Just like Windows 2000, Windows XP still fails to set the DMA mode correctly for the IDE device designated as the slaves on the primary IDE and secondary IDE channels. Most CD-ROMS are capable of supporting DMA mode, but the default in XP is still PIO. Setting it to DMA won't make your CD-ROM faster, but it will consume less CPU cycles. Here's how:
- Open the Device Manager. One way to do that is to right click on "My Computer", select the Hardware tab, and Select Device Manager.
- Expand "IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers" and double-click on "Primary IDE Channel"
- Under the "Advanced Settings" tab, check the "Device 1" setting. More than likely, your current transfer mode is set to PIO.
- Set it to "DMA if available".
Repeat the step for the "Secondary IDE Channel" if you have devices attached to it. Reboot.
For a Microsoft article on setting the DMA mode Click Here.
(Note: You will not see the Advanced Settings section if your hardware does not support it)
If you own a Google Chromecast streaming device, you can easily share a browser tab in Chrome browser or even your entire desktop. This can be very useful when presenting from your laptop or if you just want to watch something on a big screen that is only on your PC. The only requirement is you must be on the same network as your Chromecast...
Read More
If you are a fan of minimalist desktop experiences, hiding the desktop icons are an easy way to clean up the Windows interface. Instead of saving everything to your desktop, use the default profile folders such as downloads and documents. Actually hiding all the icons on your desktop is a very simple customization hidden in the right-click context menu. Just right-click on the desktop, select View...
Read More
Google security researchers have published details about a major security flaw found in the SSL protocol that is used to encrypt data transferred between your browser and a web server. SSL is typically used in situations where logon credentials are validated...
Read More
Enabling two-factor authentication is a great way to add an additional level of protection to your Microsoft account. Even if your password is stolen, your account is still protected because two-factor authetication requires an additional level of verification to log in. Microsoft calls their version of two-factor authentication "two-step verification" and it works by providing you with a random code...
Read More