>  It’s all too common these days – downloads are bundled with stuff you don’t want or try to install things you didn’t ask for. This article tells you what to watch out for.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">  11. <b><a href="http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/introduction-and-quick-guide-sandboxie.htm" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">An Introduction and a Quick Guide to Sandboxie</a></b><br>Over the years, I have recommended Sandboxie to many people. A typical reaction is, “It sounds very interesting but it’s too complicated for me.”  This article removes that excuse. With the clear explanations that are given there, almost anybody can set up the really powerful defense provided by Sandboxie.  I especially recommend Sandboxie  to those who wish to continue using Windows XP.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">12. <b><a href="http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/safe-computing-under-hour.htm" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">Safe Computing in Under an Hour</a></b><br>  A quick way to get your PC ready for the dangerous world out there.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">And there you have it - use the information in these articles and you’ll be much safer on the Internet.</p>  </div></div></div>

Twelve Really Useful Links You Need to Know to Stay Safe on the Internet

Want to be safe on the Internet? Here is a collection of articles that will help you understand the tricks and tactics used by malware w...

3:07 am

What Everybody Should Know About the Windows Registry

<h1 class="title" style="margin:0px 0px 12px;padding:0px 42px 0px 0px;font-size:1.833em;line-height:1.2727em;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(177,194,211);clear:left;font-family:'Myriad Pro','Myriad Web Pro Regular','Lucida Grande',Geneva,'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;color:rgb(51,51,51);background-color:rgb(253,253,253)">  <strong style="line-height:1.5;font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Why should the average PC user know anything about the Registry?</strong><br></h1><div id="content-content" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;width:537.59375px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:20px;background-color:rgb(253,253,253)">  <div id="node-2832" class="node odd full-node node-type-article" style="margin:0px 0px 30px;padding:0px"><div class="content" style="margin:0px;padding:20px 0px;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-color:rgb(177,194,211)">  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">The Registry is so essential to the functioning of a Windows PC that anyone who uses a PC regularly should at least have a general idea of what the Registry does. Just a little knowledge will remove some of the fear and loathing from the subject. Everyone should also know how to back it up and restore it. A little learning here can save big headaches with computer problems. The backup and restore process is neither difficult nor lengthy and is easily mastered by the greenest of computer newcomers.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5"><strong>What is the Registry?</strong></p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">The Windows Registry is a central database containing all the varied assortment of information needed for the computer to run both the hardware and the software. The Registry is in constant use and almost anything that you do on a Windows PC will access the Registry for information. The information is divided among a number of hidden system binary files. Only highly expert professionals will ever need to access these files directly. If desired, viewing the contents of some parts of the Registry is done with the <a href="http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/learn-how-use-windows-registry-editor-regedit-one-easy-lesson.htm" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">Registry Editor</a> accessory (<em>Regedit</em>), which combines certain components and displays them in a readable unified text form.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5"><strong>Isn't it dangerous to do anything with the Registry?</strong></p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">  Because it is involved in everything, damage to the Registry can stop a PC from functioning. For that reason Microsoft has gone out of its way to make the Registry mysterious and fearsome sounding. It is reasonable that Microsoft does not want to have to deal with service calls from ignorant people who have tried to edit the Registry but I think the constant warnings about the Registry that you see everywhere on the Internet are overdone. They are a form of CYA arising in part from our overly litigious society. Yes, you can create a lot of problems if you mess up the Registry but you can also cause problems if you go around deleting things from the Windows or Program folders. You can do stupid things with almost anything. And yes, mistakes do occur. I once misplaced a comma while editing a Windows 95 Registry and found that my computer wouldn't boot. But I had a backup and it took only a minute or two to fix the problem. Actually, the Registry has become increasingly robust with each version of Windows. It is very much harder to make the system unbootable than in the days of Windows 95.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5"><strong>Why does Windows need a Registry? Other operating systems don't have one</strong></p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">  All operating systems need a way to store information about the system. There is more than one way to do this and Apple and Linux use a different method. Originally, Windows kept information in a large number of separate INI files scattered throughout the system. Then, beginning with Windows 95, Microsoft decided to centralize the information. It is true that there are a number of computer scientists who think the Registry is not the optimal way to store system information but the Registry method also has its proponents.