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Remove Outlook Attachments Without Deleting the Message
Posted by Adam Pash at 7:25 AM on May 23, 2008
Too many large email attachments weighing down Outlook's PST file and your hard drive, but you don't want to throw out the message with the attachment? Weblog Digital Inspiration details how to separate attachments from email messages in Outlook without deleting the message. It's a simple process, and when you're done the file is no longer attached to the message; you can keep or delete it as you see fit. It's not difficult, but the little two-step process could save you hard drive space and keep Outlook's PST file lighter and snappier—especially if you back it up regularly.
If you're a veteran Windows XP user, you're familiar with the "helpful" count of your unread email messages you'll find at the login screen—which is usually wrong or overstated (my screenshot came from a fresh install of Thunderbird). The Online Tech Tips blog shows how to eliminate this stress-inducing reminder through a registry hack. Readers comfortable tweaking in regedit can find the values and instructions at the link below; those who don't mind installing a free (and very handy) power-user program can accomplish the same thing using 
The default prompt in Windows' Command Prompt isn't the easiest to read, but Microsoft has a font, Consolas, that works much better in a terminal, as attested to by 
Most any savvy computer user is probably pretty handy with a free compression and archiving tool (like, say, 
We've covered how to quickly shutdown Windows 
If you've ever copied a folder's worth of files in Windows, you've come across the Confirm File Replace dialog, which asks you if you want to replace an existing file with a new file. You have the option to answer Yes just for this file, Yes to All—which will just replace all the originals with the new copies—or you can say No; what's missing is a button to say No to All. Rather than clicking No countless times if No to All is what you really want, tech weblog Online Tech Tips points out that Windows simulates the No to All response if you hold the Shift key and then click No. It's a strange feature, and actually one that 
Tech blogger Amit Agarwal loves Vista's new system tray clock and calendar, but prefers not to move to his mouse whenever he wants to take a closer look. To remedy this, he's set up a simple shortcut to display the clock at the stroke of his keyboard. If you don't want to take the shortcut route, the post also details a few other methods for getting a quick look at the date and time. Got a favourite method of your own to get a quick glance at the calendar and clock? Share it in the comments.
If you use Windows' built-in feature that groups similar program windows on the taskbar, you've noticed it only works when you've launched enough windows to fill the taskbar. The CyberNet blog offers up a customisable registry tweak that activates the grouping with just two or more windows open. Not everyone enjoys the grouping function, as it was downgraded to a non-default setting in Vista, but for those who do, the hack can be a real helper. You can download a registry fix file at the link below, or make the change yourself at the following key:
Tired of having to look up which drive letter Windows assigned to his multiple USB thumb drives, one author at gHacks decided to assign each drive to its own folder nested inside a "USB" folder. Not only does it add some consistency to swapped storage, it also allows for a persistent shortcut on a Windows desktop. The short how-to: Run "diskmgmt.msc" from Windows' Run/Start Search box, right-click on your plugged-in drive and choose "Change Drive Letter and Paths." Then:
