Clear the page file contents for added security

Page file is a file that is used by windows operating system as extra ram for its operations. What happens when you open a document is MS Word is that the documents gets loaded to your RAM. Now a user works on many files in windows. Hence to save RAM what the operating system does is that it saves the contents of the RAM into page file. Now the page file can be opened and the documents on which we were working can be extracted from it. In case we are working on any confidential documents then this page file poses a threat to the document’s confidentiality.

In such conditions it is better to delete the contents of the page file when we shut down the computer after our work is over. This feature is been made available by Microsoft but they haven’t enabled it as default. Hence we need to enable this feature manually.

Follow the given steps to clear your page file :

Open Start >> Run function.

Type in regedit and press enter.

Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ Current Control Set \ Control \ Session Manager \ Memory Management \

Double click on “Clear page file at shutdown” and change the value to one(1).

Now the function is enabled. But you need to restart your computer in order for it to start working.

Note that enabling the clear page file function slows down (takes time) your PC while shutting down. But then it is nothing compared to the security that we achieve.

Balloon Tips are getting you annoyed? : Here’s a solution

The various balloon tips that keep cropping up in windows that tell us to update, check virus definitions etc. is often annoying to all of us. Wish that they can be stopped once and for all? I will tell you how to do that. Read on………

Follow the given guidelines :

Open Start >> Run from your desktop.

Type in “gpedit.msc” without the quotes.

A windows pops open. Now navigate to User Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Start Menu and Taskbar

Double click on Remove Balloon Tips on Start Menu items.

Check the enable option and click OK. You’re done.

Henceforth those balloon tips will never ever disturb you. Enjoy

Increase your browsing speed

Internet browsers are designed in such a way that they support fast and quick browsing. But then with a few tricks we can still enhance the browsing speed of browsers such as Firefox provided by Mozilla and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

The speed change may not be as noticeable to Broadband users because broadband connections are high speed connections. But the speed increment will be highly noticeable by dial-up connection users. This trick does not require you to be an advanced technician with loads of technical knowledge. A average user also can do these simple registry tweaks. Here we go :

For Firefox

In the address bar of Firefox type in the following about:config

A configuration page opens up with various parameters.

Right Click on network.http.pipelining parameter and select Toggle option. The value changes to True.

Similarly change the value of network.http.pipelining.maxrequests parameter to 30.

Right click and select New >> String

Enter preference name as nglayout.initialpaint.delay and set its value to zero(0).

Now see your browser speed increase.

For Internet Explorer

Open Run function from START menu.

Type regedit and press enter.

Select HKEY_CURRENT_USER >> Software >> Microsoft >> Windows >> Current Version >> Internet Settings

Change the decimal value from 0 to something higher (for eg. 10).

Close the window and you are done.

Tips to write a successful blog

Writing one’s ideas and views through blogs is increasing as a hobby for many people all round the globe. Many of us write blogs just for fun. But did you know that you can make a lot of money through writing blogs pertaining to some specific subjects such as movie reviews, product information etc. But this requires skillful writing in order to ensure greater returns. I would like to give you some criteria’s that can make up a good blog.

URL Consistency

Your blog is recognized on the net through the URL (i.e. blog address) that you have. It is necessary to maintain a specific URL for your blog because people interested in reading your blogs find it very difficult to relocate your new blog address in case you change the previous one. Also it takes a lot of time to make your new blog recognized in search engines and attain the same reader count as the old one. Therefore I suggest that you choose your blog URL very carefully and then do not change it.

Blog Subject

The subject that you choose for your blog needs to be thoroughly understood and researched upon. You should be able to write continuously about the subject. This is because in the earlier stages of writing content there is a lot to write about. But then as you start writing, the content decreases and you have to think seriously about what to write. Hence researching earlier about the topic is very fruitful in the long run.

Content of the Blog

The content of the blog should be high in quality throughout. This is to ensure that the readers get back to your blog very often. Initially the quality of the content is high due to large amount of ideas. But then maintain the quality becomes tougher as days pass by. Thus in order to maintain the same quality throughout you require to be highly innovative.

Blog Marketing

Writing a blog is only the first phase of blogging. The second and the most important phase is marketing of the blog. By marketing I mean that you need to make the interested readers aware of your blog and its content. This can be done in a lot of ways. First and foremost would be the usage of social networking sites such as orkut, facebook and a lot many like these. You need to put in a lot of efforts to make people aware of your blog in the initial stages. This requires a lot of patience and perseverance. But once your blog reaches out to the masses then you will reap the benefits of your hard work in leaps and bounds.

