The default Internet Explorer window title can be a bit bland, so let’s do some customising! You can change the title of the Internet Explorer window to whatever text you like. To do this, go to the ‘Start’ menu > ‘Run’ and type ‘regedit’ (without the quotes) and click OK. Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftInternet ExplorerMain
In the right-hand pane, check whether there is an entry named ‘Window Title’. If not, you will need to create the entry by going to the ‘Edit’ menu > ‘New’ > ‘String Value’ and name the value ‘Window Title’. Once the value is present, right-click on the ‘Window Title’ value and select ‘Modify’. Give the ‘Value data’ the custom window title you want to appear for Internet Explorer, and click OK to save the changes. Close the Registry Editor and open Internet Explorer. You should see the new title in the window title bar! Should you wish to revert to the original (default) title, simply delete the ‘Window Title’ entry. (more…)

My computer is used to conduct a lot of financial transactions, ranging from paying bills to eBay trading. As a result of media alerts and news stories I am very conscientious of potential security threats. For this reason, I am in the process of upgrading my security software but am wondering how much is enough or is it a case of ‘the more the better’. For years I have relied on Norton System Works (current version) and ZoneAlarm Pro. At the moment I am trialling eTrust Pest Patrol Suite and the ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite. Are these products sufficient to provide adequate protection against viruses, spyware, adware, and theft of personal data, or is it best to choose one product to provide total security. In your column I have read previously that it is beneficial to engage multiple anti-spyware and anti-adware detection programs. Is there any benefit or detriment in running two antivirus programs simultaneously? The computer is running Windows XP Professional. (more…)

Since using a file sharing network, when playing a particular file in Windows Media Player the program closes after 30 seconds with the message that Windows Media Player has encountered a problem. I have used Norton Antivirus, Ad-Aware, and Spybot to scan the computer, and all these programs also close as soon as they encounter the particular file. This same behaviour happens in Safe Mode. The computer is running Windows XP. (more…)

After installing a new Microsoft USB wireless keyboard and mouse the screensaver no longer works. All the settings seem correct, but the screensaver never activates. Also, could you also advise which power setting, in the screensaver properties, is the best to use? (more…)

As you may have read in previous columns, Windows Vista (the next version of the Windows operating system) is due for release on 30th January 2007. However, before spending money on upgrading to Vista you should first check whether your computer will be able to run Vista. The best way to evaluate your computer for Vista compatibility is to run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. This can be downloaded for free at: www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/upgradeadvisor/default.mspx . (more…)