Fix: Unable to open .PPS attachment​s directly from Outlook Express?

When using Powerpoint Viewer you might get errors trying to open a presentation file sent as attachment when using Outlook Express.

To fix it, use this tool


Using the PPSFix utility

Download PPSFix.zip (~12 KB). Unzip the file and run the utility. Select the file types that you want to fix, and then click Fix. Note that you need to login as administrator in order to use this utility.

Manual fix:
Click Start, Run and type CONTROL FOLDERS
In the Folder Options applet that opens, select the File Types tab
Scroll down and locate the following entry:
PPS (Microsoft PowerPoint Slide Show)

Click Advanced
Click the New button
Type Open in the the Action: text box

In the Application used to perform action: field, type the following exactly:

For PowerPoint Viewer 2003:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\PowerPoint Viewer\pptview.exe" "%1"

For PowerPoint Viewer 2007:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\pptview.exe" "%1"

Uncheck the Use DDE box
Click OK, OK
Close the Folder Options dialog

For PPT files
If the problem is seen for .PPT files, then make the above changes to the following file type:
PPT (Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation)

Credit: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/ppsopen.htm

HowTo: Disable warning "The Publisher Could Not Be Verified" When Running Network Programs

Disable the message from appearing warning you that “The Publisher Could Not Be Verified” when you run certain files from a network drive or network share:

Solution:
In Internet Explorer > Internet Options > Security > Local internet > Sites > Advanced
add file://systemname where systemname is equal the local server that runs the application and and file will now run off of that server.

Fix: IE 8 Toolbars Black Background

Problem:
Your IE8 toolbars suddenly appear like this:

Solution:
Change your display theme to back to XP instead of Classic.
Do it using> Control Panel > Display > Appearance > Choose Windows XP Style.

Guide: Recommended Steps for Fixing a PC

Following are the quickest ways to restore any PC running Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7:

Software-Related Methods

• Using F8 - Last Known Good Configuration
  
• From within Windows, System Restore
  
• From the OS Disc, System Restore (Windows Vista and Windows 7 Only)
  
• From the OS Disc, Repair Installation or StartUp Repair
  
• In Normal Mode or Safe Mode, Install Ccleaner. Run Ccleaner. Install Malwarebytes. Update Malwarebytes. Run Malwarebytes.
  
• Using Administrative Tools - Event Viewer, take note of any Events related to disk or memory-related issues. The Windows Kernel frequently records the exact event that is effecting the stability of the computer. You can then lookup the Event Codes using Microsoft Events and Error Message Center or EventID.net.

Hardware-Related Methods

With the Power Off and the Computer Unplugged:

• Check the temperature of the computer. It is possible that the CPU Fan and/or the Power Supply Fan may need to be replaced. If the computer does not include a Power Supply with a Fan, a new Power Supply with a Fan may need to be installed. You may also need to vacuum the computer case to clear any obstruction from the fans.
  
• Try moving the RAM to another RAM Slot. The RAM Slot may be bad.
  
• Try replacing the RAM with other RAM. The RAM may be bad. You can also confirm that the problem is bad RAM by usingMemTest86.
  
• Using Crucial.com, lookup the RAM Type to insure that it is in fact compatible with the motherboard.

With the Power On:

• Try resetting the BIOS to Factory Defaults. The RAM Timing Settings within the BIOS may have been set to an incorrect setting.

Windows 7 also includes a functionality called System Image which is a form of Ghosting. You can actually setup a backup that will image the PC on a scheduled basis. If there is a failure, you can then restore from the System Image that you made in your backup using the OS Repair Disc.

FIX: WinXP Setup Error "Setup cannot copy the file cmnicfg.xml"

The Problem:
During the first text-phase of setup, during the installation files copy, you recieve an error saying:
"Setup cannot copy the file cmnicfg.xml"
This error is related to wrong permissions set on the System32 folder.
What most likely happened:
- You had Vista/7 installed & you decided to re-install XP over it
- During setup you chose not to format the partition
Windows tried to delete the old Windows folder but left many files it couldn't delete due to changes in
NTFS permissions left by the former OS....

The solution:
You can choose one of the following options:
1. Format the partition.
2. On the destination partition, rename the Windows folder
3. During install, set the folder name for the installation to be different than the existing.

BSOD Fix: STOP: c000021a The Windows Logon Process system process terminated unexpectedly with a status

you get a BSOD like this when you boot your Windows XP:
STOP: c000021a {Fatal System Error}



The Windows Logon Process system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0xc0000034 (0x00000000 0x0000000)


The system has been shutdown.
 
Microsoft suggest this article with step-by-step instructions:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/156669/en-us
 
I've found it easier to fix by booting using ERD Commander 2007 and using the System File Repair Wizard.
it will scan your Windows folder and will repair the corrupted files. the process takes less than 5 minutes and you're up and running again.
 
it is advised to run a disk scan like Chkdsk, to make sure the problem didn't raised because of a HD problem. in most cases the cause is unsuccessful updates/installations.
 
