Install Windows XP Home Edition Backup software

Computers, like any appliance, can break down or fail. To protect your important files from computer failure, you should make backup copies of your files. Each edition of Microsoft Windows XP—except Windows XP Home Edition—includes Windows Backup, a program that helps you save your files to an external disk. If you use Windows XP Home Edition, you can manually install Windows Backup.

To manually install Windows Backup

1.	Insert your Windows XP CD into your CD drive. If Windows XP Setup does not appear after several seconds, open My Computer, right-click your CD drive, and then click AutoPlay.
2.	In the Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP window, click Perform additional tasks.
3.	Click Browse this CD.
4.	Double-click VALUEADD, double-click MSFT, and then double-click NTBACKUP to open the \VALUEADD\MSFT\NTBACKUP folder.
5.	In the NTBACKUP folder, double-click NTBACKUP.
6.	After setup is complete, click Finish.

You can now start Windows Backup by clicking Start, pointing to All Programs, pointing to Accessories, pointing to System Tools, and then clicking Backup. For more information about protecting your files from computer failure, read Back up your files.

Create a personal screen saver using your photos

If you like using a screen saver and have digital photos on your computer, you can easily make your own screen saver using the pictures that you have stored on your PC. You can set up your screen saver in Microsoft Windows XP to display a slide show of some or all of your pictures when you’re not using your computer.

To set up a My Pictures slide show

1.	Right-click on the desktop, and then click Properties.
2.	In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Screen Saver tab. Then, click the Screen saver list, and click My Pictures Slideshow.
3.	Click OK.

The next time your screen saver starts, you’ll see a slide show of all the pictures in your My Pictures folder. If you want to see your pictures right away, follow these instructions to add a shortcut to your desktop that immediately starts the slide show.

How to download YouTube and Google videos.

There are many ways to do download YouTube videos. You could install some software or use a website to download and convert videos, but the easiest way is to install the firefox plugin.

If you don’t use firefox (here’s why you should), then there are many sites out there that let you download YouTube videos. I recommend these:

1. http://javimoya.com/blog/youtube_en.php
2. http://www.downloadyoutubevideos.com/
3. http://www.downloader9.com/

As to software for downloading and converting .flv YouTube and Google videos, YouTube Downloader seems to be the best.

See for yourself which one of the methods you like best and happy downloading!

Set up your computer so that only authorized people can use it

When several people use a single computer, it’s convenient to set up a user account for each person to keep everyone’s setup preferences and documents separate. If someone wants to use your computer briefly he or she can use the Guest user account. By default in Microsoft Window XP, this account is disabled, which means that only specifically authorized users can access your computer.

If you have enabled your Guest account, you should disable the Guest account (once your guest has finished using your computer) to improve your computer’s security.

To disable the Guest account

1.	Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2.	Under Pick a Category, click User Accounts.
3.	Under or pick an account to change, click Guest.
4.	On the What do you want to change about the guest account? page, click Turn off the guest account.

Now the Guest account is disabled. As an added safety precaution, and to prevent users without user accounts from logging on, it’s a good idea to add passwords to every account on your computer.