Here is another Google Search Engine Tips for those who are looking how to manipulate Google Search Engine for easier routine in life. Badxp previously bring you tips on how to use Google Search Engine to ask the time , now Badxp will show you how to track your flight status with Google Search Engine.

To use Google Search Engine to track your flight status, just enter the airline and flight number in the Google search box, and hit enter.

Ask Google the Flight Status

Subscribe and keep updated with more Google Search Tips in the future.

See also:

• Google Search Tips - Ask Google the time (1)

By now most internet users are using Google as their primary search engine. It is no suprise because Google will get you what you want if you know the way to ask Google(politely). Badxp will be bringing a series of Tips of what you can do with Google search engine. This is the first with Asking Google the time.

Simply enter “what time is it” to get your local time, or enter the name of the place where you want to know the time, e.g, “what time is it in Canada“.

Ask Google the time

Keep updated with Badxp to get the latest Google Search Tips on badxp latest Tips and Guides for Solving bad experience with Computer.

See also:

• Google Search Tips - Track Flight Status (1)

Windows Registry Value

There are 5 main type of registry values in the Windows Registry. These value contain data and information for the operation of Windows Operating System.

1. REG_DWORD
   REG_DWORD values are shown in hexadecimal format and use a 4 byte number as data, with the decimal equivalent in brackets next to that. DWORD value can be entered in hexadecimal or decimal format. DWORD value are mostly use for switch value, with the value ‘0′ as off, and the value ‘1′ as on.
2. REG_SZ
   REG_SZ value can be word or number, or the location of file in your Windows Operating System. REG_SZ is also known as the string value.
3. REG_EXPAND_SZ
   This value act as a variable where an input from any application will place a value in REG_EXPAND_SZ value.
4. REG_MULTI_SZ
   This value contain multiple values or list.
   
5. REG_BINARY
   This value contain values as binary data. Usually, REG_BINARY are use for data or information related to hardware that cannot be edited or change by the user.

These are the values that are use in Windows Registry. I will talk on how to create or edit these values on the next article on Windows Registry Editing.

See also:

• Windows Registry Editing Tips (1)
• Windows Registry Branches (1)

The Windows Registry consist of 5 main branches, as you can see from the pictures below.

Windows Registry 5 Main Branches

Inside this main 5 branches in Windows Registry are registry keys, which are represented by folders, and inside them are Registry SubKeys and Registry Values.

The main 5 branches in the Windows Registry are:

1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
   The HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT branch contains the information Microsoft Windows needs for internal functions such as OLE (Object Linking and Embedding, the ability to copy and paste between different programs and documents) and drag-and-drop. The HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT is also the database for file associations, which is how the OS determines what program opens when you double click a specific file type. This branch is by far the least user-friendly and the least edited from all the branches.
2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER
   This Windows Registry Branch contain several configuration settings for the user that is currently logged in only. All the customizations that have been made to Windows, such as a new desktop configuration, or a change of font will be stored here. Any Windows or application setting that is specific to your user can be found within this branch of the registry. As such, there are many customization options here. HKEY_CURRENT_USER is actually a sub-set of the HKEY_USERS branch, specific to the currently logged in user only.
3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
   The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is probably the most edited friendly registry branch. This branch contains configuration settings that are specific to the computer and the software installed on it, but independent of users. As such, any changes made here will apply to any user that is logged in.
4. HKEY_USERS
   Like the CURRENT_USER branch, this contains individual configuration settings specific to individual users. However, it contains these options for all users that have been created. The users are identified by their SID (Security Identifier) number.
5. HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG
   This is connected to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, in much the same way that the CURRENT_USER branch connects to HKEY_USERS. It specifies hardware and software settings that apply to all users, for a given hardware profile.

Inside each of these 5 main registry branches are keys which hold subkeys and value. We will look into the keys, subkeys and value in the next article.

See also:

• Windows Registry Value (2)
• Windows Registry Editing Tips (1)

If you read Microsoft Knowledge Base on Registry editing, you will find the statement

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

As scary as it may seems, actually editing Windows Registry manually using Regedit and Notepad is not that troublesome, and if done correctly can produce positive results that will affect your Windows Operating System.

One of the basic tips on Windows Registry Editing that will certainly get you out of trouble when editing Windows Registy would be to backup everything before doing any editing. This is compulsory because if you mess up something, you can easily restore the previous key.

To backup your registry key using Regedit:

1. Go to start menu
2. Run
3. Type “regedit” without the quote and press enter.
4. Go to menu “Files”.
5. Choose “Export”.
6. Save the backup as .reg files.

export registry

If something went wrong after editing your registry using Regedit, you can easily restore the registy key files that you have backed up using the import feature.

We will be looking into other registry editing tips and tricks in the future at badxp.

However if you feel that editing registry manually using Regedit as troublesome, you can use Registry utility such as Regsweep for registry fixing, optimization and cleaning. Refer to my previous post on Registry cleaning using Regsweep.