Good Luck,
Yaron

Fix: Windows XP Ask for Activation but is Already Activated

Fix it using the following article from Microsoft:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/312295/en-us

Manually remove the script that interferes with Windows activation

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756  How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

Before you start

To complete these steps, you must have the following:

• The Windows XP CD. Or, access to a folder that contains the files from the i386 folder on the Windows XP CD.
• An account that has administrator rights and permissions.

Step 1: Start the computer in safe mode

1. Start the computer.
2. After the computer runs the Power On Self Test (POST), press F8 repeatedly to open the Windows Advanced Options menu.
3. On the Windows Advanced Options menu, use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode, and then press ENTER.
4. Use the arrow keys to select the Windows operating system that you want to start, and then press ENTER.
5. When the computer is running in safe mode, log on by using an account that has administrator rights and permissions. Then, click Yes in the message that states that Windows is running in safe mode.

Step 2: Start Registry Editor

Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.

Step 3: Remove the RESETS registry subkey

1. In Registry Editor, expand My Computer, and then expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
2. Expand SOFTWARE, and then expand Microsoft.
3. Expand Windows NT, and then expand CurrentVersion.
4. Expand Winlogon, and then expand Notify.
5. Under Notify, right-click RESETS, and then click Delete.
6. Click Yes to confirm the removal of the RESETS subkey. 
   
   Note Do not exit Registry Editor. You must use Registry Editor in "Step 4: Modify the registry to deactivate Windows."

Step 4: Modify the registry to deactivate Windows

1. In Registry Editor, expand My Computer, and then expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
2. Expand SOFTWARE, and then expand Microsoft.
3. Expand Windows NT, and then expand CurrentVersion.
4. Under CurrentVersion, click WPAEvents.
5. In the right pane (topic area) of Registry Editor, right-click OOBETimer, and then clickModify.
6. Click to put the pointer in the Value data box. Then, modify any character that appears in the Value data box.
7. Click OK.
   
   Note This step deactivates Windows.
8. Exit Registry Editor.

Step 5: Rename the corrupted Windows activation file

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   
   ren %windir%\system32\WPA.dbl wpa.old
   This command renames the WPA.dbl file to WPA.old.

Step 6: Determine the CD or DVD drive letter

1. Insert the Windows CD.
2. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
3. Note the CD drive letter or the DVD drive letter that appears under Drives with Removable Storage. You have to use this drive letter in the next step.

Step 7: Replace the corrupted Windows activation file

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
   
   expand drive :\i386\wpa.db_ %windir%\system32\wpa.dbl
   In this command, replace drive with the letter of the drive that contains the Windows CD.
   
   For example, if the Windows CD is located in drive D, the command appears as follows:
   
   expand d:\i386\wpa.db_ %windir%\system32\wpa.dbl
   This command extracts a copy of the Wpa.dbl file from the Windows CD. Then, it puts this file in the System32 folder of the Windows installation.
3. Examine the output that appears at the command prompt. If the command runs successfully, information that resembles the following appears:

Microsoft (R) File Expansion Utility Version 5.1.2600.0 Copyright 

(C) Microsoft Corp 1990-1999. All rights reserved. 

Expanding d:\i386\wpa.db_ to c:\windows\system32\wpa.dbl. d:\i386\wpa.db_: 

2222 bytes expanded to 2126 bytes, -5% increase.

1. Type exit, and then press ENTER to exit the command prompt.

Step 8: Remove the files that are associated with the script

1. Click Start, and then click Search.
2. Under What do you want to search for, click All files and folders.
3. In the All or part of the file name box, type the following, and then click Search:
   
   reset5.exe; reset5.dll; reset5.dat; reset5.dt*; srvany.exe
   This action performs a search for all the following files:
   
   • Reset5.exe
   • Reset5.dll
   • Reset5.dat
   • Reset5.dt*
   • Srvany.exe
   Note If you use a different search tool such as Windows Desktop Search, use this tool to search for each of these individual files.
4. In the results pane of the Search Results dialog box, right-click each file, and then click Delete.
5. Click Yes to confirm the removal of the file.
6. When you have finished removing these files, exit the Search Results dialog box.
7. Restart the computer and let Windows restart in normal mode.

Step 9: Reactivate Windows

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Activate Windows.
2. If the Windows Product Activation Wizard prompts you to activate Windows, follow the instructions in the wizard to activate Windows.
3. Restart the computer, and then repeat step 1 of "Step 9: Reactivate Windows" to start the Windows Product Activation Wizard again. You take this step to verify that the wizard does not prompt you to activate Windows again.
4. If the Windows Product Activation Wizard displays a "Windows is already activated" message, click OK to exit the wizard.