Technical Knowledge

Since blogging deals with internet websites, u need to present your blog to readers in a very readable format or I would say a very user friendly format. The reader should not get bored after reading a few lines. This will only hamper the number of readers that read your posts. Making your blog presentable needs you to have basic knowledge about HTML, JavaScript, Search Engines etc. etc. Hence if you are not comfortable with these technical know-how’s then I would advise you to learn these web technologies as soon as possible.

Patience

You need to have a lot of patience in this world of blogging in order to succeed. This is because sometimes you may have researched a lot in writing the post. This may also have taken up a lot of time. But in the end after posting you do not get as many readers as you would have liked to have. But don’t lose heart in such conditions as sooner or later your hard work will pay off.

Be prepared to work hard

It’s not that all of us can write good articles. But then it is a quality that can be developed through hard work, continuous reading & research. So be prepared to work hard and surely your blogs will turn out to be more readable and enjoyable day by day.

Do post in your comments as to whether you have liked these few tips of mine for better blogging. It would boost me and help in posting better articles for you all readers in future.

Sex Ratio : A Spark Of Hope (Kerala)

The female-male ratio in the State has gone up considerably between 1991 and 2001, according to the final figures of Census 2001. There were 1,059 females for 1,000 males in the State in 2001. In 1991, it was 1,036 females for every 1,000 males.

According to the latest census report (which is yet to be published), females outnumber males by 9,04,146 in a total population of 3,18,41,374. The female population is 1,63,72,760 and that of male is 1,54,68,614. Similarly, the population is more in rural areas than in urban centres, the rural figure being 2,35,74,449 and the urban 82,66,925 (the difference being 1,53,07,524). The number of people belonging to the Scheduled Castes is 31,23,941 and the Scheduled Tribes 3,64,189.

Malappuram, with 36,25,471 persons, is the most populated district in the State. It has 18,70,895 females and 17,54,576 males. Thiruvananthapuram comes up second, with a total population of 32,34,356. The female population is 16,64,439 and that of male is 15,69,917 in the district. Ernakulam occupies the third position, where the total population is 31,05,798 with a break-up of 15,67,401 females and 15,38,397 males, the report says.

The new census report presages a remarkable change in the development process of the State. Currently, the Central funds are allocated on the basis of the Census 1991 figures. The new data would help raise the level of allocation. Delimitation of Assembly constituencies, held up owing to non-availability of the final census figures, could now be completed. The latest figures are expected to change the status of many panchayats and municipalities, with many of them standing a better chance to be upgraded as municipalities and Corporations respectively.

Departing from the earlier census tradition, the `census moment' was taken as 00.00 hours of March 1, 2001, the referral time at which the snapshot of the country's population was taken. Until the 1991 census, except in 1971, the sunrise of March 1 of the relevant year was the `census moment.' The enumeration of houseless population was carried out on the night of February 28, 2001.

The provisional population totals were brought out on March 26, 2001, within three weeks after completing the enumeration. The final results of the house-listing operations were released in April 2003. The use of the latest technology in data processing has helped to produce the house-listing as well as population enumeration tables on a full count basis for the first time. As many as 202 million schedules comprising 1,028 million records had been scanned and processed within 10 months since October 2002.

A Task Force on Quality Assurance headed by the Registrar-General and Census Commissioner of India was constituted to edit and examine the data. Unlike in earlier years, a novel method, called Computer-Assisted Coding, was employed to compile the details of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe population.

(Source : http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/19/stories/2004021902120500.htm)

Tool for sex selection : Sperm Washing

Prosperous families in general and NRIs in particular desirous of having male children are preferring sperm washing technique to female foeticide. Developed for treating infertility problems, the technique is reportedly being used for separating Y chromosomes from the sperm of desiring husbands and then begetting a male child by intra uterine insemination or similar methods.

While, a few Punjabi NRIs settled in countries like Canada, England, America and Denmark were known to have 'benefited' from services of some 'Fertility Clinics' and 'Birth Planning Centers' established in their respective areas; natives have started seeking expertise though online programmes. choosethesexofyourbaby.com and abygenderselectionprogram.com are most frequently visited sites, directors of which claim to advocate natural methods to have baby of desired sex.