See also:

• Windows Registry Value (2)
• RegSweep for Windows Registry Cleaning (4)
• Windows Registry Branches (1)

Microsoft Windows XP built in defragmenter in action

Running Defragmenter, be it the one that came with Windows, or a 3rd party defragmenter software will not run if the drive are flagged as dirty by Windows. The drive are flagged dirty when the drive contain errors.

To fix this error, you must run check disk utility with the checkdisk (chkdsk.exe) before defragmenting your hard disk drive.

There are some 3rd party defragmenter that will force to defrag your drive even if the drive is flagged dirty. This is bad for the health of your drive. Defragmenting a drive that contains error will lead to bad sector. If the bad sector are not fixed by running check disk utility, the drive will contain unrecoverable errors.

Even if you are not defragmenting your drive on a regular basis, you should run Check Disk Utility regularly to check your drive conditions.

More info on checkdisk disk utility can be found on my previous post on Check Disk Utility. I have also posted on how to use the Check disk utility at startup.

See also:

• Windows XP checkdisk utility - chkdsk.exe (4)
• Run checkdisk at startup in Windows XP (1)
• Using checkdisk - chkdsk.exe without booting Windows (2)
• Windows check disk walkthrough (1)

This will require you to get your hand dirty with Windows Vista Registry Editor. Be advised that editing, tweaking or playing with the registry can lead your system to serious trouble. Make sure to backup your registry before following the steps below to disable Windows Vista built in CD Burning.

To disable Windows Vista built in CD Burning:

1. Go to start menu > run
2. Type “regedit” without the quote
3. At the registry editor, navigate to
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer
4. Right click on the left pane, and create a new DWORD (32bit) key
5. Type NoCDBurning without the quote.
   
6. Double click on NoCDBurning and enter the value as “1″.
7. Close Registry Editor
8. Log off and then log in again for the changes to take effect.

This steps will Disable Windows Vista Built In CD Burning. To re-enable Vista Built In CD Burning, just change the Dword value to “0″.

See also:

• Vista Service Pack 2 will be available before Windows 7 (2)
• Tweak Windows Vista Services using Vista Service Optimizer (3)
• Microsoft admits Microsoft Windows Vista mistake (5)
• Disable Task Manager in Windows Vista (0)
• Disable Run Command in Windows Vista (1)

To disable Task Manager in Windows Vista using Registry Tweak, follow these steps:

1. Go to Start Menu
2. Go to “Run”
3. Type “regedit” without the quote to run Registry Editor
4. Go to
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\system.
5. Go to the right pane of Registry Editor, right click and create a new DWORD value
6. Name the DWORD value “DisableTaskMgr” without the quote
7. Set the value to “1″
8. Save and restart your computer

The process above will Disable Task Manager in Windows Vista. To undo the the process, just change the value of “1″ to “0″.

See also:

• Vista Service Pack 2 will be available before Windows 7 (2)
• Tweak Windows Vista Services using Vista Service Optimizer (3)
• Microsoft admits Microsoft Windows Vista mistake (5)
• How To Disable Windows Vista built in CD Burning (1)
• Disable Run Command in Windows Vista (1)

To disable run command in Windows Vista

• Go to Windows Vista start menu.
• Type “gpedit.msc” without the quote.
• This will open the Group Policy Editor in Windows Vista
• Go to User Configuration
• Go to Administrative Template
• Go to Start Menu and Taskbar
• Choose “Remove run from start menu”
• Right click on “Remove run from start menu and choose “Properties”
• Select “Enable” at the “Remove run from start menu” properties page
• Click “Ok” and restart your computer

Be advised that by removing Run command, you will not be able to use the Run command anymore and everything that are associated with the run command.

See also:

• Tweak Windows Vista Services using Vista Service Optimizer (3)
• Microsoft admits Microsoft Windows Vista mistake (5)
• Change search engine provider in Windows Internet Explorer 7 (0)
• Vista Service Pack 2 will be available before Windows 7 (2)
• Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Blue Screen of Death (25)

Usually when running checkdisk - chkdsk.exe , only the drive that contain locked Operating System files on Windows XP will be ask to run checkdisk on startup. However there is a another command that can be use in Windows XP to run checkdisk on every drives on Windows XP startup.

To run checkdisk on every drives at startup in Windows XP:

• Run command prompt. Go to start menu > Run
• Type “cmd.exe” without the quote
• At the command prompt, type “chkntfs /D” without the quote

This will restores Windows XP to the default behavior and all drives are checked at boot time and checkdisk - chkdsk is run on those that are dirty.

See also:

• Windows XP checkdisk utility - chkdsk.exe (4)
• Run checkdisk before defragmenting your hard drive (1)
• Using checkdisk - chkdsk.exe without booting Windows (2)
• Windows check disk walkthrough (1)