If you have ever wanted to run multiple operating systems without the hassle of dual-booting, now is your opportunity! Microsoft recently released Virtual PC 2004 for free. Virtual PC allows you to create multiple ‘virtual computers’, which run other operating systems, within Windows 2000/XP. For example, should you have an old copy of Windows 98, this could be loaded onto Virtual PC allowing you to run Windows 98 within your Windows 2000/XP environment. Users have reported you can even install Linux! Virtual PC can be downloaded for free from: www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc. (more…)

I would like to clarify some conceptual doubts that I have regarding multithreading. It would be appreciated if you could refer me to a multithreading tutorial, and a University level book that deals with the subject. It is important that either (or both) show programming examples, otherwise my doubts will most likely remain! (more…)

How can I open and edit a .SHS ’scrap’ graphic file, as neither The Gimp nor Microsoft Paint are able to open this file type? Also, how can I extract and save a sound file which has been inserted into a PowerPoint presentation? The computer is running Windows XP Home Edition. (more…)

I would like to put a password on my computer, for safety reasons. Can you advise how to configure such a feature? (more…)

When attempting to capture video using a Firewire connection from my Sony Handycam to Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5, a message appears saying ‘Capture Device Offline’. Investigating the problem further, it seems a USB driver is not installed. However, when I try to install the USB software (from the camera software CD) Windows will not let me. Yet, I am able to capture images using the software which came with the camera, with no problem. Why won’t Premiere recognise the camera is connected? The computer is running Windows XP Home Edition. (more…)