Dr K. C. Goel, district health officer, Sangrur, terming the technique as unethical practice, said the procedure if conducted in Punjab would come under the purview of the PCPNDT (Pre Conception Pre- Natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act. "Though we can proceed against the couple if they get the sex of foetus checked here, we can not question availing services of Birth Planning Centre or using segregated sperms," said Goel.

Referring to information received from international medical journals, Goel told the sperm washing was being done in western countries, to treat male infertility problems.

While simple sperm wash technique and swim up techniques are being used normally to treat infertility problems, density gradient sperm wash is preferred for segregating Y chromosome bearing sperms from the semen. Expenses of most sophisticated procedure, accompanied with fertility treatment normally do not exceed Rs 4 lakh. Having heard success stories of NRI couples, some locals have started seeking advice of physicians from centres in Delhi and Bombay. Though various techniques relating to sperm washing and freezing are available at selected semen banks in metropolises, it is yet to be ascertained whether these had succeeded in segregating gender-specific sperms or not. However these centres place advertisements to invite gynecologists to procure washed or prepared sperms for performing IUI at their own clinics.

(Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080307/main6.htm)

Effect of less sleep on our health

With the increase in our day-to-day responsibilities in our personal life regarding work and family, we see ourselves mainly giving time to ourselves late in the night. This time includes checking mails, surfing the net, reading some books and watching cable television. This is partly because of our responsibilities and partly because of the available means of entertainment and communication with us.

Even I only find time in the late nights to read and write blogs, watch some television programs, recordings of some good matches that I missed or some good films. This is because during the day I have to attend to a lot of work like getting ready for college, attending college sessions and completing practical’s and submissions and checking the daily collection from my medical shop. But then according to the scientific studies relating to sleep deficiency, it is not a thing to be complacent. But certain problems may arise out of it which need to be checked in time.

Scientific studies suggest that a normal person should sleep anywhere between seven to eight and a half hours everyday. Then it can be all the time at once or 7 hours at night and 1 hour in the afternoon. The latter type of sleep is more preferred. But people getting less than six hours of sleep per day are the ones who need to take this seriously, as they are the one’s those will suffer in near future.

These people can become victims of different types of cancer such as prostrate, colon and breast. Also heart diseases have been reported to be on a rise in such individuals. Then they may also be affected by obesity, diabetes and stroke. These conclusions have been drawn through quite a few studies on people who sleep less than the stipulated time. Around 10 – 12000 people have been examined for study.

So this article comes as a wake up call for all the people who sleep less. Hope they change the amount of their sleep after reading this article.

Disable the error reporting function in Windows

Many a time when the program crashes, an error reporting windows comes up. Its asks us if we would like to report the error to Microsoft. Often this message is very annoying and one would like to disable this function. Also this function is also not a very useful feature which can be of any help.

Read below to find out how we can disable this feature and put a everlasting end to our getting annoyed every time.

1) Open CONTROL PANEL

2) Click on Performance and Maintenance

3) Click on System

4) Then click on Advanced tab

5) Then you can see a Error Reporting button at the bottom, click it.

6) Then select Disable error reporting.

7) Click on OK and you are done.

Boot Defragment your hard drive for faster loading of Operating System

The boot defragment option is a very unique function available in Windows XP. This function places all the files required for booting up of the operating system next to each other such that they are easily accessible.

Since the files are placed in close proximity to each other they are found by the computer rather easily and in very less time. Thus the operating system loads itself faster than normal. By default this option is enabled when we install windows, but then when we install certain software’s they disable this option.

In order to enable following steps are to be followed :

1) Open run function from START menu.

2) Type regedit and press enter.

3) Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction

4) Double click on Enable from the list available on the right hand side.

5) Change the value of this string to Y (i.e. Yes) to enable this function and N (i.e. No) to disable it.

6) Reboot your computer and you are done.

The booting process becomes faster than the previous time.

Gain Access to Stored User names along with their Passwords

In Windows we have the facility of creating various user accounts. But many a times we find it difficult or by chance we forget the passwords. In order to avoid this problem we can store these passwords for the various user accounts we have on a computer by using the rundll32.exe file.

The normal process through which this account works is difficult to remember and execute. Hence I am giving this shortcut method to carry out the procedure using the rundll32.exe file.