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5"><strong>How to back up and restore the Registry</strong></p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">If there is one thing about the Registry that everyone should know, it is how to back it up, Every time you make system change- installing software, attaching new hardware or whatever- a backup should be made of the Registry. Fortunately, this is not difficult.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">Backing up is often already done for you by <a href="http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/windows7-system-restore.htm" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px" target="_blank">System Restore</a>.  Depending on how often you turn your computer off, the default setting is for System Restore to back up certain system components, including the Registry, approximately every 24 hours. However, you can also manually create a restore point whenever you wish and it's a good idea to do so whenever you make a system change. Some quick ways to make System Restore points are <a href="http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-quickly-access-and-use-windows-system-restore-or-system-protection.htm" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">at this link</a>. Those who make frequent changes to their system may wish to create a shortcut to System Restore or download one of the little scripts mentioned in the preceding reference. Put the script file on the desktop and making a restore point is just a double-click away.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">One drawback to System Restore is that it doesn't provide a convenient way to back up just the Registry or parts of the Registry. Another is that the restore points cannot be placed on an external drive. A possible solution is the free program <a href="http://www.techsupportalert.com/how_to_backup_the_windows_registry.htm" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">Erunt</a>, which is included in the <a href="http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/probably-best-free-security-list-world.htm#System_rescue" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">Best Free Security Software</a>list.  Another method is to use the export function of<em>Regedit</em>, which I discuss in <a href="http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/learn-how-use-windows-registry-editor-regedit-one-easy-lesson.htm" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">another article</a>.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5"><strong>Cleaning the Registry</strong></p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">There are many programs that claim to do wonderful things by "cleaning" the Registry. That is, they prune out dead or corrupted entries. Some are better than others. However, some are actually dangerous and none that I have seen actually has any statistical evidence to back its claims. Registry cleaning can be dangerous without taking proper care. Many average PC users do not have the background knowledge to use a Registry cleaner safely. It is very easy to "clean" some Registry entry that should not be removed. I see too many posts on the Internet about Registry cleaning gone awry. Even highly rated programs that I have tried have offered to clean something that I knew should not be touched.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">Back in the days of Windows 95, I was an advocate of regular housekeeping for the Registry. My own experience and anecdotal evidence indicated better performance when the Registry was occasionally cleaned.  However, the Registry in Windows XP and later is far more robust and much less prone to corruption. Those who install and uninstall a lot of software and/or those who tweak the Registry a lot may find it worthwhile to do regular Registry maintenance. For ordinary PC users, I feel that the Registry needs this type of maintenance very rarely. Windows Vista and Windows 7 Registries are even less susceptible to corruption than XP with added protective measures such as Registry virtualization. I almost never use Registry cleaners and then only on heavily used old XP systems with problems. For more about Registry cleaners see <a href="http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-registry-cleaner.htm" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">this reference</a>.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">Personally, I believe that a good uninstaller program is a better way to keep the Registry clean. The major source of unnecessary Registry entries is poorly uninstalled programs. Many programs leave behind a great deal of junk in the Registry when uninstalled. See the <a href="http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/top-freeware-picks-category-editors.htm#best-free-program-uninstaller" style="color:rgb(52,82,201);margin:0px;padding:0px">list of free uninstaller programs</a> and use one of them.</p>  <p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5"><strong>Conclusion</strong></p><p style="margin:0px 0px 10px;padding:0px;font-size:1em;line-height:1.5">In summary, the Registry is just a database, albeit an unusual and very important database. It’s no more mysterious than much else in Windows (and less than some things). </p>  </div></div></div>

What Everybody Should Know About the Windows Registry

Why should the average PC user know anything about the Registry? The Registry is so essential to the functioning of a Windows PC that ...

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