Create a password reset disk

If you're running Microsoft Windows XP Professional, you can create a password reset disk that—if you ever forget your password—you can use to log on to your computer. If you forget your password but don’t have a password reset disk, you'll have to reinstall Windows XP to use your computer.

To create a password reset disk

1.	Log On.
2.	Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
3.	Under Pick a category, click User Accounts.
4.	In the User Accounts window, click the account name that you want to create a password reset disk for.
5.	Under the Related Tasks section, click Prevent a forgotten password.
6.	On the Welcome to the Forgotten Password Wizard page, click Next.
7.	Insert a floppy disk into your disk drive. If necessary, select the disk drive you want to use, and then click Next.
8.	Type your password, and then click Next.
9.	After the Forgotten Password Wizard creates your password reset disk, click Next.
10.	Click Finish.

Remove your password reset disk and store it in a safe, secure place. Storing your disk in a secure place is very important because anyone who uses the disk can access your computer without knowing your password.

Format backup drives with NTFS

Backing up your important files regularly is the key to recovering from a serious system failure. And, with Microsoft Windows XP, the most effective way to backup your computer is to copy your files to an external hard drive using Windows Backup. Before you back up your computer for the first time, you'll want to be sure your external hard drive is formatted with the New Technology File System (NTFS).

There are two ways to enable NTFS on your external hard drive:. If you have not yet copied any files on your external drive, you should format it with NTFS. Formatting is preferable to converting because it will make the drive run faster, among other benefits. Formatting a hard drive permanently removes all files, so you should not format the drive if you have saved anything on it (without making a copy of the files first). If you don't want to overwrite the data, you should convert the drive to NTFS instead.

Note: File systems define how your computer writes (or saves) files to a hard drive. Windows XP supports two file systems for external drives: FAT32 and NTFS. External hard drives typically come formatted with the FAT32 file system because it is compatible with earlier versions of Windows. However, the NTFS file system is superior to the FAT32 file system in many ways. Most importantly, NTFS can support files larger than 4 GB in size, which provides plenty of room for your backups.

Format a backup drive with NTFS

To format the drive with NTFS

1.	Log on.
2.	Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
3.	Under Storage, click Disk Management.
4.	If the Initialize and Convert Disk Wizard appears, click Next. If the wizard does not appear.
5.	On the Select Disks to Initialize page, click Next.
6.	On the Select Disks to Convert page, click Next.
7.	On the Completing the Initialize and Convert Disk Wizard page, click Finish.
8.	Right-click your external drive (which will probably be drive E or drive F), and then click Format.
9.	In the Format dialog box, type a name for your external hard drive, such as Backup Drive. Then, click OK.
10.	Click OK again.

Windows XP formats your external hard drive. Within a few minutes, your drive will be ready for you to use.

Convert a backup drive to NTFS

If you have already copied files to your external hard drive, and you don't want to delete them, you can convert your hard drive to NTFS.

To convert an external drive to NTFS

1.	Log on.
2.	Click Start, right-click My Computer.
3.	In the My Computer window, make a note of the drive letter and label assigned to your external drive. Usually, the drive letter will be E or F. The drive letter will not be C (that's the hard drive inside your computer). The label is the word between the drive picture and the drive letter. Some drives may not have a label.
4.	Click Start, click Run, and then type convert drive_letter: /fs:ntfs For example, if your external drive is drive E, you would type convert E: /fs:ntfs Then, click OK.
5.	A command window appears. Type the label for your external drive, and then press ENTER. If your drive does not have a label, just press ENTER.
6.	If a message warns you that the volume is in use by another process, close any other open windows. Then, press Y and then ENTER.

Windows XP converts your external drive to NTFS. When the conversion is done, the window automatically closes. Your drive is ready for your backups.

Organize your notification area

The notification area is the collection of small icons near your system clock, in the bottom-right corner of your screen. After you've used your computer for a few months, the notification area can become cluttered with icons for different programs you may have installed. Each icon takes up space on your Microsoft Windows XP taskbar, which leaves less room for your program buttons.

Fortunately, you can free up space in the notification area by hiding icons that you don't use very often.

To organize your notification area

1.	Right-click the system clock, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.
2.	In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, click Customize.
3.	The Customize Notifications dialog box appears. For each icon you want to hide, click the Behavior list, and then click Always hide. For each icon you want to always show, click the Behavior list, and then click Always show.
4.	Click OK twice.

Your notification area will be much less crowded, giving you more room for program buttons on your taskbar. To show the icons you have hidden, click the left arrow beside the notification area.

Help save energy and the environment by putting your monitor to sleep

You can save electricity and reduce your impact on the environment by activating your monitor’s sleep feature in Microsoft Windows XP. Activating sleep settings on just one computer may prevent considerable CO2 emissions each year. Letting your monitor sleep allows it to go into a low-power mode when you’re not using it. To wake your monitor, you simply touch your mouse or keyboard.

To set Windows XP to automatically turn your monitor off when your computer isn’t being used

1.	Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties.
2.	In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Screen Saver tab. Then, click the Power button.
3.	In the Power Options Properties dialog box, click the Turn off monitor list, and select a time to automatically turn off your monitor. Five minutes is a realistic setting. If you have a portable computer, set the time for both Plugged in and Running on batteries.
4.	Click OK twice.

Windows XP will let your monitor sleep after your computer has been idle for the specified number of minutes. To reactivate your monitor, move your mouse, or press a key. You’ll save almost as much power as if you had manually turned your monitor off, but you won’t have to press your monitor’s power button.