What you have to do is start the run function from the start menu. Then type the following :

rundll32.exe keymgr.dll,KRShowKeyMgr

Press enter and the applet runs itself.

Add the user names and other logon information into it and use it whenever you require for retrieval.

Budget 08 - Provisions for Health

• Comparing with the last year this year there has been an increase of almost 15% in the funds allotted towards the health sector. The amount allotted towards this sector comprises almost Rs. 16,534 crore. This indicates that the government is seriously looking towards betterment of health of the entire society.

• Under the National Rural Health Mission a large number of activists are planned to be trained. Also around 177,924 villages will have sanitation committees that will look after all the sanitation facilities in the village. This will in turn help in reducing all diseases related to improper sanitation facilities such as cholera, diarrhea etc.

• The fund allocation towards the NHRM has been increased by almost 12,000 crore and under this scheme 323 hospitals of various districts have been taken up for up gradation of all the available facilities.

• Special emphasis has been paid to eradication of Polio in our country. The previous strategy has been revised and the polio drive has been targeted towards the northern states that have shown high occurrences of polio in the past.

• Rs. 205 crore have been provided for towards the health insurance scheme for all the workers and their families who come in the unorganized sector falling under BPL category. The insurance cover provided to them is of Rs. 30,000.

• The older population also has its share for health schemes in the budget. They have been allotted Rs. 400 crore for setting up of ageing centres and hospitals for all types of medical care that would be required by the older generation of our country.

Increase your PC speed

Disable Indexing Service

Windows XP keeps a track of all the files and folders present on your hard drive in order to retrieve the details of these in quick time when you are searching for particular files or texts in files using the Search function.

This service seems very useful on first instance, but if you are a person who does not use the search tool quite often then this process of indexing your files isn’t as useful as it can be to someone who uses the search tool regularly. This is because this feature is running continuously in the background and thus reducing the amount of RAM available for other processes.

This feature can be disabled from the Properties option that appears when we right click on the drive in My Computer. To disable this function follow the below guidelines :

1) Open My Computer from Start Menu.

2) Right click on any drive letter.

3) A dialog box appears. Select Properties which is last item in dialog box.

4) Uncheck the option that says, “Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching”.

5) Repeat the above process for all the remaining drives.

Although the above given process increases your PC speed a quite an amount, it does not do it upto 50% or more.

Budget 08 - Provisions For Education

• Funds have been provided upto Rs. 80 crore for setting up 410 more schools and building up and renovation of old hostels for girls under the Kasturba Gandhi Baliika Vidyaalaya Scheme. This scheme is targeted towards increasing the female literacy rate of our country. Thus ensure that females do not remain behind in any field and they get a fair amount of share in this Indian society.

• Rs. 800 crore have been allocated to the special scholarship scheme which is targeting around 1 lakh scholarships in the year 2008-09. This would ensure that many of the deserving but economically backward students get a fair chance to complete their education.

• Rs.10 crore have been allocated to set up centres in around 125 districts under the Nehru Yuvva Kendra Scheme. This will help in channelizing the youth power that our country has in abundance and ensure growth of the economy.

• The government has extended its scheme for Mid Day meals to the upper classes of schools which come under government and also government aided. This is perceived to ensure that all students under this scheme get proper nutrition. More than 2.5 crore students are expected to be covered under this scheme in 2008-09 which takes the total tally to 13.9 crore. Rs. 8000 crore have been set aside for this scheme.

• Government has decided to set up sixteen Central Universities in each of the states which were previously uncovered. Also three IIT’s are to be set up in Rajasthan, Bihar and Andra Pradeshh.

• Two IISERs are to come up in Thiruvananthapuram and Bhopal along with 2 institutes of Planing and Architecture located at Bhopal and Vijayawada.

• Also Rs. 5 crore have been granted to the Deccan college, Pune for its research and development activities.

• Rs. 85 crore have been allotted to the various research and development oriented activities in the field of science. This also includes scholarships for students from various age groups. This policy is directed towards increasing more and more students to take up education in pure science and pursue their careers in it.

• The government has started off a programme which ensures education to the female population. This includes compulsory residential education to all enrolled female students and has enrolled more than 1, 75,000 students.

Read my further blogs for information related to budget for other sectors viz. Health, Agriculture, Automobile, Exports etc.