Step 1 open the printers and faxes window. Step 2 goto tools on the menu bar and select folder options. Next in the general tab the first grouping of options is Tasks. Select the radial button next to Use Windows classic folders. You should now see an Add Printer icon at the top of the page. While holding down the shift key, right click the Add printer icon and select Run As. Supply the correct administrative credentials and you can now add a local printer without logging off and back on as an admin.

Awesome idea.

Via TechRepublic

15 Awesome Gmail Tips and Tricks by The Geek Stuff

To turn on Windows Update for domain users.
Start – Run – type “mmc” – ok -> This opens Microsoft Management Console.
File – Add/Remove Snap-in.
In the “Available Snap-ins” list select “Group Policy Management Editor and click “Add.”
Select “Browse” – from the “Select Group Policy Object”
Highlight “Domain Controllers.domainName.com” and click “OK” and “OK” and “OK” once more to get to the Console Root
Click the plus signs next to “Default Domain Controllers Policy,” “Computer Configuration,” “Policies,” “Administration Templates: Policy definitions,” and “Windows Components.” Go to the bottom of that list to find “Windows Update.” In the the window to the right you’ll find all the settings that can be enabled to make client PCs update automatically. Not all are beneficial and a few are very annoying so to avoid making your users mad… Double click on a setting and go to the “Explain” tab to read the consequences of enabling or disabling a setting. If you don’t know what you’re about to do, leave it “Not Configured.”

• A hard disk scan: go to My Computer – right click on the C:\ drive and select Properties. In the properties sheet choose the Tools tab. In the Error Checking section click Check Now. In the window that pops up check both selections. You will get a warning that says something like “the check can’t be performed now, do you want to schedule for the next time you reboot” click yes and restart your computer.
• sfc -scannow This command checks all the files in your Windows installation and makes sure they are the same files that were installed originally and that they have not become corrupted. To run click on the Start button and select Run. In the text box type “sfc -scannow” (without the quotation marks) and click ok. If the scan needs to rebuild or recopy a file you’ll need a copy of the Windows cd that is the same version that you have installed.

1. Active Directory – domainName.nnn – Users – userName properties – Exchange General tab – Delivery Restrictions Button. Under the Sending or Receiving message size areas click the radio button for “Maximum KB” and set as desired. 1000 KB is approximately 1 MB (20,000KB = 20MB)
2. Exchange Server Manager: Under the “First Organization (Exchange)” open the Global Settings folder, then Message Delivery, and then Defaults to set the limit.

Act! Answer ID  19640  http://is.gd/rpqb

In this user’s case the SQL Server (ACT7) service keeps stopping or doesn’t start when the laptop is rebooted (we’re tracking which). So I wrote a batch file (of which I’ve only done a couple)  that will start the service.  For those of you who don’t know, a batch file is just a text file saved with the .bat extention instead of  the .txt extention and the contents contain a command for Windows to perform (careful that you have “Hide extensions for known file types” unselected in “Folder Options” -> “View”. In this case the command in the batch file is

::Turns on Act SQL Server Service
@ECHO OFF
NET START (or STOP) “exact name of service”

Programming is fun!! BTW, I stole this batch file from http://www.codingforums.com/archive/index.php/t-137177.html

• Click on the link
• Choose your Operating System

I started about 15 minutes ago at and I still have a half empty progress bar at the bottom of a black screen telling me that Windows is loading files…

20 min later I’m at the GUI asking for Language, Time/Currency format, and Keyboard. I click Next and Install Now.
“Setup is starting.”
EULA accepted
For some reason I go against all my training and choose the “Upgrade” Install instead of the fresh installation option. What the heck its a new day… I’m told that in order to upgrade I need to restart the computer so that and existing version of windows is running. I backed up before I started so I’m going to back up and choose the “Custom (advanced)” install. Again, what the heck?
That sorted, the install has begun, the steps are listed out for me: Copying files (went quickly), Expanding files (started at 7:23 and is now at 1% 3min later. This may be the tedious bit… 7:28; quicker now, 20%… 7:36; up to 98% (this is actually getting exciting)), Installing features done 7:37 , Installing updates done , Completing installation done and rebooting at 7:37.

Ooo, USB controller error, but I was getting that before I started. “Starting Windows” throbbing windows flag/flower (very alien looking) Setup is starting services.  Back to the same setup window before reboot with a message “Completing Installation” The green progress bar at the bottom of the screen is about 70% done. Hmm… 7:43 no change… screen blink, that’s usually a sign that the OS is dealing with video drivers or display settings. Progress bar has moved a bit about 85%… DVD spinning up a couple of times… 7:48 Setup will continue after a reboot of your computer…

Starting Windows throbbing blurry flag again. Setup is preparing your computer for first use, Setup is checking video performance and I’m at a Setup Wizard.

User name and computer name Password Product Key (Ooops I saved that under the XP install.. ha ha, and on my Mac, whew) Update Settings, Time zone and date,  Home network discovery, Now this is new. Do you want to create a homegroup? A homegroup links computers on your home network so that you can share pictures, music,  blah blah, Windows has had shared folders for a long time, curious to see how these “home groups” will be implemented. Choices are Next or Skip, I’m game “Next” wizard done. Preparing your desktop… Ahhh, that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen Microsoft do… the desktop wallpaper is a Beta– fish– like in a fish tank. That’s pretty good. Still looks like Vista, that’s gonna be hard to shake the association.

That done, now I’m going to go beat up on it. Don’t guess this post helps anyone but I was surprised at how quick the install took on a PC that’s on the lower end of the recommended specs.

This answer was found in this post at the Drupal.org forums here: http://drupal.org/node/89089